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."

speak these words in such a neutral and dissociated tone reminded her

Stella sighed.

is that I have felt your pain. My

know that you genuinely

if you wanted to do

sighed again as she

she said. "I know that you have done all of these things to help me, but the pain is just too

man. After all, we have talked for

apprehension. "Whenever I look at you, I can only see your cold

time when we fought, and I saw your burning and emotionless

you, but I

at you, I only see a

like this was horrible, and even if it was

that she didn't commit the error of recultivating. He had also

between that situation and Gravis' current situation was that Gravis had been

this was hard to resolve since there

pain, but on the other hand, Stella knew why Gravis had

no

if Stella decided to

guilty since she knew that Gravis had basically sacrificed their relationship

if Stella decided to ignore the previous

appeared like a monster to her whenever she looked at him, she would never be happy and would dread the time they spent together. This would obviously

Every choice was horrible.

came with

more seconds of

decision right

fresh in

for a while until we are sure of what we are feeling. I would suggest that you

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

back at Stella. "After that, I will go to the Core Regions

nodded. "Sounds good. I think

he remembered something. After

come to see you then,"

a bit surprised. "Why not?" she

you back then," Gravis said slowly. "Obviously, we are

but right now, she felt

was

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

was a bit confused. What

it will be resolved. In the end, I might either stay the

wouldn't want you to go through enormous pain after I am no longer the person you got to know. If I make the wrong choice, I will no longer be myself, and

the