The Black Spiders were a thirty-man syndicate. They have managed to gain some strength in the Capital by using ambush tactics. They would look for large properties with owners looking to sell them. They would act like customers, and when they managed to get inside and scout the place, they would kill the owner and take the property for themselves.

The guards would try to catch them, but they always stay one step ahead, and when the soldiers come, breaking the doors open, they only find emptiness.

Like spiders, they would even use these places to rob other customers who were trying to buy them. They fill their pockets like a spider fills its stomach before leaving and repeating the same in another place.

They were on their way to success, until today, that is...

The blood and organs were splattered all over the warehouse. Limbs were cut, faces broken, and claws pierced entrails like a knife through a piece of meat. Only three people were responsible for this massacre. Even with the numerical advantage of 10 to 1, they were being slaughtered.

Eric was breaking arms and faces with efficiency. Adel cut off a head, then an arm, then a leg. His dance with the blade was beautiful.

"THAT´S ENOUGH BASTARDS!!!!" A man with big muscles screamed from the back. He was the Black Spiders' strongest member. He possessed a dangerous ability that had turned the tide of numerous battles.

"I'll show you [Spide-"

Before he could finish, his head went flying, cut by claws. The rest of the members were left in shock.

"Sorry, I know the best way to deal with special abilities is to not let them use them in the first place." Thanatos said while cleaning the blood from his hands.

A dozen screams filled the warehouse.

After seeing their strongest member die so easily, the rest lost all intention of fighting. They tried to run away like rats in a sinking ship, but the three men didn't leave them any chance to escape. Eventually, the screams stopped and only one person was left.

"PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME LIVE I BEG YOU" He kneeled on the floor with his forehead touching the ground. Thanatos grabbed his arms and stepped on his back.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH" He was pulling his arms behind his back, almost tearing them apart while at the same time almost breaking his back.

"Then did you have mercy on any of the people that you robbed in this way? Did you have mercy on any that tried to fight you?"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH"

Thanatos was only exacerbating his pain because his feelings for Lia were still pushing at his heart, attempting to escape. Anger, sadness, jealousy, happiness, all mixed together in a blend, desperately trying to come out. Thanatos had been repressing his feelings too much, and now they were finally starting to leak in a violent and painful way.

He twisted and broke the arms. He shattered the spine with the force of his foot.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

CRUNCH

The arms were pulled apart and the body spilt into two halves. The poor bastard died instantly from shock. Thanatos stood there, breathing heavily.

"AH…. AH…. AH…." Eric and Adel stood there, waiting for their Master to respond in any way. Suddenly, the words came out.

"I don’t want anything to happen to Lia, but if she keeps being around me, then maybe a time will come when I can't protect her. I don’t want her to die because of me. I almost let you guys die because I went to see her at the party."

"What an idiot. Just a friend?........ I like her, I like her…." They had known each other for just a couple of months, but Thanatos' heart had fallen for Lia. He finally admitted it to himself.

"It's fine, Boss." Eric's words snapped Thanatos back to reality. "If you like her, then it is not surprising that you would choose her over us"

"But if she were in danger, I would save her instead of you guys. How can I be a boss if I can't protect my people?"

"When we first met, you were attacking the base of a syndicate all alone, with a member of The Hand inside. And you won that fight." Adel responded, "I follow you because of your strength, and you're at your best when you follow what your heart desires. We aren't helpless; we need to become stronger, and you can't take everything on your own. So, follow your heart and we will be right behind you."

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Thanatos looked at them in the eyes, they were being honest.

"I need to think more about this. Let's go clean ourselves since we found a base already. We need to deal with all the bodies too."

The Holy See was in the middle of the Capital. A holy place, there are various religions in this world, but humans tend to adore some particular figures: angels.

Angels were holy beings that protected the good and punished the bad. With enough faith and prayers some people were capable of summoning angels to aid in healing, protection or battle against evil. They were exclusive to humans, but beasts and demi humans could sometimes worship angels, but they tended to prefer other beings like spirits in nature.

This Holy See was one of the largest on the continent, possibly second only to the one in the capital of the Nation of Los in the northeast. However, this place was the site where the battle against the evil necromancer Zek was fought. Here the High Priestess Gina Adler along with the Supreme General of the Kingdom and the Wise Golden Dragon of the Draconic empire, managed to defeat for once and for all the evil necromancer who threatened to destroy everything on his path.

