When Anna made her way down to the eastern wing where Leon’s ward was located, she fully expected to meet carnage.

Blood and flesh torn apart, and a raging, feral lion in the middle of the ruins.

Instead, she met a fairly normal room. Huddled in a corner was a nurse clutching her upper arm with blood staining her sleeves and hands. Another nurse held onto her, both of them trembling, their eyes wide and filled with tears. A doctor was pressed into another corner, frightened and shivering.

Then, in the centre of the ward, was Leon.

Anna exhaled, exhaustion creeping into her bones at the sight of him.

Leon wasn’t feral. Matter of fact he looked fine. He was dressed, in normal clothing, his hair tied neatly behind him in a low ponytail. There was no sign of injury on him, nothing to show that just hours ago he was a feral, mindless beast.

He noticed Anna, and turned to face her. On instinct, his eyes brightened, as if someone had turned on a light switch hidden in their fiery depths.

"Princess? What a pleasant surprise," he said, flashing her a fanged smile.

Anna’s heart skipped a hard beat. She swallowed, her fists clenched at her sides so tightly her fingernails sliced into her palm.

"Leon," she gritted out, turning to glance at the doctor who’d frantically called her attention.

"But he...he was..." the doctor stammered, shaking so hard his knees knocked together.

"That’s okay. You can leave now," Leon said, turning his smile to the poor man. "All of you."

That was all it took. They all ran out, leaving Leon alone with Anna.

Anna didn’t like that. She kept close to the door, her arms folded up against her chest. A mix of anger and frustration bubbled in her gut, threatening to spill all over.

"You’re alright. You called me here for nothing," Anna hissed, her voice trembling as she spoke.

Leon’s smile faltered for two seconds. "Nothing? Is it wrong to want to see my wife? Especially after I’d just escaped death? Why are you so heartless, Anna?"

"Heartless?! You have the nerve to—" she laughed, inhaling sharply. "I don’t have the time to do this with you, Leon." She said, turning to leave, only for his voice to stop her dead in her tracks.

"So what? You’ll run back to him?" Leon chuckled. "Who is it this time? Kai? Or wait, Ray? Who is it you’re so eager to get back to?"

Anna turned to him with a bewildered expression. "Excuse me?"

"Ah," he clapped, "it’s Kai. Of course. Afterall, you put him up to this, didn’t you?"

She opened her mouth to ask what he meant by that when he lifted his shirt up and showed her a view of his middle.

A shocked gasp slipped out of her. His body was covered in scars. An unholy amount of scars. Anna knew they weren’t there the previous day. Even though they had significantly healed, they still looked tender.

"Your lapdog did this to me. And you stood by, watching in satisfaction." Leon said, covering himself up.

Anna chewed on her bottom lip, feeling riddled with guilt. She didn’t want to imagine what his back looked like. Or his limbs.

"Well you weren’t exactly innocent too." Anna replied smoothly. "You destroyed the place. You hurt Ray and he’s still..." she trailed off, tears blurring her eyes.

Leon’s eyes darkened, becoming tense. "Ah," he drawled the word, "I see. Ray. Your tears, you cry for him. And not me."

Anna blinked. "What?"

"Why is that? I’ve always wondered, Anna, why do you treat me less than everyone else."

"What the hell do you mean—"

"You let them touch you. You let them hang all around you. Look at you right now, shedding tears for yet another western scum who doesn’t even—"

"He’s not scum! You fucking bastard! None of them are! What makes you think you can throw around stupid judgement like that and...how dare you?!"

"Why?" Leon questioned, his voice turning deep. "I’m your husband, Anna. And yet you treat me like I’m nothing."

Anna let out a bitter scoff. She wiped her eyes, swallowing the bitter lump that gathered in her throat. "You know, now that we have the wonderful opportunity, why don’t we talk about it?"

He tilted his chin up, looking at her from above his nose bridge. "Go on. I’m eager to hear your explanation."

