Chapter 30: I Won't Leave Till You Ask Me To
'Huh? Wife?' Tor asked, laughing as his pupils shifted back to their usual black. The silent pressure that had been pressing on the Lightning Delights finally eased.
'I'm happy you at least think I'm funny,' Tori said with a smile, dropping the tray onto the small wooden table and sitting on the bed.
'Mhm, very funny, because the last time I checked, I didn't even have a girlfriend,' Tor responded, studying her.
'Well, I did tell you not to worry about the small details, but I will tell you what I can once you eat,' Tori replied, pointing to the tray neatly arranged with Tor's favourite meals. He could interrogate her later, something told him she wouldn't answer until he obeyed.
'Ok, but your story better be good,' he said, sitting and wolfing down the food without ceremony.
'Hmmm? How careless of you, would you eat any meal offered by a masked girl just because it has your favourites? What if it's poisoned?' Tori asked, voice teasing, though a faint tension lingered in her posture.
'Well, I'm only doing this because I trust you for some reason, and I'm sure what you have to say is worth hearing,' Tor said, calmly meeting her gaze.
Behind the mask, a faint warmth spread across Tori's cheeks, a blush she thought he could never see. Her fingers flexed slightly as she adjusted her posture, a small, private smile.
'Since you trust me so much, I can't help but also put my life in your hands,' she said, removing the mask at the same time. Golden eyes met his. Black hair spilled across her shoulders, and the gown she wore shimmered faintly, like moonlight on water.
Tor's gaze lingered. This was someone who had always mattered. For the first time, he thought: most beautiful ever. A small, involuntary smile tugged at his lips.
'Huh, usually people would be stunned and tell me how much they love me, and all I get from you is a slight smile,' he said, shaking his head.
He had seen beauty May, Jin, but there was something in her aura, regal and divine, that made her presence unmistakable. Tori, for her part, pouted slightly, playful yet unreadable.
'No, I was definitely stunned, and you are undoubtedly beautiful, but that makes it even weirder that a powerful girl would randomly call herself my wife,' Tor said, steering the conversation back to the question.
'Oh, you said equally as beautiful as she is powerful? Well, I happen to be unbelievably powerful,' she giggled, rolling on the bed with exaggerated gestures, making Tor laugh.
'I know. So, if I believe you're my wife, why appear now?' Tor asked, finishing the last bite on the tray, studying her accomplished smile.
'I like that you used "appear," because I've always been with you. Since you were a baby, growing up in the fortress, sneaking out with May, I know everything about you. But at some point, it became too dangerous for us to be together,' she explained, carefully summarizing, leaving gaps in his memory.
'So you had to leave when danger arose?' Tor asked, piecing it together. She smiled playfully, giving nothing away.
'No, I hid for some time and got rid of them when they weren't satisfied with our separation,' she continued.
'Could it be that you really don't remember me, hubby?' she asked, feigning hurt. Tor knew better. He understood her past would remain masked for now, and it wasn't a concern.
'Ok, I'll come clean. I can't remember ages zero to five. The remaining years I have photographic memory, so forgive me if we met earlier, I'm pleased to meet you, Tori, the Moon Princess,' he said, bowing slightly, acknowledging her.
'So, I assume you're here to help save Jin, or you wouldn't have risked revealing yourself,' Tor continued, his tone business-like as he met her golden eyes.
'Ugh, fine, just for you,' she said. 'Jin houses two Phoenixes, but only one Divine core was formed. During the fight, both powers surged, and now her core is too small to contain them. If this continues, it will shatter once both finish their evolution.'
Tor's eyes narrowed. 'Is there a fix? How long before the core shatters? What happens then?'
'Given the mana she consumed and her real strength used for the first time, the Phoenixes are showing off. Two years at most. Without a proper core, they'd tear out in a day or two. Stupid creatures,' Tori said, matter-of-fact.
'And the solution?' Tor asked.
'Three ways. One: I could devour a Phoenix—depends on your choice, and her core would house the remaining one at half strength,' she explained.
Tor frowned.
'Two: Hunt and kill two divine Phoenixes to take their cores; hard, almost impossible, but it would stabilize Jin and boost her power,' she said.
'You mean murder for power?' Tor's tone held distaste.
'See? I knew you wouldn't like that. Now, the third option requires a promise; you'll never divorce me, and we'll always live together.' Tori's blush deepened under the dim light.
Tor chuckled. 'Until you ask for divorce, I will always be with you.'
She nodded. 'Third: The City of Liberation. The plan is to intercept the only identified divine Phoenix; a half-dragon child with the key to the pocket dimension. We wait until the last second, thwart their plan, retrieve the core, and add it to Jin. Her original core will heal.'
'And the innocent?' Tor asked.
'Don't worry. I won't let anyone be harmed. Just leave the despicable things to me,' Tori said, and Tor could feel her hurt and loneliness seep through, even in the safety of their conversation.