After chatting and eating together with Lily, he drove her back home on the back of his bike, and after dropping her home, he got back on top of his bike and wanted to go on his way, only to have his hand gently grabbed by Lily, a complicated gaze visible in her eyes while making Darius glance back.
"Wait, Darius… Do you really need to leave so soon?"
"I have things I must finish by tomorrow morning."
"And just like always, you can’t tell me what it is and why you must do it so urgently, am I right?"
"… Do you need me for something?"
Darius asked, and Lily closed up to him, her eyes staring deeply into his.
"I… might have been a bit overwhelmed by all the work lately, so... is it possible for you to keep me some company? At least just for a little longer."
"So, to understand, you’re inviting me for some tea?"
"If I say it like that, will you come in?"
Darius smiled lightly, and after he parked the bike, he went inside the great villa. Just like last time, he couldn’t help feeling rather awkward inside such a mansion of a home, a complicated expression visible on his face.
Seeing him like this, Lily chuckled, then walked him inside the kitchen, preparing some tea for the both of them.
"Please just take it easy. I know the house is uncomfortably large, but at least you’re not alone."
"Are you talking to yourself here?"
"Maybe."
After the electric pot finished boiling the water, she made some tea with dried mint leaves and offered Darius to add some honey.
"You actually have honey. Quite the way to show your monetary power."
Darius chuckled after being offered the jar of honey and a little spoon to add as much as he wanted.
Raw products like fruits, legumes, honey, salt, and so on were normally exploited by the Lords, their subordinates, and other royalties, while the likes of Darius, other residents, or other soldiers would need to survive on canned foods, protein bars, and vitamin candies. Anything else than that was simply too expensive to even think about buying, with nobody having the luxury to do so.
Back when the chaos first appeared, food became a shortage, and famine ruled the globe. At that moment, a few people desperate for power rose above others and started taking over all the main food resources and the main uncorrupted lands used for plantations, food becoming more valuable than bullets as their uncontrollable exploitation turned humanity into salivating dogs that barked for a tiny piece of raw meat or whole tomato.
At his comment, Lily didn’t know how to react, as this wasn’t her intention. Seeing this, Darius quickly made her aware that he had simply joked and she shouldn’t mind it, apologizing and thanking her for the tea.
"Ah, please wait for a moment, Darius. I forgot I’m still in my working clothes. I’ll go to change and come back in a minute. Please wait a moment."
"Huh? Wait, I’m not-… staying for much longer…"
But not even able to finish his sentence, Lily already ran outside the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving Darius midsentence.
Just what is she thinking? I saw her face rather flustered… And that would be the first time I saw that.
He couldn’t help thinking that something weird was going on with her, but just as he was thinking that, he placed his hands in his pockets only to feel an old, ruffled piece of paper. After he took it out to see what it was, his eyes turned sharp after seeing the list of underlings. Once again, he remembered the reason why he shouldn’t waste more time here.
I’m yet to enter into contact with Jack after I found out the news… I’m still not sure how I should deal with them. Should I show myself to my brothers? Should I tell them the truth? Or should I just play my role as their leader until the right time comes to… kill them all again? God… just what should I do?
A deep frown was etched on Darius face, unsure of what to do or how to think of this. The only ones he still felt some fraternity for, the only ones he still wished to make a better world for… now with the dilemma of having to either kill them or join them.
He held his head in both hands tired, and placed the paper back in his pocket. After racking his brain for about 15 whole minutes, he sighed out tired and got up, wanting to leave, when a worried voice resounded behind him.
"Darius? Is everything fine? Why are you suddenly so pained?"
"…Lily, I told you not to look at me with-… your ability? What are you wearing?"
Darius turned towards Lily, who just came in, and his eyes opened wide, almost unable to finish his sentence.
