Chapter 135: The Taste of Tears and the Shiver of the April Veil
The Taste of Tears and Rina's Shock
It was a piercingly cold and misty morning. The sunlight pierced through the windows like a rusted sword, offering no warmth. Rina was still submerged in a deep slumber, but she felt something warm and saline upon her cheek. When she opened her silvery eyes, the first thing she beheld was Diyari's head resting on the floor beside her. Diyari had fallen asleep mid-weeping; the tracks of dried tears were still etched across his weary, exhausted face.
Rina reached up to her cheek. A single warm drop of Diyari's tears remained on her skin. She touched it with her finger and then brought it to her lips. The saltiness of those tears coursed through her entire body like an electric current. For a fleeting second, the white mist in her mind cleared. She saw a brief, vivid vision: Diyari standing in a torrential downpour, using his own chest as a shield so Rina wouldn't get wet.
Rina: (In a low, trembling voice, as if questioning herself) "What is this? Why does this saltiness make my heart shiver so? Why does this man weep even in his sleep? What have I done to him?"
She looked at Diyari. He was moaning in his sleep, clutching Rina's hand so tightly as if letting go would mean drowning in a black ocean. Rina wanted to pull her hand away, but for the first time, her stony heart forbade it. She felt a flicker of pity—or perhaps a hidden love—that remained like an ember beneath the ashes.
The Awakening and the Post-Sleep Struggle
Diyari slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Rina silently watching him, he immediately released her hand and stood up, but his head spun from exhaustion and he nearly collapsed.
Diyari: (In a raspy voice full of shame) "Forgive me... I didn't mean to disturb you. I just... I didn't want you to be alone in this dark night. Don't show me that coldness again; just say good morning and I will leave."
Rina sat up in her bed, her white wings shimmering slightly, but her eyes were not filled with the usual hatred. She looked at the spot on her cheek where his tear had lingered.
Rina: (Voice cold but slightly trembling) "Diyari... why do you weep like this? Does a warrior cry? You say you protect my child and the world, yet you are a ruin within yourself. These tears of yours taste of poison. Why do you burn your life for someone who cannot even hold your hand?"
Diyari: (Stepping forward, his crimson eyes welling up again) "Because that person is not just 'someone'! She is my soul! Rina, you ask why I cry? I cry because life turned me into the enemy of the one I worshiped. I cry because every morning I wake up, I have to wage war just to hear my name on your tongue the old way, just once. You ask why? Because the world's betrayal didn't break me, but your silence is killing me!"
The Peak of Agony and Despair
Rina stood up and faced him. She placed a cold, white hand on Diyari's chest, right where the black mark of the "Curse of Love" resided. Diyari closed his eyes in pain, but he did not flee.
Rina: "Look at yourself... your heart beats like a slaughtered bird. Diyari, understand... I cannot give you what you want. A mist has settled over my mind. I feel something when you cry, but I do not know its name. Is that enough for you? Can you live on that pity? I don't want to be an object of pity for anyone. I want to fight, not sit here talking about loyalty and betrayal."
Diyari: (Crying out) "Enough! Do not talk of war! We are in the midst of a greater war, the war of the heart! Rina, if you knew how lonely I am in this house, if you knew how my heart burns when you praise the child and forget me... you wouldn't say 'fight' so easily. I tried to fix everyone; I wanted you, the child, and the world to be safe, yet now I am the one everyone fears and avoids. Is this the reward for loyalty? Is this the reward for a man sacrificing his body?"
A Soul-Shaking Conclusion
Rina had no answer. She simply stared at the floor. Diyari picked up his sword and walked toward the door, but before leaving, he turned back.
Diyari: "Rina... I am not unfaithful. I am not like that world full of lies you spoke of. I am going out to fight, because only in blood can I forget this pain. But know this... every drop of my tears you saw last night was a vow that I will never give up. Go back to your child; let him learn from his mother how to break his father's heart."
He walked out and slammed the door. Rina remained alone, touching her cheek. For the first time, she felt her coldness melting, but a great fear was born—the fear that love would make her weak once again. Outside, in the new rain, Diyari let out a silent scream. He gripped his sword and whispered: "Life... no matter how unfaithful you are, I am faithful to the soul within this cold angel."
Written by: Dlin_myth