Lord Shadow

‘What are you thinking about?’ The question suddenly enters his ear and he was awoken from his contemplation. He smiles and said

‘I thought about that cook who rejected Pandemonium’ Sofia smiles grew wider.

‘Ah, that man. He is more of a hunter than a cook in my opinion. He is bulky with muscle and he fights like a beast but yet he is a cook’ And she laughs a bit before resuming eating. 

Azief also scoop a bit of the sambal and mix it with the rice and then slowly eats

When they are eating they did not talk much. Though maybe it is because they have been talking for the last four days.

Since that night he came, he had never left. He was always beside her. 

And he knows that his action had aroused Sofia suspicion. Since he did not leave, she also did not leave

She too might have sensed something. But she did not ask him about anything, why he stay and why he did not leave. This question seems to never leave her mouth.

And as such, he did not tell her.

For some reason, like they understand each other, they both skirted some issues.

She probably could feel something is wrong. She probably felt that he is about to do something. But like she did not want to hear it, she skirts around the issue.

So, there is this one gaping emptiness between them.

She seems intent on enjoying the day she had with him. And since she intends to do so, he cooperated.

This past four day seems to expel all kinds of the stress he had accumulated. At times, Azief even wished he could forget about the things he saw.

With each kiss and each laugh, he wanted to forget. And yet, each time when dawn came and he woke up from his sleep, he remembers.

And as such the days goes by and they did not touch this issue. She did not ask, so he would not answer.

It was like nothing is wrong between them. They passed their days very peacefully and happily. He accompanied her from morning to night.

Azief thought she would not like it. But Sofia might have felt that he would leave again and as such, she clings to him

And he clings to her.

When morning came, he would wake her and they would go to the garden and relaxes around there. 

It was like the outside world did not exist for them. 

All those people fighting and scheming for powers outside Pandemonium did not concern him at all. 

When he sees her eyes and that longing in her eyes, his heart could not help but feel ache.

When he is in the garden, she would ask him to read her books. 

He would laugh and then he would spoil her. He would pick one book in the large bookshelves in the living room and he would read it to her

She said his voice is soothing and she likes hearing it. 

When he reads to her, she would put her head on top of his lap. She would listen and he would tell the story. 

At times, she would fall asleep on top of his lap and every time there is a smile on her face when she sleeps. 

The more she is like that, the more his heart ache.

In other morning, she would tell him about what had happened for the six years. Sometimes the story is about her. Sometime the story is about the world. Other times it is about Loki and other times it is about Sina.

Six years for Azief seems very short. But when listening to her stories, he felt six years is very long.

And then thinking of her, alone in that house, waiting for him, once again his heart ache. And as his heart ache, he wavers.

In this world, Azief had passed many tribulations. His heart is even stronger than metal. Hi determination could not be compared. 

But with one laugh and one smile, his heart waver. That is how big of an effect Sofia had on him.

When he saw her smile, he did not want that smile to disappear. 

When he heard her laugh, he wanted to solve the reason why she laughs and hopes that laugh and smile would always accompany her life.

When evening came, they would go to the beach below the tall hill. 

There they would enjoy the beach and enjoy the sunset. Unlike any other shores in the world, the shores of Pandemonium are very safe.

Most of the sea monster around the shore and the sea area of Pandemonium was already cleared by the Three Army.

And even if it’s not, with Sofia and Death Monarch power, if there is a stupid enough sea monster that wanted to attack them it would be like a monster that seek its own death

Sometimes they would swim together and they enjoy their evenings like that. It felt a bit surreal for him. Every day were filled with so happiness in his every waking moment that he fears that all of it was a dream

When night came they would return home and do other stuff.

Sometimes they would have watched the television and cuddle with each other.

While there is no Netflix any longer someone had digitized all the media in the world when the Shop function still existed.

No one knew why the Shop function disappeared. 

But from what he had read in the miscellaneous report that was presented to him Azief had learned that it is related to the quest of one person in the World Government during the early years of the Fall. 

That person is the current Patrician of the Merchant Association.

That person used to be under the World Government before defecting to the merchant association and take his place as the head of the Merchant Association. 

And sometimes they would just be cuddling and tell each other stories. He would tell her the stories of the world where he was stranded in. 

He would tell her about his disciple Xi Feng and the battle he had with the grandmaster of martial arts. 

She would always call him a cheat considering that his power exceeded any humans and still trying to cosplay like a fox when actually he is a tiger.

Other time he would tell her about the kind of palaces he had seen, the kinds of people he had meet.

The days felt like years but then even a thousand years would not be enough

And now there is only one-day left. He had already decided that he would meet the oracle on the fifth day. 

But at times, he felt his feet heavy and he felt like he did not want to go. For some reason he could not explain, he has premonition that if he goes, a lot of things will change.

He is at a fight with himself. 

He needs to confirm it or his heart would always be plagued with uncertainty. But if he confirms it, there is no going back

Sofia got up from her seat and then she went to the sink and put down her plate. She then stopped and said

‘When will you have to go?’ The instant she asks that question, it felt like everything stopped inside that kitchen. 

It felt tense in just a moment. 

Azief had just finished eating his fill and he was also about to get up from his seat but being ask point blank like that, he was not ready.

He was still.

He then sighed and closed his eyes for a second and then he asks her

‘Why ask now?’ There is silence between them as only the sound of the rushing water from the pipe fills the silence of the kitchen

‘Because I felt that you are about to leave’ she said.

Azief opens his eyes and even though he could only see her back from his position, he could feel how sad she felt right now.

It would be simple if he too felt such sad feeling. But there is a lot more in his heart than just sadness. It is in confusion and it is also full of doubt.

That is why he wanted to confirm thing. But if he confirms it and his worst nightmare is true, then what should be done after?

He could only simply said

‘When did you know?’ Sofia smiles bitterly as she washes the plate. The sound of the water from the pipe fill the in between silences

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