Chapter 81: The Heart That Fears Its Own Beat
The silence between us stretched like a taut wire.
I didn’t back away. Didn’t flinch.
Just met Aeron’s shattered gaze with my steady one, watching as the raindrops from his memory seemed to still cling to his lashes.
After hearing his story, I analyzed everything, but it had holes and inconsistencies, the biggest being whatever "incident" had made him realize the sword’s "true nature."
But that could wait.
"Is that what you truly believe?" My voice cut through the silence like a blade through fog.
Aeron’s stare intensified - burning gold meeting steel. The unspoken answer was obvious in his eyes: Why are you asking the obvious?
I ignored it and continued.
"Is that why you’re distancing yourself from everyone? From Emilia? From Livia?"
His fingers twitched. A muscle jumped in his jaw.
"Is that why you look like death warmed over?" I gestured in his current situation once again. "Why are you isolating yourself from the world?"
The waterfall’s roar filled the silence as I leaned forward.
"Answer me."
Aeron’s throat moved, but no words came.
"Fine." I exhaled sharply. "Let me answer for you then."
I saw the exact moment he braced himself, shoulders tensing like a man awaiting execution.
"You think by pushing everyone away, you’ll save them from the curse. That’s your grand plan, isn’t it? Lock yourself in somewhere alone so no one else dies."
His minute nod was barely perceptible.
"Yes..."
"WRONG!" The word cracked like a whip.
Aeron flinched.
"Oh, it’s true you’re doing this for them." My voice softened. "But perhaps... you’re also doing it for yourself?"
His breath hitched.
"You don’t want to ’kill’ again. Don’t want to suffer again. Don’t want to—"
Aeron’s hand shot out, grasping my collar. His fingers trembled against my throat.
"Shut up," he whispered, voice raw. "You don’t know—"
"I know you’re terrified ." My words came out softer still. "Not just of the curse... but of your own heart. Because if you let people in again—"
His grip tightened. I didn’t pull away.
"—You might have to watch them die again ."
A shudder ran through him. The anger in his eyes wavered, revealing something far more vulnerable beneath.
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.
Then—
A choked sound escaped Aeron’s throat. His grip loosened. His hand fell.
And for the first time since he’d started his story...
The mighty Aeron...
...broke.
His shoulders caved inward like a collapsing bridge. His breath came in ragged gulps, each one shuddering through his frame like a dying storm. The great swordsman, the cursed prodigy—reduced to this: a raw, trembling thing barely holding itself together.
I didn’t reach out. Didn’t offer empty comforts. Just waited as the waterfall’s roar filled the space between us.
When he finally spoke, his voice was shattered glass.
"...I can’t."
Two words. An entire world of pain.
"I can’t watch it happen again." His fingers dug into his arms hard enough to bruise. "Not to Em. Not to Livia. Not to—"
The unspoken you hung between us.
I nodded slowly. "I know."
His head snapped up, gold eyes burning with sudden fury. "Then why—?"
"Because you’re wrong." I met his glare without flinching.
"No, it’s your way of thinking that’s wrong."
I watched the tremor in Aeron’s hands, the way his breath still came too fast. Like a cornered animal realizing there’s no escape.
"Listen carefully," I said, voice low but clear over the waterfall’s roar. "This might be because you only focused on swords your whole life. Had no one to teach you about... other matters."
Aeron’s golden eyes flickered—confusion cutting through the pain.
"But that’s no excuse now. Because I am here!" I leaned forward slightly after a chuckle.
"What you’re doing? This isolation? It’s not solving anything. You’re just running away."
His breath hitched.
"Problems don’t disappear because you ignore them. Not in academics, not in daily life, not in relationships..." My gaze sharpened. "And certainly not with curses."
Aeron’s pupils dilated slightly, like a man realizing he’s been walking in circles.
I pressed on before he could retreat again. "If you want this curse gone, you have to face its root. Not the symptoms. The cause."
His fingers twitched against his knees.
"And tell me," I continued, voice dropping, "if you still think your way is right... Let’s look at the results."
A beat.
"First—at yourself."
My gesture took in his hollow cheeks, the shadows beneath his eyes.
"Are you happy?"
A flinch.
"Healthy?"
His throat worked.
"At peace?"
Silence.
The answer screamed louder than words.
"No." I let the word hang between us. "And the list can go on."
Aeron’s shoulders hunched further.
"But most importantly..."
"..."
"Did the curse disappear?"
His fingers dug into his thighs.
"...No," he whispered.
"Exactly." My voice softened. "Which means the problem still exists. You’ve just been... delaying it."
The truth landed like a stone in still water—ripples spreading across his expression.
"And those people you’re pushing away..." I held his gaze. "Do you really think ignoring them will save their lives? Make them happy?"
Aeron’s lips parted, but no sound came.
"Or do you imagine they’ll just... forget about you?" A humorless smile. "Move on like you never mattered?"
His breath came faster now, shallow, uneven.
"We both know the answer." I finished quietly. "No."
I let the silence stretch just a beat longer before delivering the final blow.
"If you don’t believe me, I can give you proof too."
"Both girls sought you out, didn’t they? Emilia. Livia. Even when you pushed them away, they kept coming back. They tried to talk to you. They tried to understand you and your pain."
Aeron’s breath hitched.
"Ok, let’s talk about Emilia first." I tilted my head slightly. "You heard what she said back then, right? She’s clearly more worried about you than herself."
A flash of pain crossed his face.
"And did you notice?" My voice dropped. "Those dark circles she tried to hide with makeup? I’d bet my last coin she hasn’t slept properly since you started avoiding her."
Aeron’s golden eyes widened abruptly. His hand flew to his chest, fingers clutching at his shirt like his heart had been physically struck. The raw ache in his expression was almost painful to witness.
Direct hit.
I smirked inwardly.
"So?" I let the question hang. "Do you understand now?"
A long pause. Then—
"...Yes." The word came out cracked, but clear.
His head lifted slightly, gold eyes glimmering with something fragile. "But... what should I do then?"