Suspicious quests (4) - Entering a brawl

-22nd day of AC, 22.04.1052-

-Time: 00:16-

-Location: Somewhere in Silvana-

Travis stood in a large room, looking at Chris on the other side. The tall guard was leaning on a wall roughly 5 meters away from him. They both were in a large, circular ring made of reinforced wood, no less than 4 meters in radius. The concrete under their feet was blandly gray and filled with multiple tiny holes and cracks, though there did appear to be some faintly red stains visible here and there. The air was stale and filled with stench reminiscent of sweat and blood, which only added to the room's repulsive atmosphere. The few light sources of light above their heads did nothing to alleviate this, either, as long shadows of them both were cast on the ring's walls.

The walls around them ended shorter than an average person's shoulders, showing that they were surrounded by no less than 20 guards. Most of them were wearing their armor, signifying that they made a break from their duty just to come and watch the fight. Quiet chatter could be heard, some of them placing their bets while others shared pieces of food and glasses of ale around.

The two who were about to fight were doing final checkups on their state.

Travis let out a light sigh. His hands moved to his pockets. The perfume, the rock, and the orb, all from Rulebreaker, were in place. The runestone he had asked Clint for was also present. The bandages he got were already tied around his hands to protect his knuckles. In a final check, he pulled them as tightly as possible, ensuring they wouldn't untie themselves easily. He swiped a hand on his shirt.

As he looked ahead, Travis saw Chris dressed in informal attire instead of his usual armor. He wore a loose, reddish shirt, paired with long pants and tall boots, both brown. His muscles bulged from underneath the clothes, indicating that he was not just tall but also well-built. There were no guards on his hands, though. He punched his knuckles together in a show of readiness, and his eyes conveyed a hint of laughter beneath his neutral expression as he looked at Travis. He was clearly showing that there was a world of difference between them.

Travis raised his hands and slightly bent his legs. 'I only have 420 MP to use... the effect of the pearl will run out fast if I'm not careful. I should follow the plan as quickly as I can.' focusing his eyes, the man scanned Chris and was greeted by his stat panel.

'...Everything but Wisdom and Intelligence is above my Sense. Just as I expected.' he conceded while discarding the screen.

His topaz eyes moved from Chris, looking toward the border nearby. Doing his best to locate Clint with his stare, Travis could only curse inwardly, seeing that the lights inside of the fight ring made the outside seem nearly completely dark. However... he noticed a single thumbs-up in the distance, vaguely visible, but undeniably recognizable. A tiny smirk entered his face. He spent all his stat points on Endurance.

'Activate.' the Apostle thought, his fingers brushing on the pearl from Rulebreaker.

[Great crab’s pearl

Rating: Epic

A pearl of immaculate quality, once guarded by a giant crab that would not allow one to take it away. The original owner's strength can be felt lurking within.

Active effect: Increase your effective Strength and Endurance by 11% for 15 minutes. During cooldown, Strength and Endurance are reduced by 4 points.

Passive effect: All stats except Strength and Endurance are reduced by 4 points.

Cost: 1 durability point

Cooldown: 12 hours

Durability: 7/15

*Cannot be repaired.

Weight: 470 g]

[Activating 'Great crab's pearl'. 1 point of durability has been used.]

[Remaining time: 15:00]

It was the newest piece he had received just a few hours before. Although the increases in stats weren't that significant for the price he had to pay, that was only for the 'current' him. Comparing pros and cons, increasing two stats by 11% was going to have a huge impact in the future compared to losing 24 stats across all of them. Even at this level, he gained 10 effective Strength and 12 Endurance, which almost paid for itself. But he didn't take or use this item because it 'almost' paid for its drawbacks. He took it because of how usable it was. Increased Strength had an obvious effect, but increased Endurance was even more important. Higher values meant that he was actually sturdier, even if his HP didn't increase from it.

It was... almost as if this item was made specifically for a brawl. For THIS brawl.

[Rulebreaker cheers you on.]

"What's that?" Chris sneered a little, cracking the joints in his neck. "Somebody's feeling confident, huh? Got an item or two, and you think you'll win?"

"...is a big mouth all you have? I thought you were looking forward to this, Chris."

"Oh, sure, just," the brown-haired man started speaking whilst taking a short step forward. "let a guy," the ground shook from his step alone as the man activated his first skill. "enjoy himself a little!" the quake repeated itself with double strength as Chris suddenly shot forward, aiming a powerful punch at Travis's side.

