For Readers, Lilyana can be read as Liliana and Regis can be read as Rejis.
Sorry for confusion of names.
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Iguazu village
Reijs couldn't help but wear a smug grin as he faced his opponent. "I was waiting for you," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
A female voice, thick with anger, retorted, "Who are you?"
Reijs took a step back, his grin still firmly in place. "That's precisely what I want to know, Liliana, or should I address you as the Werewolf Lord?" he inquired.
As the dissipating smoke unveiled, Liliana, she stood protectively in front of Jareth, her brows furrowed in a deep frown. Her once-beautiful green eyes now radiated with a mix of anger and deep-seated distrust.
"Will you still deny your role as their Lord?" Reijs pressed.
Liliana retorted, "Why should you care whether I am or not?"
"True... but I'm curious," Reijs retorted, his navy blue eyes ablaze with anger.
Liliana, her patience worn thin, challenged him, "Do you honestly believe you can defeat me?"
Reijs chuckled, his grin growing wider. "Who knows?" he replied cryptically.
Without warning, Liliana unleashed her full fury, launching a relentless assault on Reijs. Initially, he struggled to block her relentless attacks, and her claws struck at him repeatedly without respite.
Reijs pondered, "She's fast, faster than that guy..."
He grinned, musing, "But that doesn't matter." Soon, he found his rhythm and began to engage her on equal footing.
Liliana continued to attack with her claws, expecting her superior strength to overwhelm him. However, Reijs held his ground, matching her blow for blow.
Perplexed, Liliana stepped back, her brow furrowed in thought. "How can he match me now?" she wondered aloud.
With a sly smile, Reijs provoked her further, "What's the matter? Feeling tired already?"
Liliana closed her eyes, focusing her gold aura into her claws, making them even sharper and more powerful. Reijs recognized the impending danger and muttered, "Now, this is bad."
With newfound determination, Liliana launched a fiercer and more relentless assault on Reijs, pushing him back with each strike.
As Reijs confronted the formidable Liliana, doubts and memories of their shared moments briefly clouded his resolve. But he knew that he had no choice; he needed to press forward.
"Darn it, she's even faster now. I have to attack her to create an opening and surpass her... But I can't let that hold me back," Reijs thought, pushing aside his hesitation. steeling himself for the challenge.
With a burst of speed, Reijs defended against Liliana's attacks, managing to push her back slightly with his forceful counterattacks. He began gathering his own aura, this time concentrating it into his clenched fist for a devastating strike.
In an instant, Reijs disappeared and reappeared right in front of Liliana, catching her completely off guard. Liliana stood there, stunned and momentarily vulnerable.
Jareth watched in astonishment as the battle unfolded before him. "He's... fast," he muttered under his breath.
Liliana, realizing she couldn't dodge Reijs's attack, clenched her fist, gathering her aura as quickly as she could, preparing to face his blow head-on with equal strength. She thrust her fist towards him, determined to withstand the impact.
But just an inch away from connecting, Reijs abruptly stopped his attack. but Liliana, unable to halt her momentum in time, continued with her punch, hitting Reijs. The impact was so powerful that it sent him flying, and his injured arm struck the floor, causing him even more pain. He groaned, "Argh..."
Liliana was bewildered, she wasn't hurt, not even a scratch. She approached Reijs, who was now lying on the floor, and asked, "Why didn't you attack?"
Reijs struggled to find the words, his mind in turmoil. "I..." he began, but he couldn't express his inner conflict.
Reijs pondered his situation, frustrated with his own hesitation. "What do I do? I can't bring myself to attack her. Stupid Reijs."
Liliana, her eyes still filled with confusion, pressed for an explanation. "I don't understand why. Tell me," she urged.
Reijs, his irritation evident, mumbled, "I don't want to hurt you."
Liliana's, eyes glowed upon hearing, her cheeks flushed slightly as she asked, "Why can't you? We are enemies."
Reijs, annoyed with himself, replied, "I know. How I wish you weren't the Werewolf Lord."