Beside the door, there was Lily in a black night tong with a great décolletage that accentuated her beautiful and plump chest while also revealing her white, long, and sensual legs, the tong barely reaching above her knees. Her normally tied-up blonde hair was now downed and even slightly wet, as she most probably just finished showering.
Her devilish crimson eyes appeared to be shining with obvious mischief, and she had a suave smile on her face. Her blonde hair swayed together with the light dress at her every move, leaving Darius unsure where to look.
"Like it? I thought of cheering you up a bit since you looked rather burdened lately."
"What… are you doing?"
He saw women dressed in such a provocative way or even more so before, and he must be a fool not to understand what they wanted from him. But never, not even once, has his heart boomed so wildly as right now. He couldn’t help feeling like being in puberty once again while in front of her beauty.
Lily’s red eyes made Darius feel both provoked and embarrassed, making for a confused irritation to swirl inside, not at her but at himself for feeling like a brat again.
Seeing him so shocked while also seeing his once dark and heavy aura now richen with different colors, Lily’s rosy lips arched in a smile as she stepped closer and closer, her light steps barely audible on the wooden floor.
"Are you asking because you don’t know or because you don’t want to know?"
She reached in front of him and lightly pushed him to sit back down. Then she placed her knee between his legs while he was seated on the chair, looking from above at him, Darius following her gaze while his chin was almost touching her dangerously close chest. She gently caressed his face with her fingers while a few strings of her blonde hair also touched his cheeks, her suave voice as if trying to mesmerize him, and her eyes as if hypnotizing.
"I’m pretty sure I’ve already told you that I want you, Darius."
"…. You never told me that."
"Through such obvious words? Surely not. But you’re no fool either. I’m sure you understood me the moment I tried to approach you, only for you to take a step back… You kept on putting up walls between us when, in truth, you also want me. You have no idea how frustrating you are at times, Darius. but I still like you, for some reasons."
"……"
He wasn’t sure what to say as Lily completely cornered him, unable to do anything else.
Obviously, it wasn’t his first time doing something like this, but for some reasons, it made him feel weirder than any other time, as a sense of both guilt and pain made him not wish to continue any further.
I mustn’t… If she was just another woman, then I wouldn’t have minded, but… I can’t. Not with the Iron Rose.
He held her in too high regard to do something like a one-night stand with Lily. He didn’t wish to just satisfy his carnal desires with a woman he admired. Even more so with the person who will be the main pillar of humanity in the near future.
"Darius."
"…"
Her suave voice woke him up from his thoughts, and she gently moved his hair away from his frowning forehead, her red eyes shining amused.
"What are you afraid of, Darius? It’s not like it’s your first time."
"… Lily, you know nothing of me. You don’t know what I’ve done, who I am, or what I’m about to do."
"And you don’t know anything about me either. Shouldn’t we call it quits?"
"Lily…"
His frown deepened, and he grabbed both her hands, subduing his desires and gently pushing her away.
"I’m in no position to start anything with you…"
"…"
Hearing no reply from her, Darius expected for her to get angry and just leave, but when his head was pulled backwards by his hair in such an aggressive manner, he got furious, thinking that getting physical was too much and wishing to immobilize her when-
"Oy, what are you- mph?"
She deeply kissed his lips, and Darius couldn’t do anything else but freeze in place, her restless attack making him forget to even breathe.
-Pah!-
After she finally released him, Darius remained baffled while looking forward, coincidentally staring blankly at her chest.
While wiping the saliva around her lips, Lily smiled devilishly after seeing his blank face on her chest, then woke him up by affirming,
"Aren’t you tired of just staring? Why not give it a taste as well while at it."
"… Wait."
Finally waking up from his baffled state, he looked up revolted, and said again,
"Didn’t you hear me? I do not wish to do this with you-"
"You’re lying, Darius."
"…"
Her red eyes shone while she gazed into his, and he froze for a moment, clenching his teeth as he forgot to control his aura. But it was too late; Lily now knew what he was thinking and also the reason why he had refused her advances for so long.
