Lightning Is the Only Way

Two days passed until Stella appeared in front of Gravis.

Gravis sat on the ground, just thinking about several things when he saw Stella appear in front of him.

Stella came alone, without Liam.

The two of them looked at each other for several seconds in silence, both of them having complex expressions on their faces.

Their entire dynamic had changed. There was now something horrible between them that couldn't be ignored.

"Liam doesn't want to see you right now," Stella said.

"Understandable," Gravis said.

More seconds of silence.

"How do you feel?" Gravis asked quietly.

"Hurt, betrayed," Stella said.

Gravis felt a sting in his being after hearing these words.

"It was the worst day of my life, and I still don't know what I should feel right now," Stella said, keeping several meters of distance between the two of them.

"I've had several days to think about your actions, and I realize why you did them," Stella said with a sigh. "I understand freedom now, and I know that I wouldn't have understood it otherwise."

"But I still feel immense pain whenever I think about that day," Stella said with a shaky voice. "You have hurt me deeply, Gravis, and no matter what reason you had, the pain won't disappear."

"I can understand your reason, and a part of me is also thankful for that, but I can't ignore the pain," Stella said quietly.

Gravis sighed. "I know. Something like this isn't easy to resolve. There is no right choice," he said. "So, what are your plans?"

"That depends," Stella said as she sighed. Then, she looked at Gravis. "How far would you have gone?"

Gravis closed his eyes. He didn't want to look at her while saying these words.

"I would have gone further, but I would have stopped before penetration," he said.

Stella's body shook as she heard the word "penetration". It sounded so sterile, but the word shook her being.

"If you had still been unable to comprehend freedom before it, you obviously would never learn freedom," Gravis said. "The Law of Freedom isn't easy to learn, and it would have been impossible for me to create a better circumstance. This was the full extent of what I can do to help you understand freedom."

"If you hadn't comprehended freedom, I would have left. Obviously, I would have summoned Liam too."

"However, my shame would have been far too great, and I would have left. I would be unable to look into your eyes after what I have done. Our contact would have stopped."

discomfort. Hearing Gravis speak these words in such a neutral

Stella sighed.

with a complex expression. "The only reason why I'm talking to you is that I have felt your pain. My Law of Empathy allows me to feel the

that you genuinely didn't want

matter if you

as she shook her

"I know that you have done all of

a kind man. After all, we have talked

she looked into Gravis' eyes with apprehension. "Whenever I look at you, I can only see your

of the time when we fought, and I saw your burning

know you, but I can't see the real

you, I only see a

inside, but he understood Stella. Going through something like this was horrible, and even if it was done for the right reasons,

as long as it meant that she didn't commit the error of recultivating. He had also known that

Gravis' current situation

to resolve since there was no correct

hand, Stella knew why Gravis had done these things, and she also knew that Gravis had

was no correct

if Stella decided to cut off all

feel guilty since she knew that Gravis had basically sacrificed their relationship and went through emotional pain to help her. Stella

decided to

she would never be happy and

Every choice was horrible.

came with

more seconds

decision right

now, everything is still fresh in our minds, and we are both still

while until we are sure of what we are feeling. I would suggest that you should return home with Liam while

will be comprehending Laws for around 20,000 or 30,000 years. This should be plenty of time to

I will go to the Core

good. I

expression changed into a pained one as he remembered something. After some

come to

bit surprised. "Why not?" she

I haven't come closer to you back then," Gravis said slowly. "Obviously, we are attracted to each other, and I'm not a person that is

would have felt happy, but right now,

was not

it gets resolved, different things might happen," Gravis explained as he didn't look

a bit confused.

it will be resolved. In the end, I might either stay the same, die, or change into

want you to go through enormous pain after I am no longer the person you got to know. If I make the

the next step," Gravis