RE: LORD OF TIME

Vivian silently stared at William without saying anything.

She was wearing a long black dress whose hem almost reached the ground. Currently, her eyes were bright red, looking somewhat eerie compared to their usual beautiful crimson color. Her black hair had also turned platinum white, swaying gently in the cool breeze flowing from outside.

"Who were you calling a psycho?"

Seeing Vivian’s expressionless face, William sweated profusely. But as a veteran who had fought through countless life-and-death battles, he did not lose his composure.

"You are finally here..." He immediately stood up and grabbed her hand, helping her sit down. "You are really something else. I have been waiting here for you for more than two hours. Why are you so late?"

William spoke in an aggrieved voice, hoping to change the subject.

Vivian glanced at him and spoke in a faint voice.

"I have been here since morning. Maybe my perception of time is completely messed up, because I thought you came just two minutes ago."

"Huh?"

William’s body stiffened when he heard Vivian’s words, and a speechless look appeared on his face.

’Damn it, how do I even play at this point?’

He couldn’t help but shout inwardly, feeling that all his battlefield experience was completely useless here.

Seeing William’s speechless look, Vivian’s lips curled upward slightly, and she patted the ground beside her.

"Sit down."

William noticed the curve on her lips and paused for a second. But soon, he shook his head and sat down.

Both of them silently gazed at the falling waterfall as its soothing sound reached their ears.

After a minute of silence, William was the first to speak.

"Why didn’t you come to see me when I arrived at the academy?"

Vivian was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I have been busy with some matters recently..."

William shifted his gaze from the waterfall to the woman beside him.

Vivian felt William’s gaze but did not look at him. However, as time passed and he continued to stare at her without saying anything, she eventually felt somewhat annoyed and finally looked at him.

"What are you looking at?"

William raised his hand and smoothed out her platinum-white hair.

"Why is your bloodline power so restless? Although the Moon Eclipse is coming closer, with your strength, it should be very easy for you to avoid its side effects."

William stared directly into her glowing red eyes."What is making you so restless?"

Vivian’s breathing became somewhat uneven upon hearing William’s question. But she quickly took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and slapped away his hand that was smoothing her hair.

"I just had a breakthrough recently, so I can’t control my bloodline power perfectly."

"Is that so..." William raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was restless because you have been trying to act completely different from your usual self and overthinking too many things."

Vivian shook her head and replied calmly.

"I don’t know what you are talking about. But all of this is because of my recent breakthrough."

William looked at Vivian for a few seconds before sighing inwardly.

’We are not going to get anywhere if she continues to act like this...’

Thinking this, he leaned forward slightly, bringing his face closer to hers.

"Then it seems I was wrong. I am sorry for disturbing you right after your breakthrough, but there was something very important I needed to tell you."

Seeing the serious look on William’s face, Vivian suddenly felt a bad premonition in her heart.

"Actually, I feel like we are not suitable for each other. Although we have spent a long time together, this relationship hasn’t been good for either of us."

The instant William spoke, Vivian felt her mind go blank, and her bloodline power became even more restless.

The temperature of the area suddenly dropped sharply, and an unusual, eerie aura seemed to fill the surroundings.

William acted as if he couldn’t feel the change and continued.

"Recently, I met a girl and felt that we are very compatible with each other. She is beautiful, with a gentle personality, and I like her very much..."

"William, stop it..." Vivian spoke through gritted teeth as her eyes glowed ominously.

William completely ignored Vivian’s words and continued.

"We just went to dinner yesterday, and had a great time together..."

Vivian’s breathing was already very heavy, and her aura became increasingly restless.

"William, I am telling you to stop your nonsense!"

"She is also very considerate of me and often makes breakfast for me. She even..."

William’s words sounded like demonic whispers in Vivian’s ears, and she could no longer remain calm upon hearing them.

Her bloodline power was already restless because of her unstable emotions and the approaching Moon Eclipse, and William’s sudden words were doing nothing to help her regain control.

"...So, I think we should end our relationship and go our separate ways. I have already found someone el—"

William wasn’t able to finish his words when a hand suddenly grabbed him by the neck and lifted him into the air.

"I told you to shut your mouth! You belong to me. Do you understand?"

Vivian brought William’s face closer to hers, her eyes glowing ominously.

"You are mine! I will kill everyone who stands between you and me! Even if that person is you yourself!"

William felt as if his neck was about to be crushed by Vivian’s grip, making it difficult for him to breathe.

But he did not show any panic. Instead, he forced a smile.

"You are finally showing your true self," He said with difficulty, his voice muffled beneath the sound of the waterfall.

However, to Vivian, that muffled voice rang like a thunderclap.

Her pupils contracted to the size of needles and the eerie glow in her eyes faded slightly.

"This..."

Seeing William struggling to breathe, Vivian’s hand trembled, and she immediately let him go.

Cough! Cough!

William coughed violently and took several deep breaths.

Vivian saw the dark-red handprint on William’s neck and felt as if she were having difficulty breathing herself.

William rubbed his neck and although he appeared calm on the outside, inwardly, he was still slightly panicked.

’If she had used even a little more force, my neck would have been snapped like a twig.’

He turned to look at Vivian and saw her entire body trembling.

He sighed upon seeing this.

Stepping forward, he grabbed her shoulders to stop her trembling and spoke gently.

"Vivian, calm down."

"William... This..."

Vivian raised her hand to rub William’s neck but stopped midway, as if she were afraid of hurting him again.

"I didn’t want... You just..."

Her mind was so chaotic that she couldn’t even form a proper sentence.

"Vivian, calm down. It’s not your fault."

William tried to calm her down, but Vivian’s aura remained completely chaotic.

"Please don’t leave again. It won’t happen again."

"I am not going anywhere. I will never leave you."

"No, you are lying! You said the same thing before, but you left me!"

Vivian pushed William away and looked at him angrily, tears streaming down her face.

"My parents were the same. They said they would never leave me, but they also left. All of you are the same."

William felt as if his heart were being squeezed when he saw Vivian in such a frantic state. But he tried to remain calm and spoke seriously.

"I know I was wrong. But it will never happen again. I will always stay by your side."

"No! I know you are lying. You will pretend to care for me, but will leave me again in the future..."

Vivian once again began to lose control of her bloodline power, and her eyes slowly started turning bright red.

"But it doesn’t matter. Even if you are just pretending, I will keep you by my side. I will seal you so that you will never be able to escape."

William noticed that Vivian was about to lose control once again.

He took a deep breath and walked over to her.

"Yeah, I will seal both of us in the same place. Then you will never leave me again."

Ignoring her mumbling, William grabbed her face and made her look directly into his eyes.

"You are mine, William. I won’t let you get away."

William nodded at her words and spoke seriously.

"You are right. I am yours. So..." He brought her face closer to his.

"How about we get married?"

The chaotic aura around Vivian instantly flattened, and her mind seemed to crash.