Expecting the strike, the Apostle quickly backpedaled and then jumped to his side, making some distance between them. With a bit of internal fear, he noticed the wooden wall gain a huge crack as Chris hit it with full power. It was undeniably a strike aimed at killing the target.

A loud cheer could be heard from the audience. The voices that were only chattering between themselves had all turned their attention toward what was happening. Doing his best to not let them distract him, Travis side-stepped, preparing himself for another strike from Chris.

A straight jab flew at him, to which the man quickly bent his body. A right hook as a follow-up was narrowly blocked by his elbow. However, Travis had no answer for a kick that came right after. As he was sent flying across the ring, he could only groan, slowly getting up. 'That took off nearly 150 HP... this guy's stats are no joke.'

However, only a smirk entered his face.

"You know..." he started, straightening up and reading himself again. "I've been wondering..." Travis started running toward Chris. As the man attempted to strike him in his head, the Apostle suddenly deviated to the side, planting a blow in his stomach. Afterward, he made a quick turn and ducked, avoiding a sweeping motion of a hand that would've sent him flying. Feeling the air shift millimeters above his back, he rolled to the side. "You've been saying those things about Aria..." the Apostle said, blocking a powerful left hook. "And you did a background check on me. I wonder... did you do one on her as well?"

<Might as well tell him. He's not making it out alive.>

"So what that I did?" Chris asked, stomping his foot on the ground and using a skill. Using the fact that Travis was about to trip, he ran forward and kicked his knee, forcing the man to the ground. After that, he brought his fist back before using a skill. "She won't know a thing," he stated, bringing the fist into Travis's face. The blow just barely hit, most of its strength dissipated yet some **** still sent a numbing pain through the man's skull.

'This guy... something's off about him.' Travis thought as he hit the ground. A groan escaped his mouth. 'His movements are... too coordinated. Experience is one thing, but... he wouldn't learn that through just fights.'

"Wow..." the yellow-eyed man **** himself to smile again before spitting some red fluid to his side. "Didn't know you were such a stalker," he bent his knees as much as he could and planted a kick in Chris's stomach, mimicking the move Violet had used on him a few days before. After that, he quickly rolled to his side and got up, feeling his jaw. It felt... stiff. A bit of daze washed over him. The last blow did have some after-effects.

His HP was nearing 1400.

"Who cares?" the huge guard aimed a few blows that were barely avoided. As he received a strong hit to his abdomen, he responded by smashing his hands into the man's back, bringing him to the ground. "It was pretty fun to learn about her brothers," he brought his foot down, pinning the shorter guy to the ground. "And when I got to know about the wealth they possess... You know it yourself. Who wouldn't want to be a part of their family?" he stepped away a little, giving Travis a bit of space to get up.

The golden-eyed man got up to a crouching position. He took a few quick breaths, doing his best to stabilize his position through the pain. He spat a bit to his side, watching Chris take a pose. There was something... oozing from his hands, just barely perceptible to the smaller man. It looked almost like water vapor, but just faintly green. 'Wait a minute... I know that stance. Just like Burii... don't tell me? This guy is not a 'Soldier'... he's a 'Martial Artist'...? Then that thing in his hands... he's using aura?' he sighed at the thought, getting up. 'Guess it's time for the second part of Burii's teachings?' a short chuckle escaped his mouth as he raised himself and assumed a similar pose.

"What's with that chuckle? Has the dog gone mad already?"

"It's just... such a funny reason. You just want to marry into a rich family," the Apostle answered as he feinted a quick jab. Using the fact that Chris attempted to block, Travis shot a swift left hook but missed the man's face. "What about Aria, huh? Do you even feel anything for her?"

"Affection is overrated," Chris replied whilst riposting the blow with a knee strike to the shorter man's chest. "Love doesn't win you wars. It's all about money. Why not have it?" he struck with a massive uppercut but narrowly missed the target's nose.

"Such shallow thinking... have you got no shame?"

"What's there to be ashamed of?" the tall man asked. His double jab was blocked, but the downward strike into Travis's back connected, sending the man to the ground again. "I just want a comfortable life," his foot stepped on the Apostle's back. "Didn't you feel the same?"

"Urgh-- We're nothing alike, Chris," Travis replied as he struggled, unable to get the huge man off. "You want to use her for your own advantage. I got mixed up with her on accident."

