"Thank you for what you did during the society wars."

Miranda finally stated her main reason for inviting Pan here.

'Right. Way ahead of myself. She just wanted to thank me, and here I was thinking this was some sort of date.'

Pan couldn't help but groan inwardly, pessimistically.

Masking his disappointment with a kind smile, he replied, although sincere, "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Had any other leader from the society been there at the time, they would have done the same thing. I'm no savior. I simply had my comrade's back, Miranda." Pan made his point clear.

'Yes, I like you, but I didn't save you because of love. I saved you because it's what comrades do for one another.' He mused inwardly. 'I could have leveraged on that act to win your affection, by spouting some nonsense that I deflected that deadly arrow aimed at your head with my right shoulder because of how madly I'm in love with you — but that would be insincere.'

As Pan mused to himself in this brief moment, Miranda's eyes revealed a trace of surprise.

"You are different, Pan," Miranda said.

Pan chuckled lightly, hands rubbing the smooth glass full of wine. He was, however, jubilating inwardly.

'Interesting. Seems hope is not lost. She's coming unto me strong!'

He downed the contents, then asked with sincere curiosity — Miranda's contemplative gaze reflective in his pupils.

"And that means?"

"I know you have feelings for me, Pan."

"Yeah, I—wait, what?"

Miranda chuckled, clearly amused at Pan's shock.

"Your occasional glances, I faintly saw them. However, you never came forward."

Pan rolled his eyes at her words. "Right, would that have made any difference? You had feelings for Kailen — as if you'd have had eyes for anyone else."

"Kailen is special, no doubt, Pan." Miranda paused mid-sentence, cut a slice of cake into her mouth, chewed lightly, downed it, and added, "True. I did, but I moved on, and that allowed me to see things from a different perspective."

Her gaze was distant as she remembered what she had read about Arrie Hall.

"There is more to relationships. They cannot be treated as shallow endeavors. They require sacrifice and loyalty. And that is my number one spec for being with any man now."

Pan knew she had not landed yet. He listened calmly, back reclining in the chair in a relaxed manner.

Miranda continued, "And no matter how I look at it, you are that kind of person — loyal, and sacrificial. Even before the society wars, you were a good friend to me. Even during the time when I was extremely down about my father's predicament — strangely, you listened. You were there for me when I opened up to you. Apart from that, there have been several other occasions I can recall. The list goes on and on.

I have come to like you too, and we can be more than just friends. We can start somewhere. But I want to commit, and I need to know if you are willing to do the same.

After all, my father always used to say that love is a decision, not just a plethora of euphoric emotions — and I agree with him."

Pan was dumbstruck.

Miranda's sudden proposal of a relationship was something Pan had never expected.

Was he some sort of rebound?

Had she moved on like she said she had?

Forget it — life is full of risks.

If there was one thing he knew he'd regret, it would be letting insecurity cloud his mind, and him hesitating to take the next step with Miranda.

He replied calmly, voice soft and gentle, "I like you too, sincerely. However, halfway, if I realize you are treating me like a rebound for Kailen…"

Seeing the jovial expression on his face with an undertone of seriousness in his voice, Miranda didn't get offended, chuckling lightly.

"Don't worry, that's fair. And it won't come to that."

Pan felt extremely good that the woman he loved had finally appreciated his sincere efforts to show her that he loved her.

"Then here's to finally managing to win the heart of the woman of my dreams."

"Oh, ain't you a smooth talker. I'm turning crimson already."

****

The light of morning seeped across the expanse, bathing all beneath it.

Two individuals stood side by side, on the top of a balcony.

Beneath them was sprawled an endless expanse of forests and mountains.

"Seriously, your villa makes me jealous."

Kailen couldn't help but appreciate Esimo's building — especially the picturesque view of the forest and mountains from where they stood.

Esimo shook his head at Kailen's words.

"Anyway, thanks man."

Kailen asked, "For?"

"You know, for keeping her body and handing it over to me. My parents were hoping they could at least bury her and give her a proper goodbye — which was possible thanks to you."

"I killed her, bro," Kailen joked. "Don't you think you are being too insensitive to her, thanking me for keeping her corpse?"

Darkhaven threw his head sideways and added, "Seriously," spittle flying all over the place.

"Shouldn't you be strangling me right now? Or making a vow to the heavens to not rest until not even my ashes remain?"

Esimo stared at him weirdly, eyes squinting slightly, then—

"Pffftttt."

Esimo laughed so much that his eyes almost became moist.

Kailen observed him, chuckling lightly.

Esimo finally stopped laughing. "Wow, you are really good with dark humor."

Kailen merely shrugged. "I dabble."

Esimo shook his head at that comment, then spoke, tone serious — almost melancholic.

"You really meant it, that she wanted to apologize?"

Kailen replied, "Yeah, she did. And I thought you should know."

Esimo sighed deeply. Though melancholic slightly, coldness followed.

"There are some bridges when burnt — apologies wouldn't matter. If it took her dying to come to her senses, then death was what she deserved."

Kailen nodded — this was his line of thought too.

Esimo was not naive.

"Anyway, how are your parents holding up?"

"They are sad — very sad — that their daughter brought ruin on herself and died miserably. But they are also happy that I'm alive."

"I see."

"So you really killed them huh? The Darkhavens, the Harkers, the Arcane Empowerment Sect — you ended all of them, in one fell swoop?"

Kailen shrugged. "What do you think?"

That was all the confirmation Esimo needed.

He breathed inwardly, the weight of Kailen's ruthlessness and power settling in.

"What sort of enigma and anomaly are you?"

The words couldn't help but slip out of his mouth.

"The chosen one? Mighty hero? Possessor of the Armament of the Heavens?"Kailen replied, cheeky and sarcastic,

"Bullshit."

"Ouch."

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