Zafron walked in silence, Calista's words ringing in his ears. "Because I've been where you are." Her voice had been different in that mont—raw, vulnerable in a way he hadn't expected. It wasn't like her to peel back the layers, to expose anything more than her biting wit and sardonic humor. But here, in this desolate place where secrets clung like shadows, maybe honesty was easier to find.
He wanted to press her for more, to ask what she ant, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere, swirling like the mists around them. The idea lodged itself in his mind: were Calista, Thera, and Aurelia more than what he had believed them to be? Aphrodite had conjured them from thin air—or so it seed. But did that make them puppets, re constructs? Or were they once lost souls, now tethered to him, guiding him, shaping his destiny?
The thought made his stomach twist. How often had he reduced them to sothing less than real? When they appeared in his system interface as holograms, disembodied projections of their personalities, it was easy to forget they had once had—or still had—bodies. They felt pain, desire, joy, even when he wasn't paying attention. How many tis had he treated them as tools instead of people?
Zafron glanced at Calista out of the corner of his eye. She moved with a lithe, predatory grace, always watching, always aware. But now, with the question of what her life could have been looming between them, he saw the smallest crack in her mask. Did she want more than this shadowy existence? Could she have a life outside of limbo, outside of whatever binds Aphrodite had placed on her?
Was it even possible? Calista's entire existence seed intrinsically tied to this strange liminal realm. She didn't have a body in the mortal sense; she was spirit and essence. Did that make her dreams futile, her hopes unreachable?
He swallowed hard. He wanted to ask, to confront the issue head-on. But he didn't. Sothing in her expression warned him against it. The smallest flicker of longing crossed her face, there for a heartbeat and gone just as quickly. He couldn't bring himself to pry open a wound he couldn't heal.
Instead, they kept walking, the silence between them growing heavier by the mont. It was a weight neither of them seed willing—or able—to lift.
Calista broke the silence first. "It'll be such a relief, won't it?" she said, eyes fixed ahead as they moved through the mists of limbo. "Once we find the herb and heal whatever Aphrodite is suffering from, things can finally go back to normal."
"Normal." Zafron echoed the word, rolling it around in his mouth like sothing foreign. He shook his head.
Calista's gaze flicked to him, curiosity sparking in her silver eyes. "What's up?"
"Nothing."
She arched a brow. "Co on, Zafron. If we were in the mortal plane, I'd be stuck in your head listening to every little thought you have all day long. So you might as well co out with it."
He forced a half-smile, but her words twisted sothing in him. The way she said it—almost bitter, like the thought of being trapped there was a burden—pricked at his conscience. Was that what it felt like for her? Endless days spent hearing his every fear, every regret, every misplaced desire? He pushed the guilt aside and decided to tell her, if only to lift so of the weight from his chest.
"When I think about normal, it really can't be complete without Cassandra, can it?" He sighed, a heavy, world-weary sound. "She let go when the enforcers were chasing in Drakoria. I told her I'd hide in Lumina, but instead, I ended up trapped in Area 52."
Calista walked in step beside him, her expression unreadable. He pressed on. "Who knows if she's still looking for ? Maybe she moved on. Found so rich noble fitting her status. Soone who could give her the life she deserves."
He clenched his jaw, the thought burning through him like wildfire. The idea of Cassandra in soone else's arms, living a life he couldn't give her, made his chest feel tight. Every woman in his life— Matilda, Sakura even Calista and the other two—was tangled up in his heart. But Cassandra... she was different. Losing her would break him.
Calista let out a soft, almost derisive chuckle. "Miss Beaumont? Please. You've got it all wrong, Zafron."
He glanced at her, the tiniest spark of hope flaring. "What do you an?"
"If there's one thing you should know about Cassandra, it's that she's not the type to settle." A sly smirk spread across Calista's lips, her tone dipping low. "Especially not for so uptight noble. No, Zafron, you left quite the impact on her. Trust when I say that you're not easily forgotten."
He wanted to believe it. Desperately. "You're just saying that."
Calista's eyes glead with a knowing light. "Oh, I'm serious. And I'd bet that, of all your won, she's the freakiest. You think she's pining for so dull, proper life? No. She's probably still dreaming of your little adventures together."
Zafron felt a laugh bubble up, despite himself. "Freakiest, huh?"
"Absolutely. You should've seen the way she looked at you." Calista paused, then added with a touch of mischief, "Well, actually, I have seen it—in vivid detail. Perks of being stuck in your head, rember?"
Sothing about her tone made him smile, but it also struck a deeper chord. She was trying to reassure him, even in her own twisted way. And maybe she was right. Cassandra wasn't one to let go easily, and whatever they had... it was more than just mories and regrets. It was sothing real.
For the first ti in a while, hope didn't seem so far away.
Calista's smirk faded, replaced by a more somber expression. "Enough teasing," she said, her voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "Let's talk about where we actually stand, Zafron. Because as much as reminiscing helps, it won't get us out of this ss."
The air grew heavier, and Zafron nodded, feeling the weight of their circumstances settle around him again. "You're right. No use pretending this is just a stroll through limbo. We've got bigger things to deal with."
Calista glanced at their surroundings—an endless expanse of swirling gray mist and fractured ti. "We're stuck in a place where every mont spent could do and undo. And right now, your mortal body is vulnerable. We can't afford to waste ti."
Zafron clenched his fists. "Area 52... it's more than just a prison. Whatever experints they're doing there, it's tied to the enforcers. It's bigger than I thought."
She nodded, her eyes narrowing. "And Aphrodite. Whatever's happening to her, it's not a coincidence. The gods' war, the chaos in limbo, your capture—it's all connected."
Zafron's jaw tightened. "So, what do we do? Focus on getting back to the mortal realm, find this herb, and heal her?"
Calista t his gaze, her expression hard. "Yes, but it won't be easy. The enforcers are still out there, and they know you're a threat. Your escape won't go unnoticed. Even if we find a way out of limbo and back into your body, we'll be hunted."
He let out a breath. "I know. But I don't have a choice, do I? I can't just leave things as they are."
"No." Calista's voice was softer now, almost pained. "You can't. But you don't have to do it alone, either."
He looked at her, searching her eyes. "Why are you doing this, Calista? Helping , being my guide... it can't just be duty."
She hesitated, then spoke with quiet intensity. "Maybe it started as that. Aphrodite gave a purpose—to guide you, protect you, help you find your way. But sowhere along the line, it beca more. I've seen you struggle, Zafron. Seen you fight when it would've been easier to give up. You care too much, even when it costs you."
He was silent, absorbing her words. "And that's why you're willing to put yourself at risk?"
"Yes," she said simply. "Because if you fall, all of this falls apart. Whatever happens, we get you back to the mortal realm after finding the herb. We heal Aphrodite. Then we deal with everything else."
Zafron exhaled slowly. "You make it sound so straightforward."
"It's not." Calista's lips twisted in a wry smile. "But I've been in limbo long enough to know that nothing worthwhile ever is."
They walked in silence for a few monts, the gravity of their mission settling in. Finally, Zafron spoke, his voice low but resolute. "We'll do it, Calista. No matter how many obstacles stand in our way. I'm not giving up."
Her gaze t his, fierce and unyielding. "Good. Because neither am I."
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