"Hah, defiant 'till the end, aren't you," Chris struck at the Apostle's leg. In the accompaniment of cheers from the crowd, Travis let out a short scream, feeling that his left knee had suffered big damage. It wasn't broken, but only barely.

Chris picked Travis by his leg and made a quick turn. As they both gained some angular momentum, he let go. The smaller man was sent flying onto the ground on the opposite side of the ring.

"*Cough* *Cough* Haaah..." Travis rose on his elbows a little. "How long have you been spying on her, huh? A year? Two? You're just a Sergeant, how did you even do a background check?" he asked, launching a quick <Suggestion>. With a bit of internal glee, he felt it connect instantly.

<I should tell him. He'll feel even smaller if I do.>

"A few years. When I served in Tullia, gathering information was easy. After I heard that she was going to join the authorities, I knew it was my chance. So, I made sure she'd be sent far away from her brothers and under a guy I already knew."

"Hah..." Travis let out a weak chuckle as he saw Chris approach him confidently. '<Sprint>.' As he reached the huge man, he planted a quick jab near his neck. Seeing that he was surprised by his sudden vigor, the Apostle fired a second strike, this time aiming for his opponent's face.

"Gah!" Chris got a hand to his face, lightly rubbing the spot he was hit in. However, he didn't fail to block the following strike at his neck.

"Do you really think Aria won't get to know? Do you think she's dumb?" Travis asked with a slightly ridiculing tone.

"She won't know a thing. Aria might be a bookworm, but in the end, she is a frivolous girl. Kind of a surprise that she is a Brinn," Chris responded as he charged up a skill, causing the ground to shake. However, his opponent managed to dodge by jumping away. "But that makes her that much easier to control. Explains why she believed you so easily, no?"

"Control?" 'This bastard... he's Teleran in human flesh.' Travis thought before clenching his fists even harder than before. He shot forward and did a quick diverting motion before striking his celiac plexus with all the might he could muster. "That's the grand plan?" he asked whilst backpedaling to avoid the retaliatory strike. As Chris lunged at him, he did his best to block and reflect all blows. "You'll kill me, soothe Aria, and bask in her family's wealth?"

"Sure works for me. I'll have more money than I'll ever know what to do with. I'll retire and live out the best part of my life."

"Aren't you afraid of Nimmel?"

"That half-breed doesn't matter. She's too fixated on her retirement to even notice a thing," Chris feinted a blow which was followed up by a kick. "And if anything goes wrong... I got Huran on my side. He's an idiot, but I doubt Nimmel will go against a fellow Captain."

Travis got flung across the ring. As he hit the wall, a groan of pain escaped his mouth. The cold concrete under him was becoming stained with his blood as he spat some to the side. However, as his eyes scanned over the inner line of the ring, he could only chuckle lightly. He felt... numb.

"Haaah..." he breathed heavily whilst rising to a crouching position. His HP was definitely below half right now, evident by the side of the puddle of scarlet liquid to his right. As his eyes scanned the inner line of the ring, it was clear that Chris was also being affected by their fight. Some blood was seeping from his mouth slowly, and judging by the bruises that appeared on his hands, he was definitely not in top-notch condition anymore. 'Fine. This much should be enough.' Travis decided. This fight had to come to an end. He had gathered everything he needed. 'Let's finish this.'

Retrieving an item from his pocket, he analyzed Chris, anticipating his next move. Oddly, the guard appeared rooted in place, adopting a defensive stance. Was he concerned about his own condition? It hardly mattered.

"...is that so...? Then... let me give you a retirement gift, alright?" the golden-eyed man said as he got up, his gaze seeping with fierce determination and... strange laughter.

"...what?"

Travis took a gentle swing before throwing something at the man who was roughly 6 meters away. Snatching the item from the air, Chris could immediately feel that it was made of glass, and some liquid was sloshing inside of it. Taking a brief second to look at it, he noticed a star-shaped bottle mostly filled with violet fluid. Why would this bastard throw something like this...?

The Apostle didn't think much. As Chris's hand stabilized a little, he threw the stone he held in his other hand. Traveling on a clean path, it struck the bottle nearly at its center.

The sound of shattering glass rang, silencing the awe the audience felt up until this moment. The rock hit Chris's hand, causing him to gasp in surprise and pain.

