Adam's anchor

Adam found old photos of him and his parents. Emily gently touched his hand. "It's okay to cry. I'm here with you."

Tears welled up in Adam's eyes, memories flooding back from a time he'd suppressed his grief after his parents' passing. He hadn't been "allowed" to cry; he had to be strong to survive. He remembered clutching that very photo during their funeral, keeping it under his pillow even when he was forced to live with his mother's sister, where he felt unwelcome.

That photo had been his anchor. When he was kicked out at 18 after signing papers from his aunt, he was left stranded, still clinging to the picture. His part-time savings helped him find this apartment, and Mdm Mayumi had been the one to help him settle in.

"Adam, look at me," Emily said, wiping his tears, understanding everything he had endured.

Adam looked at Emily, tears still flowing.

"You did your best, my love. It won't happen again," Emily whispered, leaning in to kiss him. Adam returned the kiss, and as their lips met, his painful memories slowly began to fade. When she pulled back, Emily hugged him tightly, their heartbeats a loud rhythm against each other.

"I love you so much, Emily. I don't think I can live without you," Adam confessed, feeling a newfound dependence on Emily.

"I will never leave you again," Emily said sincerely. Those words broke Adam's heart, knowing Emily still blamed herself for his past loneliness, even though she had always done her best to keep him sane and safe. Adam cried, hugging Emily tightly. Emily's own tears flowed, feeling Adam's profound emotion.

After a while, Emily touched Adam's cheeks and wiped away his tears. "We need to be strong for each other. I want to be your pillar of support. If something ever happens to me, please take Lyra to be your wife. I can't bear to see you go through this again," Emily said, thoughtful of Adam's weakness of being alone.

Adam felt Emily's selfless love, finally understanding why she had made her earlier decision about Lyra. It was all to ensure he wouldn't suffer alone again. Emily wasn't just loving him; her love was unconditional, wanting only to protect him from hurt.

"You don't need to go that far to let me marry Lyra," Adam said, touching Emily's face. "I understand your concern for me, however, marrying you and being just with you alone is enough for me." Adam spoke honestly.

Emily hugged Adam, knowing he was truly too kind for this world, having lived through centuries of understanding human nature and men.

"We should pack up your belongings and return home," Emily stated.

"There's some residual mana in this house. I can use my duplicates to make it faster," Adam said proudly, and Emily smiled.

As Adam absorbed the residual mana from his old apartment, he felt something was off. The mana entering his body felt like a creeping poison, a sensation similar to mana poisoning he'd experienced in the Unknown Lands. However, this was different; it was trying to take over his body.

"Emily, the mana. It's trying to take over me. Argh!" Adam cried, dropping to the ground.

"Adam, what's happening to you? What can I do?" Emily asked, filled with worry for his safety.

Adam's veins began to turn black, slowly creeping throughout his body. He continued to writhe in pain. Emily tried to use her flames to remove the impurities or poison from Adam, but it failed. Emily carried Adam out of the apartment door just as she was about to transform.

Beside them stood the mysterious girl, her face turning pale as she saw Adam in that state, concern etched on her features. Emily was now stuck, unable to change her form in front of the girl and unable to carry Adam to be treated in the Spiritual dimension.