Liliana pondered the term "Werewolf Lord" for a moment before Reijs decided it was time to take a step back from the fight. He stood up, dusting himself off, and said, "We can talk."
Liliana hesitated, her emotions clearly conflicted.
"Who are you?" Jareth, on the other hand, grew more suspicious. he demanded again, his voice laced with skepticism.
Reijs couldn't help but feel exasperated. "Why are you asking this again?" he retorted, his patience wearing thin.
Liliana interrupted, her tone firm. "Rex, if you want us to talk, you should reveal something about yourself first."
Reijs sighed but ultimately conceded, "I can't tell you."
Jareth, losing patience, prepared to attack. "Then we'll force it out of you," he threatened.
Liliana quickly intervened, shouting, "Jareth, stop!"
Jareth, unfazed, argued, "Lord, we can't just trust anyone, you know that too. Have you forgotten?"
Liliana's expression hardened. "No, I haven't," she replied as she suddenly punched Reijs' injured arm.
Reijs grimaced in pain, nearly falling to the floor again. Despite his injury, he was more concerned about protecting his mask than himself. As Liliana attempted to remove his mask, he hurriedly captured her hand, refusing to let it go.
"Don't try to take off my mask," Reijs warned, his voice filled with seriousness. "You will not be able to bear the consequences."
Liliana pressed his injured arm with more force in an attempt to make him let go, but Reijs remained resolute, protecting his mask at all costs.
Liliana pressed the issue further. "Why are you more protective of your mask than yourself?" she demanded.
Reijs still wouldn't budge. "I can't tell you."
Liliana turned to Jareth, a determined look in her eyes. "Jareth, do it," she commanded.
Jareth nodded, his loyalty unwavering. "Yes, my Lord."
Reijs, now desperate to prevent them from unveiling his identity, pleaded, "Don't do it!"
Reijs strained, using all his strength in an attempt to free himself from Liliana's grip. His mind raced with the impending danger of his mask being revealed. He thought, "If I let go of her hand, she'll remove the mask, and if I can't free myself from her grip, Jareth will do it."
Jareth drew closer, determined to unveil Reijs' identity. The pressure was building, and Reijs needed a quick solution. Then, an unorthodox idea struck him. With a sudden, unexpected move, Reijs forced himself to fall to the ground, hoping that the abrupt motion would make Liliana release her grip on his arm.
However, instead of letting go, Liliana went down with him, both of them crashing to the ground. In the process, their lips accidentally touched.
Liliana hastily sat up, her face flushed with embarrassment as she murmured to herself, "My first kiss."
Reijs, still on the ground and utterly bewildered, muttered, "First..."
Jareth, who had been attempting to intervene, found himself thoroughly confused. He started wiping his eyes and muttered in a daze, "What happened here? Where am I? Who am I?"
Liliana, now a mix of embarrassment and anger, directed her fury at Reijs. "You..." she began, her words trembling with rage.
Reijs realized that he was in deep trouble as Liliana's rage and curiosity intensified. He hastily tried to get up and make a run for it, but Liliana had undergone a transformation. Her feet and hands had morphed into those of a gold wolf, enhancing her speed and agility.
Liliana, driven by a relentless desire to uncover the secret behind Reijs' mask, was beyond reasoning. She seethed with fury, demanding, "Let me see your damn face!"
Reijs, in a desperate attempt to defend himself, implored "calm down."
Liliana's curiosity had been piqued by Reijs' unwavering defense of his mask, and she attacked him with even greater ferocity, determined to unveil the mystery hidden behind it.
Reijs found it increasingly difficult to defend himself properly. While he managed to evade her attacks on the mask, he sustained severe wounds on his body in the process.
As he bled and his strength waned, Reijs came to a grim realization. "She's too strong. I can't evade or surpass her in my current state. I have to use my real strength, but for that, I have to remove the mask, and if I do that..." He hesitated, torn between preserving his identity and confronting Liliana's overwhelming power.
As Reijs desperately tried to fend off Liliana's relentless attacks, his mind raced back to a crucial conversation he had with Rai in a secret realm. .
