I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space-Chapter 373: Sadness

"I asked you whether you know anyone who can make rifts appear," Merisa said at first, her tone steady but halfway through the sentence she stopped herself. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him more closely. "No... never mind. I think you do know, don’t you?"

Her voice shifted, not accusing, not gentle either just incredulous. Because he had not answered. Because he went gone silent in a Obious way making it mean something. Not to say the way he stood there, shoulders still, gaze lowered just slightly as if staring at something only he could see. Deep thoughtfulness and contemplation clear on his face.

She saw it.

And that was enough.

Razeal slowly tilted his head toward her, the movement almost lazy. His expression was completely detached now, any trace of earlier contemplation wiped clean. "And why," he asked quietly, "should I answer you?"

"Who are you to me?" he continued, his tone calm and disdainful. "Just because you explained your actions? Told about your past? Or just because you cried and tried to justify what you did to me... doesn’t mean I’ve let go of anything."

His eyes sharpened.

"My hostility and hatred is still there and always will be. I wont forgave you? And I think did told you that. And just because you acting like it didn’t happen doesn’t mean it didn’t. he continued, his voice flattening further.

He stepped forward just half a pace not threatening, but firm. "So I’ll say it again.. stay away from me. Also i think you should leave this place right now, and how about never showing your face to me ever again."

The room seemed to constrict around them.

"And while you’re at it," he added, his gaze turning colder, "Maybe keep your daughter away from me too. Make sure she doesn’t come anywhere near me. Because I won’t and don’t want to waste time on either of you. And if she crosses the line..." His lips curved faintly not in humor. "I might do something unpleasant? Maybe something similar to what happened to you? Or maybe worse?"

"Also.. I don’t need either of you in my life," he finished. "Since neither of you are needed in my life. So let me have it."

Silence followed.

He held her gaze without blinking, and there was nothing uncertain in him. He meant every word.

The change, though expected, still struck Merisa like a physical blow. Her expression faltered despite herself. She had known this might happen even tried to prepar herself for it, told herself she deserved it.. but somewhere deep inside she had clung to a fragile hope. That perhaps, beneath his anger, there remained a small place where she still mattered. A corner he hadn’t closed off completely.

But now.. Seeing him like this erased that illusion.

Her shoulders lowered slightly, the strength in her posture draining into something solemn. She took a slow breath, steadying herself before speaking again.

"Hey... calm down," she said gently, her voice careful, almost pleading despite her effort to keep it steady. "Raze, I told you everything. I know what happened between us was tragic... disastrous, Sad... and unfair to you." Her eyes softened, memories passing silently behind them moments that never came to be, laughter that existed only in imagination now. "But please don’t do this."

She stepped forward instinctively, then stopped herself, sensing the invisible boundary he had drawn.

"Maybe not for me," she continued, quieter now, "but for yourself.. I begg you.. you need us in your life. Whether you want to admit it or not." Uneasiness crept into her voice, betraying the fear she tried to suppress. "If you push this away... you might regret it for the rest of your life."

The admission cost her something. It showed.

The sincerity in her tone was not exaggerated. It was raw.

"I know I wronged you," she said. "And I am ready to apologize every single day for the rest of my existence if that is what it takes. I will kneel. I will lower myself. I will accept whatever punishment you think is fair."

And then.. slowly she brought her hands together in front of her.

Not dramatically or theatrically.

Just joined.

As if asking for mercy.

The gesture froze the room.

Maria stopped breathing for a second. Yograj’s expression hardened uncomfortably. Aurora’s grip on Levy tightened slightly. Even Sofia who moments ago had been bouncing excitedly across the wooden floor.. stood completely still now, watching with deep calm eyes. Watching a woman of Merisa’s standing lower herself like this.

It was not weakness.

It was desperation.. She could clearly see this

And feeling this about her sofia’s chest tightened unexpectedly. She did not know why.

Razeal though did not look moved.

He looked at Merisa the way one might look at a stranger blocking a path.

"I don’t care about your apology," he said evenly. "And I don’t need it." His voice did not rise nor tremble. "And as for regret?" His eyes flickered faintly. "The only thing I would regret is allowing you close again. Or wasting my time on you people.. Or having any expectations towards ya all." Every word was deliberate.

"So leave." There was no hesitation in his voice.

"And don’t try anything foolish. Not now or later." He did not threaten loudly or anything. He did not need to.

Afterall the underlying truth was simple.. she could not harm him even if she wanted to. The bond of progenitor and turned vampire stood between them like an unbreakable law. He knows it. So didn’t care whatver she does later.. its just him who doesn’t want anything to have with her.