"You are afraid to fall for me further than you already did, am I right? Your weird guilt also keeps you from laying a hand on the person you love because you’re afraid you can’t protect me from something."
"If you know this, then you should stop. Too many things are out of my reach to give me the luxury of starting a relationship."
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Oh, don’t you worry your little head with useless thoughts. I’m one who can fend for herself without you worrying about it. Rather, I would be more than happy to have someone like you fall for me. Like this, maybe I’ll also finally get myself a man, no~?"
"… What in the-…? Have you heard a word I said?"
He was so shocked by her words that he wasn’t even sure what to say. Seeing him so speechless, Lily only chuckled more and reached closer to him while embracing his head with both arms, burring his face into her chest.
"You’re the first man in a long time that didn’t leave me after finding out about my ability."
"… Not like you tried to hide it in any way."
"I was just too tired of keeping it a secret."
Many men were particularly hesitant to start relationships with her due to her capacity to uncover the truth; they all had some unresolved issues, particularly if they were powerful or in the industry. The ladies were the same, nevertheless, so Lily found it difficult to have anyone around her at all. As a result, despite her being a powerful, reputable woman with an exquisite and captivating beauty, no one dared approach her because all of their deepest desires were exposed to her.
And Lily was intrigued and curious about Darius more than anything else because he was a variable who could not only conceal his sentiments from her but also didn't appear to fear her abilities.
He did prefer not to have his heart seen through by her, but it didn't seem to bother him all that much to the point he would just run away from her, appearing more like her looking through his phone than through his heart.
After getting close enough, she kissed him again, this time gentler, while caressing his hair as if apologizing for pulling it a while ago. Seeing no way out, Darius decided to just answer back, trying to at least satisfy her since she’s already gone so far.
"Mmph, ah."
Lily was surprised for a moment after feeling Darius’ response, going as far as kissing her nape. She licked her lips with a smile as he continued to kiss her neck, reaching lower to her chest.
With a wide smile, Lily gently caressed his head, pushing her chest forward as if wanting for him to go further, Darius complying with her wishes.
If this is what she wants and she doesn’t mind my unknown background, then I shouldn’t complicate things any further either…
.
That night, Darius lost himself for about three hours as they changed places about three times: first on the kitchen’s table, then on the couch from the living room, only to end up in Lily’s bed in her room.
Both were sweating and short of breath under the cover, but neither could say that it wasn’t the best night they'd had in their lives.
After calming down for a bit, Darius sighed and massaged his nose as if irritated by his weak will.
"I can't believe I’ve done it after swearing I wouldn't."
"What is this, post-sex clarity? Why don’t you just stop that and just admit you liked it?"
She got closer to him and turned his face toward hers. Darius evaded her eyes and wished to get up.
"It was great, and also the last time. I can’t continue to do this- Ugh!"
Just as he got up, Lily pulled him back by the shoulder, placing her arm over him and stopping him from leaving.
"If you won’t give yourself what you want, then I shall do so."
"Is not about me here…"
She rose over him, and in the twilight, moonlight streamed through the window and fell onto her, illuminating her white complexion, golden hair, and glowing red eyes. For an instant, Darius believed that perhaps a seductive demon rather than a human was perched upon him. Darius just watched in silence as Lily put her warm butt on his stomach, wanting to paralyze him with a big smile on her face, Darius having no complaints about it.
"You think you’ll bring me trouble, right? And who are you to decide whenever I can handle that trouble or not?"
"... You have no idea."
"Oh~ how scary."
She got down to his face, and as if mocking him, she said,
"Although you’re one of the strongest humans I’ve met, there are more forms of power than you can imagine. And knowing that, there are more powerful people than some elite soldier could ever imagine."
"A normal elite soldier, that is…"
She chuckled, then just sealed his lips once again, going for a long kiss, then speaking once again,
"No matter what you say, Darius, you can’t scare me. Once I lay my eyes on something, I’m not one to let go. And from now on, I take you as mine."
