Lord of Annihilation

Feeling that familiar presence at the end of the corridor, Olivia pushed down the feeling of suffocation and horror in her heart and tried to take a step forward. 

Forcing her body to move, Olivia barely managed to move her feet by a few inches when she suddenly felt a wind caress the side of her cheek. A cold shiver ran down her spine and a drop of blood flowed down her cheek.

Unable to hold on any longer, Olivia's knees buckled under the immense pressure causing her to stumble backward, returning just outside the corridor.

"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend going in if I were you." Ka'lor'ah hurriedly prompted.

"Is Lucius alright?" Olivia worriedly asked, her eyes unceasingly looking into the depths of the corridor.

Ka'lor'ah similarly looked into the corridor. While Olivia could only view the crimson winds blowing in an erratic manner, Ka'lor'ah could see more.

A few feet into the corridor resided an invisible boundary. Anything that crossed said boundary would perish.

"…he's fine. At least, there's no problem with him physically." Ka'lor'ah faintly spoke.

"Mentally, however, I have no idea." 

Feeling the melancholy in Ka'lor'ah's voice, Olivia turned to look at her and asked.

"Did something happen to him?"

Olivia's question allowed Ka'lor'ah to suddenly recall something. 

Ever since the near-death battle with that Stage 5 crimson soul, Lucius felt a bit…different. His eyes which were usually perfect blank slates contained more feeling in them.

'How did I fail to notice that?' Ka'lor'ah felt dejected. 

Being the person closest to Lucius, going as far as having a soul connection with him, Ka'lor'ah should've been the one to immediately notice the change.

However, she hadn't done so. Granted that they did not exactly have a 'rest period' after that battle and their recent schedule had been anything but easy, she still felt responsible.

Lucius was incredibly strong there was no doubt about that fact. But at the same time, he was also very fragile. 

'It's always been my goal to help Lucius recover his emotions. To help him break free from that vicious cycle of guilt, self-doubt, and agony.'

'More than anything, I want him to regain his emotions and live a happy life. That child… has suffered more than any one person should. But…am I doing the right thing? Does he really want his emotions back?' 

'[Killer] took away everything that makes a person…human. But undoubtedly it also saved him from a lot of pain.'

The more she thought, the more she questioned. 

'In the end, am I doing this for him…or for myself?'

"Teacher!" Olivia yells brought Ka'lor'ah out of her thoughts.

"Are you okay? I called your name multiple times but you didn't respond." Olivia asked.

"It's nothing. I was simply lost within my thoughts." She then turned to face Olivia and spoke in a serious tone. "Tell me, Olivia, do you love Lucius?"

Caught off-guard by the sudden question, Olivia was greatly surprised and paused. She lowered her head and stared at the ground for a few seconds before looking at Ka'lor'ah with a smile.

Her eyes were exceptionally clear, containing no confusion and her voice was equally sure and firm.

"I do. I have for a very long time." Olivia clearly replied.

Hearing that answer, Ka'lor'ah did not let go and pressed further.

"Even though he is like this? So unfeeling, uncaring, and indifferent?" 

"Yes." 

"Even though he doesn't see you as a person and only sees value in you as a tool?"

"Yes."

"Even though he might never return your feelings and might even abandon you one day?"

"Yes."

Olivia's voice crisply resounded within the empty corridor. Her tone was unfaltering and her eyes were unwavering. Although Ka'lor'ah's questions were sharp, Olivia's face never lost its smile.

"Why?" This time, it was Ka'lor'ah who was confused. 

"Why go so far when you don't even know him that well? When you haven't seen him for he really is?" Although Ka'lor'ah tried to speak as calmly as possible, she wasn't able to hide her tumultuous emotions.

"It's because I love him, isn't it?"

"Isn't it natural to change oneself for the people they love? Even if that love ends up fruitless." Olivia calmly replied with a smile.

"Yes, I understand that Lucius has significantly changed recently. That he is different from the boy that I once knew. But, isn't it fine? Just because he has changed a lot, doesn't mean that he once wasn't the person I knew him to be."

Pausing here for a moment, Olivia took a deep breath before continuing.

"I understand that I don't know Lucius the same way I knew him before. But that's okay."

"I'm willing to take my time to slowly know him once again. To always be there for him whenever he needs me and help him however I can."

"I also understand that the two of you share many secrets that I have no knowledge of. Secrets that come with such massive burdens that it can't be shared easily."

"And this makes me sad. I realize that it's my own incompetence and weakness that stops you from sharing it with me." While speaking, Olivia's fists were clenched so hard that the bones underneath her skin could be seen.

"But that's okay. Knowing that I'm lacking only serves to motivate me to work harder. To become someone that Lucius and Teacher could count on and share your burdens with." 

Olivia's eyes shone with such fierce determination that Ka'lor'ah involuntarily flinched. For a moment, Ka'lor'ah found herself speechless.

"Also, I know that this isn't my place to say it but…Lucius' isn't as unfeeling and uncaring that you make him be. Rather, I feel that it's the opposite."

"He simply cares too much that he prioritizes others over himself and forces his feelings down in the process. It's not that he can't feel, but chooses not to."

Hearing that, something suddenly clicked within Ka'lor'ah's mind. For a moment, she felt all her confusion disappear and her questions answered.

'Indeed. It's isn't that Lucius doesn't care at all, but he simply cares too much. Otherwise, why did he even bother participating in this insane plan of ours? Why bother with such immense risks to return to the past, when he was already at the top?'

'All this while, I thought that the only reason Lucius did this was for a reason to live. However, now I realize that it is simply an excuse that he uses to convince himself that a killer like him could be something more than simply that.'

'To participate in the 'Great Plan' is his method of atonement!'

Having come to realize this, Ka'lor'ah felt the clouds of doubt disappear. Her mind felt exceptionally clear causing her to laugh out loud.

"Hahaha, I give up, kid! I completely lost! You indeed do understand him better than I do."

"I've decided! From this moment forth, I ship the two of you together! I shall do all I can do to support so that this ship successfully arrives at port!"

"One day, when all of this is over, I'm expecting to see lots and lots of chibis!" 

Hearing her teacher loudly announce that, Olivia's face uncontrollably blushed.

"Let's go and do something else. Right now, as long as he is like this there is nothing that we can do to help him. We have to wait until he calms down."

"Will it be fine to simply leave him as such?" Olivia asked.

"There's nothing to worry about. For right now, even a Stage 3 being will find it difficult to approach Lucius without getting seriously injured." Ka'lor'ah explained.

"He's that strong?" Olivia asked with surprise.

"If I were to answer, whom the strongest being in this Universe is? Underneath 'Them', there is only Lucius."

"For all who try to fight him, only Death awaits."