A single word escaped Isola's trembling lips, echoing into the stillness of the day - "Cedric." At the sound of that name, a name buried so deep in his past, a name that belonged to another lifetime, the world around Asher seemed to freeze in its tracks.
His eyes, usually as cool and tranquil as a moonlit lake, flickered with an uncharacteristic turbulence. His demeanor, typically as unyielding as an ancient glacier, was momentarily thrown off balance.
A sense of shock and alarm replaced his aloofness, his typically unfazed features flickering with an unfamiliar array of emotions - surprise, confusion, anger, and... fear? It was a fear of the known, of the past catching up with him, of secrets laid bare and vulnerabilities exposed.
His lips thinned into a hard line, and his normally calm, detached voice came out low and threatening, laced with an undercurrent of danger, "Why did you say that name?" His gaze was fixed on Isola, piercing her with a glare that could freeze the blood in one's veins. His heart pounded in his chest, a rhythm as wild as the storm-tossed sea.
Isola, taken aback by the intensity of Asher's reaction, blinked as she fought to regain control of her senses. His question hung in the air between them, heavy and oppressive.
Her throat was dry, her mind a whirlwind of shock, confusion, and curiosity. She looked at him, her heart pounding in her chest, her hands clenching into tight fists at her sides.
What she saw was decades worth of painful memories, and having to forcibly digest them within mere moments was overwhelming, even for her mind.
She cleared her throat, her voice barely above a whisper as she took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to shake off the waves of shock that were coursing through her, "I... I saw...when I touched you, I saw...It doesn't make sense…" Isola felt perplexed as she couldn't understand how what she saw was possible. It opened up a lot of questions in her mind, but at the same time, it did answer some other questions as well.
Asher knew she had Mindforce powers, and even if he didn't know what powers she exactly had, he was sure she had the ability to manipulate minds or interact with them to a certain extent.
Maybe she had the ability to see his memories without even letting him realize it due to the huge power gap between them, though he was sure he had honed his mind's senses to a great extent to be sensitive to such things.
But nevertheless, the realization was like a blade slicing through the tranquility of the moment.
His gaze on Isola shifted, from its usual indifferent coldness to a dangerous, simmering fury. His dark yellow eyes, usually so serene, now glowed ominously, the eerie light illuminating his chiseled features in the darkness of the red sky.
He slowly got up, rising to his full height. His hands, hanging by his side, curled into fists, the knuckles paling as he clenched them tightly.
His voice was a low growl when he spoke, the words slicing through the air like a blade, "You…," he said, his voice smooth yet icy, "Did you invade my mind?"
Isola could feel the sharp spike in Asher's aura, a sudden storm rising in what was, just moments ago, a tranquil sea. The chilling killing intent that flowed from him was so intense that it seemed to freeze the very air around them, creating an oppressive atmosphere of dread that weighed heavily on Isola.
It felt so heavy and suffocating, despite the fact that he was way weaker than her.
But she wasn't surprised after seeing all those memories…after knowing who he truly was in another life.
The killing intent she was now feeling was not of just a Soul Hunter but the combined intent of the strongest S Rank Hunter as well.
This was how terrifying the killing intent of someone like him can be.
This feeling wasn't just scary, it can actually sap one's strength by weakening their mind. It was a raw, primal fear that would eat away at one's morale, making one feel weak and helpless or like a sudden thunderstorm that drains all their energy and leaves one feeling small and alone.
Since killing intent was not related to one's physical strength, it can still prove to be fatal to one's mind no matter the strength difference.
With her heart pounding fiercely in her chest, she slowly straightened herself as her mind struggled to swim out of his killing intent, pushing off the comfort of Callisa's shell.
Even in the face of Asher's fury, she held her ground. Her luminous sapphire eyes met his dark yellow ones, unwavering. She clenched her fists, the tips of her nails digging into her palms.
"Asher," she began, her voice echoing softly amidst the roar of the waves.
Her words were chosen carefully, each syllable heavy with the gravity of the situation, "I did not invade your mind... the memories just... somehow flooded into me during the transfer of the life crystals."
She added as she took a deep breath, "I did not intend for it to happen, nor did I wish to uncover your past," Her voice held a note of sincerity, a plea for understanding amidst the chaos.
