Lord Shadow

Midnight has passed and morning is near. Probably in a few hours, the dawn of morning will break.

But it is still dark. That is not a problem for him after all.

He could still see things very clearly. He could see what used to be a small patch of flowers around the entrance of the house is now all big and trimmed neatly.

It looks like a garden of flowers. 

Azief is in front of the small house with the white picket fence. It is one of the forbidden places for people of Pandemonium. 

It is not forbidden because it is dangerous. It is forbidden because there lived a person that Death Monarch cares.

And the one that resides there have been known to have precipitated the war between the World Government and Death Monarch

As such, her safety is top priority and as such the place become forbidden 

Azief looks on the other side and he could spot a statue not far away from the house. It is a statue of Sofia the Divine Archer.

Sighing, he looks at the house.

The once small house is no longer small. It seems bigger than the last time. It is still a two story house but it seems bigger, and there is more life to it than before.

Probably because someone is living inside it now, he thought to himself.

A staircase leading to the second floor with an attic and a four-bedroom house, Azief thought to himself.

He then walks forward and then he knocks the door. 

He did not say who he was but he doesn’t think he should announce himself. 

With Sofia power, she would realize it was him. And tonight, other than him, probably there is no one that dares come nears this house

If she did not want him to enter, then the door probably would never open. 

Maybe he doesn’t want the door to open. That would not be so bad. He then remembers what Wil said to him. What is important is not how to face her, but the important thing is to face her

The moment he thinks that, the door creak and opened by itself. Azief have a complicated expression on his face.

Sighing, he enters the room and then walk through the entrance of the house and reached the living room. 

The living room is even more spacious than before and have many more accessories than what he saw previously.

There is a painting on the walls, decoration flowers around the eaves and a mistletoe on top of the door.

The door creaks open as he walks inside.

The moment he enters; he could see Sofia. He did not use his Divine Sense. He knows how she hated the feeling of being observed like that.

She is there lying on the sofa; her eyes are looking at the TV. It is probably comedy series since there is a laugh track and all.

Azief for a moment forget that he lived in a world of magic. It was like this house is separated from the absurdity of real life.

It was like the Fall never happened in this house. Azief knew he could psychoanalyze Sofia with this house but he didn’t. Because he himself is not that sane

But he is not insane either. He is just…different. Maybe because he had turned into a different lifeform that there is a change or maybe this change is entirely because of the situation that molded him

Whatever the cause was, he has changed. But there is one thing that did not change even after all of these years.

He still cares about her. And he still did not forget their promise.

Azief don’t know how she got a TV and how she got a channel but that is not what concerns him.

He sighed. And she remains silent even when she knows he has entered the room. He did not take another step to that sofa. 

It should be a glorious homecoming. Sofia probably could see that she is the last one that Azief had visited.

While he did not spread his divine sense that did not mean she did not spread hers.

There is probably something she wanted to say about that. And Azief don’t know how to answer if she is going to ask that. 

So, he remains silent as he waits for her to say something. Anything.

He waited and the sound of people laughing from the television is filling the gaps of silence between them two. 

Nothing moved and nothing change. But there is a tension in the room. She did not say anything so Azief stands there.

He did not mind waiting there. After all, she waited for him for six years. What could he complain about?

The series keep going on.

‘Come here’ she said. Azief come closer to the sofa and then she orders 

‘Sit’ She got up from her lying position and she said

‘Sit there’ as she pats the seat beside her as a gesture to show where he is supposed to sit. Azief don’t know if she is angry or not

He sits beside him. She looks at him. Look at his face and look at his eyes. And still he doesn’t know if she is angry or not.

She did not show any emotions on her face. 

Usually it was him like that and she was the expressive one. 

Who knows what happen in six years of his absence? 

He could only see glimpses of a past inside the Time Tunnel so he could not actually have said he knew everything about what happens to them in the past six years.

and those things that he had seen is slowly going away in his mind

It is hard to explain the feeling of knowing losing your memories without knowing exactly what memories you lost

The more you try to retain them, the faster it disappeared. She keeps looking at him and Azief knows he should do something.

And he knows he should say something. 

Sorry might be a good opener, he thought to himself

Or should he try to logic his way out of this. He could not really tell her why he is so adamant in trying to avoid her today. The day is almost ended and only now, he is here.

So, he is racking his brain of what he should say. 

In the past, he could say he is not that proficient in using words. 

He could not that anymore. The only reason why people thought he is not proficient in words is simply because he rarely wants to talk. 

It is because his prestige is enough for people to believe in what he says. But with his girlfriend he couldn’t really rely on his prestige because she knows his true self.

He was about to begin with the simplest opener which is sorry but then Sofia lied down her head on top his laps. 

Azief eyes widened for moment.

‘Don’t move too much. I am tired waiting for you’ she said. 

Then she did not say anything else. The only sound of talking come from that television in front for them. The show she is watching is some comedy series.

But only the laugh track could be heard laughing. She did not laugh and he also did not laugh. She then suddenly said

‘You are so late that I don’t think I could sleep. Since dawn is about to break. It seems even our time would be cut short.

Azief did not know what to make of this. Sofia on the other hand is smiling. She missed his scent. And she misses touching him.

Azief could not see her face. But she is smiling. There are many types of woman in the world. And as there is many women in the world, there is as many ways to love them.

But in the end, each love story and the way they wanted dots be love depends on them. Sofia never wanted a love that is worth to be in the love story of ages.

She did not envy those people who brag about their meet-cute or how dramatic their relationship is.

She just wants a normal love. The more normal it is, the better. Some people want a fiery passion, a dramatic love where everything is a battle or war.

She just wants simple thing. For someone to be beside her and love her. And she would be there beside him and love him.

Maybe, someday they would get married, have children. 

Maybe there would be some difficulties in their life, raising children together and facing all kinds of problem life would throw at them.

And they would go through it all, together. Then they would grow old together and talk about when they were young and in love and laugh and smiles at the past matters.

She wants that kind of love. 

A simple love.