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Raiden sat on the roof of his new castle high above the sleeping city of Bialya, with the stars scattered across the endless sky. There were no sounds in the night except those rare ones that gave him a single moment of solitude yet his mind wasn't still. His gaze moved across the night, star after star, in search of some sort of answer and found nothing.
It was the soft sound of footsteps, unmistakable in their silence. Scáthach, as always, moved with the grace of a shadow, her presence unyielding, unflinching. She sat beside him in silence, relaxed in her posture but not in her gaze, which watched him staring into the night.
After a moment of silence, Scáthach broke it. "Something has been consuming you, Raiden." She shot a sideways glance his way"You have been different lately; more aggressive, more distant. What is really going on?
Raiden sighed, not taking his eyes off the stars. "I'm just... worried about the world," he admitted. "Darkseid, his threat….it's always hanging over me. I can't shake the feeling that we're running out of time, that I'm not doing enough to prepare."
Scáthach watched him, trying to read his inscrutable expression. "You are concerned about Darkseid, yes, but there is more…..something deeper. This aggression, it is not all about outside threats. I think it has something to do with the scar on your chest." She leaned in, her voice dropping deadpan serious. "What have you done about it? How far are you in the healing process?"
Raiden's jaw clenched slightly, and he finally turned to meet her gaze, the weight of his frustration evident in his eyes. "None of the Servants could figure it out. Every attempt to trace its origin has come to naught. It's as if the wound itself defies reason-it's not a curse, not an injury. I don't even know what it is. Without knowing that, how the hell am I supposed to heal it?"
Scáthach narrowed her eyes, her concern marked though her face didn't change. "That scar… it's doing more than just leaving a mark on your body. It's affecting you…..your temper, your judgment. I've seen how quickly you've been to anger, how much weight you place on force lately. You need to control it, Raiden….Before it's too late"
Raiden expelled a hard breath, his frustration evident in his voice. "You think I don't know that? I'm trying, Scáthach. But every day, this thing is burning inside me, and I don't know if it's getting worse, or I'm just losing my grip."
Scáthach didn't say anything for a moment before her voice gentled, though the weight of authority was still there within. "There's something else you need to confront, Raiden. You haven't been back home….not truly. Not since the fight with your girlfriends a few months ago." Her words hit with the precision of a blade, direct and unflinching. "You've only spoken to them in passing, nothing beyond surface level talks or discussions about Zephyr. It's time to go back. Time to apologize."
Raiden's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing further into her words. "I didn't realize that you're counting my relationship failures, Scáthach. I've got enough on my plate."
She returned calmly, "I have no interest in your 'relationships', however, I'm here to remind you that even kings need emotional support. And right now, you're not letting them in. You're walking alone in this fight, carrying all the weight of the world while shoving away the very people who can help you bear it"
Raiden's fists were clenched, but he kept his voice controlled. "You think I don't know that? I've got responsibilities. Bigger things than….."
"Than your loved ones?" Scáthach cut him off, her words sharpening ever so slightly. "They are your strength, Raiden. You know that. You can't rule a kingdom if you lose sight of your home. You've made a habit of using strength to solve your problems, but this. this requires something else. It requires humility. Apologizing is not a weakness…..not when it's about family and loved ones"
Hearing that, Raiden sighed, deep down he agreed, and knew….He had to do something about it
...….
Raiden stood outside the living room to his own family section in the castle, he owned the entire castle, half of the world, yet what lay beyond this door, was more important to him than all of that, and it was not only important, but a challenge, Apologizing to Kori and Raven felt like being confronted with a challenge greater than any battle.
He raised a hand toward the door, hesitated as doubt clawed at him. 'What if they don't understand? What if I've pushed them too far?' but the words of his Shishou reverberated on his mind "They are your strength."
He finally turned the knob, taking a deep breath, and stepped inside.The living room voices of Kori and Raven were there, their familiarity was comforting, yet daunting.
Raiden strode into the room, his heart still echoing through his chest. Raven was seated cross-legged on the couch, a book lying open in her lap. Kori stood near the window, peering out at the city below. They both turned as he came in.
"Hey," he said, his voice so much more casual than he was feeling.
Kori flown to him, smiling, bright energy warm as sunlight. "Raiden! You're home early!" Her arms laced around him in a little affectionate hug, her heat pressed against him, making him feel at him, Raven gave him a little, knowing smile, her calm demeanor a pronounced contrast to Kori's vibrant excitement.
"We weren't expecting you until later," Raven said, laying her book down. There was softness in her tone, which spoke volumes of him already sensing something deeper beneath his urbane facade.
Raiden forced a smile through. "Yeah, I finished early," he returned, scrubbing the back of his neck as Kori pulled back and floated beside Raven. "Just wanted to come by and see you two."
They shared a brief moment of eye-lock, one of those silent communications that only they knew with each other, and then Kori slid over, making room for Raven at his side. Raiden felt the weight of their gazes upon him, and for a few moments, he was torn, unsure of where or how to start.