[Flashback starts]
Secret Realm
Rai and Reijs sat beneath an ancient, towering tree. The wind whispered through the leaves, adding an eerie backdrop to their discussion.
Rai spoke solemnly, "Rex, this mask will seal your strength, but if you remove it in the Nirvana Realm, everyone except you will feel immense pressure, and the land within 100 meters will explode due to that pressure."
Reijs, taken aback, questioned, "Rai, are you joking?"
Rai's expression remained serious as he responded, "Have you ever seen me joking?"
Reijs sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation. "But this is so serious. Why would this happen?"
Rai explained patiently, "When you remove the mask, it will unseal all your dormant strength. The energy that has been suppressed for so long will rush out, gathering in one place and causing an explosion when released."
Regis expressed concern, "So, people near me will die?"
Rai shook his head, "No, not if they are at least 50 meters away from you. But those closer will feel greater pressure and, at most, might pass out or suffer severe mental distress, living in fear of you for the rest of their lives."
Reijs frowned, realizing the dilemma. "It's essentially the same."
Rai, however, offered a glimmer of hope. "But there is one way."
Reijs, eager for a solution, asked, "What is it?"
Rai's eyes glinted with determination. "If you can control your strength, the effect will be greatly reduced, more than you can imagine."
Reijs contemplated the idea of control. "Control? Me?"
Rai nodded firmly. "Yes, you."
Regis hesitated but then sighed, "Don't you have any other options?"
Rai's expression remained resolute. "If you don't want it, then give it back."
Reijs shook his head, realizing the importance of this power and the responsibility it entailed. "No... no... no... I will try to control myself or find another way," he vowed.
[Flashback ends]
As the memories of that conversation echoed in his mind, Reijs grappled with the realization that controlling his strength was the only way to prevent disaster. With newfound determination, he faced Liliana, resolved to harness his dormant power without revealing his identity.
Reijs couldn't shake the gravity of the situation. The potential casualties, especially in this mountainous region, weighed heavily on his mind. He realized that the consequences of unleashing his power could be catastrophic.
As Liliana stepped back, her aura still suffocating, Reijs struggled to catch his breath. She demanded, "Why are you hiding your face?"
Reijs, his voice strained, implored, "Don't remove the mask here, or you will regret it."
Liliana's curiosity was relentless. "Regret? Why? Tell me who you are!"
Reijs countered with a question of his own, "Why are you so obsessed with knowing who I am?"
Liliana pressed on, "Then what were you doing around our village?"
Reijs, his mind racing, reiterated his explanation, "I told you, I was lost while trying to find another village."
Liliana scoffed, not buying his story. "Don't take us for fools. There is no village within 500 meters of this remote forest, except ours."
Reijs was taken aback. He mumbled to himself, "Rai said there was a village. Was he talking about this one?"
Liliana, growing impatient, demanded, "What are you mumbling?"
Reijs decided to get to the point, his eyes locked onto hers. "Are you the Werewolf Lord?"
Liliana hesitated but then asked, "Why do you want to know?"
Reijs admitted, "I was only trying to find him."
Liliana, a smirk on her face, taunted, "You're talking about the Lord when you can't even defeat me."
Reijs stood silently, his dark blue aura intensifying, and a newfound determination emanating from him. He was no longer breathing heavily, his posture erect despite his wounds. With an air of confidence, he proposed, "If I defeat you, you tell me."
Liliana couldn't help but wonder what had changed. She furrowed her brow in confusion, thinking, "Changed, but what changed? Why can't I sense it?"
Jareth, observing the situation, chimed in, "It's just like before... No, even stronger than before."
Inside, Reijs struggled to control his immense power, seeking to unleash only a fraction of it. "Control your strength, release just a bit of it... Think of good things... Cool yourself... My strength, listen to me this once, aid me," he silently pleaded.
Summoning her courage, Liliana gathered her aura into her claws and launched a straight-ahead attack without hesitation.
Reijs raised his head, his navy blue eyes glowed, filled with anger and rage. As Liliana moved to strike him, he deftly blocked her fist with one hand, pulling her toward him. She attempted to attack with her other hand, but Reijs swiftly caught her second arm, refusing to let her go.
