19 Off-guard

Eva's heart ached as she watched Xylon's despondent expression. Despite her own sadness, she couldn't help but feel guilty for not noticing that he was also not feeling well.

But she took a deep breath and reached out to take his hand once more, hoping to offer some comfort.

"I want to talk to you more," she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "However, this place is not suitable. Can we go to my small house? We won't be interrupted there."

Xylon looked away, pulling his hand back from hers with a hint of irritation. "There is nothing to talk about," he replied curtly. "What's done is done.

Talking won't fix it, and it will not affect you. There is no point in you feeling low about me. Just ignore it and continue living as you used to be."

Eva felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't want to give up just yet. "We are family," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I understand that you were disappointed to have someone like me as a member of the family, but I just can't let you go without a proper goodbye. We may not see each other for a long time."

Her heart was heavy with the realization that this might be the last time she would see him, but she held back the words that threatened to spill out.

Instead, she simply looked into Xylon's eyes, hoping that he would understand the depth of her feelings.

Xylon couldn't help but feel a deep sense of shame as he stood before Eva, unable to admit to her where he had been staying. He knew that she deserved the truth, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Eva's persistence, however, proved to be stronger than his silence.

"Where are you staying?" she asked, her voice gentle and full of concern.

Xylon felt a knot form in his throat. He knew he couldn't hide the truth from her forever, but the thought of revealing his dire situation to her made him feel upset

Wordlessly, she started walking, taking hold of his hand and leading him away from the dingy alley they had been standing in. 

For a while, they walked in silence, the only sound coming from their footsteps on the pavement. Xylon wondered where Eva could be taking him, but he didn't  ask. He felt like he didn't want to know.

As they turned a corner, he saw a small, rundown house standing in front of them. It was Eva's home, he realized with surprise.

"This is where I live," she said, stopping in front of the door. "It's not much, but it's a safe place to rest."

Xylon looked around, taking in the small yard and the peeling paint on the walls. It was nothing like the grand houses he had seen in his youth, but there was something about it that felt warm and inviting.

As Eva and Xylon walked towards her small house, she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness wash over her. She had always looked up to Xylon as an older brother, but he had never treated her as such. And now, standing in front of her, he seemed colder than ever before.

"You can say what you want right now," Xylon said, breaking the silence.

Eva took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. She knew what she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out as smoothly as she hoped. "Xylon, can you please treat me like a sister, just for once? I never hurt you, I always stood by your side. I...I just didn't know how to do that anymore, and that's why I stayed away from you."

"Why? It's not like you're going to be rewarded for that," Xylon replied sarcastically, his tone cutting like a knife.

Eva felt a lump form in her throat, but she refused to let her tears fall. She knew that Xylon was hurting too, but he never allowed anyone to see that side of him. As they entered her house, she could sense that Xylon was on guard, ready to leave at any moment.

She took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to continue the conversation. "Xylon, please, just give me a chance. I know I haven't been the best sister, but I want to make it up to you. Let me show you that I care."

Xylon cast a strange look towards her, his expression inscrutable, before slowly leaning towards the wall with his arms crossed tightly in front of him. He took a deep breath, then spoke with a cold detachment in his voice, "Family means nothing to me. Absolutely nothing. It's best if you focus on your own life and let me focus on mine. From this day forward, let's make sure that we never see each other again. That would be for the best."

It was clear that Xylon had been through a lot in his past life. He was one of twenty brothers, and they had all made his existence a living hell.

He had been taught from a young age to fight for his place in the demon hierarchy, to claw his way to the top and never let anyone get in his way.

In the demon world, such dynamics in brotherly relationships were not unusual. It was, in fact, the norm.

Despite his harsh words, there was a deep pain in Xylon's eyes. It was clear that his past experiences had left a mark on him, and he was struggling to come to terms with the idea of family.

Perhaps, in his heart of hearts, he longed for a sense of connection and belonging, but the demons' way of life had taught him to suppress those feelings and focus solely on his own survival.

As Xylon's mind wandered to memories of his turbulent past with his brothers, he turned abruptly to leave, the weight of his emotions bearing down heavily upon him. However, before he could make his escape, he felt a sudden warmth envelop him from behind as Eva rushed towards him and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, holding him in a reassuring embrace.

For a moment, Xylon was caught off guard, unsure of how to react to Eva's sudden display of affection.

However, as he felt her body pressed against his back and her soft breaths on his neck, he slowly began to relax, allowing himself to be held in her comforting embrace. It was his first hug ever .

As she clung to him, Eva spoke softly, her words like a balm to his troubled soul, "I will always be here for you."