"You confuse cowardice with compassion, Akasha. If standing for those I care about makes me a coward in your eyes, then I will wear that title with pride," I responded, my voice steady against her mockery.
Silence followed my statement, Akasha's laughter dying down. After what seemed like an eternity, her ethereal voice once more rang out. "Your compassion is what keeps dragging you into trouble, Galio. You barely made it out of this one," her voice softened into a whisper of concern. "What happens when you face a threat far greater than this?"
"I'll cross that bridge when I get there, Akasha," I assured, the determination in my voice clear as day. "Leo is not the enemy. If this was Kadeon or Matthias, I promise you that I would kill them without hesitation. I have learned my lesson, but that doesn't mean that I will kill everything that gets in my way. I am the reason why everyone is here. I am the reason they all died in the first place."
