The quiet hum of the raft was the only sound until the door opened with a soft creak.
"Lord Alastor—" Shalltear began, then froze.
Her crimson eyes widened slightly. The air grew heavier. Kate stirred beside me, still half-wrapped in the blanket, blinking in confusion. When she noticed Shalltear standing by the door, her face flushed instantly.
"I—I should go," she stammered, gathering her clothes in silence. She avoided Shalltear's gaze completely, the weight of the vampire's stare almost unbearable.
Without another word, Kate slipped out, the door closing softly behind her.
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut through steel.
Shalltear remained still, her expression calm but unreadable. Then she quietly walked toward the window, her voice calm but distant. "My Lord… why?"
"Why what?" I asked, sitting up, running a hand through my hair.
"Why did you… allow her to touch you?" she said finally, turning toward me. "You are a Supreme Being. To grace a mortal in such a way—doesn't it… stain your divinity?"
Her tone wasn't angry—just quiet, trembling somewhere between hurt and disbelief.
I gave her a faint smile. "I don't turn down someone who reaches out sincerely. That's all."
For a moment, Shalltear didn't speak. Then she knelt beside the bed and quietly lifted the folded clothes from the chair. Without meeting my eyes, she handed them to me.
"Understood, my Lord," she said softly. "It is not my place to question your desires."
Her movements were graceful, her expression unchanged, but the faint tremor in her hands betrayed her emotions. Shalltear wasn't furious; she was jealous—painfully so.
She had always imagined herself, perhaps along with Albedo, as the only one worthy of standing beside me. But now, seeing me with a human woman shattered that illusion.
In her heart, she knew that a supreme being like Alastor-sama was destined to attract many—humans, vampires, angels, and demons. Still, she had hoped that such things would come centuries later, after she had basked in the privilege of being the only one at his side for a while longer.
As I finished dressing, I looked at her once more. She was silent, eyes lowered, the faintest sigh leaving her lips.
"Shalltear," I said softly. "You're still mine. That won't change."
She looked up, her lips curving into a faint smile, though her eyes still glistened. "Of course, my Lord. I live to serve you… even if I must share that honor."
I close our distance and kiss her on the lips. "You know, you don't have to hide that jealousy from me," I said with a smile.
Hearing that, she looked at me. "Then can I kill her?" She asked.
"That I have to say no." I said.
•••
In the dimly lit control room, John Walker stood by the observation window, watching the dark waters churn with movement below. Shadows darted beneath the waves—the undead Talokanil, relentless, unfeeling, and still trying to claw their way into the prison fortress.
"They've been at it for hours," Walker muttered, his voice edged with tension. "If they keep swarming like that, they'll find a weak point eventually."
Zemo, seated calmly at the central console with a glass of aged whiskey in hand, didn't even look up. "You underestimate the Raft, Captain. This place was built to contain gods and monsters. Do you truly think a few waterlogged corpses will succeed where living titans have failed?"
Walker frowned. "Maybe. But these things don't stop. They don't feel pain, fear, or exhaustion." He turned, eyeing the flickering monitors showing pressure readouts and thermal scans. "Sooner or later, something's got to give."
Zemo finally rose, setting his glass down with deliberate precision. "Then we adapt. We always do. That is the difference between us and them."
Walker folded his arms, glancing at the empty hallway beyond the control room. "And what about their leader? What if he shows up? What's the plan then?"
Zemo's expression didn't change, but his eyes gleamed faintly in the low light. "If their illustrious leader decides to grace us with his presence…" He paused, a ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips. "Then we use the assets we already have. The heroes are trapped within these walls. Monsters against monsters—a fitting balance, don't you think?"
Outside, another thunderous impact shook the Raft, but Zemo simply straightened his coat, as calm as ever. "Let them come," he murmured. "The night is still young."
~~~
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