The Conditions

Fiona beamed at my words, but then changed into one of wary as my words registered in her brain.

"Daddy, the conditions have to be reasonable," she said, rolling her eyes. I cracked an evil smile that made me shiver. She's expecting something, hmm...?

"When has daddy been unreasonable?" I answered, feeling no shame at my words at all. Fathers must have thick skin to take advantage, ahem, spoil their daughter.

Her face scrunched up into something of mild disgust, probably wondering why her 'childish' daddy became 'shameless.' I blame it on Ellie's corrupt teachings that led her astray. Before, I would hug her in the middle of the streets and she wouldn't even care, but now she's worried about the third-wheel...

"You're always unreasonable, daddy..." she muttered under her breath.

I pretended not to hear her as I stated my conditions. Fiona stared at me with her clear eyes, expecting the worst. I wanted to squeeze her cheeks and say that there would be no conditions and she could do whatever the hell she wanted, but that was pampering her too much.

I haven't gotten my fill yet!

"One. You must tell daddy whatever you're thinking. I don't want to see you run away like this saying nothing, okay? Daddy won't hide anything from you either. We will talk it out calmly like this."

Fiona nodded, and she said with a smile, "Okay!" Oh, I need to resist the urge to hug her right there and then. H-how could one be so cute?

"Two. Daddy wants to hear more about your past, about the continent, cultivation, everything. Take some time to clear things up with me. You've hidden a lot, and I'm confused about a lot. Rushing ahead to Glendora like this without preparations is very dangerous."

Her smile turned sheepish as she took a deep breath. "That's okay too, daddy."

"Last but not least, you are to be in my arms at all times, twenty-four seven. I'll hug you all the way throughout the journey. No squirming, no resistance, just obediently clinging onto me," I said, pursing my lips into a self-satisfied smirk.

Fiona stood there stupefied, her mouth agape.

"D-daddy! Y-you—!" I cut her words short as I stuffed her into my embrace. Mhm, right where she belongs. She nestled her face between my chest, just like how a little kitten would. I found her face reddening as my chest grew hotter.

"Don't be embarrassed, Fiona. I'll take it as you've agreed. Now, let's get out of this eerie forest and go to Glendora!"

...

...

...

...

...

We, no, I was the one who was doing the walking, and chose the right path instead of left down into the forest. The surroundings were the same as before - black, gigantic trees, grey to blackish flowers that decorated the ground and the black grass. The monochrome colors still irked me a bit as with the scenes I saw in my mind earlier, but Fiona was there, safe in my embrace. My head cooled down instantly as I felt her trying to find a comfortable position in my arms.

I kept walking as I lost track of time, as the lack of color never changed. I felt like I was on a filmstrip in the 60s—all black, white and grey. It was messing with my mind a bit. I felt that I was just walking aimlessly in this forest.

Yep. I stopped. Walking aimlessly pretty much sums it up... I looked at the grove of trees in front of us. We got lost in a place that was so fraught with danger that people called it 'forbidden.'

Fiona could not stop herself from laughing as she recounted my eagerness earlier. My face grew hot with shame.

"Daddy's not so confident now, hmm?" She teased.

I slapped her bottom, unwilling to take losses. "Don't tease me. You knew about this already."

Fiona chuckled. Her demeanor changed to someone that was wronged. "Daddy wouldn't let me out of his arms so Fiona couldn't lead the way..." she said, her low voice full of injustice.

I almost let go of her and sat her down with a pat as I looked down at her pleading face. Her hands were drooping in front as her puppy dog eyes almost broke my heart. Maybe... I should let her off, just this one time... no, I shuddered. She's getting too powerful! At this rate, I will play at the palm of her hands...

I consent to that.

"Don't trick me, Fiona. We'll take another path. I don't believe my sense of direction is that bad."

"..."

"Daddy, just accept it," Fiona said after a while. She patted my shoulders, trying to console me, but it felt mocking.

"W-what is this place? My senses have always been great, excellent even! But how come every pathway leads to a deadend?" I cried out in grievance. I lost a lot of face in front of Fiona, now! Her almighty daddy is just a simpleton who does not understand where and what's he doing...

"Oh, and you're still not leaving my arms, Fiona. I can stay like this with you forever," I said, remembering something suddenly. I nuzzled my head against hers. Yes, I would stay in this place forever if she's here with me...

Fiona pushed me away and sighed, her face flushed. "Daddy, you've gone crazy."

"Mhm, yes. I'm crazy for you." I kissed her red cheeks.

It's probably the heart demons that are messing with my senses here and want me to force Fiona into staying trapped with me. Then those nightmares would torment my mind, and I would start attacking her all over again, forcing me to kill her, then myself. What a scary plot. My heart trembled.

If Fiona hadn't experienced this for the second time, I might've killed her, honestly. I underestimated my heart demons and my love for Fiona. They always say that the more you fall in love, the more you'll suffer in grief.

My heart admires Fiona's birth father for having such exceptional willpower. Although the details aren't clear, I was certain that he had broken free of this heart demon. He cared for Fiona, maybe even more so than me. Motivation filled my bones. He's strong. I'm still too weak to protect Fiona. We have fought none of the big bosses, and once with the help of Ellie.

Do I really need to let Fiona go to break free of this heart demon?

Her voice interrupted my thoughts. "Daddy. This is the Forbidden Lands, a place for one to hone their strength and spirits. They bring forth your deepest, darkest heart demons for you to conquer. Fail and you die. Only a handful of individuals have made it out of here alive, but they have gained immeasurable strength."

"I gained most of my cultivation strength and fighting experience from this place," she added, turning to me. "Daddy. I want to respect your conditions, but I want you to respect me and my... love to you. I care about you too... so don't go dying on me! Conquer this heart demon! Conquer... me!"