The silence extended a bit longer than he had planned. He looked at them, Kori bright and full of life, and Raven calm, though with that steady understanding in her gaze. It struck him how much they meant to him, and how little he'd shown that these last few months. The hesitation gnawed at him once more, but this time he fought through it.
"I.... I need to apologize," Raiden finally said, his voice softer now, devoid of the confident tone he was so used to projecting. "I know I haven't been the best partner lately. I've been distant and I've barely been present...not really, anyway. Not for you, not for us."
Kori cocked her head to one side, the smile falling from her face as concern etched its way onto her features. "Raiden, we know you've had a lot on your mind, with everything going on in the world. It's not easy….."
"I'm not talking about the world," he cut in softly. "I'm talking about me. The way I've been acting, shutting you both out, focusing on everything but us. I've been. afraid." His eyes met theirs, and he felt the lump in his throat. "Afraid of losing you. Afraid of losing everything."
Raven's brow furrowed, her composed exterior breaking slightly as she sat up. "Losing us? Raiden, we're not going anywhere"
Kori floated closer to him, her eyes wide with emotion. "Raiden, we love you we would never abandon you."
Raiden ran a hand through his hair as the words tumbled out faster now that the dam was broken. "I know that... but I've felt it slipping away. So focused on protecting everyone, trying to prevent the worst, and I haven't stopped to think about how that's affecting you two. I've been distant, angry, and I don't want to be that person with you two"
He looked between them, his voice gruff. "You're my everything. And the thought of losing you. it scares me more than anything else. More than any battle, more than any enemy I've ever faced."
The room was silent as his words lay across them. Kori's eyes were doing their shimmering thing, and even Raven, so cold and unyielding, couldn't mask a glimpse of vulnerability across her features.
She floated into his arms in silence, tucking him in with a tight hug, her warmth circling around him, Raven stood and wrapped them both in her embrace, grounding them with her touch. They held him close, no words spoken at first, just the simple act of being there, of holding him close.
Kori leaned back a little, hands framing his face as the tears shone in her eyes. "Raiden, we're here. We'll always be here. You don't have to bear the burden of the world all by yourself."
Raven nodded, voice soft. "You've been trying to protect everyone, but you need to let us protect you too. We're not just here for the good moments. We're here for you."
Raiden held both Kori and Raven close, letting their warmth soothe his turbulent mind. Their words, their love…it grounded him. For the first time in weeks, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. But there was something else stirring inside….something bold
Kori broke the silence with a gentle smile. "We'll always be here, Raiden. You don't have to go through this alone."
Raven, still resting her head on his shoulder, added softly, "We're not going anywhere. You're stuck with us."
Raiden let out a deep breath, nodding as the weight of their love settled in. And then, as if a light flickered on in his mind, a mischievous grin spread across his face. Before he could stop himself, the words came out with playful intensity, "Then we need to be married!"
Both women looked at him in surprise, blinking as if they hadn't quite heard him right.
Kori tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What?"
Raiden stepped back slightly, his grin widening. "You heard me. We should get married. Why wait? If I'm gonna be the king of the world, then you two should be its queens!"
Raven raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into an amused smile. "You're serious, aren't you?"
Kori's mouth broke into a wide smile, her excitement barely contained. "Married? As in now? YES! love it!" She practically bounced in place, her golden eyes gleaming with joy. "Why didn't we think of this earlier?!"
Raiden shrugged, chuckling as he pulled them both in closer again. "Guess it took me a while to do this,. But why not? It's about time, don't you think?"
Raven crossed her arms, pretending to be aloof but failing as a small smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "Married to a king, huh? That sounds... Interesting."
Raiden laughed, shaking his head. "With the two of you by my side, it's going to be perfect. And besides," he winked, "I'd rather have queens who can kick some serious ass."
Kori giggled, wrapping her arms around Raiden's neck and leaning in. "I've always liked the sound of 'Queen Koriand'r' more than Princess!… and it has a nice ring to it! And…..with 'Queen Raven' by my side! We could be 'Sister Queens'!"
Raven shook her head but couldn't hide her smile. "You're really going for this, aren't you?"
Raiden looked between them, his grin broadening. "Absolutely. So what do you say?"
Kori was already nodding enthusiastically. "Yes! A thousand times yes!"
Raven rolled her eyes but then leaned in, kissing Raiden gently before whispering, "Yes. But I swear, Raiden, If you make me wear one of those poofy dresses, I will never forgive you!"
Raiden chuckled, his eyes glinting with a playful fire. "Oh, Now I want to do that even more, Now then Ladies! I have to prove my worth to you two"
Before either could respond, he swept both women into his arms with surprising ease, causing Kori to giggle and Raven to let out a rare, amused laugh.
"What are you doing?" Raven asked, her voice filled with faux suspicion as she raised an eyebrow.
Raiden grinned mischievously and slapped Raven's ass. "Carrying my future queens to their chambers. I think a certain king has some... royal duties to attend to tonight."
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If you Like this story! Check out my other story! One Piece: Elden Lord!
and
If you wish to read more or simply support me just because ? than check out my patréon at
"https://www.patréon.com/Riadooo"
Don't forget to change "é" to "e"