[Godly pebble

Rating: Legendary

Attack: 1

Durability: Infinite

*For every type of stat that the target has higher than you, the damage is increased by 1 point.

*Damage increased by 6 points against targets with a higher level than you.

**If both above conditions are met completely, the damage is increased by 14 points instead.

*Damage multiplied by 5 times against humanoid targets, or 10 against other types.

*Damage scales with velocity. Maximum coefficient is 6 times.

*Bypasses defense.

(...)]

The base damage was pitiful, but its extra options made up for that. Chris's level and 3 out of 6 stats were higher than Travis's, which elevated the base damage to 10. Since he was a human, the damage was 'only' multiplied by 5 times. Although Travis didn't know what was the velocity's effect, he was sure that it would increase the damage to at least 80. This was easily enough to shatter the bottle from Rulebreaker.

The violet liquid splashed all over the tall guard, filling the air with a scent of lavender in an instant.

"Shit, you scared me there," Chris said, rubbing his hand a little. He felt that the impact left quite an impression, as his fingers radiated with pain. The liquid on his hand reflected some light as he shook it slightly. "But really, spraying me with perfume? Throwing rocks? Are you THAT out of ideas?" he laughed momentarily, and so did the audience.

"...oh, Chris. You really are a frog in a well," Travis spoke, his voice weirdly full of laughter despite blood staining his lips and chin. His battered body barely stood upright, but his eyes conveyed a feeling of indomitable will that made the tall man flinch.

"...what?" Chris raised an eyebrow, perplexed.

"Don't you know?" Travis asked half a question, his hand tightening around the runestone in his pocket. 'Activate,' he ordered his spirit, sensing his mana rapidly depleting, the item emitting warmth in response.

[‘Runestone of fire’ has been activated.]

[Runestone of fire

Rating: Normal

Durability: 15/15

Cost per use: 350 MP

After supplying it with mana, it will cause all your mana-fueled spells to transform into <Fireball> instead of their normal form. The effect lasts for 10 seconds.

(...)]

Immediately, he summoned two <Mana Bolts>. However, before the wisps of mana managed to materialize in his hand, they transformed into two small balls of red-orange fire circling above his palm. They gave off a pleasant amount of warmth and illuminated his right leg. Travis raised his hand, seeing the confusion and a trace of fear lurking inside Chris's eyes.

"Perfumes are..."

[Star perfume

Rating: N/A

Durability: 5/5

Press the button on top to release a small cloud of nice-smelling gas. Gas sticks to any surface easily. Flammable. Do not ingest. Keep out of reach of children.

Weight: 50 g

‘Smells of lavenders. Helps hide hideous stenches.’]

"...volatile," Travis finished his words before commanding the balls of fire at Chris. They flew faster than their target could react.

The reaction happened the instant the spells reached Chris. The fires burst all over the guard's chest, quickly spreading to his right hand and neck.

The man screamed in agony, feeling his skin grasped by the fiery embrace, boiled on contact. For a few long seconds, he was frantically swiping his hands over his body, doing his best to quell the flames. This, however, proved to be an ineffective strategy, and Chris ended up rushing to take his tunic off. The audience went completely silent at the spectacle, everyone too shocked to respond to what just happened.

As the huge guard exposed his chest, the problem with fires appeared to minimize itself to areas that he could quickly take care of with his bare hands. His neck and hands, however, were heavily burned, as evident by the nearly brown skin. A furious expression was painted on his face, for the first time since the fight started. His breathing turned to panting as he hunched over, preparing to lunge forward.

"You piece of shit!" he rushed forward, aiming a heavy blow. As Travis evaded, Chris suddenly dropped to the ground and cut the Apostle's legs.

Immediately, he responded by trying to roll away and get up, but the taller man was faster. Getting a tight hold of Travis's shoulders, Chris exerted some pressure, lifting the man from his position. Wincing in pain, the golden-eyed man attempted to struggle free but was hardly able to do anything. Looking at his status, he could see his HP starting to dwindle. 745... 733...

"Let's see you repeat it with your arms torn off!" Chris yelled and put all his strength into his hold, his anger clouding the feeling of pain.

"...you... *Cough* you got it wrong..." Travis said slowly, feeling the pain start to travel through his upper body as he did his best to fight his opponent's immense power.

648...

"...what?" perhaps it was the injuries messing with his head a little, but the guard stopped, his brows rising as his eyes met the golden points looking at him with indomitable resolution.