"I hate you, Leon. I hate you with every single fiber of my being. I used to think that maybe I was the problem, maybe I was the one that ruined everything. But no. You’re arrogant and manipulative and wicked. You tried to kill me, Leon. Three fucking times!"

"That’s the past, Princess. I can’t believe you’re still hung up on that."

"See?! That’s what I’m talking about! Look at it right now!"

"I don’t know what you mean, Anna. You still haven’t said anything yet."

Anna opened her mouth to reply. And then it hit her. It hit her all over again.

In the original story, Leon killed Princess Orchid.

She stared at him, at the unbothered look in his eyes, at the way he was watching her every move and every micro change in her expression.

It’s like beating a dead horse.

"We’re getting a divorce." Anna announced.

Leon’s expression turned black.

The air in the room dropped twenty degrees. Anna subconsciously took a step back, pressing her back into the door.

Leon didn’t move an inch from where he stood. But it felt like his presence was getting bigger and bigger, swallowing up all the oxygen and choking Anna.

"What did you just say?" Leon asked. His voice was calm, calm in the way Anna knew meant nothing good.

A feral Leon, she could handle.

A calm Leon? Everything in her screamed at her to run.

"A divorce." She repeated, swallowing firmly. "I don’t give a shit about the three year rule. I’ll take any punishment the council gives me. I’m done, Leon. Done."

Leon tilted his head to the side. His eyes were now a terrifying midnight back.

Anna reached out, her hand trembling as she grabbed the door knob.

Something in the air shifted. She felt it. The way Leon’s jaw ticked, just a little bit.

She didn’t think.

She flung the door open and bolted into the hallway, the same time Leon moved with frightening speed, reaching out to grab her.

"Azul! Azul help!" Anna screamed on top of her lungs as she raced down the hallway. Her heart hammered wildly, and blood rushed into her ears and pulsed a the back of her neck. Fear seized her heart, adrenaline pumping hard through her veins as she ran so fast the back of her heels touched her head.

Leon chased after her, hot on her tails, his terrifying presence slamming into her like a weight.

"Anna!" He bellowed, his voice shaking the foundation.

Anna screamed, her voice shrill, causing the windows the crack. "Azul!"

Azul appeared. In half a second he spotted Anna and lunged for her. Anna ran into his arms, sobbing, her body trembling like a vibration. He scooped her up, moving back like a flash of lightening, putting distance between them and Leon.

Anna hid her face in Azul’s broad chest, her tears of fright soaking his shirt. He held onto her, his muscles tense and hard as a rock.

"He won’t get to you," Azul promised, his voice a resonant growl that somehow brought Anna immense comfort.

Leon, who was standing on the other end of the hallway, watched Anna launch herself into Azul’s arms, and his heart grew dark with rage.

He knew he couldn’t do anything. Getting to Anna while Azul was right there was like trying to stop a hurricane with a pebble.

Jealousy and hatred flared bright in his chest, causing his corruption to spark.

That woman. She had them all wrapped around her finger and every day she played the innocent.

"What’s going on?" A new voice asked, and Kai walked into the hallway.

Leon growled, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Another one. Her main lapdog.

Seeing Kai was enough to set Leon’s blood on fire. Out of the husbands, he hated Kai the most. And even now, as Leon glared at him, all he could see was Kai kissing Anna, right in his office.

"This is not over, Princess. Our conversation is far from done." Leon said. He was eager to leave this place. But more than anything, seeing another man touch Anna was making him see red.

"You’re all shiny new, General." Kai chuckled, his gaze challenging Leon. "What? Round two? Didn’t have enough yesterday?"

"Kai, that’s enough." Azul cut in. He flashed Leon a dark look, before leaving, carrying Anna with him.

One day, I’ll kill you. Leon vowed silently. I’ll make a coat from your pelt, Azul.

Until that time came, he needed a new strategy.

Then Leon remembered, an AI beast was recently captured by the soldiers.

A dark smile split on his face as he made his way to the cells.