Heka arrived in front of his house just as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Did it cast long shadows across the quiet street? His heart was heavy with a mixture of exhaustion and unease.
From the elevator, there was someone. Standing at the doorway was Clancy, her figure silhouetted against the fading light. The sight of her there, she was raised up.
Yet immediately, her presence silenced a suspicion deep within him. It was obvious that her appearance was undoubtedly connected to Ansel.
"Clancy…" Heka's voice was low, cautious, almost hesitant.
Clancy stepped forward when Heka walked toward her. Her eyes searched his face with a mixture of relief and concern. She said. "Heka you're back. Where have you been all this time? You make me worried."
But Heka said nothing. His silence was heavy, weighted with unspoken pain.
Then, Clancy noticed it. The fresh bruise was blooming on his cheek. It was getting dark and angry against his white skin.
Instinctively, she reached out to touch it. But Heka gently waved her hand away. A silent barrier between them appeared.
"Heka what happened to you? Did Ansel do it?" Her voice cracked, a blend of fear and anger.
Heka's silence confirmed her worst fears. Yes, Ansel was the reason.
What gnawed at him more was the uncertainty of what Clancy had done while he was far away. The moments of that day were replayed in his mind, each memory sharpening the edge of his disappointment.
"Heka, I'm sorry. I didn't mean Ansel would hit you." She whispered. Her voice was barely audible.
But Heka was beyond out of the words. He didn't want to hear any explanations or apologies. Without any word, he pushed her and stepped inside. He gently but firmly stopped Clancy from following him in.
"I'm tired. You'd better go home." He said. His voice was cold and final.
Then, he closed the door, shutting out not just Clancy. Also, the warmth and trust that once existed between them.
Apparently, it was not a big deal. However, he could not control himself not to settle down in a gloomy face. He didn't have idea why he became sentimental, overwrought, melodramatic, and hysterical.
Inside, Heka kneeled down against the door, the cool wood pressing against his back. From the other side, he could hear Clancy's quiet sobs. He didn't mean to hurt her. He didn't want to cause her pain.
But his heart was shattered by the betrayal. The person he had trusted most, the one who had always stood by his side, had changed.
He sat there in silence. The sound of her crying filled the small space between them. He wanted to comfort her, to reach out and stop the tears from falling. But the weight of his disappointment held him back. It was a chasm too wide to cross at that moment.
Minutes stretched into an eternity. Heka couldn't tell how long Clancy would continue to cry behind the door. Perhaps, he thought, it was time to set aside his pride and pain.
He stood slowly, his hand reaching for the doorknob. Just then, he heard the sharp trill of Clancy's phone ringing. Then, followed by the soft shuffle of her footsteps retreating down the path.
When the footsteps faded into silence, Heka opened the door. The porch was empty. On the floor lay the key to his house, his key. It returned.
He picked it up, the cold metal heavy in his palm. He had given her that key once. As a symbol of trust and welcome, he allowed her to come and go as she pleased. This time, she had returned it, a silent message that things had changed irrevocably.
A pang of sorrow struck him. Yes, he was disappointed in Clancy. But this was not the ending he had hoped for. The bond they shared was once unbreakable. Now he felt fragile and distant.
Heka's eyes locked onto the elevator doors just as they slid shut, swallowing Clancy inside.
Without hesitation, he dashed toward the other elevator, pressing the button frantically.
The metallic doors parted, and he stepped inside. Heart pounding with a desperate hope that he could catch her before she disappeared from his life entirely.
He stood there, the elevator humming softly as it descended, his mind racing. If Clancy had returned the key to his apartment, it was a silent declaration that their chapter together was closing.
It meant she was ready to walk away, to sever the bond they had shared. And yet, despite knowing he had no right to force her to stay or plead for her forgiveness. Because his heart refused to let her go.
All he wanted was to see her happy. Even if that happiness was no longer with him.
The elevator dinged, and Heka stepped out, relief flooding him when he saw Clancy still lingering near his apartment.
Without a second thought, he sprinted toward her, closing the distance in a few strides. Before she could react, he wrapped his arms around her from behind. His voice was trembling with raw emotion. "Don't go, please..."
Clancy's fingers found his hand, gently pulling it away as she turned to face him. Her eyes searched his face, steady and soft.
"Don't worry. I will not leave you." She said. Her voice was a balm to his frayed nerves.
She repeated the question she had asked before, a few minutes ago. "Where have you been going all this time? I looked for you, but couldn't find you at all."
Heka hesitated, the memory of his secret meeting with Marchio weighing heavily on his conscience. He wasn't ready to share that part of his life, not yet.
