Chapter 93: Courage

"Eden."

He kept walking.

"Wait."

He didn’t.

Luna hurried after him.

"Why?"

Eden glanced over his shoulder.

"Because I don’t want to join."

"Is it because another guild approached you first?"

"Nah."

"Did someone offer you better conditions?"

"Nope."

’As far as conditions go, it would be hard to top Luna’s offer in the first place.’

"Then what?"

Eden stopped.

He turned around.

"There isn’t a reason."

Luna stared at him.

Eden shrugged.

"I just don’t want to."

For perhaps the first time since they’d met, Luna looked genuinely speechless.

"You understand what you’re refusing?"

"Yes."

"Gatewalkers is one of the four largest guilds in the country."

"I know."

"We can provide you with resources most independent Awakeneds spend their entire lives hoping to obtain."

"Good for you."

"You could become famous overnight!"

"I don’t care."

Luna’s eyes narrowed.

"Then what do you want?"

Eden thought about it.

"Strength."

Luna blinked.

"And you think you can’t obtain that with us?"

"I think I’ll obtain it regardless."

He turned away again.

"Besides..."

Eden paused.

"Are the four major guilds really as special as everyone makes them out to be?"

Luna’s expression darkened.

Eden continued.

"I’m not joining Gatewalkers."

He glanced back.

"Or any other guild, for that matter."

"Why?"

"As I said."

"I don’t want to."

He walked away.

Or at least he attempted to.

A hand grabbed his shoulder before he managed to take another step.

Eden’s body was slammed against the wall.

’...!’

His eyes widened.

Cold sweat slid down the back of his neck.

Luna stood mere inches away.

Her smile was still there.

But it wasn’t the friendly smile from before.

It was dangerous.

The pressure radiating from her body was suffocating.

Eden had seen S-Ranks before.

But seeing one up close was different.

His instincts screamed.

’She’s serious about this!’

Luna leaned closer.

"You know..."

Her voice was quiet.

"I’ll forgive you."

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

"How generous."

"I actually quite like you."

Eden smirked.

"You’re even more stubborn than your little sister."

Luna’s eyebrow twitched.

Eden continued with a sly smile.

"All that effort and I haven’t even kissed you yet."

Then Luna’s expression changed.

"...You."

Her Essence erupted.

A powerful mental force slammed toward Eden.

[Mind Intimidation detected.]

Eden didn’t move.

He already knew it would be useless on him.

[Devour has absorbed the debuff.]

Eden smiled.

"That all?"

Luna’s eyes widened.

Eden released his own power.

[Malicious Spirit]

The air seemed to compress.

A terrifying pressure erupted from Eden’s body.

It wasn’t enough to overwhelm Luna.

Not remotely.

She was still an S-Rank.

But it was enough to stagger her.

Luna’s pupils contracted.

For one brief instant, her body instinctively resisted.

’What is this pressure...?!’

That moment was all Eden needed.

He slipped sideways.

[Burst-Step]

Luna’s hand caught empty air.

Eden landed several meters away.

He straightened his clothes.

Luna stared at him.

For the first time, genuine shock appeared on her face.

Eden waved dismissively.

"We shouldn’t cross lines like that yet."

Luna froze.

"...C—cross lines?"

Eden walked toward the entrance.

"Yeah."

He opened the door.

’There’s no reason to fight each other.’

The door closed behind him.

Luna remained completely motionless.

Her face slowly turned red.

’Cross lines...?’

Her mind immediately replayed Eden’s earlier words.

"I haven’t even kissed you yet."

Then his later words.

"We shouldn’t cross lines like that yet."

Luna’s entire face became crimson.

"...W—what is wrong with that man?"

She stood there for several seconds.

Then covered her face.

"This is absurd."

Eden opened the apartment door.

’I’m in for a whole lot of trouble.’

"Mihui?"

Silence.

He stepped inside.

"Mihui, I’m home."

Footsteps came rushing from the other room.

Mihui appeared.

Her eyes immediately widened.

"Eden!"

She ran toward him.

Before Eden could say anything, she threw her arms around him.

He staggered backward.

"Mihui—"

She buried her face against his chest.

For a moment, Eden smiled.

Then he felt it.

She was still angry.

Very angry.

"You idiot."

Eden’s smile disappeared.

"...Yeah."

"You absolute idiot."

"..."

"You almost died."

"I know."

"You were unconscious for an entire week!"

"I’m sorry."

"I thought you were dead!"

Eden’s chest tightened.

Mihui pulled away.

Her eyes were red.

"You always do this!"

Eden said nothing.

"Every god damn time!"

"You disappear."

Her voice trembled.

"You come back injured."

Another tremor.

"And every time, you act like it’s nothing."

"You completely ignore me!"

"You ignore how I feel about this, you ignore my worry, you ignore my pleas—"

"You ignore me even when I’m begging you to stop."

"Mihui—"

"No!"

She wiped her eyes angrily.

"I don’t want to hear it."

"What am I supposed to do if you’ll die? What Am I supposed to do with my life if you someday don’t come back home?"

Eden stood there helplessly.

He tried everything.

He apologized.

He promised to be more careful.

He told her that he was stronger now.

None of it worked.

Eventually, the two sat at the kitchen table.

A long silence stretched between them.

Eden finally spoke.

"I’m sorry."

Mihui looked down.

"..."

"I didn’t mean to scare you."

"I know."

Eden sighed.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Mihui’s fingers tightened around the edge of her sleeve.

"Settle down and leave the awakened life behind you."

Eden blinked.

"Mihui I can’t—"

"Why?!" Mihui yelled in response.

Eden had never imagined he would live the day to hear her so frustrated and angry at him.

Yet here he was, powerless in front of the consequences of his own reckless behavior.

"I just..."

Her voice cracked.

"I just want you to understand how scary it is."

Eden remained silent.

Mihui’s eyes filled again.

"When you didn’t wake up..."

She swallowed.

"I kept having all these bad, awful thoughts."

Eden knew exactly what she meant.

He remembered his first life.

The distance he’d created between them back then.

The way he’d pushed her away.

’I can’t afford to lose her again.’

"I kept thinking that I may have lost you for good."

Eden’s expression softened.

Mihui wiped her cheeks.

"I don’t care if you become an S-Rank."

She laughed weakly through her tears.

"I don’t care if you become the strongest person alive."

She looked directly at him.

"I don’t even care if you become some ridiculous God like being."

Eden smiled faintly.

"But..."

Her voice broke.

"I don’t want to come home one day and find out you’re dead."

Eden’s smile disappeared.

Mihui finally let the tears fall.

"I can’t do that Eden."

"You’re all I have."

Eden reached across the table.

He took her hand.

"I’m not going anywhere."

Mihui squeezed his hand tightly.

"You better not."

"I mean it."

"You always say that—"

"And I’ll keep saying it."

Mihui sniffled.

Eden smiled.

"Until you get sick of hearing it."

Eden leaned back.

"So please, believe me. Have faith in me. Nothing will ever take me down if I have you here, giving me courage."

The tension in his shoulders finally began to fade as he saw Mihui’s eyes fill with hope.

"Im stronger than I’ve ever been before."

"But that’s precisely why I need you in my corner, now more than ever before."

"So will you be my corner, Mihui?"

Mihui wiped one last tear away before answering.

"Yes Eden..."

"I’ll take care of you."