William remained silent for a moment, then said, "Yes, I am. But you know the stories about us aren't entirely true. And many mages have done far worse than we ever have."
Victoria was stunned, at a loss for words. Over the past weeks, she had grown closer to William than she ever expected. The artifact she had discovered felt like it was about to change her life forever.
"And why didn't you tell me sooner? Why keep it a secret?" she asked, her voice tinged with hurt.
"Would you have stayed with me if I had?" William replied, his tone softening. "I needed to show you first that I'm not the monster they say I am. Otherwise, you would have cast me aside without a second thought."
A heavy silence fell between them. Finally, Victoria sighed. "Alright, I'll trust you again. But you mentioned we'd have to leave the school. Where would we go?"
"To the forbidden zone on this continent," William said, his voice steady. "The place where the demons once lived."
