Chapter 141 - TICK TOCK (1/2)

The sound of the water usually calms him. At least yesterday it was. But today was not like yesterday.

And yesterday was nothing like today.

The sound of water while soothing does not calm him the least. Instead as he soaks his body inside the water, he could not help but be frustrated.

Even inside the Palace of Everlasting palace which houses the most grand Bathhouse in Eden does not help the burning flame in his heart.

The Palace Of Everlasting Peace was one of the biggest projects in the city.

When the builders were constructing the Palace, anything that is not to the liking of Lady Sofia was changed to her whims.

The care that the City Lord shows towards her could rival that of Mumtaz towards her concubine.

The decorations inside the Palace were all exquisite and rare. Arts and countless pieces of valuables were given to fill the Palace interiors.

Over the past month, there were three shifts of builders, architect, designers, working day and night in order to renovate the palace according to the blueprints of the Grand Builder.

Then Azief gifted the Palace to Sofia cementing her as one of the important personage in Eden without a title.

Azief gifting this Palace to Sofia showed to the world the amount of importance he had placed on her.

The water falls onto his body and he closed his eyes. He has already dismissed the servants as he wanted to be alone tonight.

It is a very stressful day he thought to himself as he takes a momentary dive before coming back up, feeling refreshed and then leaned on the walls of the Pool.

Azief today is spending time inside the large white jade bath in the Palace Of Everlasting Peace.

On all four sides of the bath, there was dragon heads, the wide gaping maws of the dragon clearly were the places for introducing the water.

Beside the bath was a place enclosed in silk coverings. Inside, a large couch is there.

Beside the window there was a table and two comfortable recliners. From a look, it made one feel the impulse to lie down.

Luminous pearls dug from the Diamond Lizard was encrusted on the pool, each the size of an infant fist, it will shine with luminous and beautiful color at night.

The dragon head with the sapphire inlaid is cold water; the dragon head with the ruby is the hot water.

The builders and the architects design this warm and cold bath based on the special properties of those sapphires and ruby gotten from the core of Wyvern and Wyrm heart core to produce this kind of one of a kind bath.

Azief was soaking his body in cold water, his body is envelope by some aura contained under his skin, making him calm and still as he let the water wash his mental fatigue away.

Azief look at the Bath and he smiles. After he gifted this Bath to Sofia, she was very happy.

This palace wasn't all covered in gold and white jade but it felt unspeakably beautiful like the bath where fairies and immortals would play around.

The reason why he is stressed is primarily because of Sofia insistence on taking back his order of exile towards Loki.

Azief was in a good mood when he was going to her Palace determined to tell her about Will and his plots and his plan to rescue Will.

But then not even five minutes he enters her courtyards, Sofia began barraging him with questions and reminding him of Loki deeds and urge him to call him back.

Azief said some things about her not trusting him and Sofia said some things about why he could not trust her and keeps her at arm's length.

To summarize they both said hurtful things to each other.

Then it got heated.

Azief remembers he said something about her too dumb to see the patterns and he also remembers that she said he treats her like an idiot.

From there they both got worked up and they argue with each other. And when they fight, it means literally.

They were a few arrows shot, but with Azief superior strength, he could take it.

Azief while he could reveal the plan he concocted with Will, he could not reveal his plan with Loki.

Always keep a card under his sleeve. Azief could hardly change this kind of habits. Always half the truth.

And the argument ended with him leaving her courtyard fuming with frustration.

They can't honestly have a logical and calm conversation when they both are angry at each other.

In the end, Azief didn't even have the chance to told Sofia about Will. And for some reason, Azief felt relieved that he did not said about Will.

Deep in his heart, Azief really didn't want to talk about Will to Sofia.

Especially Sofia.

The reason why he is not afraid to reveal his connection with Will is because they are already caught together but the plot between him and Loki is not yet revealed.

Or at least, that is what he wants himself to believe. That he is fine telling Sofia about his secrets.

About his adventures…..about all of his adventure.

Now, as he is inside the bath, letting the water cool down his head, listening to the sound of the rushing water he had the chance to calm his heart again.

For him the sound of rushing water falling down, like that of waterfalls or the pattering of the raindrops on the pavements or roads…..gives him a certain senses of uniformity, of calmness and serenity.

He had a half of mind to return to courtyard, kneels and admit he was wrong though he doesn't think he is wrong.

He had half of mind to do what any good boyfriend would do, admit you were wrong and said you were sorry.

But Azief was not that kind of a guy. He is stubborn and prideful. Even before the Fall, he was stubborn.

