The night was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence, but the kind that suffocates. The kind that makes even demons hold their breath.
Kuragami stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast infernal landscape of his domain. The sky above was painted in shades of blood and shadow, the air thick with the whispers of the damned. Behind him, the fortress stood tall—his throne of darkness.
But he wasn't alone.
Saphira was there.
She stood just a few steps behind him, her black eyes locked onto his back. The wind played with her midnight hair, making her look almost ethereal. She had become strong, ruthless, unstoppable—but tonight, something about her was different.
She wasn't standing like a warrior awaiting orders.
She was standing like a woman facing something she could not fight.
Herself.
Kuragami finally spoke, his voice low but commanding.
"You've been staring for a while, Saphira."
She didn't flinch. She never did.
"You changed my life."
Kuragami raised an eyebrow, finally turning to face her. His violet eyes glowed under the crimson moonlight.
"Is that a complaint?" he asked, his smirk sharp.
Saphira shook her head.
"No. But I wonder if I was meant to be like this."
Kuragami stepped closer, his gaze unreadable.
"Do you regret it?"
Saphira's fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword, but her expression didn't waver.
"I don't know."
Kuragami was silent for a moment. Then, he raised his hand.
Saphira tensed—not out of fear, but out of something else.
His fingers brushed against her cheek, trailing lightly down her jawline.
"You're my sword, Saphira." His voice was deep, smooth, unwavering. "But a sword does not think. It does not regret."
His touch was cold, yet somehow, it burned.
Saphira's black eyes locked onto his.
"Then what am I to you?" she asked, her voice quieter this time.
Kuragami didn't answer immediately. He simply studied her, as if considering something.
Then—he smiled.
Not a cruel smile.
Not a victorious one.
Something different.
"You're mine."
Saphira's breath hitched.
He didn't need to elaborate.
She understood.
The air between them felt thick, heavy, intoxicating.
Kuragami wasn't just her master.
He was the one who had torn her from her past. The one who had broken her and rebuilt her.
And now…
She wasn't sure if she wanted to hate him or if she wanted to fall deeper.
The most terrifying part?
She had already fallen.
Kuragami finally pulled away, his touch leaving a ghostly sensation on her skin.
"Come," he said, turning. "We have things to conquer."
Saphira exhaled, gripping her sword tighter.
She followed.
But something inside her had changed.
And Kuragami?
He knew it.
—⛧—
To Be Continued…