Am I that bad?

The wind howled through the snow-covered landscape, swirling icy flakes in a mesmerizing dance. 

Daniel donning a cloak, the deep blue of midnight that swept behind him with a regal flourish leaned against a cherry blossom tree, his blue eyes reflecting the ethereal dance between the snowflakes and the cherry blossom flowers.

With his armor and sword sitting on the snow-filled ground behind him, he threw his guardedness built over time as a mighty General in the wind as he waited for the very person who had captivated his every being.

A crunch in the ground alerted the senses of the ever-vigilant General Daniel as he quickly raised his eyes to look before him with a squint. His frown was, however, quickly replaced with a charming smile when he saw the figure of the person he'd been waiting for.

"Emma, you came." His voice resonated from his chest, his nose red from waiting for hours just to say those words.

Emma, draped in an ebony cloak adorned with silver threads, emerged from the swirling flakes. The obsidian armor she wore glistened in the soft light, and her braided blond hair cascaded down her shoulders.

Her eyes were ablaze with a fierce determination that matched the cold steel of the sword clenched in her hand at her side, its blade shimmering with an icy glint.

Under Daniel's eager gaze, Emma closed the distance between them with deliberate steps, her breath visible in the icy air till she halted.

Standing stoically a few steps away from him, Emma raised the sword in her hand and pointed it at his chest, just right above his heart. That was the view Daniel saw that made the small smile on his face falter.

His gaze never wavered, his expression calm as the untouched snow, "My love, you came to kill me," he observed, his voice a gentle breeze cutting through the stillness.

"You have the blood of my master, the only person who took me in and showed me kindness, on your hands and today is the day you pay for that sin, General." Emma accused, eyes ablaze with a mixture of grief and fury. 

However, to her surprise, Daniel smiled, his eyes softening as he looked past the wielded sword and deep into her eyes, "I knew the day would come when you'd confront me."

Daniel watched Emma's eyes widen a tad bit as he continued, "Since the moment you joined my inner ranks, I knew."

When he saw Emma amongst the new intakes of soldiers, he was surprised at first that a woman wanted to join the ranks of the rumored blood-sucking General without an ounce of fear.

However, day by day, during training, she showed that she was quite skilled, fierce, and knowledgeable. Coupled with her radiant beauty and quick mind, she seamlessly blended into the ranks of his army.

In no time, Daniel became captivated by Emma's skills and embraced her into his inner circle ultimately making her become his second in command because he wanted to keep her close to him for his selfish reasons.

One evening, when they were coming back from battle, he caught sight of a silver clover-shaped pendant which was the symbolic emblem for the Clover Leaf Sect he and his army wiped out under the command of the king.

After a series of secret investigations, he found out that Emma was the mysterious adopted daughter of the master of Clover Leaf Sect and understood her joining his ranks wasn't a coincidence. 

He also perceived that she probably had a personal vendetta to enact vengeance against him but by then it was too late, he was already head over heels in love with her.

And he made his emotions bare for her to see hoping she'd love him back in return but it seemed the hatred she carried in her heart was too great.

"I've willingly left myself unguarded not because your cover was so perfect but because I love you that much, Emma. Since the first day I set my eyes on you." Daniel confessed, his finger pointing to the armor and sword already covered by a thin layer of snow.

A shiver passed through Emma, not from the cold, but from the revelation that hung in the air.

Emma's breath caught, her resolve faltering as the sword hovered inches above his heart. The world seemed to stand still, the only sound the soft crunch of snow beneath their boots.

Starstruck, her grip on the sword wavered as Daniel gently placed the blade properly on his chest, "Go ahead, kill me. My life is yours either way, my love." Daniel whispered, his voice a caress on the cold air. 

Tears welled in Emma's eyes, her heart waging war against itself. 

With a forceful release, she dropped the sword into the snow, covering her face as sobs shook her frame. 

Daniel, undeterred by the threat that had just hung over him, approached her, wrapping her in a comforting embrace.

"I never wanted to take away your pain, Emma. I wanted you to choose your path, even if it meant my end." He confessed softly.

Emma raised her tear-filled eyes to meet his gaze and with a gentle touch, Daniel wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead before pressing his lips to hers.

