"Urghh…"
My head throbbed as consciousness slowly returned to me. My eyes, heavy and sore, struggled to adjust to the surroundings.
Darkness, an unfathomable void. But even in that pitch-black world, one thing was unmistakably clear – her presence.
"Karlia?" My voice was rough, weak.
My gaze rested on the crimson-skinned succubus whose lap currently served as my pillow. I watched the violet gleam in her eyes, and found solace in her divine smile.
"Lewis… " Her voice trembled with emotion, barely above a whisper, as if speaking any louder might shatter the fragile moment.
Silhouetted in the darkness, while trying to acclimate to consciousness, I could barely make out her figure. But, there was no mistaking that voice, the gentle warmth that had once been the very sun in my world.
"I've missed you so much," I admitted, my heart aching with the weight of the eternity we spent apart.
The regret, the loneliness, the countless nights of yearning for her embrace.
"I… I…" Tears began to well up in my eyes as I looked up to her.
She drew closer, and I could feel the heat of her body. Her fingertips brushed against my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.
"Lewis," she whispered, her voice choked with tears, "I thought I'd never see you again."
My eyes welled up, remembering the countless dreams where I reached out to her only to wake up to a cold, empty void.
"I'm sorry I made you doubt me."
Karlia let out a soft sob, the sound both heartbreaking and heartwarming. "I was so scared you wouldn't come back this time," she murmured, her fingers tangling in my hair.
Rising to my knees and pulling her close, I could feel her heartbeat against my chest.
"I'll always come back for you, Karlia," I whispered into her ear. "Always."
She pulled away slightly, just enough to look into my eyes. Even in the darkness, I could see the glimmer of her tears. "I've missed you, Lewis," she confessed, her voice breaking with emotion.
"Every day, every moment, it was like a piece of me was missing. The hell, it didn't hurt as much as being without you."
I could barely even understand how much she suffered all alone. I could only imagine how much my delay had caused her so much agony.
If only I had been faster, I could have saved her one less second from that torture.
"You're so strong, Karlia…"
Cupping her face, I brushed away her tears with my thumbs. "So amazing."
We sat there, lost in each other's gaze, the weight of the world and the past forgotten.
All that mattered was this moment, this connection.
She leaned in, her lips brushing against mine.
It was a soft, tender kiss – a reaffirmation of our love and the promises we made to each other.
Pulling apart, we rested our foreheads against each other, basking in the warmth of our shared affection.
"I love you, Lewis," Karlia murmured.
I pulled her into a deep hug, her body molding against mine. "I love you too, Karlia. Always and forever."
In the comforting cocoon of our embrace, the darkness faded away, replaced by the brilliant light of our love.
"I'll never let you go this time."
*********
Feeling a little lighter, Karlia and I settled side by side, the darkness fading to a mere background to our shared existence. Even in this gloomy environment, I could feel her radiant energy, almost tangible in its intensity.
"I still can't believe you're here," I started, looking over at her with a broad grin. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and relief.
She laughed softly, the sound melodious and filled with warmth. "Believe it, Lewis."
"I'm surprised you're here… and in your original body for that matter. It almost feels like a dream."
"Well, if it's a dream, then it's going to last forever.
We both laughed heartily, enjoying the nonexistence of the place we were nestled in. We made sure to laugh a lot, and I briefly told her bits and pieces of how I found the Arcanas to reach the Nether Root and free her.
It all felt worth it, seeing the excited smile on her face.
Seeing her so happy made me happy in turn.
"You had a lot of fun. I'm so jealous. Unlike you, it was just a gloomy hell in here." She said it with such nonchalance, but I knew the pain she went through wasn't anything to scoff at.
Perhaps I had to ask and understand her perspective too, rather than just telling her mine.
"What exactly was that cube?"
Karlia took a deep breath, her eyes distant for a moment as she recollected. "Well, it's a prison, but not just any prison. You know I'm... special, right?"
"You mean the immortality?" I inquired.
She nodded. "Yes, that. But with my immortality comes an ability to acclimate to any pain or damage. Over time, I become resistant to it."
"That sounds powerful," I mused, thinking of how incredibly powerful she would be if that process was repeated over and over again.
She tilted her head. "It is, in a way. But the cube... it's sinister. Every time I acclimated to the torture, it would adjust, escalating the pain to levels beyond comprehension."
I felt a sharp pain in my heart, imagining what she had gone through.
'It would reach a point where… damn…' I shuddered in my imagination.
"Karlia... I'm so sorry I wasn't there to save you sooner."
She took my hand and squeezed it. "It's not your fault, Lewis. What mattered most was that you came for me. You have no idea how happy that makes me."
This woman right here, Karlia, she was way more than I deserved.
I looked deep into her eyes, overwhelmed by my emotions. "I promise, I'll never leave your side again."
She smiled warmly, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. "I've missed you, Lewis. And no matter what, we'll face everything together from now on."
Nodding, I pulled her into a tender embrace. Right then, surrounded by nothing but the comforting presence of Karlia, everything felt perfect.
'It's time…' I thought with a gentle smile.
The moment was right, and there was an electrifying charge in the air.
I knew what I had to do. Every second apart had cemented the realization that I couldn't be without her.
Taking a deep breath, I stared deeply into her eyes.
"What is it, Lewis?" She chuckled, her eyes a mix of curiosity and so much beauty.
If I didn't do it now… I feared I would lose the moment!
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small velvet box.
"Karlia," I began, my voice a little shaky, "from the moment we met, my world changed. Through all the battles, the heartaches, and the moments of joy, you've always been the one constant, my guiding star."
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her lips parted slightly as she tried to grasp what was happening.
"Even after I betrayed you, you never betrayed me. You've suffered so much pain… so much loneliness… all for me. Words can't express how much your love has touched me, and how much I love you. You… you are the epitome of perfection in my eyes."
I really didn't deserve her. But, if being with her was going to make her as happy as it was going to make me, then…
Kneeling down, I opened the box to reveal a delicate ring with a shimmering gemstone. "Karlia, will you marry me?"
Tears filled her eyes, reflecting the brilliance of the sun and the depth of her emotions.
"Lewis!" she whispered, choked up, "Yes! Yes, I will."
'Yesss! It took Jared and I a while to make a ring this perfect, but… it was all worth it!'
This ring was the most important Item I had to make before coming to the Nether Realm.
It was… the symbol of a new bond I wanted to form with Karlia.
An eternal one.
As I slid the ring onto her finger, our lips met in a passionate kiss, sealing our promise to each other.
The world around us seemed to fade away, the darkness enveloping us once again, but this time it wasn't oppressive or daunting.
It was warm, comforting, and filled with the promise of a lifetime of love and happiness.
"Lewis…" I heard her whisper into my ear, her warm hands touching my bare skin. "I've missed you. All of you…"
I understood instantly.
"You read my mind, Karlia." My grin was so wide that I thought my lips would slack.
"I've missed you too…"
Spending an eternity in torture and spending an eternity in darkness; the both of us had grown quite lonely.
This was the perfect moment to relieve ourselves.
"It's been so long. Think you can still handle it?" I whispered.
"Pfft. I should be asking you that. Think you can last long enough?" She responded.
Oh, that was it!
The last strand of my reasoning snapped as I pulled Karlia to me and readied myself for my biggest battle yet.
"I'll show you what I can do!"
*
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
We all know what's about to go down here, so I'll just skip it and we'll resume next chapter with the story.
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