The air in the room felt suffocating, charged with the aftermath of their battle. The oppressive silence stretched between Kael and Celestia as she stood motionless, her eyes locked on Damien's lifeless body. The power they had unleashed together still hummed in the air, leaving the room thick with the stench of burnt magic.
Kael took a cautious step forward, feeling the weight of the moment settle between them. The adrenaline from the battle was fading, and the exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him. But even more pressing was the unspoken tension between them—something that had been building since the moment they met.
"Celestia…" Kael's voice was soft, almost hesitant, as he approached her, his steps slow and measured. He didn't want to push her, but he could sense the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior.
She didn't respond right away, her gaze still fixed on the place where Damien had fallen. Her expression was unreadable, her face a mask of controlled fury. But underneath it all, Kael could see the cracks beginning to show—the vulnerability she was so determined to keep hidden.
"You did it," Kael said, his words tinged with awe. "You stopped him. You—"
"Don't say it," Celestia interrupted, her voice sharp. She finally turned to face him, her eyes cold but guarded. "Don't tell me I saved you."
Kael's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"
She exhaled sharply, the tension in her body releasing for just a moment. "This wasn't about saving you, Kael. I didn't fight for you. I didn't do any of this for you."
Her words cut through the air like a knife, and Kael's chest tightened with the weight of them. He had expected gratitude, relief—even anger. But this? This was something entirely different.
"Then why?" he asked quietly, his voice betraying a vulnerability he hadn't meant to show. "Why did you do it?"
Celestia looked away, her lips pressing into a thin line. She was silent for a long time, the weight of her thoughts too much for her to voice. The truth, Kael realized, was something she couldn't bring herself to say—not yet. But he could feel it in the way she stood, the way she held herself. She wasn't just a queen; she was a woman trapped by her past, by the curse that bound her.
Finally, she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I had to do it because I have nothing left. I've built this empire on blood and betrayal, Kael. And I've always been alone."
Kael's heart twisted at the pain in her voice. This wasn't the ruthless, unyielding mafia queen he had come to know. This was something else entirely. She wasn't invincible. She was human, and the weight of her past was slowly breaking her.
"You're not alone," Kael said, his words firm despite the turmoil inside him. He moved closer, standing just a few feet away from her, trying to close the distance between them—not physically, but emotionally. "You don't have to do this by yourself. You don't have to carry all this alone."
Celestia's gaze snapped to his, her eyes flashing with an emotion Kael couldn't quite place. She took a step back, her posture defensive, but her lips trembled slightly, betraying her. "Don't do this, Kael. Don't make promises you can't keep. You think you can just walk into my life and change everything? You think your love is enough to fix me?"
Her words were sharp, but there was something raw in them, something unspoken that clung to her every syllable. Kael's chest constricted, the weight of her words settling deep within him. He didn't know what she needed—didn't know if love could fix the darkness inside her, the curse that had followed her for centuries.
But he knew one thing for sure: He couldn't walk away now. He wasn't going to let her fall, not when they were so close to breaking the chains that bound her.
"I don't have all the answers," Kael admitted, his voice rough with emotion. "But I'm not going to leave you. Not now. Not when we've come this far."
Celestia's eyes softened for the briefest of moments, the icy facade she had so carefully crafted cracking just enough for Kael to see the woman beneath. But it was fleeting, gone before he could reach out to touch her.
"I'm cursed, Kael." Her voice was soft, almost broken. "This isn't just some simple problem I can wish away. I've been this way for so long, I don't even know who I am anymore."
Kael stepped forward, his gaze unwavering as he met her eyes. "Then we'll figure it out together."
Celestia looked at him for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether to push him away or pull him closer. The battle within her was clear—she was torn between the desire for connection and the fear of being consumed by it.
Finally, she spoke, her voice steady but low. "You don't know what you're getting into, Kael. This curse—this magic—it's too dangerous. It's not just a part of me. It controls me. It has a mind of its own. And I can't promise you that I won't destroy you in the end."
Kael took a deep breath, the weight of her words sinking in. But still, he didn't falter. "I'm not afraid of you, Celestia. I'm not afraid of what you might become. I'm afraid of losing you before we even have a chance to fight this together."
The room was silent again, the tension thick. But this time, it was different. There was something unspoken between them now—a connection forged in the fire of their shared battle, a bond that neither of them could deny.
Finally, Celestia's lips parted in the faintest of smiles—fragile, hesitant, but there.
"We'll see, mage."