"'Piece of shit' is YOUR title," the Apostle continued his thought. After he spoke his words, he suddenly tilted his head backward before smashing it into Chris's nose.

With a gasp of pain, the guard partially released his hold, enough for his prey to struggle free with his strength. As he dropped to the floor, the Apostle completely ignored the pain in his forehead, instead aiming a strong uppercut at Chris's chin.

"I," Travis continued his initial thought, putting all his strength into the following blows. "am," he smashed his other hand into the taller man's nose with a powerful jab, breaking it. Visibly overwhelmed and losing balance Chris dropped to one knee, desperately trying to do anything against the sudden ****. However, he was far too slow in his current state. "Firecracker!" Travis stepped back slightly before charging forth and kicking the man's face with all the power his body could muster.

Chris got pushed on his back, the strength of the blow enough to dislocate his jaw as his head got flung into the concrete. His body immediately went limp as he lost consciousness. Blood was seeping from his face, creating a small, reflective puddle on the ground. His chest and hands bore some visible signs of bruises, and a finger or two of his hands appeared to be broken. Though barely perceptible by the Apostle, the guard was breathing shallowly, indicating that he was still alive.

Travis slowly slumped to his knees. The pain of all the blows he received in the fight reverberated throughout his body with multiple times the ****. Especially severe were the blows that he received and dealt using his head. The world spun in his vision. The lights of the arena multiplied in his field of view as he sat on his feet, just barely able to not faint himself. Fuzziness embedded everything he saw. The room turned into a mix of brown, red, and gray colors. Some vaguely orange blob was dancing somewhere in the distance. Lazily, he glanced to his right, summoning the status screen. As he just barely could make out what it said, he sighed.

'...barely a third of HP left... I feel like I'm dying. Accumulating smaller blows has a higher effect than a single strong one.'

[Effect of item 'Great crab's pearl' has run out.]

A notification appeared, but it was promptly ignored.

He could barely hear a sound through the ringing that reverberated in his ears. However, should he have his hearing organs in top-notch condition, the Apostle would only hear... silence. Out of the thirty heads gathered around the ring, not a single one of them could muster a word, completely shocked at what they saw. This was until one person in the back erupted with cheer.

"YEEEEAH!" Clint screamed, clenching his fists. Quickly, he started making his way between the other guards, approaching a door in the ring. "Way to go, Firecracker!"

Meanwhile, Travis felt his eyelids becoming heavier by the second. As adrenaline was slowly being flushed from his bloodstream, every next beat of his heart was... more distant to his consciousness. Only one thought permeated his mind. 'I won...'

His head slumped down. Blood was dripping from his nose, staining his pants slowly. Some noise came from behind him, but he hardly cared who it belonged to or what it said. Right now... he needed some rest. His will to stay awake was withering by the second.

"___vis! Dod__!" he vaguely heard the words come out of Clint's mouth, sounding with an easily discernable edge of apprehension.

Surprised, Travis raised his head a little.

...but he was too late. Chris's fist was already centimeters from his face, embedded in a greenish aura.

'Fu--'

*CRACK!*

The sound rang in Travis's head twofold, once through his ears, and once through his skull. The world momentarily became black as he felt his head get flung backward and hit the wall not far behind. The hit made his body lean on the wooden surface. He tried to raise his hands to attempt to block another incoming strike, but they didn't listen to his commands.

A blur entered his field of view, growing and shrinking as Chris swung his other hand, aiming to crush the Apostle's head. However, another one appeared and charged at the huge guard.

There was no sound entering Travis's ears. All he heard was constant ringing.

299... 289... 280...

Amidst the chaos of blurred images swirling around him, the realization of his diminishing health barely registered.

Inhale, exhale. A shallow rhythm.

A second ticked, then another.

Some commotion started happening as a few extra blurs entered the ring. Some wore something that looked like silvery armor, while one or two appeared to be in informal clothing. Among them, one figure stood out, wearing a deep blue color that starkly contrasted with the rest.

Suddenly, something bright blue appeared in front of his feet. Some spikes of ice materialized out of thin air, separating him from the rest of the arena.

Travis fought to keep his consciousness intact. Every next inhale brought him pain that kept him awake. He tried to discern what was happening, but it was increasingly more difficult.

Something glistened in the corner of his vision, piquing his attention. His eyes darted in the direction.

