Leon’s POV
Marie claimed the Great Darkness was real, but for all I knew, that could just be another idea Sesillian had planted in Angelica’s mind. That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to trust it completely. My gut told me something was off.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” Marie said softly. I locked eyes with her. Those eyes—so wide, pure, and innocent, like she had no idea what was really going on. It was natural, I suppose, since she looked like a child right now, though there was something subtly mischievous about her appearance. That grin of hers… It never left her face. It wasn’t quite a full grin—more like a delicate, graceful smile—but to me, it looked like mockery, like she was silently laughing at me.
“Alright,” I muttered. “You can go.”
Without a word, she turned and slipped out of the room where Angelica was confined. I stared at the door as it shut with a quiet click.
If Marie thought she was fooling me, she was dead wrong. I knew from day one the real reason I couldn’t get her to be interested in me—it was because of that damn artifact she had on under all those layers of clothing. That thing was a power dampener, making her immune to any skills used on her. And even while wearing it, she could still use her own abilities without a hitch. I knew she was hiding something from me, but she was useful, so I let her stay around. But the second she stepped out of line, I’d tame her and wreck her. Even if she was almost a century old.
I shifted my gaze to Angelica. She glared at me, her eyes burning with anger. The hatred in that stare almost made me want to break her, to make her feel the same terror and pain she’d inflicted on the people she killed. But something held me back. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t do it willingly—she wasn’t in control. And if Gabrielle had looked at her with such sadness earlier, there had to be some goodness in her, buried deep beneath the surface.
So all the anger I felt… I was going to direct it at the Eclipse. At Sesillian.
I’d make sure his plan failed.
***
I left the confinement room where Angelica was held and dragged myself to the Love Room. The moment I stepped inside, I collapsed onto the bed, the softness of the mattress swallowing me whole. My body felt heavy, weighed down by the swirl of emotions that had wrecked me all day. Frustration, confusion, and anger gnawed at me, leaving me utterly drained.
I stared blankly at the ceiling, my mind racing but unfocused. Just when I thought I’d finally have a moment of peace, the creak of the door broke the silence.
I turned my head, spotting two figures standing at the threshold—Gabrielle and Amon.
“What are you two doing here?” I asked, my voice carrying a mix of irritation and exhaustion.
“We thought since you’re going to be alone tonight, and it’s freezing with winter and all, we’d join you,” Amon said.
“A body’s heat can cure the coldest nights,” Gabrielle chimed in. “We’re freezing too, so why not share some heat with you?”
I had made it clear earlier that I wanted to be alone tonight, to have space to process everything, but looking at them now, there was no real reason to turn them away. Besides, part of me craved the distraction.
“Fine,” I muttered, sitting up at the edge of the bed. “Come in.”
They didn’t hesitate. Gabrielle and Amon stepped inside, moving gracefully as they slid onto the bed, one on each side of me. Their shoulders pressed against mine, warm and soft, their body heat already creeping through my clothes.
They both shifted, turning slightly, their eyes fixed on me as they wrapped their arms around my body, pulling me into their warmth. Gabrielle’s delicate hand found the back of my head, her fingers weaving through my hair with a soothing, almost hypnotic touch.
“It’s okay, Master,” she whispered, her voice soft and comforting, yet laced with a certain rawness. Her fingers moved gently, rubbing the tension from my scalp. “What happened isn’t your fault. Those people… they were just caught in the flames. You can grieve for them, but don’t take on the weight of their deaths.”
Amon, on the other hand, pulled me even closer, cradling my head against her chest. The plush warmth of her breasts pressed against my face, the heat from her skin seeping into me. I could hear her heart, its quiet but forceful rhythm echoing in my ears, each beat syncing with my own.
“It’s sad that they’re gone,” Amon murmured, her voice low, almost mournful. “I’m grieving too, not because they were just workers, but because I’d started seeing them as friends. Watching them die like that… it hurts.”
The steady thud of her heartbeat against my face and her soft, vulnerable words clawed at something inside me. Sad? Was I sad? Is that why I felt so off, like something inside was breaking apart?
“That’s why we’re here,” Gabrielle’s voice broke through my thoughts, steady and reassuring. “For us to lean on you, and for you to lean on us. We lift each other up, push through the sadness, and grow stronger together.”
Amon’s voice, sultry and intoxicating, cut in again. “Let us carry the weight with you, Master,” she whispered, her warm breath brushing over my neck, sending a shiver straight down my spine. Her soft exhale mixed with the scent of her skin was messing with my head, making it harder to think. Every breath she took against my skin, every gentle stroke of her hand, made me feel like I could lose myself in her arms, like I could just forget everything and let the pain slip away.
Gabrielle’s comforting hand made me feel so at peace, it was almost impossible to believe how angry I had been earlier. Now, all that was left was this overwhelming calm, the steady presence of her touch pulling me away from the rage that had been eating at me.
How much more peace, how much safer would I feel if I let myself get even closer to them? If I gave in to the desire to feel their bodies pressed against mine? The thought flickered in my mind, and the need to feel them was undeniable.
Without a second thought, I stood up and grabbed both of them, pushing them onto the bed. And then… I let my instincts take over. I went savage on them.