What is right is right. What is wrong is wrong. He had a sense of justice that does not allow him to bend his own principle even if it's a tiny matter.

It's what makes people dislike him when he was in high school. As he grows up he sees that the world is not black and white but there are some things he could not and would not allowed himself to do.

It is more pride than justice. And that is the reason why he could not give an apology or said sorry when he does not meant it…even when he was weak and poor.

And now, he was rich and powerful. And not just one of the powerful, he was the most powerful man on Earth.

He could conjure up clouds with one turn of his hand and rain with another.

Even when he was weak, he does not allow himself to that kind of things, how could he now, at the peak of the world, allowed himself to beg and said sorry for which he had no fault?

But Sofia is different he told himself. Three steps back to the courtyard he stops, standings straight, hesitating and contemplating.

For him to return to the courtyard again and explains to her….for some reason…his pride wouldn't let him.

'Hah' he sighed as he looked at the open ceiling.

He could see the clear skies and the stars. One upside of having the world change is that there is no pollution making the night sky extremely clear.

'I can do it alone' Azief suddenly said to himself.

After all it is just a negotiation. Unless, the World Government wanted to cut all pretense of cordiality with him they would at least give him some respect and not take it too far.

In the end, Azief still views Will as too important for him to lose. He then dives down the pool taking the coolness of the water as a means to soothe him.

'Maybe he was too convincing' he thought to himself as he trace the roots of the problems between him and Sofia.

He was too convincing that it almost seems like he is plotting something bad for Loki. While that was his intentions to deceive the enemies, maybe he did it too good.

What he didn't know is, that if he just put aside his pride and apologize, said sorry and whispers sweet nothings to Sofia ears, the arguments would be over.

It's not like women don't know men just said that they are right to console them. They just pretend they don't know.

Especially for women like Sofia. She is gentle, warm, and compassionate. Even her ruthless actions all serves to protect those she loved.

All she wanted is to be loved.

To have a man that could at least pretend to lose to her. It's not like she doesn't know Azief was right in certain matters and that he had his own burden.

But they were lovers. Couldn't he at least pretend to lose? Then why didn't Sofia apologize? If Azief has his pride, then Sofia has her stubbornness.

Both could not apologize. Both could not back down. Both of them don't want to take the step forward.

They want to receive but they don't want to give.

Azief won't apologize for what he thought is not wrong, and Sofia could not forgive him without Azief saying he was sorry.

One person has to surrender.

He dives again, letting the water washed over him and come back up on the other side of the large pool.

Too many matters require his attention these days. When he exited Sofia courtyard he quickly decided in his course of action.

When morning came he already will be at the World Government.

'Is this a secret?' he asks himself but as he think of the answer he shakes his head. This could barely count as a secret.

When he makes his decision to tell the truth to both Sina and Sofia, he actually honestly, doesn't want to.

Not because he likes keeping secret from both of them…but because if he had to reveal his relationship with Will, then he might have to reveal what happens in those four years when he was gone.

Azief was not proud of the man he has been in those four years.

They were a lot of things he regret. A lot of things he wished he did. And a lot of things he wished he didn't.

Guilt. Longing. Regret.

These are the emotions that are invoked when he thought back to those four years.

A lot of things happened trying to come back home. But along the way, both Will and Azief almost lost their way.

But they both have their North Star.

For Azief his North Star was Sofia. For Will, it was Lily. He smiles a bit.

To those dark days with a single light that repels away the darkness. Azief remembers all of it.

The pain. The sufferings. He even almost lost everything. But through it all, he did not lose hope.

And that is enough. Hope makes him strong enough to find a way back home…and that is enough.

Not love. But hope.

As long as you have that, you can still fight. Lose that….and nothing would ever quite matter anymore.

A man without hope in a dark world is like an empty husk that keeps on moving with no purpose, waiting only for an end.

Azief come out from the water and dry himself off.

After he finished wearing his clothes, seeing that Sofia didn't come to the bath to join him, he knew he had to give her time.

They both are stubborn people.

Azief sighed, come out of the bath, and then as he walked outside, he slowly floats from the ground and then with a cracking sound of wind he was in the clouds as he flies to the Vast Sea.

'Preparations' he thoughts to himself. He doesn't like being caught unprepared.

The Prince is going on the offensive now.

Meanwhile on the Vast Sea, a document presented to Hirate and Raymond prompted them to call all of their reserve forces and setting up the most overkilled formation in the history of their organization.

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PLAINS REGION, CENTRAL PLAINS

IMPERIAL RESIDENCE