Two blurry, golden points shone in the corner. The brown that appeared to blend with the arena's wall was almost indiscernible, but he could somehow tell it was a braid of hair. He could almost see a pair of gently smiling lips moving, the quiet voice echoing in his head.

"You did well," the delicate, feminine voice whispered.

He felt a soft hand creep on his shoulder, its long fingers caressing his skin lightly. Its familiar, warm touch sent a reassuring sensation telling him that everything was going to be alright.

"Now, you can rest."

And then, the world went black.

...

...

...

"Urgh..." a faint sound escaped his mouth. A moment of confusion overtook his mind as he opened his eyes, looking at the white ceiling. A breath in, an exhale. As Travis felt his upper chest fill up with air, a strange sensation spread throughout his body. Some kind of warmth radiated, making him feel like he just had a long rest.

...

But where was he?

As he took another breath in, he could feel that his body was strangely comfortable in the position of lying down. The mattress under him was thick and soft. Something covered him from his toes to near his neck, a coverlet presumably. Its scent faintly reminded him of flowers.

Travis moved his head a little and he tried to move his body to a sitting position. However... he felt his left hand squeezing something gently.

"?"

A flood of memories came rushing in unexpectedly. The tiniest of groans left his mouth as Travis closed his eyes momentarily. The weird quests he received. Chris's accusation. Preparation for the fight. The faint fire of anger, which was reborn as a raging flame of determination during the conflict. How Travis's plan came to fruition. And... a memory of his HP dwindling just before he lost consciousness.

'That was close. Too close. They made it in the nick of time. I can't believe Clint was right.' he thought. A shiver went through his body.

Slowly, he **** his muscles to move, his body gradually rising to a sitting position. Then, he looked around himself.

He knew this room. Looking at the table and the arch that led to the kitchen, Travis was completely sure that he had already been in there. However... it appeared... weirdly cleaner than he remembered.

Suddenly, he felt some movement to his left. Flinching a little, the man's gaze ventured in the direction and quickly met a bob of whiteness mixed with a blue shirt. Taking a second to rub his eyes, he looked at Aria again and saw that she was kneeling by the bed, her head resting on the mattress. The small palm of her hand was placed on his, their fingers intertwined as she held him strongly. On her delicate cheeks, he could see long, faintly red spots of skin. However, it appeared that she wasn't hurt. He breathed a relieved sigh at the sight. She was safe. He gently caressed her hand for a moment. The movement immediately prompted the young woman to turn her head a little in her sleep. Her soft breathing was all that could be heard from her mouth.

Suddenly, a notification sprung in front of his nose.

[All conditions fulfilled. Skill 'Undying Will' has been awarded.]

'...a new skill?' was the thought that appeared in his head, bouncing around faintly before a second notification appeared.

[Quest 'To battle with authorities (3)' is finished.]

'...I just want to strangle Redion for implementing that quest...'

[Rulebreaker laughs at your reaction.]

"Bah, easy for you to laugh," he uttered before groaning lightly. "You weren't **** to do that! I really almost died..."

"Mmm..." Travis felt Aria's hand tighten around his, her body stirring. The woman's eyes fluttered open.

With a hint of confusion, she raised herself slightly, emitting a faint groan. Stretching her back, Aria straightened her posture, causing the oversized deep blue shirt to slip a bit down her shoulders. A short yawn escaped her lips, followed by a head shake and eye-rubbing - a valiant effort to shake off sleep's grasp.

Then, her gaze locked with Travis's.

Her lips quivered briefly. Simultaneously, her eyes gained a touch of luminosity as she lightly stroked her cheeks. Gradually, she plodded closer, perching herself at the edge of the bed.

A palpable silence settled between them. The man remained taut as the white-haired woman shuffled nearer. Their faces were just a bit away from one another. Aria's hand trembled as it reached for Travis's chin. Their contact emboldened her to speak, "T-Travis?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... alright?"

"I'm okay, Aria."

"Is this... am I dreaming?" her voice wavered.

"It's all real," he replied, a gentle smile gracing his features.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she began to weep. She stifled her sobs, exhaling in soft, controlled bursts. Her hand explored his chin briefly, and in the connection, she closed her eyes for but a second, taking in the gravity of the situation. A whirlwind of emotions surged within her - relief, joy, concern. And one more, an emotion aflame, outshining the rest.

Slowly, her hand retreated...

...

...before swiftly returning with ****.