"I love you, Emma." He whispered on their sealed lips.

"I love you too bro!" A chirpy voice rang in Daniel's ears causing him to frown. 

That wasn't the voice of his beloved woman as hers was like orioles singing while this one sounded gruff and annoying so he forced his eyes open in confusion.

With great disappointment, he realized that the snow-covered scenery and the cherry blossom tree had disappeared, leaving only a dreary grey and white view. But what was more depressing was that his beloved woman was nowhere to be seen, and instead, he was faced with the enlarged face of a man.

"AHHH!" Daniel screamed as he rolled to the edge of his bed, his hand quickly reaching for a ruler on his bedside table and pointing it at the intruder.

The intruder, Jake jumped back from the bed at Daniel's exaggerated actions and covered his chest with both hands, "Bro. I've never seen you react like this before. Do you dislike me professing my love for you that much?!"

Daniel blinked once, then twice. 

"Jake?" he questioned.

"Yes! Yes! It's me, Jake. Your childhood friend and only bro who you hate his guts and undying love!" Jake yelled back before sitting on the sofa whimpering like a hurt puppy.

Despite his friend's theatrics, Daniel was lost in his inner world, "So it was all a dream? But it felt so real." He thought out loud but it was drowned out by Jake's loud complaints.

"Just so you know, my heart is broken! I came here to wake you up for your flight but then you said I love you and I responded as a homie should but THIS is all I get? A horrified scream? Am I that bad?!" 

Jake complained one after the other and they finally brought Daniel back to his senses. 

'Today is the day we meet Ash Kumar.' 

Glancing at the clock on his wall, he realized he had barely an hour to catch his flight to Diadyn.

Heaving a sigh, he casually threw the silver ruler on his bed and briskly walked past his over-enthusiastic friend and into the bathroom.

Once he was in, he pulled off his clothes and immediately went into the shower. 

However, as the cold water ran down his body, vivid scenes from the dream he had earlier came rushing to the forefront of his mind.

Envisioning Emma's frame in his arms just as it happened in his dream, Daniel gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he punched the wall in frustration,

"Emma, why won't you just leave me alone?"

A few minutes later, Lucas came into the bedroom with a cup of steaming hot coffee and saw Jake checking himself in front of the mirror whilst muttering to himself, "I wonder if my handsomeness has faded. That should be why Daniel finds me so undesirable."

Lucas shook his head in dismay, bypassing Jake to drop the cup of coffee on Daniel's bedside table.

There was no day Jake didn't surprise him with his shenanigans. It was like he came up with something new every day just to frighten him.

*******

Emma had just sat in the lounge of the Kumar's and watched the beautiful colors that decorated the walls of the building in awe.

Just as she was wondering if there was any celebration she didn't know of, her eye caught sight of the banner that read, 'Welcome Home, Ash!' hung right above the doorway and soon understood.

"It seems Quiana's brother is finally home!" She whispered to herself.

Emma had planned to share the good news of her lucky break with Quiana but was dragged here instead, she wondered why her friend was so ecstatic but it all made sense now.

"Empress! Did I keep you waiting for long? I'm sorry~~!" Quiana's voice rang in the grandiose hall of the Kumars as she skipped down the stairs.

Soon she was standing right in front of Emma, slightly breathless.

Shaking her head, Emma stood up and gave Quiana a tight hug, "No, I just got here and what did I tell you about running on the stairs?"

Quiana, slightly breathless but radiant, responded with a playful grin, "Rules are meant to be broken! Besides, I wanted to see you quickly so even if I have to fly over mountains and seas with my skirt, I will!" 

Her response made both herself and Emma burst into a fit of laughter.

As the laughter lingered in the air, another voice joined the symphony of joy. Ash, Quiana's brother, descended the stairs with a leisurely grace. 

"Seems I'm not the only one who's complained about your sloppy behavior, Quiana..." Ash's voice began, trailing off as he completed his descent.

His words hung in the air, a pause enveloping the room as his gaze met Emma's. Unblinkingly, he stared, his heart undergoing a rhythmic dance between a skipped beat and an accelerated pace.