But hearing his words, Merisa stopped mid-breath. It was not that he had said anything new he had already made his position painfully clear.. but something in the finality of his tone stripped the last fragile thread she had been holding onto. Her eyes did not widen or flinch. They simply dimmed, as if a quiet light behind them had been lowered. The room felt different after that thicker, heavier. Even those who did not know the full story felt the weight of something deeply broken between them.

No one spoke anything

Yograj shifted his stance, uncomfortable but silent. Aurora lowered her gaze. Levy, still recovering, looked from one face to another, unsure where to rest his eyes. Maria’s fingers tightened faintly at her side. She understood more than most.. as why they were like this and what was going on. But they just chose to still stay silent.

While Sofia who knew the least.. Like knowing nothing between both these mother and son.. felt it the most.

She did not know what had happened between them. She did not know what sins or mistakes lay buried in their shared past. But she could see the woman in front of her.. proud, powerful, reduced to something raw and exposed and she could see Razeal standing there, carved from something colder than stone. And it made her chest feel tight in a way she couldn’t explain.

"Hey...Husband~" Sofia stepped forward at last, her usual liveliness subdued, her voice uncertain but sincere. "I don’t mean to interfere. It’s your decision, I know. But I think maybe.."

But razeal just raised his hand without even looking at her.

The gesture was quiet and.. Final.

"Don’t," he said.

His eyes shifted to her then.. firm and unyielding. "You don’t know what she did. And yes, you’re right. This isn’t your place. It’s my decision. Let me make it."

There was no anger in his tone toward Sofia. But there was steel.

He did not give her any space to try to persuade him. He did not want softness inserted where he had already drawn a line. His gaze flickered once more toward Merisa.. one last look and it carried nothing but contempt.

Sofia pressed her lips together. "But.."

"It’s alright," Merisa said quietly from the side before Sofia could speak again.

She looked at her daughter in law, and for a moment there was something almost gentle in her expression. Understanding. Acceptance. The smile she forced onto her face didn’t reach her eyes; it was strained, fragile, the kind of smile people wore when they had already lost but didn’t want to make others uncomfortable with it.

"I understand," she added softly.

The resignation in her voice settled heavily in the room. "I’ll go."

She said it simply, as if stating an inevitable fact rather than making a decision. Yet the regret remained visible in every small movement.. the way her shoulders seemed heavier, the way she avoided looking at Razeal for a moment too long.

Sofia’s chest tightened. Seeing her like that made her want to speak again, to object, to say that maybe things didn’t have to end this way. But when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. The weight of the moment swallowed whatever words she had intended to say, and she closed it again, silent.

Maria remained where she stood, watching quietly. Her expression was deep, unreadable, as though she understood more than she anyone in here and what exactly was going on but still.. She didn’t interfere either. Some things, she knew, could not be fixed... Atleast away that.. definitely not by outside intervention.

Merisa turned slightly, ready to leave but then paused. The movement was small, almost hesitant, as if something inside her refused to let her walk away without saying one last thing. Slowly, she looked back at Razeal.

"I... I’m sorry for what happened," she said, her voice steady despite the emotion beneath it. "And I want you to know that I’ll regret it for the rest of my life." The words came carefully, without dramatics, stripped of any attempt to justify herself. "Just know that i never wanted things to turn out the way they did."

Razeal watched her silently.

"Also if... if you ever need my presence in your life," she continued, the hesitation returning now, "at any point... please come to me.. Please.. I still have many things to repay you for. Things you lost because of me."

Her eyes stayed on him as she spoke, searching not for forgiveness anymore, but for acknowledgment. For anything. Seconds passed. No one moved. The room fell into complete silence again, thick and suffocating.

Razeal said nothing.

He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t soften. Didn’t look away either. He simply watched her, his expression unreadable, giving her neither rejection nor acceptance in words. Only silence.

And that silence answered more clearly than anything else could have.

Merisa’s lips pressed together faintly. A bitter understanding crossed her face, and she gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of her head. Whatever she had hoped for, even at the end, wasn’t there.

"I’m sorry," she said again, quieter this time. "Not because I want forgiveness... but because of what I did to you. I am really sorry. for all that"

There was no expectation left in her voice now. Only sincerity.

She gave him one last look.. long enough to memorize him as he stood there, distant and untouchable before turning away. Her steps toward the door were steady, though slow, each one carrying the weight of something unfinished. The sound of her movement felt louder than it should have in the silent room.

Sofia watched her go, her hands tightening slightly at her sides, wanting to stop her but choosing not to. Some boundaries, she realized, were not hers to cross.

Razeal, meanwhile, remained exactly where he was.