He felt annoyed by this and jumped on her, turning the tables on her as he was now on top, surprising her at first, only to chuckle while lying there without resisting.
"Heh, someone got mad after being called an object."
"Glad you know."
"Why don’t you make me apologize then?"
Darius then got down and gently kissed her neck, surprising her with his gentle touch. He whispered quietly, his warm breath on her neck making her twitch.
"I don’t think I can bring myself to be like that with you, so stop provoking me."
"Sigh~ you’re more sensible than I thought."
"If you hate it, we can stop here."
"Hate it? I sure don’t."
She reached out for his embrace, and seeing her like this, Darius once again left himself swayed by his own desires, getting down on her once again, this time using a gentler, more loving touch than the first one.
For a good while, they went at it, and after they finally fell tired, Lily fell asleep in his embrace while Darius gazed at the ceiling in the dark, thinking about the moment that just passed and feeling like he was ready for another round. Sure enough, he didn’t remember having so much energy when he was doing it with other women, understanding once again that Lily surely wasn’t just anyone.
Maybe it won’t hurt to take it easy once in a while. Maybe I can relax now and then… Yeah… It shouldn’t hurt…
Darius closed his eyes, and his tiredness slowly made him sleepy. His body started to relax more and more while feeling the warmth and scent of the woman beside him, until his calming heart suddenly pumped once, strong enough to shake his whole body.
Wha-
Do you really dare seek peace?
"?!"
His eyes opened wide, but there was no control over the rest of his body, making him feel like his body was no longer his in the first place.
Sleep paralysis?! Why do I have such a thing?
He tried to calm down, but then everywhere his eyes wandered, shadows started growing larger and larger, until they covered the walls, the moonlight diminishing more and more, until darkness swallowed the entire furniture that was clearly visible in his eyes.
Afterwards, white, yellow, and red demonic eyes shone from inside the shadows, looking at Darius in mockery, with anger, contempt, and even revolt, most of them simply gazing emptily as the terrifying image made Darius’ whole body tense up and sweat bullets.
Do you seriously think you deserve this?
A voice resounded from above, and just as he looked up, on top of his chest, a blob of darkness fell and turned. Darius followed it with his eyes, trying to make heads and tails of the weird thing that was moving on top of his chest.
Do you dare even think of peace of mind after doing this to me?
After a bit, the blob turned into an infant with no eyes, his head twisting unnaturally towards Darius while roaring furiously as he glared his empty eye sockets into Darius’.
The baby was exactly the one he tortured in front of the mother, who begged him to let them go. Between his many sins, this one hunted Darius’ nights most of the time, feeling sick in the stomach just remembering the scene. The fact that it now materialized in front of his eyes made his face turn pale and caused a cold sweat to completely cover his back.
S-shit…! I can’t… breathe…!
The baby’s weight seemed to grow with each passing second, making Darius unable to breathe as his chest was pressed on more and more, feeling his bones snapping at any moment now.
You will never feel peace!
You bastard of a monster!
Demon! Devil!
We won’t forgive you!
Thundering cries resounded from everywhere around, making his head snap, while shadowy claws appeared from the shadows all around him and scratched Darius’ body all over, blood covering him from head to toe.
S-stop…! It wasn’t me…! I wasn’t in control! Stop it!
.
.
.
After a bit, Darius got up from beside the sleeping Lily, his sharp gaze resembling the one he normally has when mid-combat. He glanced sharply at Lily, then smirked mockingly.
"We let you have your fun, but don’t forget about the goal, moron."
The next moment, he got up from beside Lily, changed back into his clothes, went down the stairs and outside the mansion, then towards his bike. He drove towards the laboratory at full speed and rushed to meet his brothers, who waited for him nearby in a village.
.
… Ghasp!