He said quietly. "I went somewhere. Sorry, I can't tell you the place where I went."
Clancy, who knew Heka well, sensed the walls he was putting up. Their closeness had taught her to respect his silences and to understand when he needed space. Besides, she knew he had been through a lot recently.
She said softly. "Okay, wherever you go. Take care of yourself."
Heka's voice dropped, heavy with a mixture of pain and resolve. "Don't look for me anymore."
The words hung in the air, and Clancy was silent. Despite their long history, she realized there were parts of Heka she might never fully understand.
Especially now, after he had been struck. Both physically and emotionally, it was following the loss of his parents. She gave him time, knowing he was vulnerable and uncertain how long it would last.
After a pause, Heka spoke again. His tone was pleading yet resolute. "After all, I will go somewhere again. I don't know when I will be back. When I come back, I will definitely meet you." His eyes searched hers, desperate for a sign of hope. "Will you wait for me?"
In truth, Heka longed to stay by her side, to never leave. But he knew disappearing without explanation was wrong. So, he gave Clancy a choice. Her answer would determine whether he had a future to fight for.
If she chose to wait, it meant hope still flickered in the darkness. But if she said, it would be a final confirmation that he had nothing left to offer her. His life, as he knew it, was over.
His entire existence, it seemed, depended on Clancy's faith in him.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, Clancy smiled faintly. She said, her voice steady but filled with warmth. "Okay, I'll be waiting for you."
Heka felt a wave of relief wash over him as Clancy chose to wait for him. The simple act of her trust, her willingness to hold onto hope. It was also a balm to his weary soul.
He whispered. His voice was thick with emotion. "Thank you."
But then, a sudden realization struck him. There were things he had to do, responsibilities he could no longer ignore. He reluctantly pulled her away. His eyes searched hers with a mix of regret and determination.
was
"Get in the car…" He said softly. He stepped aside and opened the door for her.
Clancy slipped inside, the door closing with a soft thud. She lowered the window halfway and called out. "Heka, someday can you tell me where you went to and what you did?"
Her question hung in the air, simple yet heavy with unspoken meaning. For Heka, the truth was complicated, entwined with secrets about Marchio, Kiervant Sky, and realms beyond human understanding. Yet, he couldn't refuse her.
"Okay." He answered quietly. A promise he wasn't sure he could keep.
Clancy smiled, a light of reassurance shining in her eyes. She believed that he would not lead her astray. That belief was precious, fragile.
She started the car and watched as she waved goodbye. She began to drive. And the vehicle was slowly
disappearing down the road, from his sight.
Yet he just stood there, watching the car until it faded into the distance. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion and doubt.
How could he possibly explain everything, the owner of Kiervant Sky, Marchio, and everything around, and the impossible truths of the Immortal realm? It was a burden heavier than any he had carried before.
When Clancy's car was out of sight, Heka turned and stepped inside his house. The weight of his mission pressed down on him. Marchio was now his priority. Whatever it took, he had to fulfill Marchio's solicit and bring this dark chapter to an end.
Only then could he hope to live a normal life. A life free from the umbrage of the Immortal realm.
Yet Clancy had chosen to wait for him, and that choice was a beacon of hope. He could not afford to disappoint her. The future was uncertain, the ending unknown still.
Regarding Marchio, Heka's heart ached with a personal longing. He had lost his parents to the cruel mechanics of Soul Delivery, a tenebrous fate he could never forget. Meeting Marchio was his chance to seek closure, to utter the word he had carried in his heart for so long for his parents: "Sorry."
He was willing to pay any price for that moment, even if it meant sacrificing his own soul. If Marchio demanded a human soul in exchange, Heka was ready to offer his own without hesitation.
He would beg for time, just a single day to spend with Clancy, to hold onto the life he cherished before the darkness claimed him. And to say goodbye.
Nevertheless, Heka knew the truth all too well: Marchio was no ordinary being. He was not human. Literally, in both the human realm and the Immortal realm, nothing came without a cost. Every favor, every moment of peace, demanded a price.
This was the harsh reality Heka had learned the hard way.
He had already lost his parents to the tenebrous fate of Soul Delivery. Now, with the Reverse Time Illusion looming, a dangerous power that could unravel the fabric of life itself.
Yet he was determined not to lose anyone else. Not Clancy. But he himself as a sacrifice. The path ahead was fraught with peril, but Heka's resolve was unshakable. For life, for hope, and for the chance to reclaim his humanity, he would face whatever darkness Marchio solicits.
Because the untold rule was cruel, where nothing was free. Sometimes the greatest sacrifice was the only way to save what truly mattered.