The oppressive air of the cell seed to montarily lift as Alia's words filled the space.
Asher looked down into Alia's tear-filled eyes, "Not anymore," Asher whispered, his voice tinged with an underlying wistfulness.
Alia's entire deanor crumbled at those words.
She suddenly clung to him, desperately seeking the reassurance of the man she once knew. She don't know how such a miracle can happen and by clinging to him, she wanted to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
Her tears wet his chest as she sobbed, every pent-up emotion from the past years spilling out at once, "I am sorry... I am so sorry... I knew it... I knew in my heart that you can't be dead... Nobody can get rid of you like that," her voice trembled with raw emotion.
The air around them seed to change as Isola looked on with a soft smile.
The cell, which once felt like a cage, transford into a cocoon, sheltering them from the world outside, if only for a mont.
Asher, his face unreadable, gently rested his hand on her back.
It was a simple gesture, but for Alia, it felt like an anchor, grounding her to the present and rekindling old mories.
Sniffling, Alia spoke again, her voice thick with emotion, "Not a day passed where I didn't wish I could turn back ti and find out what happened... You are right that I disappointed you. Each ti I had to agree with soone calling you a corrupted Hunter or even disgracing your na, I felt so miserable, knowing that no matter what I say or do, the world wouldn't think differently. So, I have no right to feel bad if you are disappointed in and consider shaful. But please let at least say this...I missed you so much..." As she said this, she slowly looked up at Asher, staring into his deep yellow eyes, and even if those eyes had beco cold and hard, she could still feel Cedric's lingering warmth.
The two were of different bodies but had the sa soul.
It now makes sense why everyone was terrified of Hellbringer. Only a monstrous genius like him could strike such fear. It was the sa when he was just a teenage Hunter, quickly rising up in the ranks.
Asher's fingers gently lifted Alia's chin, compelling her to et his gaze.
His voice was low, carrying an unexpected warmth despite his changed deanor, "You don't need to apologize, Alia. I know," he said softly, "I've seen the stories and pictures you posted about anonymously, trying to keep my mory alive. Even though they got buried under the weight of hatred, your efforts didn't go unnoticed…not by . I always knew you were a woman of integrity and that I never chose wrong."
Alia's eyes shimred, her lips quivering as she felt a warmth spreading across her chest.
She then took a shuddered breath and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, "I...I had no idea the WHA was so wicked and corrupt, especially Derek... I can't believe he'd do that to you...Not after everything you two went through together. I can't believe I icy, every syllable dripping with nace.
The chilling promise made Alia shudder, her heart heavy as she respected that man so much."
A montary flicker of emotion crossed Asher's face at the ntion of Derek, "Derek and his entire brood will pay," he replied, his voice icy, every syllable dripping with nace.
The chilling promise made Alia shudder, her heart heavy as she tried to reconcile the Cedric she once knew with the demon before her.
Gathering courage, she hesitated, then finally asked, "Why did you…target Rachel? She never did anything to you."
Asher's eyes, once a pool of warmth and compassion, now held a different kind of intensity, "If you're repulsed by the choices I've made, feel free to judge because you won't be wrong," he began, "But understand, Alia, this world including yours is overrun with monsters in sheep's clothing. I learned the hard way that becoming a monster is a choice. But when facing sothing even worse, then that might be the only option."
Pausing, he let out a slow exhale, "Rachel is Derek's only weakness. I will use whatever ans I have to get what I want. But beyond that, during the ti I ntored her, I always sensed she was too much like her father, and all it took was a push to expose her."
"You've now realized it too, haven't you? Especially after she tried to kill you. Such people don't deserve forgiveness or rcy. All they deserve is 10 tis the suffering we endured," Asher remarked, his voice a blend of ridicule and anger.
Alia lowered her gaze, the weight of the truth pressing down on her while her fingers rolled up into a fist.
She now could understand to an extent the pain, anger, and sadness Asher felt when he got betrayed.
Rachel was soone she grew up with ever since they were little children, and their families were close friends with each other.
All those years of laughing, training, surviving quests, and sharing sadness and happiness mattered nothing to her?
Yet, based on the words of soone she hated, she didn't even hesitate to kill her.
Maybe he was right…To expose monsters, you have to wear the mask of one.
