Kaia and Kyros were left alone. Liora hesitated, worry clouding her face, but her ex-husband placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
In front of the gravestone, Kaia and Kyros sat at opposite ends of a weathered bench, both stretching their legs out carelessly, arms draped over the backrest—anything to avoid looking at each other.
Kyros exhaled sharply, arms crossed. "So, you actually pulled it off. You saved Yona." His brows furrowed deeper. "You know what I'm about to ask next, don't you?"
Kaia didn't even blink. "Probably something along the lines of 'Why did you still go after her knowing she's a Halcyon?'"
Kyros scoffed. "No."
Kaia turned her head so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. "What?"
He still looked irritated, but when he finally faced her, something in his expression softened—just barely. "It's not like I have a personal vendetta against Halcyons. Not all of them are bad." He clicked his tongue, looking away. "And honestly… you had a good reason. If I'm being real, I didn't want Yona to die either. I've known her longer than you have."
Kaia studied him for a moment before exhaling, pushing her bangs back. "I was actually worried about how you'd react," she admitted. Her gaze shifted to the grave, eyes darkening. "As for Sis… you won't believe me, but when we were kids, she used to talk about her own death a lot. She'd tell me—'When I die, bring colorful flowers; I like them' or 'Make sure everyone comes to my funeral.' Her list went on forever."
Kyros's expression twisted in discomfort. "Why the hell would a kid talk like that?"
"Strange, right?" Kaia let out a dry chuckle. "She wasn't healthy back then. Always thought she'd die young."
Kyros's face froze. His jaw clenched, hands gripping his knees so tightly his knuckles turned white. His lips parted slightly—like he wanted to say something—but he swallowed it back.
Then, in a forced, even tone, he asked, "Where is Kiaan?"
Kaia went still.
Her fingers curled into fists. "It's my fault," she murmured, her voice unsteady. "I didn't have much of a choice. It was either Yona or him…"
Kyros immediately closed the distance between them. "And if something happened to him?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Will you take responsibility for that?"
Kaia parted her lips, but no words came out. Then, her hands stopped trembling.
"I need a break from this," she said abruptly, standing up.
Kyros's deadpan stare followed her. He barely reacted when she turned her back to him.
"I'm quitting Apostle."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Before she could take a step, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist.
"What's your goal, Kaia?" His voice was harsh, edged with something unreadable.
Kaia flinched but didn't pull away. "I live in the present," she said, voice steady. "I didn't join Apostle for some grand purpose a hundred years from now. I joined because I owed Ananya my life. But now I understand—" Her lips curled into a bitter smirk. "There was never any debt to repay."
Kyros's grip tightened.
"She used me," Kaia continued, her voice unwavering. "That's all it ever was. So I'm quitting. I'll go back to university, live a normal life. That's what Sis would've wanted, isn't it? For me to live, not throw myself into hell over and over again. I won't let my mother lose another daughter."
Kyros's grip tightened. His voice dropped to something low, almost guttural.
"If something happens to him…" His eyes darkened, a death glare burning into her back. "I swear, I'll kill you with my own two hands."
Kaia didn't stop. Didn't turn around.
She walked away, leaving him staring at his empty hand.
"Bitch" He murmered.
***
Saurav strode through the corridors, his usual storm-cloud expression replaced by something dangerously close to a good mood. Employees exchanged glances, whispering as they greeted him.
"Good morning, Mister President!"
"Morning, everyone," he replied, almost casually.
The whispers turned into full-blown gossip the moment he passed.
"Did the President just smile? Since when does he do that?!"
"He usually looks like he's mentally setting people on fire…"
"Maybe it's because Miss Ananya is finally out of his way."
"Yeah, poor Ananya. She got thrown out by those two cold-blooded demons."
Meanwhile, Saurav pushed open the meeting hall doors with the confidence of a man ready to conquer the world—only for his expression to die on the spot.
Pink. Everywhere.
The meeting hall had been transformed into some kind of sugar-coated nightmare—fluffy decorations, pinatas hanging from the ceiling, and a pastel aesthetic straight out of a little girl's birthday party.
"LUV! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
His yell echoed through the room before he even spotted the culprit.
A head slowly peeked out from behind his chair.
Luv.
Saurav's blood pressure spiked. "Why are you sitting in my seat?!"
Luv stood up, hands behind his back, looking all too pleased with himself. "Oh, nothing."
"Are you plotting my assassination?!" Saurav snapped, already reaching his limit.
Luv's grin stretched wider—pure, undiluted evil. "I was just celebrating your latest achievement. You finally got rid of Ananya! With her out of the way, there's even less competition for your throne, Mister President."
"You—" Saurav inhaled sharply. "You know I hate pink. And in two hours, there's a world conference. You expect me to face the whole world in this?!"
Luv tilted his head, feigning innocence. "What's wrong with that?"
Saurav's eye twitched. "Crazy psycho! If you don't clear this up right now, I'll mop the floor with your face!"