CHAPTER 260: HER STORY [1]

Axel’s blue eyes glowed in a dangerous intensity, his runic eyes shimmered with a tint of redness in them, and his obsession over Sophia took over his entire being. The cacophonic laughter of the demon phantom within the chaosblood aspect chamber resounded in his mind, as a dark and calculating smile dawned on his lips.

The Demon Phantom’s eyes gleamed in reverence as it looked towards the scarlet radiance high in the sky. The radiant ball of scarlet light was melting, dissolving as the thing that was truly hiding behind it started to clear. And finally, a statue made of the very scarlet light was revealed in all its glory. It was Sophia, that statue of light was perfect to the very detail of her body. Even the eyes looked almost the same. But that very lifelike portrayal of the statue made it look practically unnerving to an extent.

But the demon phantom’s face was flushed as it stated in boundless satisfaction, "That’s right, she was, is, and always will be the target of our obsession."

Multiple gray colored glyphs flashed through, and they both remained in each other’s embrace.

[Congratulations, you have acknowledged, confronted, and embraced your greatest obsession]

[You have unlocked the First Legacy of the Seven Eternal Sins.]

[You have mastered the Sin of Obsession]

[You are now able to control and objectify your obsession.]

[Your title ’Demon of Obsession’ has grown stronger]

[Your demon bloodline has become purer]

[Your chaosblood aspect has advanced to the late stage]

[You have received 100 unallocated stats]

[Your Nexus Panel has transformed. From now on, you will have different stats depending on which aspect is active.]

[You are only able to use your demon bloodline-related skills and titles when the chaosblood aspect is active.]

[You have met three of the four conditions to advance to the 2nd phase.]

[You are approaching the stage of Half Demon.]

Just like Axel’s eyes gleamed with obsessive love, Sophia’s predatory eyes also glowed with greedy possessiveness as she breathed in his scent deeply. However, there seems to be something blocking her from fully realizing and surrendering to those emotions. She didn’t know what it was, but she didn’t like it; she growled internally, barely containing her murderous intent. The king must have done something to her.

But despite her overwhelming power against her peers, she was utterly helpless in front of the truly mighty beings that ruled over humanity with an iron fist. Her body moved slightly, hugging him even more warmly in a protective gesture. This was precisely why she did not want this to happen, why she was desperately trying to push him away to the point of modifying her own memories. Because if the world knew he was her weakness, they would make his life a living hell. She wouldn’t be able to bear that; she had already crossed the line too much.

After an unknown amount of time, they spent embracing each other as if they were lovers. Their bodies remained in contact, sticking to one another. Their body odors mingled, their hot breaths touching each other’s faces as they pulled back slightly and looked at each other. Droplets of tears were still on their cheeks as they had just stopped sobbing.

Axel wiped the lingering tears from her face and eyes; she did the same for him. But their faces came too close to each other as their eyes met again. Axel suddenly straightened himself and looked around in embarrassment. Sophia also discovered that she had been sitting on his lap the whole time, and she furiously blushed as her cheeks turned red.

Axel also felt extremely shy at that moment; he scratched the back of his head, not knowing that she had been on his lap the whole time, as he swallowed to himself. Just as she was about to get up, he unconsciously grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. Sophia felt a shudder run through her body. She said in a trembling voice, "What? What are you..."

Grabbing her face again, he looked at her intensely, and for a moment, Sophia thought that this time he might really go for it. But he did no such thing; instead, he asked her in a serious tone, "You were pushing me away? Why did it feel like you half recognized me, and half did not just a moment ago, and tried to make me go away deliberately?"

Her expression went from shyness to grim in just an instant, unable to meet his eyes. She put her head on his chest and hugged him again. Axel did not stop her; he stroked her beautiful hair gently, asking again, "Tell me everything? From the beginning."

She was listening to his heartbeat, putting one ear to his chest. She spoke, "I also want to know how you’ve come here? Then you have to tell me everything as well."

