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Barely three seconds later, as Desmond and Silvia rejoined their group, heaven-shaking news reached the command center. Lieutenant Colonel Graham, code name Ashbringer, was presumed dead in the place where the giant water snake originated.

According to the information that reached the command center, the squad sent to review the incident found a devastated place in the middle of the forest. In the center of the site, a gigantic crater was found with a blood stain and bone remains. No corpse was found, but human remains, some remaining pieces of cloth, and a damaged military insignia pointed to Lt. Col. Graham had died at the scene.

The news shook the entire command center. It was necessary to know that Graham was one of the strongest people available in the city, only below the commander; his death was a cause for concern. Many greeted the news with expressions hard to behold, fear quickly taking root in their hearts at a terrifying notion; if even someone like Graham could be killed, what would become of them?

There were other reactions, such as Rundert, who immediately focused his gaze on Desmond with eyes full of mistrust. Still, the circumstances of Graham’s death, combined with the pale expression on Desmond’s face, convinced the commander that Desmond might not be involved.

The supervisor watching over the commander and directing the war effort had a severe expression on his face, contemplating the possible implications of such an incident. In a way, just the loss of someone as strong as Graham could already be considered a defeat, but with the enemy command center wiped out and the information Desmond had obtained, there was still a chance to gain the upper hand.

With a goal in mind and a firm resolve, the supervisor took complete control of the operations, brushing aside the commander, who seemed to be seething with anger. Orders came out like bullets from a machine gun, the supervisor doing everything he could to exploit the enemy army’s lack of chain of command and take advantage of the military mobilization information Desmond had obtained.

Oblivious to everything that would happen in the coming hours, Desmond, Silvia, Claire, and the rest filed out of the command center. As soon as they had the opportunity, the members less close to Desmond said goodbye. Having seen death in the eyes, they just wanted to be able to forget and rest.

Claire and Silvia weren’t that different; they couldn’t all be born warriors like Desmond, seeing the lives of others as strands of grass. While Claire and Silvia managed to muster the resolve and, more importantly, the power to annihilate their enemies, there was still a price to pay, one that few people could understand.

.....

Desmond had always been prone to violence, fighting and cruelty; by personal choice and resolution, he did not grow up to become a monster. But the blood on his hands would never allow him to be a saint; however, he understood better than many the price that came with survival.

Similar to Desmond’s injuries as a child, the war had its own way of wounding people beyond the damage to the flesh. Even those who survived without a single scratch couldn’t help but be scarred on a spiritual level. As someone who took his first life at a very young age and plunged deep into darkness by choice, Desmond understood the damage violence and death could do to a person’s mind.

Time could heal many wounds, but Desmond still couldn’t let Claire and Silvia feel the weight of their work so intensely and immediately, so, uncharacteristically for him, Desmond extended an invitation.

“Silvia, I understand you must be exhausted, especially after abusing your strength. What do you think if you come home? I have some things that can help you recover and maybe even give you a little buff.”

The invitation caught Silvia off guard. She had learned little by little to stop her hostility towards Desmond and to see the world differently to better understand her boss’s perspective; therefore, she was aware that Desmond practically invited no one to his house.

Before Silvia had a chance to reply or Claire could say anything, Desmond added. “You should also bring your sister; I’m sure Kyuru and Estella will be happy to play with her.”

As expected, the sudden mention of her sister sent any additional caution or thought on Silvia’s part flying. After accepting the invitation, Silvia left in the direction of her home to change her clothes and pick up her sister.

Alone now, regardless of Revna, Desmond and Claire shared an awkward silence as they walked home. The excitement of the moment and the danger had passed, and Claire began to think more and more about that moment when she had taken so many people’s souls with just a casual wave of her hand.

Desmond didn’t need to be Natalie to read Claire’s thoughts; in all the world, he was the one who best understood Claire and the situation she was going through. Putting aside the months that Claire and Desmond had spent as a couple, Desmond had practically cared for and raised Claire since she was a little girl. There were few secrets that young Claire still kept to herself.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you channel so much of your powers; on top of that, you even used those accessories. You know, one thing I hate to do is admit I’m wrong, but I have to do it this time.”

The sudden mention of the incident put Claire in a bind, her mind replaying that scene in an endless loop, but Desmond’s final comment made Claire curious enough to snap out of her daze and say something in response.

Seeing how Claire had taken the bait, Desmond smiled to himself and answered truthfully. “I have always said that you are perfect just the way you are, that there is no way you can be even more beautiful, but I was wrong. When using your power, you looked so beautiful that it was almost bewitching.”

Desmond was not the particularly romantic type with his words; he was a man who preferred physical actions and gestures, something Claire was more used to. His sudden onslaught of flattery, accompanied by those blue eyes that gazed at her full of lust and desire, made Claire’s legs practically go weak with weakness.

Don’t underestimate Desmond; he could be a jerk in many scenarios and a complete anomaly in many others, but when it came to capturing a woman’s heart, Desmond was not lacking in skill. However, this was probably a negative thing rather than a positive.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, filled with a rose-scented atmosphere that caused waves of jealousy from anyone who saw the pair of lovebirds. Back home, having heard something beforehand, Sasha and Cecilia came over, showering Claire with tender loving care.

Wisely, Desmond stepped aside, aware that he might not be the best at such things. Human beings are very complex, full of different facets and stages of development. Desmond was the same; however, he could not show the pure warm kindness that Sasha and Cecilia could.

Desmond stepped out into the courtyard to let the girls have some space, finding his training spot by force of habit. Worthy of her high self-esteem, Kyuru sensed Desmond’s troubled mind and went immediately, leaving her usual flirtatious and playful attitude behind.

Kyuru had seen many of Desmond’s sides, from his purest and most loving side to his most cruel and ruthless side, but seeing a guilt-ridden Desmond was still unknown to the fairy. The relationship between Desmond and Kyuru was quite complex and deep, especially since they fused on more than a couple of occasions, so the faerie was quite direct in her approach.

“It’s rare to see you so grim; moreover, someone as determined and ruthless as you rarely feels any guilt. What happened, Desmond?”

Desmond wasn’t surprised by either Kyuru’s presence or words; the understanding went both ways in their relationship. If it was someone else, Desmond would have lied or chosen not to answer, but to Kyuru, Desmond had no secrets.

As Sasha and Cecilia spent their time lovingly and caringly drowning the darkness taking root in Claire’s heart, Desmond told Kyuru of his concerns and why he felt guilty.

For once, there were no jokes or inappropriate comments from the faerie; Kyuru just listened and tempered Desmond’s concerns. “I know this is the last thing you want to hear, Desmond, but none of this is your fault. You’re not a god, you can’t be everywhere at once, and you can’t protect Claire forever. Violence and fighting exist in every corner of this universe; not even my mother, Titania is safe from such things despite her immense power; sooner or later, Claire would have had to go through this.”

The image of Titania flashed through Desmond’s mind, that woman who was like a god in his shorthand understanding of her. Desmond didn’t know the exact details, but the fact that Titania was strong enough to escape his comprehension was no secret. If even Titania couldn’t escape the conflict, neither could he.

Without knowing it, Kyuru had planted a question, an idea in Desmond’s mind; What kind of power did he need to keep all of his promises? To give Claire the family she wanted, to satisfy Sasha’s endless curiosity, and to show Cecilia beautiful landscapes beyond this world, to escape the conflict that plagues the universe. How much stronger did he have to get?