41 Stay or leave

A few weeks had passed since their last encounter, and Xylon had been busy with his work of reincarnating powerful souls. He stood before the abyss of demon souls daily, a look of intense focus in his eyes as he studied the swirling mass of energy before him.

Whenever he felt the weight of the world bearing down on him, he would retreat to the abyss of demon souls, his eyes fixed on the swirling vortex of malevolence that threatened to consume him.

It was a reminder of the ultimate goal he had set for himself - to harness the power of the souls he collected .

It was then that Eva appeared, hobbling slowly towards him with a visible limp and a pained expression on her face. Xylon glanced at her, but his cold demeanor remained unchanged.

Eva, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with Xylon's relentless pace. Her body was weak and frail, still recovering from the injuries inflicted upon her by the scavengers. She walked slowly, each step a testament to the pain she endured.

Xylon noticed her arrival, but said nothing. He simply continued to gaze into the abyss, his eyes glinting with a fierce determination.

Eva tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. She knew that Xylon was still angry with her, but she hoped that he would eventually forgive her.

For a moment, the two of them stood there in silence, the only sound the whispering of the wind. Then, Xylon turned to face her, his expression inscrutable. Eva braced herself for his anger, but to her surprise, he spoke .

"How are your injuries?" Xylon finally spoke, breaking the silence between them.

"I don't think you care about my injuries, Xylon. If you did, you would have visited me more, instead of sending your assistant to help me," Eva replied, her voice laced with a mix of frustration and hurt.

Xylon remained silent for a moment before turning to face Eva. "What do you see?" he asked, pointing towards the abyss.

Eva's gaze followed his finger, but all she could see was the vast and barren desert landscape. "What do you mean, Xylon?" she asked, unsure of what he was trying to imply.

" I see a desert, Xylon " she replied

Xylon let out a heavy sigh and turned his gaze towards Eva. "You are wrong, Eva. That place is not just a desert, it's a gateway to my ultimate goal. It holds the power to transform me into the strongest being in this world."

His words were cold and emotionless, making it clear that he had no intention of easing up on her.

Eva looked at him with a mix of fear and confusion. She had never seen Xylon like this before. His obsession with power had consumed him, and he seemed to have lost all sense of compassion and empathy.

She couldn't help but wonder if there was any way to bring him back to his old self.

"Xylon, please," she pleaded, her voice trembling with emotion. "You don't have to be the most powerful human being. You just have to live the rest of your life happily and with a lot of pride."

But Xylon's response was not what she had hoped for. He just smirked sarcastically and muttered, "Happy."

Eva felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she realized that Xylon was still consumed by his desire for revenge. He was not willing to let go of his pain and move on with his life.

"I have to be the strongest," he continued. "I have to kill all of the ones responsible for my ruin."

Despite the intense pain coursing through her legs, Eva tried to maintain her composure in front of Xylon. But her body betrayed her, and she stumbled, falling to the ground.

She winced in agony, but quickly tried to get back up, not wanting to show any weakness in front of her little brother.

Xylon, however, didn't even spare her a glance. His focus remained fixed on the abyss, his mind consumed by thoughts of revenge and power. Eva couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sadness and frustration at his cold demeanor.

As she struggled to stand, tears of both physical and emotional pain streamed down her face. She knew that she needed to talk to Xylon, to make him see reason and stop him from pursuing this dangerous and self-destructive path. But how could she reach him when he seemed so consumed by his thirst for power?

" You have to decide, Eva, it either you stay with me or leave this place,"

Xylon's voice was cold and distant as he spoke, causing Eva to feel a sense of unease. He had called her by name, something that felt foreign and unfamiliar coming from him. She tried to compose herself and maintain her composure as she responded, "What do you mean, Xylon? Stay with you or leave?"

Xylon turned to face her, his gaze piercing and intense. "I mean exactly what I said. You must choose whether to stay by my side , or leave this place and never return. I cannot have someone who cannot be trusted with me."

Eva was taken aback by his words. She had been trying to make amends for her mistakes and gain his trust, but now she felt as though it was all for naught. She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up, "I...I want to stay with you, Xylon".

" But …" he said .

" But I am scared of you , I am scared of everything that you are doing here, I don't know what kind of mess you are into but it seems like it is scaring people of Havag "

Eva's voice trembled with fear and uncertainty as she spoke. Xylon's cold demeanor had always intimidated her, but now she couldn't ignore the danger she sensed lurking beneath his actions.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that his obsession with power and revenge was leading him down a dark path.

Xylon didn't react immediately. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the horizon. For a moment, Eva thought he hadn't even heard her. Then, he finally spoke, his voice low and controlled.

"You have every right to be scared, Eva. This is not a game. This is not a safe haven. This is a place of power, and with power comes danger. But I can assure you that I know what I'm doing, and I won't let anything happen to you."

Eva wanted to believe him, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that was creeping up on her. She knew that she had to tread carefully, that she couldn't afford to trust blindly.

"I want to believe you, Xylon," she said softly. "But I need you to show me that I can trust you. I need you to be honest with me."

Xylon turned to look at her, his eyes cold and calculating. "Trust is earned, Eva. And you have a long way to go before you earn mine.

" With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Eva alone with her thoughts and fears.