As Lexie approached Isiah, her heart pounded with anxiety. She felt a sense of trepidation wash over her, afraid of what his reaction might be.
Would he push her away and leave her embarrassed and ashamed? Or, worse yet, would he hurt her physically?
Despite her fear, she continued to move towards him, trying to handle the situation as best she could. But the thought of leaving him behind, of never seeing him or Ciel again, was almost unbearable.
She longed to be his, to be his girl, like any other girl before her. As she stood before him, he glared at her with intensity that made her feel as if she were completely exposed and vulnerable.
Her breathing became shallow, her heart racing so fast she thought it might stop beating.
"Isiah...I have to go now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She was terrified he would push her away, or worse, lash out at her.
"I'll be waiting for you there," she added, almost as a plea, even though she knew there was no guarantee they would ever meet again.
The weight of his gaze was suffocating, and Lexie found it difficult to speak. "Isiah..." she trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Suddenly, one of the male mages behind her spoke up, interrupting the tense moment.
"It's ready, sir," he said to Isaiah. Lexie felt a sense of relief wash over her. The spell was complete, and she could leave without further incident.
But a part of her still longed for something more with Isiah, and she knew that leaving him behind would be a struggle she would have to face .
Isiah was gazing at her, his eyes locked on hers, but it was as if he wasn't even listening to her words.
The man behind her had addressed him as "lord," but it seemed like Isiah barely even registered it. He was lost in thought, lost in his own world, and Lexie couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness wash over her.
She turned away from him, breaking eye contact, and headed to the mage who was waiting for her.
As she sat in the chair next to the bureau, the mage inserted a bit of Afan's divine energy into her core.
It was different from their first leveling experience, as the divine energy was now contained in small balls that were protected by complicated spells.
They would only open when needed for transportation.
The mage cast a spell to insert the energy with a regulator, and it hurt Lexie a great deal due to her deteriorated state. But she refused to show any sign of pain or discomfort to Isaiah, as she knew he was watching her every move.
Once the procedure was complete, Lexie headed to the device where she would stand inside. She waved at Ciel with a smile, then turned to look at Isiah once more. He was still staring at her, his gaze intense and unwavering.
She knew he was ensuring the safety of the procedure, making sure everything was going smoothly.
She felt a pang of emotion rise in her chest, a mix of longing and sadness, and she whispered to him, "I am sorry, Isiah. I love you."
She knew he would read her lips, but what she didn't know was that he heard her voice clearly.
Despite this, he didn't say anything, didn't whisper a word of good feelings back to her.
And as she stood there, waiting to be transported, she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, what he was feeling.
The anticipation in the air was palpable as another mage pressed the button on the device.
All the necessary data had been input, and the time for the next leveling had come. Isiah looked on as Lexie vanished, whisked away to Afan in just a matter of minutes.
He let out a deep sigh and turned to Eijar and Ciel, feeling a sense of relief that Lexie had made it safely.
"It's safe," he reassured them. "Ciel, it's your turn now."
Ciel was perched atop Eijar's shoulder, and she spoke calmly to him, assuring him that everything would be the same as the previous leveling.
Ciel nodded his head, and with a gentle pat on Eijar's head, he said, "I'll wait for you three."
Though he didn't particularly like the idea of the leveling, he didn't want to delay it now that Lexie was no longer around.
As he began to walk towards the mage, Isiah stopped him in his tracks, saying, "It won't take too long, and I'll follow you right away, kiddo."
Ciel gave Isiah a curious look, but continued walking towards the mage.
Isiah wanted to assure Ciel that everything would be alright, but he knew the child was too far removed from him emotionally to believe it.
After Ciel was transported, Isiah turned to Eijar and said, "It's our turn now." She looked at him with concern, "Do you think they will follow your instructions?" she asked.
"Yes, I cast a spell on them. They would die if they mess things up," he replied firmly, letting them hear the threat in his voice.
"But they could decide to sacrifice themselves just to kill you," she whispered in his ear.
A sardonic smile twisted Isiah's lips as he shook his head. "Do you really believe that people would willingly sacrifice themselves for the greater good?" he asked, his tone heavy with skepticism. "I think by now you should know better than that."
Isiah's eyes narrowed as he considered the idea. He had seen firsthand how selfish and cruel people could be, how willing they were to trample on anyone in their way to get what they wanted. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and the weak were left to fend for themselves.
" He had memories of the cult his parents were part of and their willingness to sacrifice themselves, but he knew it was the exception rather than the rule.
"They won't sacrifice themselves, I can assure you of that."
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