He didn’t call out to her. Didn’t shift his posture. He simply watched her back as she walked toward the door, his expression calm, detached, waiting only for the moment she would leave the room completely.. as if the closing of that distance was the final confirmation of a decision he had already made long ago.

But.. just as Merisa’s hand reached the edge of the door and her weight shifted forward to step out, she stopped.

The pause was sudden, almost instinctive, as if something unfinished had caught hold of her from behind. For a brief moment she remained still, her back to the room, before slowly turning around again. Her expression had changed not hopeful, not pleading anymore. The personal desperation that had filled her moments ago had settled into something steadier, heavier. Duty, perhaps. Or resignation forced into purpose?

She looked directly at Razeal.

"Do you know," she asked quietly, her voice measured, "what’s causing the sudden appearance of these rifts all over the capital... or maybe even the whole empire?" She hesitated for a fraction of a second, watching him, waiting for any reaction. None came. As he stood exactly as before, silent and unmoved. Still, she continued. "Do you know how to stop them? Or who might be behind this? Or what their intentions are?"

The questions hung in the air, sharp against the lingering silence.

Her expression had changed. The personal hurt was still there, raw and unhidden.. but layered over it now was something else. Urgency and.. Responsibility.

"I know you don’t want to help me," she added after a moment, her tone softening slightly, though she did not look away. "Or even talk to me. But... maybe you could do this one favor."

"There are people dying out there. Injured. Innocent people. Children. Families. Maybe it’s not because of me. Maybe it has nothing to do with us. But if you know something.. anything it could save lives."." She swallowed quietly before finishing. "If you have information, it could help save many lives. Can you help me with this?"

She didn’t step closer. She simply stood there, asking.

Razeal let out a short, humorless breath.

"Hah. Why should I help?" he replied, his lips curling faintly, the expression cold rather than amused. His eyes settled on her face, searching not for understanding but for contradiction. "This empire never did anything for me. If anything, it laughed at me? Resented me? Hated me for as long as I can remember." His voice remained calm, but something bitter lingered beneath it. "I wouldn’t bat an eye if it burned to ashes right in front of me. Not to say i might even be happy to watch it happen."

The words landed without hesitation.

Then he raised a finger slightly, pointing toward her.. not aggressively, but accusingly, as though drawing attention to something only he noticed.

"Also don’t you think you’re moving on a little too fast?" he continued, his tone sharpening. "Just a moment ago you were apologizing. Acting sorry. Saying all those things." His gaze narrowed faintly. "And now, in front of my eyes, you’ve already shifted. From me... to this. To another problem. Another event. Talking about people. Asking questions.. Like as if what happened just moments ago didn’t even happened? Are emotions these easy to take care of?"

A faint, mocking edge crept into his voice.

"Seems like you don’t really care about me after all. I can see where your priorities are.. You say I matter. But the moment something bigger happens, your attention shifts." His expression hardened. ""Seems like you don’t actually care about me? Just about your empire. Your responsibilities? Your image?Your family? Or rules or whatever?About everyone else. Faster than you worry about me. The one you were supposed to give everything to." He gave a quiet scoff.

The mockery in his voice was subtle.. but cutting.

"You are really good at acting."

Silence hit the room like a weight.

Merisa didn’t flare up. Didn’t defend herself immediately. She just stared at him for a long second.. hurt flickering across her features.

"It’s.. It’s not about that," she said finally, her voice low but steady.

But he just kept looking at her steadily, unyielding.

"And no," he added flatly, "I won’t tell you anything. I have no reason to. Even if I did, I wouldn’t. Like I said... let it happen. I’d enjoy watching this empire disappear."

The sarcasm in his voice carried more exhaustion than amusement, as if the idea itself no longer surprised him.

Merisa inhaled slowly, her expression tightening.. not with anger, but with hurt that she tried to contain.

"It’s really not about that," she said quietly. Her voice remained calm, though the strain beneath it was unmistakable. "It’s not that I don’t care about you. Or that I’m not worried about you. I do.. More then anything.." She shook her head faintly, as if struggling to make him understand something that felt obvious to her. "The moment you came here, my focus changed. Didn’t you see that? We were talking about the rifts... about the attacks... about a possible conspiracy. And the moment you said about leaving.. I dropped all of it.. I focused on you. Completely."

Her gaze didn’t waver.

"Doesn’t that show enough?" Her voice trembled faintly, but she held it firm.

"Just know.. I stood here," she continued, softer now, "even knowing what’s happening outside. Knowing people are being attacked and killed... Just because I wanted to fix things with you first. I tried to hold you here. It was you who told me to leave." Her voice faltered slightly before steadying again. "If you hadn’t... I wouldn’t be going now either.."

The admission lingered between them.

