As I stepped out of the room, my legs trembled, threatening to give out beneath me. I stared down at my hands, stained with blood, and felt a strange numbness wash over me. My brother's blood.
My breath hitched, but I forced myself to lean against the wall, trying to steady my heavy, uncooperative body.
The weight of what I'd done pressed down on me, not with regret, but with a hollow ache I couldn't quite name.
"Captain," Xavier's voice cut through the silence, low and steady. I looked up to find him standing there, his tall frame looming, those mysterious eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
He was calm and composed, but there was something in his gaze—something that felt like it was peeling back layers of me, exposing parts I didn't want to see. His eyes flicked to the side, where the bodies of the guards he'd killed lay sprawled, lifeless.
Seeing Xavier back in his human form after a day with him as a dragon was jarring. His dragon form was majestic, almost endearing—powerful yet approachable.
But the man standing before me now was overwhelming. At 6'5", he exuded raw, untamed energy, his presence sharp and predatory. His piercing eyes held a depth I couldn't decipher, and every movement felt deliberate, controlled.
The contrast was staggering—the dragon, a creature of myth; the man, a force of nature. He was intimidating, yet there was something about him that drew me in, a pull that was equal parts fear and fascination.
"You took down fifty warriors all on your own," I said, forcing a lighthearted tone, though my voice wavered. "I guess you weren't bluffing when you said you were stronger than me."
Xavier didn't smile. He didn't even blink. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes—those damn Amethyst eyes—bore into me with a focus that made my chest tighten.
He stepped closer, his movements deliberate, almost predatory, and knelt in front of me. Without a word, he took my bloodied hand in his, his touch firm but careful, and began wiping the blood away with a black handkerchief.
His silence was unnerving. The way he focused on my hand, as if nothing else in the world mattered, sent a shiver down my spine.
I could feel the heat of his skin against mine, the roughness of his thumb as it brushed over my knuckles. It was too intimate, too much, and yet I couldn't pull away.
"Dain said I'm older than Alancia," I said, my voice heavier than I intended. "That my birth is the reason the Nyxveil family has to stay in Pyrexia under the Imperial gaze."
Xavier paused, his thumb pressing into my palm, and looked up at me. His eyes were dark, unreadable, but there was a flicker of something—sympathy? Understanding? I couldn't tell.
"Do you regret killing him?" He asked, his voice soft but probing.
I shook my head, though the words caught in my throat. "No," I said firmly. "But… even if he was someone who wanted to kill me…" I trailed off, my voice dropping to a whisper. "He was my brother."
Xavier's gaze didn't waver. It was as if he could see straight through me, past the walls I'd built, past the mask I wore. His thumb rubbed slow circles on my hand, a gesture that felt both comforting and disarming.
"The path you've chosen will continue to challenge you," he said, his voice low and steady. "You'll lose many people. Your hands will be stained with more blood. You'll learn secrets you never wanted to know."
His words should have felt like a warning, but they didn't. They felt like a promise—a dark, inevitable truth that he was somehow offering to share with me.
And then he said it, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "But I'll stand by you. Always."
My breath caught. The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming, and for a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of us.
His words hung in the air, heavy and unshakable, and I felt something stir deep inside me—something I didn't want to name.
My heart raced, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I looked away, unable to hold his gaze any longer.
"Of course you have to," I said, forcing a teasing tone. "Didn't we sign a blood contract?"
Xavier chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent a strange thrill through me. "Sure thing," he said, his lips curving into a faint smirk. "I'm bound to you till my death, so I have no other option but to follow you."
My eyes widened, and I felt my face flush.
*Bound till death?*
Why did that sound like a confession? I shook my head, cursing myself for even entertaining the thought. Xavier stood, and I looked down at my hand, now clean of blood.
"You're good at cleaning," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
Xavier's smirk widened, and there was a glint in his eyes that made my stomach twist. "I'm good at many more things," he said, his voice dripping with implication.
I opened my mouth to retort, but the moment was shattered as I glanced at the row of dead bodies scattered around us.
"We need to erase our traces," I said, my voice hardening. "It's not a good idea to let the demon cult find us yet."
Xavier shrugged, his expression turning serious. "Don't worry. I have a way to take care of it."
I watched as he walked toward the corpses, his movements fluid and unhurried. He sat down in the middle of the bodies, crossing his legs in a meditative position.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, I felt it—a shift in the air, a cold, oppressive energy that made my skin crawl.
Black smoke began to rise from the corpses, swirling and coalescing into a thick, dark mist. My breath hitched as I realized what was happening. Death Qi.
He was drawing it out, consuming it. The sheer amount of energy in the air was overwhelming, and I took an involuntary step back, my heart pounding in my chest.
The Death Qi gathered around Xavier, swirling like a storm, and then it began to seep into him. He didn't flinch, didn't even seem to notice the sheer power he was absorbing.
His expression was calm, almost serene, but there was something terrifying about the way he sat there, surrounded by darkness, as if he were a part of it.
I couldn't look away. The energy was cold and suffocating, and it felt wrong—so wrong—to see a living being consume it so effortlessly.
Death Qi was Yin energy, the opposite of the Life Qi that sustained us. It was corrupting, destructive, and yet Xavier absorbed it like it was nothing.
The air around him grew heavier, and I could feel the weight of his power pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.
When the last of the Death Qi settled into him, the corpses vanished, disintegrating into ash.
Xavier stood, his dark aura more intense than I'd ever seen it. The air around him seemed to shimmer with power, and I felt a chill run down my spine.
He was dangerous—more dangerous than I'd realized. If I were to compare him to the demons I'd fought in my past life, he'd rank among the Supreme demons, if not higher.
He turned to me, his eyes glowing faintly with that unnatural light.
"The demon cult will think this place was attacked by a high-ranked demon," he said, his voice calm, as if he hadn't just consumed the essence of death itself. "They won't make a big deal out of it."
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "You can consume Death Qi?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Xavier blinked, as if the question surprised him. "Doesn't it make sense, given that I was trained to be a vessel for a high-ranked demon?"
I stared at him, my mind racing. Of course. I'd forgotten, or maybe I'd chosen to ignore, the truth of what he was.
Even if he was on my side, he was still a vessel for demonic power. The thought sent a shiver through me, but I forced myself to nod.
Xavier's gaze shifted to the room where Dain's body lay, and there was a glint in his eyes—something dark, almost greedy.
"You won't mind if I consume your brother's Death Qi, will you?" he asked, though it didn't sound like a question. It sounded like a statement.
I hesitated, my stomach churning. But what choice did I have? Xavier was a force of nature, a storm I couldn't control. And as much as his power terrified me, I needed him.
"Do what you feel is right," I said, my voice steady despite the unease coiling in my chest.
Xavier nodded, and I watched as he stepped into the room, his aura growing darker with every step.
I turned away, unable to watch as he consumed what was left of my brother. My hands clenched into fists, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
Xavier was dangerous. Thanks to Blood Contract, I won't have to worry about him stabbing me in the back. Now, I need to find out the person who taught Dain the demonic art....
" Sylvester..... Just who are you?"
I mumbled while gritting my teeth. Mystery after mystery! Damn, this 2nd life is making me work harder!