The interview was still ongoing, Viola's soft laughter echoing through thousands of speakers across the country.
In two completely different places, two men watched her at the same time.
But the emotions in their hearts could not have been more different.
---
In Viola's living room, the atmosphere was quiet.
Only the television illuminated the room, its pale glow stretching across the walls and reflecting faintly in the window.
Ezekiel sat on the couch, his posture straight yet relaxed, though his eyes were were not.
They were locked onto the screen.
Elizabeth sat beside him, her legs tucked neatly under her as she watched with obvious excitement. Unlike Ezekiel, she reacted to every cheer from the audience, every compliment the host gave Viola.
But Ezekiel remained silent.
On the screen, Viola smiled gently as Daniel teased her about never having dated anyone before.
The crowd laughed at this and Viola laughed a little too.
Ezekiel's fingers curled slightly on his knee.
"She's good at this," Elizabeth said softly. "She answers smoothly without hesitation."
Ezekiel gave a small nod.
"Yes."
But he knew better.
He could see the small pauses between her breaths. The fraction of a second where her eyes sharpened before softening again. The careful selection of her words.
She was not just answering questions.
She was calculating.
She was protecting something.
When Daniel asked what kind of person she would fall for, the studio became quieter. Even the audience seemed eager.
Viola tilted her head slightly, as if thinking deeply.
"Someone sincere," she said. "Someone who stands firm even when everything collapses. Someone who doesn't run away when things become difficult."
Ezekiel's expression darkened slightly.
Run away.
The word echoed faintly in his mind.
Elizabeth glanced at him.
"Do you think she means someone specific?" she asked playfully.
Ezekiel did not answer immediately.
"I don't know," he said finally.
But the truth was, he felt something tighten in his chest.
He remembered the past.
The betrayal.
The moment everything collapsed.
He remembered dying.
And now he sat here, watching the woman who *supposedly* had survived longer than he did.
There were too many unanswered questions.
His mind was restless, but his eyes remained steady on the screen.
To him, Viola did not look fragile.
She looked composed.
Strong.
But beneath that strength, he could sense exhaustion.
"She shouldn't push herself too hard," he muttered.
Elizabeth smiled faintly.
"She won't break easily."
Ezekiel hoped that was true.
Because something about the way the world was beginning to look at her made him uneasy.
---
Across the city, in a luxurious private bar room inside a grand mansion, the mood was entirely different.
Laughter filled the air.
Expensive liquor bottles lined glass shelves behind a marble counter. The scent of alcohol mixed with faint cigar smoke. A massive flat screen television dominated the wall, broadcasting the same program.
Clyde sat in a wide leather chair, a glass of whiskey resting in his hand.
Several men surrounded him, some lounging casually, others standing near the bar.
But Clyde's attention was singular.
He was watching Viola.
"So this is her personality…" he said slowly, eyes fixed on the screen.
"She's not bad looking," one of his friends commented. "Actually, she's better than I expected and she looks innocent too."
Clyde swirled the liquid in his glass.
He had seen her pictures before.
Of course he had.
Her face had been everywhere recently.
But back then, she was just another celebrity.
Unawakened an irrelevant.
To Clyde, people without power were decorations in the background of his world.
But now she had awakened.
Not only that.
She had awakened as an S-rank.
A healer.
The first S-rank healer in the world.
The media could not stop praising her.
Guilds were likely lining up to recruit her.
Even governments would be interested.
And worst of all, she had become more talked about than him.
Clyde's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
He had fought for his recognition and built his reputation for years with every dirty method he could think of.
And now this young woman appeared and took the spotlight effortlessly.
He would not admit it openly, but jealousy had flared the moment he read the headlines.
Another young S-ranker.
And she reached that rank before him.
Viola Silva.
He repeated her name silently.
As he watched her smile at the audience, something shifted in his gaze.
Jealousy twisted into something else.
Interest.
Possession.
"She said she's never had a boyfriend," Clyde said casually. "Do you believe that?"
One of his subordinates straightened.
"I investigated her like you ordered. No public relationships. No scandals. No hidden rumors either."
Clyde's lips curled upward.
"And her family?"
"Not ordinary," the man replied. "They're not flashy, but they have influence. Quiet connections."
Clyde let out a low chuckle.
"So she's not just some random girl"
His eyes traveled over the screen slowly, analyzing her posture, her expressions, the way she crossed her legs elegantly while sitting.
"She looks pure," one of the men joked.
Clyde tilted his head slightly.
"She looks like she doesn't understand how the world really works."
He took a slow sip of his drink.
"She'll learn."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Clyde had always lived with a simple belief.
If he wanted something, he would get it.
Power existed for that purpose.
Strength allowed him to take what others could not protect.
And right now, Viola Silva stood at the peak of attention.
Beautiful.
Popular.
Powerful.
And seemingly unattached.
"She's interesting," Clyde murmured.
One of his friends smirked. "Planning to recruit her?"
Clyde's smile deepened.
"Maybe."
But his eyes suggested something far less professional.
He imagined her standing beside him.
Under his control.
Belonging to his family's guild.
Belonging to him.
The idea pleased him.
On the television, the audience gave Viola a standing ovation as the interview wrapped up.
Clyde leaned back comfortably in his chair.
"She won't stay independent for long," he said softly. "Everyone needs someone stronger than them eventually."
His men laughed lightly, unaware of the seriousness hidden beneath his words.
To Clyde, this was not a fantasy.
He had seen what he wanted.
And in his world, desire was simply the first step toward ownership.