"My priority has always been you," she said, the words quiet but firm. "So don’t say I don’t care about you.. I’m not acting." Her hands clenched faintly before relaxing again. "I would pay any price to get you back. But I can’t force you. And I don’t want to. You made it clear it’s not possible. So I’m leaving."

She paused, her expression softening with something close to sorrow.

"But I still have responsibilities," she added. "If I can save innocent people from being killed... from losing their lives or their families... then I have to try. I can’t stand back and do nothing when I have the ability to help." Her voice lowered. "That’s why I asked you. Because you might know something that could save time. Help find a solution faster."

A brief silence followed.

"But if you don’t want to help," she finished quietly, "that’s fine. Just... don’t say I don’t care about you. I think I made it clear that I do. I really do.. ." The hurt finally surfaced in her eyes. "Being told I’m acting... that hurts too, you know."

"Please dont say it."

Razeal watched her without softening.

"Sure," he said after a moment, dismissively. "Whatever you want to say."

His eyes grew colder, the distance between them returning in full.

"But I don’t remember seeing this kind of effort when I needed it," he continued, his voice low and cutting. "I remember you just standing aside. Letting others handle things for you." The accusation was quiet, but deliberate. "So yeah. I’ll call it acting. Hypocrisy too."

He held her gaze, unwavering.

"I’m not that naive idiot anymore," he said, each word slow and precise. "I can see where your priorities are now. You lie too easily." His expression hardened further, the last traces of restraint gone from his tone. "And honestly... who would believe a woman like you? You betrayed me once what proof that you won’t again.. or you not just lying now? or trying to look good?"

"I am not!!" The words burst out of Merisa before she could stop herself. Her voice rose sharply, louder than anything she had said until now, cutting through the heavy silence of the room. The suddenness of it startled even her. The pain behind it was raw, unguarded. For the first time since the confrontation began, her composure cracked openly.

She stared at him, hurt written plainly across her face. It wasn’t anger that drove her voice it was disbelief. The way he looked at her, the certainty in his eyes, the quiet conviction that she was nothing more than a deceitful woman pretending to care... it struck deeper than any accusation he had made before. He wasn’t lashing out anymore. He believed it. That was what hurt.

"You are," Razeal replied calmly.

He tilted his head slightly to the side as he looked at her, his expression unchanged, almost analytical. There was no hesitation in his answer, no trace of doubt. It was said with the same certainty one used when stating an obvious fact.

That calmness broke something in her far more effectively than anger would have.

Merisa’s face fell further as she held his gaze. For a moment she simply looked at him, searching for something.. anything that suggested he didn’t truly mean it. But there was nothing. Only distance. Only cold judgment. The realization settled slowly, painfully, that he truly believed she had never cared. That everything she had said meant nothing to him now.

Her chest tightened. The feeling was sharp, almost physical, as though something inside her had been pierced clean through. Her vision blurred slightly before she even realized why. Moisture gathered at the edges of her eyes, unwanted and sudden. She inhaled quickly, forcing herself to steady, unwilling to let anyone see her break.

Before anyone could notice, she turned away.

Without another word, Merisa walked out of the room.

The moment the door closed behind her and the hallway swallowed the sound of her steps, the restraint she had held onto finally slipped. Tears spilled freely, blurring her vision as she continued walking without slowing down. A quiet sob escaped her despite her effort to suppress it, her hand rising instinctively to cover her mouth. The weight of everything the rejection, the disbelief, the knowledge that he truly saw her as someone false.. pressed down all at once. She kept moving, not wanting to stop, not wanting anyone to see her like this. The hurt sat heavy in her chest, suffocating, leaving her feeling smaller than she had in years.

Inside the room, Razeal watched her leave without reaction.

When the door shut, he simply shrugged his shoulders slightly, as if discarding something unimportant. He didn’t believe her.. not anymore. Whatever pity flickered briefly at the edge of his thoughts, he pushed it away almost immediately. He blamed it on instinct, on the remnants of attachment that lingered because of what she had once been to him, because of what his vampire amplified emotions? He refused to dwell on it. The feeling was pushed aside, buried deliberately at the back of his mind. He had no intention of letting it matter.

But not everyone remained unaffected.

"Hey... that was cruel," Maria said quietly from the side, her voice carrying a restrained disapproval as she looked at him. "You shouldn’t have said those things. Even to her."

Razeal didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at her. The comment passed through the air without acknowledgment, as though it hadn’t been spoken at all. Instead, he turned his attention away entirely, shifting his gaze toward Levy, Aurora, and Yograj.

"You three," he said evenly, his tone returning to its usual detached calm. "Whatever deal we had... it’s done now. You can go wherever you want. I’ll be leaving this empire."