It has been 30 years since that battle took place right here in the Capital of the Selus. There were many halls and chapels inside the great building. Lia was sitting in one of those, waiting for her companion to return.

Silver had to deliver a letter directly to the High Priestess. Normally he wouldn’t be allowed to see her, but since he was carrying the emblem of the Supreme General, he was permitted into the inner chambers of the Holy See. Lia, however, had to wait in the chapel. Being the daughter of a member of the Council had its limits.

She was sitting on a wooden bench. It was very high quality. Surrounding her were statues and portraits of various angels. The beautiful scenery was perfect for finding tranquility, but she was still upset.

The image of Thanatos angry and uncomfortable around her made her uneasy. He was already getting tired of dealing with her. She couldn’t blame him. I can't offer him anything of value, I just make him sad. Why did I even ask him about going back to Raind together? He probably wanted to say no, but I forced myself again.

"Excuse me, miss. Do you need guidance?"

Lia's thoughts were interrupted when she looked up at the person. She saw a beautiful woman with brown hair standing beside her.

"Oh no, it's fine, I'm great."

"When we try to bottle our feelings, they end up breaking inside our hearts" The woman sat down beside Lia. "No matter the sin, the angels will forgive as long as one truly repents, but they will also share their wisdom if asked too"

The woman was given such a warm and comforting feeling that Lia allowed her heart to express her worries.

"There is a person who I like being around. He's kind and attentive, a bit reckless and prone to getting hurt in fights easily, but he's a good person, so good that a lot of people try to become his friend. I'm worried he's going to become tired of me and leave me behind."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I'm not interesting, I don’t have a passion like him for something, I just do the things I like. I can't offer anything of value."

"May I see your hands for a moment, miss?" The woman asked.

"S-Sure" Lia said, giving her hands to the woman. She inspected them with her eyes and traced some lines on her palms.

"You have a beautiful talent for tailoring. You have spent many hours working with needles and sewing. I can see it in your hands, but there is something more important than that." Lia was waiting for the answer.

"Your feelings"

"M-My feelings"

"Yes, I can sense your feelings for this person when you speak about them. You still haven’t asked this person how he feels about you."

"But that would be…"

"You will never know the answer till you do. You need to open your heart to this person before you can have a genuine conversation. Only that way, your heart will be satisfied with the result."

"But what if I'm not ready to ask him yet?" Lia's eyes looked down.

"Just like an artist who works every day on his picture, he knows it won't be perfect, but one day he's going to look at it and feel satisfied with himself. You can build your courage little by little each day till you're ready. So you won't have regrets when you confess your love to him." She gave Lia the most encouraging look possible to lift her spirits.

"Thank you." Lia's eyes were sparkly again. She was finally feeling some peace. "... Wait.... LOVE... I… NO… I DON’T LOVE HIM WE´RE JUST FRIENDS" Her face was a pure red.

"Miss Lia, thank you for waiting." Silver appeared from a door on the other side. "My mission is complete, thanks for your help."

"Oh Silver, my partner is here. Thank you once again, lady?"

"Ame. Priestess Ame"

"Priestess Ame, thank you." With a bow, Lia said goodbye.

It was in the afternoon when Castess took out the carriage, ready to depart from the Capital.

"Okay, we are just missing miss Lia and then we can return to Raind"

"Man, you have it easy just having to wait around sitting in your ass all day." Eric said with envy.

"Sitting in my ass! I had to transport all of the bodies you killed and pay the guards ten times in different locations so they wouldn't talk."

"Oh, right, thanks for that man."

"You're way too relaxed."

In a few minutes, Lia arrived at the hotel.

"I apologize for the delay. I was saying goodbye to my parents." They all greeted her, but she was paying extra attention to Thanatos.

"You don’t have a problem if we ride back together, right?"

"O-Of course not. I don’t have any problem with you." He responded with a bit of embarrassment.

"Good because I… I…" Her face was turning red again.

"Because?..."

"I… I... don’t have another ride back."

"Ye-yeah, that's true haha."

They got inside the carriage and began the journey back to their city.

Feelings were still undecided. Thanatos was still debating if he was going to separate himself from Lia for her own good or keep her close. On the other hand, Lia was going to take her time building confidence until she could confess her feelings. The journey to the Capital finally ended.