Jareth, witnessing his lord in peril, readied himself to intervene, but Reijs deftly shifted both of Liliana's arms behind her back, firmly holding them with one hand. His other hand secured her neck. The tables had turned, and Reijs now held the upper hand.
Reijs tightened his grip on Liliana's neck, his voice laced with a chilling threat. "Don't come closer, or else I will break her neck."
Liliana, despite the pressure on her neck, bravely urged Jareth, "Don't worry about me. Attack him!"
Jareth hesitated but ultimately chose to trust his lord's judgment. "But, Lord..."
Reijs, unyielding, tightened his grip on Liliana's neck further, causing her to cough. He demanded, "Just tell me, are you the Werewolf Lord or not?"
Liliana, struggling to speak, questioned, "Why do you want to know?"
Reijs persisted, "Just tell me," his grip growing even tighter, and Liliana's discomfort increasing.
Jareth interjected, "She is not."
Reijs, still skeptical, countered, "How can I believe you?"
Liliana implored Jareth, "Stop it, Jareth."
Reijs pressed for answers, "Tell me."
Jareth, with conviction in his voice, explained, "The Real Lord is kidnapping people—humans and Risens alike. We are against it, so we're hiding in this remote village. Everyone here is protecting themselves from those who seek to harm us. You can ask them, they will vouch for us this time."
Reijs sighed, realizing the misunderstanding. "You should have told me this sooner."
Liliana, feeling embarrassed, demanded, "Let me go now."
Reijs, his eyes gleaming with mischief, replied with a sly smile, "No, I won't."
Liliana, not one to give up easily, exerted her strength and forced him to release his grip. She moved away, wary of any sudden moves. "You... you let me go," she said, her voice filled with both relief and caution.
Reijs advised, "Stop moving, or we'll both fall down."
Liliana's continued struggle inadvertently led to her hitting Reijs' injured arm, causing him to wince in pain. Their uncontrolled movements led to them tumbling to the ground once more, and in the midst of the chaos, their lips touched once again.
Liliana hastily sat back, flustered, and muttered, "My second..."
Reijs, however, burst into laughter, his joy evident in his sparkling eyes and relieved expression. Liliana, witnessing this unexpected reaction, blushed and chastised herself, thinking, "Beautiful...
No, Liliana, come to your senses."
Reijs, still smiling, assured her, "I'm not your enemy. So relax and let me... relax too."
With those words, he suddenly lost consciousness, leaving Liliana and Jareth to assess his condition.
Liliana leaned closer to Reijs, checking his breathing. "He's okay, just unconscious," she reported.
Jareth, ever cautious, suggested, "Lord, let's see his face now."
Liliana hesitated, recalling Reijs' earlier pleas not to remove his mask. She smiled and reasoned, "Let it be. He said he's not our enemy. He'll tell us the truth when the time comes."
Jareth, concerned, pressed the issue, "But, Lord, what if..."
Liliana interrupted, her tone resolute, "Once was not good, but it doesn't mean that doing it again won't be. Let's trust him this once."
Jareth nodded, respecting Liliana's decision. "As you wish, my Lord."
Liliana called out to Gina, who emerged from the woods. "Gina!"
Gina approached, her expression filled with concern. "My Lord, he is too powerful. It's very risky."
Liliana smiled, her resolve unwavering. "Gina, I don't know why, but this time, let me take the risk."
Gina sighed but acknowledged, "You are our Lord. It's your call."
"Great! Take him back and look after him. When he wakes up, call me. There are many things I want to ask him," Liliana said, her eyes glowing with relief.
Gina replied, "Understood."
Liliana instructed Jareth, "Jareth, you go with her."
Jareth complied, picking up Reijs and carrying him as Gina followed. They headed towards the city.
Liliana gazed at the uncertain sky, pondering, "Don't know what will happen in the future." She touched her lips, where their accidental kisses had occurred, and whispered, "You are my first. Don't betray me." Her thoughts were filled with anticipation and uncertainty as she awaited Reijs' return and the answers he would provide.