MI'KAEL SERAPHANE

Black.

That was the first thing I thought when I saw her.

Black veil. Black gloves. Black dress stitched with silver threading that shimmered faintly beneath the pale morning light.

Even the towering banners surrounding Caelora Tower had been replaced with dark mourning cloths, hanging from the skyscraper like the city itself had lowered its head in grief.

Corporate officials filled the plaza below in perfect lines.

Politicians.

Executives.

Security personnel.

People whispering condolences with polished smiles while camera drones hovered overhead to immortalize their fake sorrow for public broadcasts.

I hated all of it.

The flowers smelled too clean.

The speeches sounded rehearsed.

Even grief here felt manufactured.

And through all of it—

Aeris sat silently near the front row.

Perfect posture.

Perfect composure.

Perfect emptiness.

Like someone carved the life out of her and left behind something beautiful enough for the cameras.

Eryn stood beside me near one of the overlooking balconies, hands shoved into his pockets as he stared down at the ceremony below.

“…What the hell happened?” he muttered quietly.

Neither Nero nor I answered.

Eryn glanced between us.

Then sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Right.”

His voice lowered.

“My bad.”

The funeral continued beneath us.

Words blurred together.

“Legacy.”

“Visionary.”

“Leader of Zephyrion.”

None of them talked about him as a father.

Not once.

I looked toward Aeris again.

She hadn’t moved in almost twenty minutes.

Not even slightly.

The wind brushed gently through strands of her golden hair beneath the black veil, but she looked completely detached from everything around her.

Like she wasn’t even there anymore.

And somehow…

That hurt worse than seeing her cry.

Eventually the ceremony ended.

People began leaving almost immediately afterward, their mourning apparently limited by business schedules and public appearances.

Executives shook hands.

Reporters whispered into cameras.

Some were probably already discussing who would replace Caelora before his body was even cold.

Disgusting.

I waited until the plaza finally emptied before moving.

Nero didn’t stop me.

Neither did Eryn.

I descended the long marble steps slowly, the cold morning air biting against my skin as I approached her.

Aeris remained seated alone near the edge of the memorial platform.

The flowers surrounding her almost looked suffocating.

For a moment…

I didn’t know what to say.

What words even existed for something like this?

Sorry?

It felt pathetic.

I knelt slowly in front of her instead.

Then carefully reached for her hand.

Cold.

Her fingers trembled slightly beneath mine as I held them gently between both of my hands.

“It’ll be alright,” I said quietly.

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them.

Because they sounded empty.

Aeris didn’t look at me immediately.

Her eyes stayed lowered toward the polished stone beneath us.

Then finally—

“…What did he mean?”

Her voice was soft.

Too soft.

I frowned slightly.

“What?”

“My father.”

She slowly lifted her eyes toward me.

Red.

Exhausted.

Destroyed.

“What did he mean by ‘your end of the bargain’?”

My chest tightened instantly.

“Aeris…”

She shook her head immediately.

“No.”

Her fingers tightened weakly around mine.

“Just tell me.”

I opened my mouth.

Closed it again.

Because I didn’t know how to explain any of this without making it worse.

And the second that hesitation appeared on my face—

I saw something shift inside her eyes.

Fear.

Then confusion.

Then something uglier.

“Why didn't he tell me?”

I stayed quiet.

Her breathing became uneven.

“I knew he was dangerous.”

“Aeris—”

“And I still went after him.”

People nearby glanced toward us briefly before continuing away from the plaza.

I ignored them.

“Aeris, listen to me—”

“No, you listen.”

For the first time since I walked over—her voice cracked.

She was shaking.

Each breath she took, heavier than the last.

“I knew there was danger and we still chased him anyway!”

“You didn’t know he’d attack the Tower.”

“But I should've known something would happen!”

Her voice broke apart at the edges now.

Like she was trying desperately to make the pieces fit somewhere they didn’t belong.

“I placed that tracker on him.”

I froze slightly.

Her breathing worsened.

“And then Father dies the same night.”

“Aeris.”

My voice lowered carefully.

“It isn't your fault.”

“Then is it yours?!”

Her composure shattered completely.

Tears welled instantly in her eyes.

“You walk into my life again after five years and suddenly everything starts falling apart!”

Each word hit harder than the last.

Not because she meant them.

Because part of me already believed them.

She stood abruptly from the chair, pulling her hand from mine as she began pacing unevenly across the memorial platform.

“He dies trying to save you.”

Her voice trembled violently now.

“You chase monsters everywhere you go and somehow everyone around you keeps bleeding for it!”

I looked away.

Because she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Aeris grabbed both sides of her head shakily.

“I’m trying to understand this,” she whispered desperately. “I’m trying so hard to understand…”

Her breathing hitched.

Then finally—

She looked directly at me.

And I saw the exact moment grief turned poisonous.

“Maybe…”

Her voice cracked.

“Maybe the stories about you were—”

She stopped herself instantly.

Silence.

Horrified silence.

Her own eyes widened before mine did.

“No.”

She covered her mouth immediately.

“No, no—I didn’t mean—”

But it was too late.

Because my mind already finished the sentence for her.

'True.'

'Maybe the stories about you were true.'

My chest felt hollow.

And the worst part?

Some broken part of me agreed.

Ravyn died because of me.

My mother died because of me.

Caelora died because of me.

People around me didn’t survive.

Maybe that wasn’t coincidence anymore.

I slowly stood from the chair.

Aeris immediately shook her head harder.

“Mi’kael, wait—”

“It’s alright.”

My own voice sounded distant.

Calm.

Too calm.

I turned away from her quietly.

Maybe this was better.

Maybe this was the excuse I needed to finally fulfill my promise to Caelora.

Protect her from me.

From all of this.

From what I’d become.

I took one step away.

Then suddenly—

Her hand grabbed mine tightly.

I stopped instantly.

Behind me, I heard her breathing break completely.

“Don’t go…”

The words came out shattered.

I slowly looked back.

Aeris was crying openly now, still gripping my hand desperately with both of hers like she was afraid I’d disappear the second she loosened her hold.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered frantically. “I didn’t mean that—I swear I didn’t mean it…”

I stayed silent.

She shook harder.

“You’re not cursed.”

Tears streamed endlessly down her face now.

“I was angry and scared and I just…”

Her voice collapsed again.

“You’re all I have left.”

That hurt more than anything else.

Because I knew I was already leaving.

“I can’t lose you too…”

I turned fully toward her again.

Then slowly knelt in front of her once more.

Her hands still clung tightly to mine.

I gave her the gentlest smile I could manage.

The same smile I used to give her when we were kids.

“It’s okay,” I said softly.

She immediately shook her head harder.

“No it isn’t—”

“I know you didn’t mean it.”

And I did know.

That was the problem.

Because now she knew something too.

I saw it in her face immediately.

The moment she realized I was creating distance between us.

A wall.

And worse—

She knew I’d already decided something.

Her grip tightened desperately.

“Mi’kael…”

Her voice strained.

Her breath hitched with every tear that fell down her cheek.

I could feel the strength leaving her body.

Yet the grip on my hands didn't falter.

As if letting go now meant she'd lose me forever.

I took a slow breath.

“You need rest,” I said quietly.

Her expression crumbled further.

“Don’t do this…”

“We’ll talk tomorrow.”

The lie tasted bitter.

Because deep down, I already knew there wouldn’t be a tomorrow for us.

Tomorrow…

I’d leave.

I’d find Rael Vantari.

And I’d fulfill the only justice I had left to offer her father.

Even if it destroyed me too.

Aeris stared at me like she understood every thought I refused to say aloud.

And somehow…

That made leaving hurt even more.