Aselia tried to take a step back from him at the haunting words which seemed to be laced with hatred he had been harbouring for hunters and the atrocities they had inflicted on him. But he was holding her wrist so tightly that it was impossible to escape his grip.

There was not much she could do for she had brought this on herself, the consequences of her actions, her blind need for revenge which hurt the one person who cherished her the most. And she had hurt him deeply. How she wanted the ground to open and just engulf her. She didn’t want to face his wrath but seemed like it was inevitable. She had to make a decision, one final decision because a lot of lives depended on it.

"I understand, I will take you to Markius. It was my decision and I will face the consequences. But after that, you will leave here, without me. And you will not harm Aldridge, we need him, this world needs him. You might hate our organization but we save thousands of innocent lives. Let Aldridge live and I promise we will stay away from you and your city in the future." Aselia finally spoke while mustering up as much courage as possible. Xiran gave her an irate look and spoke mockingly:

"You are in no position to negotiate Aselia. What makes you think I will leave you here? To be touched by these lewd men?"

"The point that I still have to hunt your father down, as you have refused to help me, I will do it myself. That’s my revenge and my burden to bear alone. Until it’s done I can’t leave here. Besides this is my mess, let me clean it up." Her breathing was so erratic right now and her heart was going berserk in her chest with anticipation of what his decision will be.

"You know I can forcefully take you with me, this revenge plan of yours is only going to bring you and your organization, destruction. And that hurts my soul to think any harm will come to you. You bonded with me or are you planning on denying that forever? Shoving both of us in clutches of everlasting suffering."

His voice was raised and she could sense the anger he was arduously holding back. His grip so tight that it hurt her. The bond, yes the very bond that had brought her to her knees, the bond that had formed between them for the past few months and pushed them to own each other, the bond that she felt would be everlasting. She had to talk to him about it, for he would never let it go.

"I don’t even know what bonding with someone even means. All I know is it brings me excruciating pain every time I deny you or try to hurt you. I just recently discovered it and we haven’t been on peaceful terms to discuss it."

Aselia slowly wanted to approach the topic, but they both didn’t know much about it for not a lot of information was available. And Xiran was one of a kind so it was possible, the situation had never even existed before. They had to figure it out on their own.

"Aselia, we could only figure it out if you would talk to me. But you have been hiding this from me, suffering alone. Ever tried to think how much it hurts me to see you like this?" Xiran wanted to figure this out and he believed the only way to do that was by living together as a couple.

"I wanted a better time and place than this to talk to you about it. And I know I have hurt you, I admit it Xiran and I am even ready for your retribution." She professed with her head lowered.

"That’s exactly the reason I don’t want to leave you here. Come with me so we can figure it out." Xiran tugged at her arm, hoping she would change her decision, hoping she would choose him, and their bond over the revenge she sought. Only if only everything was so easy.

"I don’t want to go with you, that’s my decision, I will come to find you when it will be the right time, that’s my promise. And we will discuss this invisible thread that’s holding us. For now, all I want is to help you escape." Aselia replied in an agonizing tone, this was going to hurt him. But she knew if she left with him, her organization will hunt them down again and an everlasting battle will become inevitable.

Conflicting emotions on Xiran’s face revealed his inner battles and apprehensions. He didn’t want to leave her here and he couldn’t force her to come with him for she would surely hate him for that. He fumed: "Your organization will hurt you, they will find out that you let me go. How am I supposed to live with that burden?" She had driven him to the point where he wanted to pull his hair in frustration, which was already in disarray.

"They won’t, I know how to negotiate with them." Aselia placed her other hand on his, the one which was clutching her wrist, in hopes that he might ease a bit, and spoke again: "Have a little faith in me." Her orbs holding her pleas, she was putting forward only for him.

Xiran slowly closed his eyes as if trying to reach an ultimate decision, opening them he stared at her with the same assertiveness and replied with gritted teeth:

"I have faith in you, but not in this world. The path you are taking will lead you nowhere and your stubbornness and need for revenge will always win against my love because it will be never enough for you. Will it?"

The last question was like a whip and it lashed at her heart for she grimaced at the tone he had used. No one could love her the way he did, no one would forgive her for the atrocious actions she had committed against him, any other vampire in his place and she surely would be dead by now.

"Xiran...I..." Her brain stopped functioning, and her words ceased. Why couldn’t be his love enough for her?

On the other hand, Xiran wasn’t done with her. He had more questions for her.

"Can you choose between me and your revenge? Because I simply can’t watch from the sidelines, seeing you step towards an impending death. Maybe I should erase your memories of my father so you will stop pursuing him."

His words sucked every bit of warmth from the room, leaving it immensely cold where two conflicted hearts thudded so loud that their beats could be deemed as the drumming of impending doom. Aselia felt like Xiran had just slapped her, knocking the air and energy out of her system, and leaving her breathless and languid.

She grimaced again, the turquoise orbs shimmered with the effort of holding back tears she didn’t want to spill. The tormented girl tried to jerk her wrist away from his solid grip but he held her there, so she hissed:

"I think you should leave before you say anything more which both of us will regret. I love you, doesn’t mean you can dictate my life decisions. Don’t make me choose, because I can’t. Don’t touch my memories, for they define me. I will take you to Markius now, but after that I want you to leave." The birthing upsetness in her eyes melted Xiran’s cold heart.

He jerked her wrist at those words and she stumbled forward, in his awaiting arms. He pressed her close to his warmness and comfort, whispering in her short hair:

"Leia, don’t be the death of me. I won’t be able to survive if something will happen to you again." He was trying to calm her agitated heart while his own heart was on the precipice of diving into a tormenting hell. Her hand crept up to the place where his heart lay and settled above his ribcage. The frantic beats and tumultuous rhythms slowed with her touch.

"Sometimes I wish we could forget this world and the tortures it keeps for us to suffer along. Sometimes I want to solely exist without being a hunter, without being so ridden with revenge, sometimes I want to just be an ordinary girl in love with you, for you to whisk me away. But that’s just wishful thinking, we can’t run away Xiran. So it’s better to face our demons and slay them, just like what you want to do right now. You are seeking revenge too and nothing I will say will stop you, because you need to set an example. To show what happens to those who wrong you. I just hope you understand my need for revenge too and forgive me for the pain I have caused you or will cause you. Please."