I immediately reached for him, but instead of looking like he was in pain, a smug smile curled on Azarael's lips.
He gently slipped out a drink from inside his coat, and I froze. The glass shimmered with the reflection of the room's light, and he laughed. "I just choked a little, guess I was drinking too fast," he said and took a sip. I just stood there, exchanging looks between him and the others.
"Unfortunately, he's telling the truth," Veyra said, and I closed my lips. I gently pressed my hands to my forehead and let out a bitter, confused laugh. Liora rushed towards me, hugging me tightly.
I hugged her back and she snuggled in my arms. "Thank you, Raven," she said. "I'm weak, that's why my family is so ashamed of me, and…"
"You're not weak, you just need to have confidence in yourself. Have a look at me, I'm barely D-rank, and as you can see, I'm plenty strong, hehe," I said, and watched as she gently saddened.