Alia's eyes, filled with a myriad of emotions, locked onto Asher's, "I can't even begin to fathom the depth of your suffering during all these years," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, "The world turned its back on you after everything you did for it. None of them would be alive today if not for you. No matter what choices you've made ever since, I'm in no position to judge. No one is. What they did to you... it's unforgivable."
As her thoughts raced, Alia marveled at Asher's resilience and determination.
To rise from the ashes of betrayal and establish himself as a formidable demon in just three years was nothing short of miraculous.
It spoke volus about his frightening strength and determination, "You might have changed, but your spirit remains unbroken," she murmured, her voice resolute, "And I'll stand by you, Asher. I don't care who or what you have beco... I want to help right the wrongs done to you. The world must witness the cris of those who wronged you, especially the WHA."
Asher's eyes softened, and a smile played on his lips as he gently patted Alia's head. The familiar gesture sent a rush of warmth through her, tinting her pale cheeks with a reddish hue, "It feels right, having my disciple by my side again," Asher admitted with a soft smile, "I always knew I could count on you."
Alia, a little flustered, looked down briefly before raising her eyes back to his.
The comforting weight of his hand made her heart flutter, "It's the least I can do for my ntor. Even if you chose to use , even if I beca just a pawn in your plans," she paused, swallowing hard, "I wouldn't hold it against you."
She took a deep breath, her gaze unwavering. She knew how entrenched the WHA was, and even if Asher got to the peak, it may not be easy for him to take them down.
Asher's gaze deepened, an intensity burning there that suddenly made Alia's heart race. He leaned in close, his breath warm against her face, "Alia," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion, "the last thing I would ever do is treat you like a pawn."
Without warning, he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.
For a split second, Alia's eyes widened in shock and all the thoughts in her mind were vaporizing.
But right then, Asher broke the kiss and gave an amused chuckle upon seeing her stunned yet reddened face, "Did you forget how you suddenly planted a kiss on on my last day in the academy? It's only fair I returned the favor, don't you think? I haven't forgotten it despite what you said," Asher couldn't help but recollect how this disciple of his was saddened that he was going to graduate from the Hunter Academy.
And despite knowing he had a girlfriend, she brazenly sprang a kiss on him and then apologized, telling him to forget it and that she only wanted it as a mory.
At that ti, he knew she did it as a way of confessing her feelings, but because he had Aira, all he could do was pretend it didn't happen, no matter how fond of her he was.
However, now, nothing was stopping him from—
"Mmnn~"
Asher had his brows raised when Alia suddenly sprang herself on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his lips with equal or more fervor than the one he gave her.
The passion within her heart, pent up for years, found release in this one mont, binding her to him in ways words could never describe.
Finally, her heart could be set free.
Even if others might see her as throwing away her morals and values as a Hunter, she couldn't care less. Now that she had finally reunited with him, she won't let anything get in her way.
Asher didn't seem surprised, and the corners of his lips softened as he reciprocated with even more passion, sucking in her soft pink lips while holding her head.
Isola had her eyes blinking and felt awkward, standing here while these two were engaged in a passionate reunion kiss.
If anybody outside saw a Hunter kissing the Bloodburn Consort like this, and him reciprocating in a romantic way, then all hell will let lose. Not even she had ever imagined she would see such a sight.
However, she found it quite endearing and felt happy for Asher that he wasn't really alone in the other side.
-
In the adjacent cell, beyond the thick stone walls that separated the other cells, a woman sat huddled.
Her complexion was rosy, and her long blue hair cascaded around her, catching glints of the faint torchlight.
Her pristine skin was slightly glistening under this suffocating prison's hot and uncomfortable atmosphere, though despite being in such a situation, it did little to veil her striking beauty.
Her white shirt and pants were clean, and her hair was not combed like usual but tidy as they draped over her back.
However, her bright blue eyes, once radiant and filled with determination, were now dulled with hopelessness. The bitterness and regret etched in her gaze, mories of what happened that day replaying in her mind again and again.
And the face of a certain villain also kept showing up in her mind, making her nerves sting every second.
*Creak!*
Her eyes suddenly beca sharp after hearing the grating sound of the thick iron door being opened.
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