Jury Support

The silence between Elysian and Seraphina was almost suffocating. The casino environment no longer mattered, the brightness of the lights and the buzz of the bets were mere background noise to the tension that hung between them. Seraphina clenched her fists, her jaw locked in an expression of contained frustration. Elysian, on the other hand, maintained her indifferent posture, as if none of this was worthy of emotion.

"You really did it, Elysian?" Seraphina's voice finally broke the silence, filled with disbelief. "You put a wire in me without telling me?"

Elysian tilted her head slightly to the side, analyzing her expression.

"It was an efficient method. I needed to make sure the situation didn't get out of hand," she replied, without any hesitation.

"And you think I'm not capable of handling this on my own?" Seraphina crossed her arms, her voice sharp as a blade. "You really don't trust me?"

Elysian sighed, adjusting his glasses on his face. His cool gaze met hers, but there was something different there, something he himself could not identify. "It is not about trust, but caution. The Order of Erebus is an unknown factor, and any mistake could cost us dearly. I simply made the most logical decision," he explained, his voice remaining firm and unchanging.

Seraphina pressed her lips together, fighting back her rising irritation. "Logic, always logic…" she murmured. "You really can't see anything beyond a game, can you? To you, I'm just another piece."

The comment made Elysian raise an eyebrow, a slight gleam of curiosity in his eyes. "That's not true," he replied calmly. "You are one of the Heralds. Your worth is unquestionable."

"Then why the hell did you treat me like I was a liability? Like I couldn't handle the situation on my own?" Seraphina took a step forward, her frustration evident. "You're the one who recruited me for this, and yet you act like I'm fragile."

Elysian was silent for a moment before answering, her voice lower but as firm as before. "It's not about fragility, Seraphina. It's about control. And I can't allow variables to get out of my control."

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Of course. Always control." She shook her head in disbelief. "You know, as much as I knew you were like this, I guess I'm still surprised by your coldness."

The conversation ended there. Seraphina turned abruptly and walked out of the casino, leaving Elysian alone in the golden glow of the artificial lights. He stood still, watching her walk away. He felt no regret or guilt, for those emotions were foreign to him. But something about them bothered him.

As she walked through the city streets, Seraphina felt the weight of their conversation. Did she mean anything to Elysian other than a tool? Did he truly see any of them as anything more than strategic pieces? Doubt gnawed at her mind.

When she finally stopped, she was in front of a dimly lit park. She sat down on a bench and took a deep breath, trying to dispel the whirlwind of thoughts. "Why do I still care?" she muttered to herself.

Across the city, Elysian closed her eyes for a brief moment. Her fingers drummed on the table as her mind processed every interaction, analyzing every variable. He knew Seraphina was irritated, but he also knew that, in the end, she would understand. Still, that discomfort persisted.

The game continued, but this time, one of the pieces looked different than he expected.

Seraphina felt a weight on her chest as she walked to the park, the same one where they had started that mission. The cold night wind passed over her skin, but it was not enough to distract her from the whirlwind of emotions she felt. She knew Elysian would be waiting for her. After all, he always knew everything.

When she arrived, she found him sitting on one of the benches, looking at the starry sky with his usual cold and serene expression. But there was something different about him. Seraphina felt it the moment he looked at her. "You came," he said, his voice carrying an almost... gentle tone?

Seraphina hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to him. Silence hung between the two for a few moments, until Elysian, without taking her eyes off the stars, asked. "Do you remember that day?"

Seraphina was surprised by the sudden question. She knew exactly what he was talking about, but she hadn't expected him to bring it up now. Before she could respond, her mind was pulled back into the past, as if being carried by an inescapable current.

14 years ago...

Seraphina, then only seven years old, was kneeling amidst the rubble of what had once been her home. Her small body trembled, covered in dust and blood. The smell of ash, iron and death permeated the air. Her swollen, reddened eyes were fixed on the unrecognizable corpses of her family. She cried, sobbing softly, lost in pain and despair.

It was then that a childish but calm voice broke the silence. "What happened here?"

Seraphina looked up and saw a boy with snow-white hair and deeply empty crimson red eyes. He didn't seem scared, or even surprised by what he saw. He just looked at her with a strangely calm curiosity. "They... they killed my family... and destroyed everything we had." Her voice was a broken whisper as her tears wouldn't stop.

The boy walked towards her, without hesitation, and knelt in front of her. Slowly, he raised his small hand and ran it over her eyes, drying her tears with unusual delicacy. Then, he used his hands to wipe the blood and dirt from her entire body, not caring about the filth that stained her skin. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to understand the boy's action.

It was then that the boy looked at her with an empty look, but full of affection and security. "Since you've lost everything, why don't you join me?" He said as he continued to clean the girl's body. "In return, I give you my word that I will be your support, and that I will never let you fall into that terrible feeling of loneliness again." Seraphina's eyes widened. She looked at that boy, trying to understand why someone would say something like that to her. But deep down, something in her heart told her that he was serious. That he would really keep that promise. She didn't answer right away. She just extended her small, trembling hand, and he held it tightly, as if saying he would never let go. Back to the present Elysian looked at Seraphina with an expression that no one had ever seen before. He remembered every detail of that day. Every tear, every word, every touch. And even after 14 years, that promise had never been broken. "I've never forgotten that day." He said, his voice low but firm. "And I will never forget."

Seraphina felt a lump form in her throat. She realized in that moment that as cold and logical as Elysian was, he truly cared for her. In a way that perhaps even he himself did not fully understand.

Then, for the first time in many years, Elysian smiled. Not a sneer or a smile. But a real, sincere smile, directed solely at her as he held her hand.

Seraphina felt her heart race. And in that moment, she knew that no matter what happened, she would always follow him. Because on that day, 14 years ago, he had become her only light in the darkness.