Roselle's POV
I couldn't help but smirk.
So… he finally clapped the Titan Queen in bed too? Just like he did with me?
I leaned back in my chair, swirling the dark wine in my glass as the moonlight spilled through the window of my tower.
Samuel Gebb.
The Heavenly Demon.
My enemy, my equal… and once upon a night, my fire.
Was I angry? Jealous?
No.
We were never bound by love or promises. Our connection was forged in chaos, violence, and the irresistible pull of two celestial forces dancing at the edge of annihilation.
A Goddess of Darkness like me doesn't cling to things like mortals do. I admired strength. And he was strength… in the most carnal, devastating way.
"The Titan Queen, huh?" I chuckled to myself. "She must've screamed."
I wasn't furious. Not even close. After all, when gods play games, intimacy isn't betrayal—it's another battlefield.
Our war was always inevitable. The Heavenly Demon and the Goddess of Darkness. We'd fight, we'd bleed, and sometimes, we'd end up tangled in sheets instead of blades.
And that's fine. As long as it stays between two monsters who understand each other behind locked doors, who's to judge?
I stood by the mirror, tracing the faint scar on my collarbone—the one he left that night. A reminder.
Then I winked at my own reflection.
"Well…" I purred. "What can I do? It's a crime to be this perfect."
Let him enjoy his little Titan.
The war hasn't ended and when we meet again—
We'll see who really dominates.
________________________________________
Samuel's POV
Land of Beasts — Duskfall
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the amber-colored plains. My clothes were scorched, gauntlets cracked, and blood—some mine, most not—caked my forearms.
Another brutal fight. Another close call.
I gritted my teeth and looked around. The land, though wild, had its own strange sense of calm after nightfall. No more rampaging beasts. Just whispers in the wind.
"I need shelter," I muttered, wiping blood from my cheek. The wind was getting colder, and even with my enhanced endurance, fatigue was creeping in.
Just ahead, nestled between two towering cliffs, I saw smoke rising gently. A faint flicker of firelight followed. I narrowed my eyes.
"Civilization... or something pretending to be."
With my guard up, I moved toward it.
---
The camp was modest—a few tents, a central firepit, and scattered supplies. A group of beastfolk sat around, laughing, eating, sparring with wooden blades. Their forms were humanoid, but their eyes burned with a primal gleam. Warriors, no doubt. They noticed me, and the air shifted.
A large man with silver hair and a jaguar's tail stepped forward. His eyes narrowed.
"You're not from around here."
"Just passing through. Looking for a place to spend the night," I replied calmly, not reaching for my weapons… yet.
The man studied me for a moment, then nodded.
"If you can pull your weight, you can share the fire. You fight?"
I almost laughed.
"Do I breathe?"
That got a few smirks from the warriors behind him.
"Name's Koro," he said, tossing me a piece of roasted meat. "You look like you've been through hell."
I caught it without missing a beat.
"Been there. Burned it down."
I sat down by the fire, letting the warmth seep into my bones.
As I stared into the flames, my thoughts drifted—not to battles or beasts—but to the women I'd crossed paths with.
Roselle. The chaos in the shape of a woman.
The Titan Queen. Raw power and untamed spirit.
Both deadly. Both unforgettable.
But right now? All I wanted…
…was some damn sleep.
"Just one quiet night," I whispered to myself, "before the storm starts again."
For once… there was no screaming. No roars. No blood splattering against dirt. Just the steady crackle of the fire and the occasional grunt of someone turning over in their sleep.
I leaned back against a thick tree trunk just outside the main circle. My gauntlets lay beside me, their faint aura slowly pulsing in rhythm with the night. My blade was within reach, of course—but I didn't feel the need to grab it.
Not tonight.
Koro was still up, sharpening his weapon under the moonlight. He glanced my way.
"You've got the look of a hunted man. But you sleep like a wolf who's stopped running."
I gave a tired smirk.
"Wolves don't run. We wait."
He nodded, chuckling to himself.
"Fair enough. If you keep heading east, you'll reach the old ruins by the river. The Seer you met earlier? She wasn't lying. That land… it hums when you walk through it."
"You ever meet Owen Yates?" I asked, eyes still on the sky.
Koro shook his head.
"Not directly. But I've heard stories. King of Beasts. Untouchable. A living myth."
"I intend to make him real," I murmured, half to myself.
Koro chuckled again. "You got guts, human. But I'll admit it… your aura—it's different. You've seen something dark. Been through it. Come out sharper."
I didn't answer. Instead, I closed my eyes and breathed deep.
The scent of roasted meat, the earthy wind brushing through the trees, distant howls far beyond the hills—all of it reminded me… this world, twisted and violent as it was, still had moments like this.
Moments where I could just be.
Not the Harbinger. Not the Heavenly Demon.
Just Samuel Gebb.
I rested my head back and let the fatigue finally pull me under.
Tomorrow, the storm would return.
But tonight?
Tonight, there was peace.