The guilt in her eyes was evident, but so was her resolve. She had stumbled upon a secret that she wasn't supposed to know, but now that she did, there was no going back. She could only face the truth, as terrifying as it might be.
And even though he was targeting his killing intent towards her, she didn't react to it since she could imagine what was going through his mind now.
Asher coldly scoffed as he shrugged and asked, "Who said they were my memories? I have reaped a lot of souls."
Isola shook her head slowly, "You can't deceive me this time, Asher. What I saw was too deep to not be personal, and you couldn't have possibly reaped the soul of a long-dead S Rank Hunter, could you? So…will you first calm down so that we can talk about this? I am not going to do anything or go anywhere until we talk this out," She wasn't surprised at his reaction since the strongest mortal enemy of the entire Demon realm was standing before her, still alive in a way. But only she knew he was no longer a Hunter at heart and in body.
She didn't know how all this was possible but what she was seeing before her couldn't be a illusion.
Asher stood there, a statue in the face of the tide, the killing intent still bleeding from him, cold and sharp. His gaze locked onto Isola, the swirling yellow of his eyes seeming to frost over. But within that icy stare, something shifted slightly, barely perceptible.
He was no stranger to the quicksand of unexpected circumstances, but this was different.
His secrets, guarded more jealously than any treasure, were suddenly laid bare, exposed to the scrutiny of someone who definitely didn't like him.
And there was no way he could lie his way through this time since she saw clear evidence of who he once was. Besides, someone like her, who was already wary of him trying to "trick" her, wouldn't easily buy into anything he comes up with.
A rush of disorientation swept over him, as though the very ground under him was sliding away, taking him into an abyss of uncertainty.
Each secret was a thread that held together the strings of his existence in this new life, a life he had painstakingly built over a countless measure of effort and time.
Now, he was under the threat of having it unraveled by a single tug, one utterance of truth from Isola's lips. And it wasn't just any truth. It was the most dangerous kind — the truth of his past.
A truth that can never be revealed in this realm.
Asher's mind churned with the rapidity of a storm, his thoughts swirling in the wake of this revelation. The image of Rowena surfaced, a grim specter from a memory not his own.
The killing of her father was an unavoidable circumstance, an act he did to save his world. But she wouldn't see it like that. No, she would only see the a Hunter who took her father's life, just like how he saw her as the Demon who took his mother's life.
A cold knot of dread formed in his stomach. He knew the consequences of such a revelation. It would mean the end of everything.
All his intricate plans, all his veiled manipulations, all his painstaking progress would be rendered meaningless.
His path of revenge would be cut short even before it fully began. The vengeance he yearned for, the burning desire to bring retribution to those on Earth who wronged him, would be left unfulfilled.
This realization sat heavy in his heart. For the first time in a long time, Asher felt the gnawing bite of fear.
Not the primal fear of death, but the fear of having his purpose, his very reason for existing in this life, being snatched away from him. The fear of dying with the symphony of his revenge left unsung.
"Asher…please. You are scaring Callisa!" Isola urged with an anxious and worried look upon seeing his vacant chilling gaze while his killing intent continued to surround him.
Asher's eyes regained some clarity as he looked down and felt Callisa's body shivering like a leaf, and her trembling eyes closed shut as if in terror. She was literally paralyzed from fear, not even letting out a whimper.
In the heat of the situation, he didn't realize how much his killing intent could affect a young mind like hers. Seeing Callisa hurting because of him made him feel a prickle in his chest.
He immediately closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, his killing intent subsiding like the tides of the ocean. He collected his chaotic thoughts and emotions as he once again went through what happened in his mind.
Isola did seem she was genuinely shocked, and if she did plan to invade his mind, she would have pretended as if nothing had happened instead of telling him the truth.
And despite all this, even if he wanted to kill her just to be safe, he, unfortunately, didn't possess the strength to kill a Soul Devourer.
There was no choice but to find out how much she knew and what she planned to do with it.
And so, he slowly opened his eyes, "Talk," he echoed, the single word spiraling out into the open expanse of the sea, crashing against the waves only to be swallowed whole.
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