Darius opened his eyes inside a dark abyss, where five other Darius wearing similar clothes stared sharply at him, surrounding him and looking at him with judging eyes.
Darius looked around and, after understanding what happened, calmed down for a bit, only to hold onto his pained chest and calm his breath.
"I…really fucked up now…"
"You sure did… We barely pulled you out from there."
The other Darius’ sighed irritated, everyone now being inside the collective mind of Darius Dura.
It wasn’t the first time this happened. Normally, when one of them suffers some kind of accident that weakens the spirit, the other parallel spirits will be able to tell by getting a vision of the cause, quickly focusing and pulling him out of the body, and having another one take his place so as not to let the body die or get corrupted by inner demons. It was constantly proven that a strong spirit will be able to use a damaged body and give it the chance to heal again.
But this time, there was no life-threatening wound, as every other Darius felt the spirit of this one weaken, quickly pulling him out. After they understood what the cause was, their faces turned dark.
I understand if you wish to have a good time with a woman, but how could you relax your heart? That fucking heart chakra’s a gate to Hell for us!
One Darius asked annoyed while glaring at the one from the middle. He was the Darius who waited for Rosy to appear.
Anahata, also known as the heart’s chakra, was a chakra that was connected on a physical level to the heart, on a spiritual level to emotions, and on a mental level to impactful memories, be they good ones or traumas.
Darius wasn’t sure of too many details about the chakras themselves, but he found out that this one can be felt especially well through a muscle that seemed to be constantly tightened above the solar plexus, whenever it was too tense, giving a hard time breathing and also giving a sense of anxiety, stress, and panic.
When this muscle was completely relaxed, that’s when the Anahata was able to activate and have the flow further enchanted on a physical and spiritual level.
However, it was best to activate the Anahata only once the heart was completely at ease, or at least without too many weights on the subconscious. For anyone who tried to activate it while feeling weighted, at best they could feel a strong pressure on their chest, as if a tendon were being pulled in the sternum area. In the worst-case scenario, one could suffer great panic attacks that could result even in deaths.
What Darius has done just now is relax his heart and activate Anahata after feeling deep love for another woman while being in deep conflict with himself and pressured by sin. A normal human would have felt at most a strong wave of guilt, but Darius’ regret and self-loathing were so strong that they punished him to a subconscious level that they almost killed him, making him pass out from the strong shock.
Thinking back to what just happened, he scratched his own head, annoyed, while the others continued to scold him.
"You barely met the Iron Rose, and now you’re suddenly smitten. Damn moron, don’t forget that love can also activate Anahata!"
Another Darius said annoyed as he was from Ian’s world, followed shortly by a third Darius, a mocking smirk on his face.
"We all understand what you feel for Lily. After all, we all met her and dealt with her for a month and a half. But because we had to move thanks to the imminent appearance of our heroes, we didn’t get the chance to deepen our bond to such an extent. You are the only one who hasn’t left the Eastern City yet."
"What about you? You’re from Annabelle’s world, no? She must act up in about 4 years from now. Aren’t you in the same predicament?"
"Not at all. Although I’m indeed still in the Eastern City, I’m most of the time in my laboratory, looking through more hidden cameras I placed in the main base around where Annabelle normally goes through. I’m making sure to keep an eye on her in case the butterfly effect reaches her."
"Sigh~… So I’m indeed the only one who screwed around while waiting for the hero…"
The others thought for a moment, then they all looked at one Darius who stepped forward, him being the one from Icarus’ world.
"Then let's exchange. You will experience the moment Icarus appeared in my world and assist him after the butterfly effect reached him. Since we are the same person, no changes would happen."
"…"
Darius glanced at his parallel self that stepped forward, and with a grin, he added simply,
"Fine. Let’s do it our way. But remember, the moment you fall, I will get my world back."
"Fine by me. But first, be sure to survive in mine. Heh, I seriously needed a vacation, and your world's the best for that."