CHAPTER 342: HER FIRST FLIRTATION

In a surge of emotions, Astrid abruptly leaped towards Isiah, her movements reminiscent of two adversaries engaged in a fierce battle.

Her descent was rapid and forceful as she aimed to land on his lap with an intensity that mirrored the sudden, decisive actions seen in physical confrontations.

Having landed on his lap, Astrid, fueled by a mix of grief and anger, wasted no time in channeling her frustration.

She unleashed a punch to his face, a sharp and impulsive gesture expressing the intensity of her emotions in that moment of chaotic confrontation.

Isiah, unmoved by Astrid’s physical outburst, allowed his dark energy to act as a protective barrier.

As her fist surged forward in an attempt to land a punch, the unseen force surrounding him swiftly intercepted her hand, preventing the blow from reaching its intended target.

Isiah still had a stoic demeanor coupled with the unfazed response of his dark energy .

Isiah harnessed his dark energy with precision.

With a calculated maneuver, he directed the unseen force to swiftly bind both of Astrid’s hands behind her back, rendering her physically restrained.

Tears streamed down Astrid’s face as she voiced the raw agony within her.

With a choked voice, she accused, "You killed those beautiful, lively creatures."

Astrid’s tears flowed unabated, each drop carrying the weight of a profound loss.

Her cries echoed through the room, resonating with the anguish of someone who had lost not just companions but cherished beings akin to real individuals.

The intensity of her grief painted a poignant picture, emphasizing the depth of connection she had shared with the now lifeless creatures.

"My birds..." Astrid’s voice caught in her throat, choked with an overwhelming surge of emotion.

With a cold and detached tone, Isiah remarked, "I think you should think about your life."

In a moment of overwhelming hopelessness, Astrid’s resistance waned to the point where she slumped onto Isiah’s lap, surrendering to the weight of her despair.

Feeling Astrid’s weight on his lap, Isiah met her gaze with an unyielding stare and uttered with a cold indifference, "Move."

The command, delivered with an unsettling calmness, emphasized the power dynamic between them.

Through inconsolable sobs, Astrid’s desperate pleas resonated with a profound sense of loss, "Their deaths... it wasn’t just losing them. It was painful for them. I heard it, felt it. Please, I can’t bear the thought of their last moments being filled with pain. Bring them back, undo their suffering. I’ll do anything, just make it stop. Please!"

In a brief, charged moment, Isiah’s intense gaze bore into Astrid’s tear-streaked eyes.

As Astrid’s desperate cries echoed, a profound resonance stirred within Isiah’s consciousness, awakening memories long buried.

In that suspended moment, the walls of detachment Isiah had carefully constructed seemed to crack.

Astrid’s inconsolable pleas for her birds invoked a spectral flashback—a fleeting vision of a time when Isiah, too, was a child, his heart untouched by the darkness that now enveloped him.

The resonance of his own tears shed over helpless chicks played out in the theater of his mind, momentarily disrupting the stoic exterior that had become his armor.

After the lingering silence, Isiah’s voice, though cold, carried a subtle undercurrent of something akin to empathy.

"Your birds are gone. No amount of pleading will change that," he stated with an icy detachment. "But their suffering has ended so fast . Consider it a mercy in the grand scheme of things."

His words, while unyielding, held a peculiar blend of harsh reality and a touch of what could be interpreted as a twisted form of compassion.

As Astrid continued to sob, Isiah, maintaining his stoic demeanor, pushed her aside, allowing her to sit on the couch instead of on his lap.

Isiah cast a distant gaze toward the cages as he remarked, "You work in the city center..." His words, devoid of any emotional inflection, hinted at a shift in focus as he contemplated the next steps in this intricate dance of manipulation and control.

Astrid looked at him when he started to talk.

"And... I am one of the runners that you were after" he continued.

Astrid’s tear-filled eyes widened in surprise as Isiah revealed with an unsettling calmness.

Astrid, her voice trembling, stammered out, "B-b-but..." Her hesitant protest hung in the air, caught between the shards of shattered composure and the looming realization that her world had irrevocably shifted.

Isiah, unmoved by her stuttered interjection, continued with a steely resolve, "You will share with me all that you know about not only Qusda but the whole region of Afan."

His demand, delivered with an unwavering tone, echoed through the room.

Astrid, her lips quivering, finally spoke after a while, "You looked so... so angelic, heavenly made... I thought I found someone so... so..."

Astrid was only a young girl in her early twenties, who had navigated life with an air of insecurity despite her inherent beauty, and had never delved into the intricate world of romantic relationships.

Constantly haunted by doubts about her looks, she found herself at odds with the societal pressure to embrace love and companionship.

Well-meaning friends, eager to see her explore the realm of romantic connections, offered advice that ranged from being open to men to indulging in playful flirting and teasing.

"You are so beautiful..it is only ..the serious vibes you give .." one of her friends said .

Hesitant but curious, Astrid decided to heed their counsel for the first time.

This newfound venture into the realm of relationships led her to the unexpected encounter with Isiah.

In her mind, she envisioned the possibility of finding someone special, someone who might appreciate the qualities she doubted within herself.

Little did she anticipate that her journey into the world of romance would take a dark and perilous turn.

Astrid’s voice trembled as she poured out her regrets, "I should have just eaten that stupid food, let it choke me, and drifted away with it into oblivion. Maybe then, I wouldn’t be entangled in this nightmare, trapped with someone who shattered the illusion of what I thought I wanted.

It’s as if every piece of advice, every attempt to step into the realm of romance, has led me to a place darker than my deepest fears. What have I done?"