The stone corridors were filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the distant crackle of flames dying out after the fight. The air smelled of ash and blood.
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Kimoko stood with her fists clenched, her chest rising and falling with rapid breathing. The shadow around Koshei began to dissipate. His figure, previously shrouded in darkness, slowly lost its sinister aura. His eyes, empty a moment ago, took on their familiar color.
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Kimoko watched as the darkness fell from his body, as the pitch-black sword disappeared, and the black veins and claws on his hands faded and disappeared.
Kigami stood before her again.
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But… was it really the same Kigami?
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“Where’s Estella?” Her voice was sharper than she intended. It was filled with anger, but also something more… something she didn’t want to name.
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Kigami slowly turned his head toward her. He was pale, exhausted from the fight, but he still stood tall, as if nothing in the world could break him.
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“She’s safe.” His voice was quiet but firm.
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Kimoko narrowed her eyes, feeling the anger building inside her.
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“Safe?” she snorted. “After everything you’ve done? Am I supposed to just believe you?”
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Kigami didn’t answer right away. He looked at her for a moment, as if weighing every word.
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“She’s safe.” His tone was calm, but there was something stern in his gaze, something that made Kimoko feel uneasy.
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“Why did you come back for me?” Her voice trembled with emotion. “After what you’ve done, after what you’ve hidden… why?”
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Kigami took a deep breath.
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“Because…” he began quietly, looking down. “Because I couldn’t let you die.”
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Kimoko opened her mouth, but he continued.
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‘' I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for that… .’’
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The girl frowned.
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‘' What?’’
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Kigami clenched his fists. It was obvious that he was fighting with himself, that these words didn’t come easily to him.
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‘' I couldn’t let you suffer. Because I… I couldn’t watch it.’’
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The silence between them became almost tangible.
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‘‘You…‘‘ Kimoko stopped, feeling her heart beating faster.
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‘' I couldn’t leave you.’’ Kigami took a step towards her and then placed his hands on her face.
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Kimoko pressed her lips together, their gazes intertwined. She wanted to say something more, she wanted to understand why now, why at this moment… But deep down she knew the answer.
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Kigami had come back for her because she was the only person who wasn’t afraid of him and the only one who truly understood him.
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Kimoko stood still, feeling all her anger slowly turning into something else. Something she didn’t want to name.
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said quietly, looking away.
“I know,” Kigami replied without hesitation.
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Kimoko looked at him angrily.
“Why should I believe that you’re telling the truth now?!
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Kigami sighed heavily.
“Because if I wanted to deceive you… I wouldn’t come back.”
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Silence.
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Kimoko pursed her lips, her breathing shallow, and her heart pounding like crazy. She felt as if her whole body was shaking with emotion.
“So what now?” she whispered.
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Kigami looked at her for a moment, as if weighing the answer.
“Now…” His voice was lower, softer than usual. “It’s up to you.”
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Kimoko frowned.
“From me?”
“Yes.” Kigami stepped closer. “If you want me to leave, I will. If you can’t forgive me, I will accept that. But if… if you believe for even a moment that my words are true, then I will go where you are.
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The girl trembled.
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“You don’t understand, Kigami… It’s not that simple.”
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“I know.” He reached out his hand, but hesitated before touching it. “But not everything has to be simple.”
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Kimoko felt something tighten in her throat. She wanted to push him away, to tell him that she didn’t believe him, that she would never trust him again… but the truth was different.
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She couldn’t deny that her heart was reacting to his words in a way she couldn’t control.
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She couldn’t deny that a part of her wanted him to stay.
She couldn’t deny that Kigami… was not indifferent to her.
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“You’re an idiot,” she said finally, her voice barely audible.
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A shadow of a smile appeared on Kigami’s face.
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“I know.” The silence between them was heavy, but this time… it wasn’t so cold anymore. Kimoko buried her face in his chest. She felt his arm gently embrace her, she felt Kigami’s warm breath on her hair.
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“Kimoko… there’s another secret that you already know about, but I still want to tell you…”
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The girl pulled away from him slightly. She knew exactly what he wanted to tell her. She knew exactly the words that were about to come.
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“Kimoko… I love you.”
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“I love you too…”
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Kimoko saw the shock on his face, as if he had never expected anyone to say those words to him. And her? She was more surprised by how easily, how naturally she said those words that had been hidden inside her all this time. Shocked that despite being the heir of a family of demon hunters, she was able to love one of them. At the same time, she felt fear, fear because of her father, about what he would do if he found out about her awakening and her affair with the demon prince.
Kimoko looked at him, and their faces were getting closer and closer. Her heart was beating faster, and every thought was becoming blurred in this tension. Kigami, not taking his eyes off her, slowly moved his hand on her shoulder. He had no idea what would happen, but at that moment he couldn’t stop himself. Kimoko felt her heart beating in rhythm with his touch. It all felt strangely natural.
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Before their lips could meet, the door suddenly opened, and Estella ran into the room. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were burning with anger.
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“What do you think?!” she exclaimed, pointing at both of them.
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Kimoko quickly stepped back, surprised by her entrance. Estella looked like she was about to explode, but something about her demeanor was strangely exaggerated.
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“Estella, calm down,” Kigami said, slightly confused. “It’s not what you think…”
Estella, breathing quickly, looked at him furiously, and then at Kimoko. Her eyes showed frustration, but also a bit of absurdity in the whole situation. Suddenly, she started waving her hands in the air.
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“How dare you! You pushed me out the window!” she shouted dramatically. “And now this! How do you feel?!”
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Kimoko looked at her with slight surprise. Estella was tense, as if waiting for some kind of answer, but something about her posture was exaggerated. Kimoko couldn’t help but smile slightly.
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“Estella, it was only the first floor,” Kimoko said, trying to ease the situation, although her tone wasn’t entirely serious.
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Estella looked at her, her anger disappearing for a moment.
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“What?!” Estella glanced at her, and then at Kigami, who stood with a surprised expression. “Only the first floor? It’s almost like… I don’t know, a zip line in an amusement park!”
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Kimoko couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. Kigami, despite his initial shock, started laughing too, trying to hide it behind his hand.
“Estella, really… You’re exaggerating!” he replied, still giggling.
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Estella looked at them for a moment, and then started laughing along with them. Her anger subsided in a flash, and the room filled with light, absurd laughter. Estella shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just said.
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“Okay, maybe I did exaggerate a little,” she admitted, feeling the tension drain out of her.
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Kimoko and Kigami looked at each other with smiles on their faces, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed. Instead of a serious confrontation, everything now looked like a little comedy that no one expected. Estella, seeing their reactions, felt that she could breathe a sigh of relief herself. It all seemed too strange to be angry now.
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“Maybe I should just… not throw myself out the window next time?” Estella added with a wide smile.
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And at that moment, all three of them started laughing, as if the whole situation was just one big misunderstanding.
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