Abyss Draconis

Chapter 954: Truth of Love

“I already told you. I’m just not interested in love,” she responded with a shrug.

“Or maybe…” Ryuk said, but then the breeze flapped, and in the next moment, his back was against the railings, both her hands over his lips.

“Don’t you dare say it…” she said fiercely, as Ryuk’s hand moved, taking off a finger.

“Maybe be—”

He tried to say it, only for her to cover his lips once more, but he pushed her hand off quickly.

“Maybe because you—”

She shut him up once more with her hand over his mouth.

But his hand reached forward, grabbing both her arms and holding them firmly to the side.

“Maybe because you ga—”

The words were never completed when Aster leaned forward, her lips gently locking against his.

His almost expressionless face changed, gaining a faint red halo as his heart skyrocketed within his chest.

It felt… different.

The feeling.

It had always been slightly blurry.

All he knew was that it was different from what he was used to, but now, it felt so clear.

His hands holding her arms relaxed, and Aster paused, backing off.

Her face had grown from red to pink, and she couldn’t bear to look him in the eye, hugging her hands around herself while she stared at her feet.

“I know why…” she said, stepping to the railings as she gazed silently at the floating star river beneath.

“I never had another relationship, even with those who genuinely would have loved to be in a relationship.”

“I just couldn’t get myself to say yes to them.”

“Almost like…I could just never love anymore.”

“Aster…”

“I thought eventually, with time, the feelings would fade, but they never did.”

“So long as I had that communicator in my hands, the feelings just never died, and the number of times I slept off with it held tight in my grasp, I can’t even count.”

“Many times, I wanted to call, but I also didn’t want to hurt you or her.”

“And you’re right, Ryuk.”

“If you place people at an expense to which you get hurt, then you’ll be the one getting hurt the most.”

“I learned that the hard way.”

“But I can bear the pain?” Aster mused before she scoffed.

“That’s just a dumb lie I tell myself to make things hurt less.”

She turned to him, asking

“Do you have any idea how it felt losing one of the only things that gave you genuine peace and the most lasting memory of happiness you ever had in your centuries of existence?”

“Especially when you learn you gave up that thing because you chose to, not because you had no choice or anything.”

“It’s just so dumb. I..I’m so dumb,” she whispered, covering her face with both

“Is it though?” Ryuk asked as she paused, turning to him.

“You gave it up because you cared. That just goes to show how much you wished for my happiness.”

“And that’s not in any way being dumb.”

He said it, and she could tell he was serious.

“I don’t want to hurt her…”

She turned away, but a finger appeared beneath her chin, gently turning her gaze back to his.

“Morgaine is like you,” Ryuk said, and it left her lost for words.

“As much as you wish for me to be happy, she wishes the same.”

“She would never wish to see me sad because I have someone I love but can’t love, because I’m with her.”

“In the end, just like with you, she would have compromised, but that leads me to think…”

“Why is it that we can’t all agree that what we have for each other is true, and simply live with that together?” he asked, as her heartbeat unconsciously skyrocketed.

“Why is it that someone must get hurt for another person’s love, even though they both love the same person?”

“Would my loving you now mean the love I have for her is automatically untrue or fake for some reason?”

“What if she says no?” Asteralaxia asked.

He replied, “If you were Morgaine, would you have said no?”

Ryuk asked in return, and her brows creased before she muttered:

“I would be jealous,” she responded.

“Jealous enough to stop loving me for it?”

He asked, and she fell silent.

Would she have stopped loving him if she were Morgaine?

How could she, after seeing and understanding just how much she loved him, too?

“She… she wouldn’t understand,” she murmured in conviction as Ryuk chuckled.

“I don’t think that’s for you to decide.”

“And just so you know, it’s not only Morgaine I love,” he said, and she snapped her head toward him.

“What? You fell in love with others?” she asked in disbelief, and he nodded.

“How many are they?” she asked, and an evil idea snaked through Ryuk’s mind.

“About fifty more?”

Her jaw dropped.

“What? Even the Eternal Warlock of War, with his little power, has an endless harem of women, doesn’t he?”

“What would you expect from an SS-level Chaotic being?” he asked.

“You’re not him.” Aster snapped back.

“In any way of comparison, you’re not like him at all. So I don’t expect you would have an endless harem simply because of power.”

“Or have you?” she asked cautiously.

Even though Lord Stella had mentioned he was an SS-level Chaotic being, a being whose threat level was insane, she still stayed by his side and spoke her heart because she believed she knew him, and that he was himself regardless of his power.

But now, there was cause for alarm.

Seeing the caution in her eyes, Ryuk almost burst out in laughter, his serious expression eventually giving way, and she exhaled in relief when she saw that goofy smile.

“You really believed I’m in love with fifty women?”

“I don’t. But your power does give a chance for that possibility, so I couldn’t be so sure.”

“So, how many other women are you in love with? Be honest,” she asked, and he decided to come clean.

“One more woman. Her name is Odette.”

“I want to know more…” She said,

“Well, if there’s one thing you must know about her… It’s the fact that she will kill you if she learns you were with me.”

“WAAAAAAAAHHH!”