Chaos' Heir

Chapter 1421: Reunion

Khan seemed to ignore the King completely as he rushed toward the city’s intact areas, carrying Colonel Norrett and the huge Major General Arngan on his back. Still, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Despite not inheriting the Nak’s legacy, Khan’s status had changed, and the Scarlet Eyes’ King had to respect it. Khan was an equal, standing on the very opposite end of the spectrum compared to the True Chaos.

Besides, the King was sure a fight would happen. The two didn’t need to exchange words or looks to reach that understanding. Khan also knew he could deal with the wounded safely before addressing that fateful battle.

Of course, that didn’t stop Khan and the King from keeping each other in check through their perception, but the former soon had to address something that felt more serious in his mind, something closer to his heart.

Except for a small spot, the path toward Aynor’s few surviving blocks was clear, but Khan didn’t have the heart to avoid it. There was someone he had to meet there, someone he hadn’t seen in over three years.

The medical team from the jeep was hard at work to stabilize Rodney and patch George up when Khan suddenly appeared before the group. His eyes shed blue light over the area as he dropped the two injured evolved warriors to the sand. His arrival seemed to freeze time, which it partially did for him and someone else.

Monica was already looking at Khan. Her body had instinctively reacted to his arrival, guided by a force that defied reason, putting her before the many profound changes she couldn’t help but spot.

On the surface, Khan looked precisely like the last time Monica had seen him. His arms didn’t have scars anymore, and the right one featured an intricate blue tattoo, but that seemed to be it.

Nevertheless, the more profound changes were so striking for Monica that she almost couldn’t believe Khan was the same person she had loved so much and partially still did.

In the past, Khan felt powerful and heavy. His sole presence in a room or someone’s surroundings could make everything tremble and break. He was so oppressive that Monica herself had started experiencing an instinctive fear of him.

Now, that oppressive feeling was gone, replaced by something far worse. Khan looked grander and superior, so much so that Monica believed she would fail to grasp him if she reached out with her hand.

That unreachability wasn’t the end. Monica recognized the veiled guilt under Khan’s silver crown but also saw much more, something that reassured and saddened her at the same time.

Khan seemed to have lost something heavy. The pain hidden behind his glowing gaze wasn’t there anymore. He looked free, unburdened, and unmistakably happy.

Khan went through something similar during that mutual inspection. Monica looked thinner, almost sickish, but no less beautiful. Yet, she was still a fourth-level warrior, which inevitably affected how Khan perceived her.

Monica had already felt brittle to Khan in the past, but was straight up inferior now. The gap between the two was so vast that words wouldn’t suffice to describe it. They simply belonged to different worlds that would never meet again.

Both sides became aware of that immense, impossible-to-fill gap, and both felt sad about it. After sharing such deep, intense love for so long, their paths had ended up diverging by so much.

Yet, those differences didn’t eliminate or sour the lingering affection. No matter what happened, Khan would love Monica. She would always be one of the dearest people in his life, and the same went for her, which she showcased through a simple, reassuring smile.

“Monica,” Khan called, matching that simple smile, taking a step forward, only for someone to appear on his path.

A half-bandaged, exhausted Rodney somehow slipped past the doctors to stand up to Khan. His still-reptilian brown eyes sternly looked through the blue halo, conveying a clear stance he soon put into firm words.

“You hurt Miss Solodrey enough,” Rodney declared.

Khan didn’t have any bad intentions. He only wanted to have a friendly reunion. It also felt right to exchange a few words with Monica after so long and the many changes in his status.

Yet, Rodney wasn’t exactly in his right mind. He tried to look strong, but Khan easily saw through that façade, also noticing the mutagen’s seemingly permanent side effects.

Still, Rodney’s stance did highlight something else, too, which made Khan’s eyebrows arc in surprise. He looked past the exhausted man, only to find Monica avoiding his gaze while playing with her curls.

Khan glanced down at George at that point, only to see a similar reaction. The man shrugged his shoulders and wore an awkward smile, basically confirming that something was going on.

That surprising development would have usually sent Khan into his protective mode. Despite not seeing Monica in that way anymore, he still wanted what was best for her, and Rodney couldn’t possibly be it.

However, another major event claimed Khan’s attention before he could voice his usual threats.

Khan peeked past his shoulder before anything unfolded, and the group followed his gaze in time to see an area behind him bend and twist. A white halo also spread there, releasing a cold aura that lowered the desert’s temperature.

A small layer of ice became visible once the light dimmed, resting on top of the white sand and continuing to expand. A dark figure donning the Thilku Empire’s colors also stood at its center, gazing in the direction of the alien King.

The inspection was short, and the white light radiated by the newcomer’s eyes soon moved toward Khan and the group in front of him. Needless to say, everyone recognized her, and she also recognized them.

Liiza walked off the layer of ice, stepping on the white sand, only for it to freeze during her advance. She didn’t need to show off like that, but Khan understood and felt her reasons, which her following words highlighted.

“Husband,” Liiza called, stopping at Khan’s right side, taking his hand so that their tattoos could combine. That was a declaration for the group, which she planned to wear proudly, only for Khan to pull her arm and send an even clearer message through a public kiss.