It was quite dark in the room.
The lamp on the table was off, and only the faint glow from the window provided any illumination.
Rael was lying on the bed, his both hands were under his head, and he was looking at the ceiling.
The silence in the room was deafening, and the only sound he could hear was his own breathing.
Phew!
He breathed out and closed his eyes, his body relaxed.
It was almost midnight, and the time seemed to pass by very slowly.
He was supposed to be sleeping, but he couldn't sleep.
His mind was full of thoughts and worries. He was thinking about the past events and also about the future that was gonna come.
'Gods will come soon. And, here I am, who can't even defeat a dragon.'
'I have to become stronger.'
'But, how?'
He had so many questions in his mind, but no answers.
He didn't know what to do or what was the right choice.
He was at a crossroads and didn't know which path to take.
'I can't keep doing this.'
'I have to do something.'
'Anything, to make myself stronger.'
His thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he didn't know what was the right thing to do.
'What if, I fail again at protecting her?'
'I can't bear it, if something happens to her.'
'She means too much to me.'
He opened his eyes and sat up.
'I must use every means to protect her.'
'No matter what.'
He looked at his right hand and the bracelet, the Space Distortion Bracelet (S) that was shining faintly in the moonlight.
"Alice," He called out, his voice low and quiet.
A sudden purple light shone from the bracelet, and Alice appeared right in front of him.
"You called?" Alice asked, her voice soft and melodious.
"Alice," Rael whispered, his tone solemn.
"Yeah, I am here." She smiled, her eyes warm.
"Will you stay with me tonight? Just for tonight?" He asked, his voice full of emotion.
"Sure," She nodded and grabbed the string of her clothes from her left shoulder.
She was wearing a simple white dress, which had no sleeves.
She pulled the string, and her left shoulder was bare, her skin pale and smooth.
Her left breast was exposed, her nipple pink and perky.
"Alice," He looked at her, his eyes filled with sadness and longing.
"What are you doing?" He asked, his brows furrowed.
"I am removing my clothes," she replied, her tone matter-of-fact.
"What for?" His voice was trembling, his heart beating fast.
"To sleep, you told me, to stay with you, so that we can sleep together, right?" She replied, her gaze curious.
"Yes, but..." He trailed off, "I meant, can you please, just lie next to me, and not remove your clothes," his voice was barely a whisper, his eyes full of sadness and longing.
"Oh," Alice nodded and re-adjusted her dress and covered her body.
"Sorry, I was misunderstanding," she murmured, her cheeks flushed.
"It's fine," he sighed and fell back onto the bed.
"Come, sleep next to me," he gestured, his voice low and soothing.
"Okay,"
Alice laid down beside him, and snuggled closer to him, her head resting on his chest.
"Alice," he breathed, his hand wrapping around her body.
"Hmmm," she murmured, her eyes closed.
"Just hold me, please," his voice was full of pain, and she could feel his heart beating fast.
"I just remembered something, and I just want someone, who can hold me and tell me everything will be alright."
"Even though, I know that everything is not okay,"
"That's why, just hold me,"
His voice was shaking, his arms tightening around her.
"I will," she whispered, her voice calm and gentle.
"I will always be here for you," she murmured, her hand resting on his chest.
"Always,"
They stayed like that, hugging each other, their bodies close, their breathing slow and steady.
They were lying there, under the moonlight, their eyes closed, their minds drifting off.
Time seemed to have stopped, and the world was quiet as if holding its breath.
There was a peaceful silence between them, and they were basking in each other's warmth and comfort.
'If just, at that time, I had been stronger.'
'Then, maybe, everything would have been different.'
'Maybe, we could have had a different ending.'
'Maybe, she wouldn't have...'
'She wouldn't have left me.'
'I have to be strong enough, to protect her.'
'To not repeat the same mistake.'
'Never again.'
'Never.'
Rael's eyes were filled with determination, his resolve firm and resolute.
"I promise, I will not fail this time,"
His voice was barely a whisper, his lips pressed together.
He looked down at her and saw that she was sleeping peacefully, her face calm and relaxed.
'And you too. I promise I will not lose anyone important to me again.'
He vowed, his heart filled with resolve.
"Good night, Alice," he murmured, his lips curling up.
'Sleep well...'
'My dear Queen.'
He gently grabbed her face from his chest and placed her head on the pillow.
'You had a rough day.'
'You must be tired, and need some rest.'
He kissed her on forehead, and slowly leaned over, placing a kiss on her lips.
After that, he got up from the bed, and called out, "Luna,"
And, the guild master of the Priest guild appeared in front of him.
— Infinite Harem System —
— Slave 'Luna' has been summoned using [Dark Slave Book].
"Yes, master?" She was bowing in front of him.
Her eyes were covered by a veil, and her golden locks were flowing down her shoulders.
"Tell me, who was the one who asked you to kidnap Sera?" his voice was calm, but his tone was icy cold.
"It was Dragon Slayer, master,"
"He asked me to do it, and told me that he would pay a big reward if I succeeded." Luna's voice was steady, and she was still bowing.
"Take me to where that fucker is at right now," Rael's eyes were burning with rage, his fists clenched.
"Yes, master," She nodded and took a step forward.
"Let's go,"
Rael grabbed her hand, and they vanished from the place.
The only thing left behind was the cold and lonely atmosphere.
'Dragon Slayer, huh?'
'So, you are the one behind everything.'
'I will kill you for sure.'
'I will fucking murder you, you bastard.'