Axel hesitated for a moment, but he eventually agreed, "Alright."

Complicated emotions hidden deep within his chest arose in anticipation of glimpsing a part of the truth about the story he originally read.

There was again a long stretch of silence, signifying the immense internal struggle of the valkyrie; she did not know where or how to start, where even to begin. Axel did not hurry her and remained quiet, continuing to gently stroke her hair repeatedly. Eventually, she began speaking in a monotonous and deep voice, as if telling a story, the story of a forgotten time.

***

There was a man and a woman on earth, in the modern era, both competent individuals in their own right. They were both born into wealthy but financially unstable households. But using their capabilities, knowledge, and wisdom, they both brought back the glory and riches their families once held. Their businesses were flourishing and dominating the market until they met each other as opponents.

They could not beat that one opponent in the game of business that they thought they were masters at. But more time passed, and the corporate clash between the two individuals became more heated.

But by some twisted luck, they somehow fell in love with each other. Their businesses merged into one, and instead of fighting each other and giving opportunities to others, they now stood as the tallest, like a corporate behemoth, with no one able to compete with them anymore. They dearly loved each other. Their business continued to grow with each passing day. It was like a dream. A lovely dream, but alas! Reality was always disappointing.

The women became pregnant, and their happiness reached its peak. After 9 months of hard labor, the women gave birth. But what they hoped would be their beautiful child turned out to be a monster. A small baby girl with stunning features and pink hair, but the moment that little baby opened her eyes, everyone who saw her eyes became horrified. Her eyes were dark and bloody red like those of a predator or maybe even an alien.

Though frightened, it was their own child after all, so they let the doctors inspect her. If this were some rare disease, a special condition that could perhaps be cured, they would do their absolute best to turn her back to normal. After all, they didn’t lack money in any way. And in the modern world, there was rarely anything that money could not do, a problem it could not solve, on the condition that one had too much money.

But the doctors could find absolutely nothing wrong with the girl; it was merely a rare condition that her iris was like that, and it didn’t even have any drawbacks. With some apparent reluctance, the parents decided to embrace the flaw of their child, despite her eyes looking utterly inhumane. But how could something like that negate the love of the parents? But the loving couple again turned out to be wrong.

Every single night from the day that little baby girl was born, both of them would have nightmares. Horrifying nightmares that some monster would come to their house and rip them apart, eat them alive, and the beast had those same red eyes as their own daughter.

It became so bad that they were unable to sleep at night. Their moods worsened, and whenever they were awake, whenever they saw the eyes of their own daughter. They both shuddered in fear, for the dreams were so very lifelike. Slowly, the little girl had to endure the brunt of the negative emotions accumulating in their parents: their anger, their fear, their anxiety. Perhaps the only good thing about her parents was that they did not throw her away despite the situation becoming increasingly complicated and horrific.

Despite the child being an accursed monster, they could not simply throw her away somewhere else. The everlasting love between the lovely couple also cracked; only the past shadow of it remained. No matter how much money they poured into this problem, they found no solution to it, whether scientific or non-scientific.

But by some miracle or misfortune, they, they finally found one solution to their constant nightmares. When the little girl with red eyes passed the age of three, as long as they remained cold and impassive towards her, not being hateful, or loving, but simply uncaring and cold, the nightmares of the abdominal monster in their dreams would not come. That is how the little girl grew up with the callous and cold parents. Who rarely bothered about her.

Just like her own parents, everyone who ever laid eyes on her would become utterly frightened, and most would stay away. Her unreal beauty would attract some people. Some would approach her for her wealthy background. She could almost see with her bare eyes their hidden intentions and motives. Their jealousy, fear, or greed. It would always be one of those three until she met with the boy who was two years younger than her own, the only person who did not approach her with any alternative intentions—and had the exact opposite colored eyes of her own.

That was how it all began, the beginning of the story of Sophia Turner, how she eventually became the one and only summoned heroine, the divine valkyrie, Sophia Evercrest of the Suncrest Kingdom.