NOVPUBFor a while, they just listened to the distant hum of the city. Then, Leiza broke the silence.
"You know, I was five… when I lost my parents." Her voice was calm, but there was a weight to it. She didn't look at him as she spoke, her gaze locked on the stars above. "We were on a trip. I wanted ice cream, so my dad changed the route. Just fifteen minutes later, as we were leaving a flyover, a truck hit us."
She paused, her fingers curling slightly against the metal floor. "My parents didn't make it. Only I did… barely. I was in the ICU for days. It was one of the most painful days I ever had…" As if she went in a daze, she continued, "And that night, I had this weird dream that kinda haunted me for years."
Azzy became intrigued. He urged her to go on.
Her voice grew quieter, almost hesitant. "I saw… a figure. I don't know what it was. It wasn't human, but it wasn't terrifying either. Just… there."
She suddenly stopped, shaking her head. "It's a stupid childhood memory. Doesn't matter now."
Azzy turned his head slightly to look at her. Her expression had shifted—she was forcing herself to smile, but there was something distant in her eyes, something unresolved.
He didn't press her. Instead, he let the silence settle between them again, only the wind and the city's murmur filling the space. Some wounds, he knew, weren't meant to be pried open. They simply needed time.
Leiza let out a small laugh, as if shaking off the heaviness of the moment. "Anyway, enough about the past. We're here to enjoy the night, right?"
Azzy nodded. "Right."
And so, they lay there, staring at the night sky, two souls suspended between the past and the present, surrounded by a city that never stopped moving.
*
For a while, they talk about various things. However, their conversation interrupted as her brows furrowed, her lips parted slightly, and she pointed toward the sky.
"What is that?" she asked.
Azzy followed her gaze. Something was descending toward them—fast. His eyes narrowed, sharpening his vision to make out the approaching figure. The aura it emitted was unlike anything natural in this world. It had the unmistakable appearance of a fallen angel—dark, ethereal wings, a humanoid form that radiated power, and an unsettling presence that sent a chill down the spine.
Without hesitation, Azzy grabbed Leiza's hand. "We need to go."
Leiza gasped as he pulled her to her feet and rushed toward the exit. "Rael, what—?"
There was no time to explain. They burst through the terrace gate, and Azzy quickly led her behind the metallic door, pressing himself against the cold surface as he listened. His instincts screamed that engaging right now wasn't an option. His Soul Orb was completely sealed with the Decarune Seal, erasing any traces of soul energy within him.
Then, suddenly, he did something unexpected.
He wrapped his arms around Leiza and pulled her close.
Her breath hitched in surprise. She had never been held like this before—so firm, so protective, so intense. Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat—strong, steady, yet… faster than she expected.
Her own heart pounded wildly. Was he scared? Was he protecting her? Or was this something else?
In reality, what she perceived as an elevated heartbeat was simply the difference between their worlds. Here, an average human's heartbeat ranged between 50-60 beats per minute, but where Azzy came from, the standard was closer to 80 bpm.
She doesn't know that. She only felt like the other party's heart is beating faster. And the warmth of his body, the firmness of his muscles against her, and the scent of his sweat that traveled from his neck to his chest made her feel an unbearable heat rising inside her.
She wanted something—something irrational.
Her fingers twitched as she fought the inexplicable urge to tear off his shirt and feel every inch of him beneath her touch. Her mind screamed at her to stop, and her body was fighting against her urges.
Azzy, completely unaware of the turmoil in her thoughts, remained still, listening intently for any sign of danger. The fallen angel's presence still loomed nearby, but for now, it had not detected them.
Leiza, on the other hand, had never felt more confused in her entire life.
Meanwhile, the fallen angel descended onto the rooftop. His wings, black as the void, spread wide before folding behind him as he stepped onto the concrete. His glowing red eyes scanned the surroundings, his brow furrowing in frustration.
Azzy held his breath. Leiza, still pressed against him, was trembling slightly, her fingers unconsciously gripping his shirt.
Abaddon, the fallen angel, exhaled through his nose and muttered to himself in a normal tone, "It was just two mortals… embracing?"
His lips curled slightly in amusement. "Tch. I must have been mistaken. The scent of an angel was faint, but it was here. And now… it is gone."
He turned away, the tension in the air beginning to fade. Azzy remained completely still, even as he felt Leiza's shaky breaths against him.
But then, just as Abaddon was about to leave, he halted.
Slowly, he turned his head back toward the metallic door where they were hidden. A grin stretched across his face—subtle but unsettling.
For a moment, it felt as if his gaze could pierce through the walls, through the darkness, through everything.
Then, just as suddenly as he arrived, he spread his wings and took off into the night sky, vanishing from sight.
Azzy didn't move. He waited until the oppressive aura had completely disappeared. Only then did he exhale quietly and release his grip on Leiza.
Leiza stumbled back slightly, her breaths still uneven. "R-Rael… What was that?"
Her voice was filled with confusion, fear, and something else—an emotion she wasn't sure how to describe.
Azzy, always composed, quickly formulated a response. He couldn't tell her the truth. Not yet.
"I thought it was a robotic soldier," he said, brushing off the tension. "One of those high-tech units used by certain organizations. I've made my fair share of enemies."
Leiza blinked. "Robotic soldiers?"
Azzy nodded. "They're like unmanned drones, but for ground operations. Only a few groups have access to them because of how expensive they are. Makes sense they'd send one after me."
Leiza frowned. "What did you do that such a high tech weapon is being used against you?"
Azzy avoided her gaze. "It doesn't matter. It's gone now."
She narrowed her eyes, clearly sensing that he wasn't telling her everything. But for now, she let it go.
Azzy turned toward the exit. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
Leiza hesitated for a moment, still feeling the heat from his embrace, still shaken by the eerie encounter. Then, without another word, she followed him.
As Azzy and Leiza stepped away from the rooftop, the tension from their encounter still lingered between them. They descended the stairs in silence and soon found themselves walking along the quiet city streets.
The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of street food and the distant hum of late-night traffic. Leiza's heartbeat, which had been wild moments ago, had finally begun to settle. Yet, her mind remained restless.
Her eyes drifted to Azzy's hand, swinging naturally by his side. A sudden thought crossed her mind—should she hold it?
A simple action, yet it felt impossibly difficult. Her fingers twitched slightly as she debated within herself. Would he pull away? Would he mind?
Just as she was mustering the courage to reach out, Azzy suddenly stopped.
His entire demeanor changed. His posture stiffened, his jaw tightened, and his eyes became sharp and focused.
Leiza looked up at him in confusion. "Azzy?"
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he mumbled under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper.
"…An illusionary realm?"
Leiza's brows furrowed. "What?"
Before she could process his words, the world around them twisted. The buildings, the roads, the faint glow of streetlights—everything warped and melted away like a mirage dissolving under the sun.
The comforting city night was gone.
In its place stretched an endless, barren wasteland. The sky turned into a swirling abyss of dark crimson, and the ground beneath them was nothing but cracked, blackened soil, devoid of life.
Leiza's breath hitched. Her entire body froze.
A sharp gust of wind swept past them, carrying with it a suffocating pressure, as a dark figure descended from the sky.
