26 CHAPTER 26: Dont worry too much Hero (1/2)

Zeran's eyes looked sheer cold for the divine golden dagger, in which he was holding on his right hand. He shut his eyes for a mere moment, feeling the darkness that he shall commence. The malicious air had seeped into the air. Then, he says with a very chilling tone,

”But...”.

Suddenly, he flung the golden dagger across Ange's left cheek, nearly scraping the ever holy light Goddess's cheek with a scar, proving he has denied her generous offer. Soon, her face that had a fresh cut, leaked out a drop of crimson blood. Ange felt a mix of shock and surprise, as she had witnessed Zeran's defiance. Not only that, Zeran opened his eyes of burning rage and blurted out another response,

”I'll do things...MY WAY!”.

Ange seemed convinced over his reckless behavior, so she stood up and went near the sitting Zeran. In a split second, she lifted up his chin with her flawless hand, proving her dominance over him, since she's a Goddess of their world and he's just a mere speck of dust. Then, she tells him straight in the eye, devoid of any expression, revering the true light Goddess's wrath,

”I'll take that as a warning shot Zeran Noah Aether...”

”Until then I shall wait for your final answer...”.

Her whole presence had vanished magically later on. The freezing air was gone too. He sighed and scratched his head, thinking if it's alright to infuriate the light Goddess through his reckless action. Though, he didn't mind it that much, since he was more concerned for Ru's current state, so he went back through the door. Thereupon, he saw the dark Goddess Ruhime knelt down and leaking her crystal tears with immense sadness on her face. Her ears looked down in disappointment such as she was a sorrowful dog. His burning rage was gone immediately as he witnessed the poor little foxgirl Ru, instead his expression was replaced by the feelings of concern and pity for her. Then, he said,

”Ru...”.

Ru replies, while she was rubbing her tears,

”So now you know the truth...”

”I'm just a pathetic, lazy, dark or evil Goddess now...”

”I'm sure you'll just laugh—”.

That sudden moment, Zeran embraced her with his noble guardian angel-like arms. Ru was shocked, turning her to delve into deep silence and freeze her words in time. Zeran wore a smile filled with immense amount of care and affection for her. His other hand caressed her head to ease her more. Fleeting butterflies of divine gold and mystical lavanders surrounded around them as if those were flowing petals in the breeze. His heart full of empathy felt her scarred emotions. He muttered-out his expressive soft words that would penetrate her cold isolated self,

”Nah...I won't laugh at you...”.

”Instead...I'm kinda relieved to see this other side of you...”

”Who you really are...”

”And besides...I'm sure you have other weirder reasons on doing this...”.

”Other than what had she said right?”.

Ru's frozen isolated heart had melted as she heard those comforting words of his. Her ever pained feeling was gone and felt Zeran's warmth. There were more and more graceful prismatic butterflies swarming around them, as the two of them were understanding each others feelings deeper and deeper. Ru tries to utter out her reply to him, with tears of gratefulness,

”Zera...”.

Though, her welling tears acted up, so she wasn't able to finish her gratitude for him. She cried her heart out like there's no tomorrow but, the thorns weren't wreathed around her anymore, instead calming butterflies were fluttering around her heart, while she was hugging Zeran very tight in her delicate maiden arms. Her tears kept on leaking unto the clean slate floor and her scandalous cries echoed such as she was a teenage girl but, he didn't mind those shameless things that she was doing, since he knew that she needed to release her pent-up self, so he kept on caressing the dark Goddess's head to calm her heart more. Soon, he was in his thoughts,

(”I don't know why...but this feeling...with her...it's something...”)

(”Before I hated her...but now...I just don't know anymore...in a good thing though...”).

As moments passed, Ru had dried out her tears and finished expressing her deep pain. The two of them were still embracing in each others arms. There were less butterflies around the place. Their intensified feelings had calmed down. She uttered-out her words, with a relaxed look on her face,

”I'm okay now Zera...”.

Zeran stood up and lifted Ru with his supporting hand. Ru brushed off some dust stained on her clothes later on, even though it seemed there were none at all. He asks her with an eager smile on his face,

”Hmmm...really now...well wanna go home for now or continue our quest?”.

Ru replies,

”I wanna continue this quest with you Zera...”.

He felt that her words were deeper and weren't her usual teasing ways for some reason although, he didn't mind it that much, since he knew she was still recovering from her previous state, so he continues to ask her more,

”Okay then...what's the next artifact we are after?”.

She pulled out her smartphone from in-between her cantaloupe melons once again. She fiddled with her phone and tells him,

”It's called the...LAMP OF ESSENCE and the other one is called the...MIRROR OF TRUTH...”.

He bowed down gracefully and gave out his hand such as he was a very nice gentleman to her. Ru experienced a mix of affection and surprise, as she saw his gesture, treating her some kind of a highly respectable lady. Red and pink petals burst behind her. She took his offer and let him hold her hand. The two of them descended the stairs such as they were stepping on starlight stairways. Zeran noticed that Ru was blushing like a red beet, as they were moving down. Though, Ru just looked away since she doesn't want him to witness her embarrassed self more. Their hearts were soothed as their warm hands were bonded together. As soon as, they came back from the luminous subterranean spring, there were blue and yellow fireflies sprawling and illuminating their bright tails the dimmed place blanketed in the night. Zeran stretched himself, since their journey was somehow very long. As for Ru, she grabbed her two plush dolls sitting at the corner together. The heavenly stairs vanished in a glimpse. Ru suggested that they should rest in this place first. He agreed with her and the two of them stayed at the place. Though, he was cautious since the monsters can enter the sacred place now. Ru was now sitting on the very ground, while she was hugging her two plush dolls that looked like their very selves in a cuter way. Soon enough, she was in her thoughts,

(”I want those artifacts back...”)

(”Those are the only things that those former heroes left for me...before they left and reincarnated in the other worlds...”)

(”Except for the cheap-*ss Zeran plush doll though...”)

(”I really do wonder why Mai gave it to me...”)

(”I loved those heroes but...they chose to live on for their better lives...”)

(”When they knew I was the dark Goddess of this world...”)

(”For Ange...my role is just to strengthen and test the heroes accordingly...”)

(”But...I feel more than just that when I was with them...even if I haven't BONDED with any of them...”)