Luvania sat across from Arfrotian, watching him with an intense curiosity that was unlike anything she had ever felt. Here was a man who, despite the immense power that radiated from him, showed no desire to break free from his prison or wreak havoc on her megaverse. He had the ability to annihilate everything around him, yet he remained still, composed, almost indifferent to the world around him. His calmness both intrigued and unsettled her.
As she observed him, she couldn't help but ask the question that had been nagging at her since their first encounter. Why had he come to this forsaken, icy omniverse? What was it that had drawn someone of his obvious power to this desolate place, a realm that seemed entirely devoid of life and warmth?
Luvania leaned forward slightly, her piercing ice-blue eyes locked on his. The queen of the shadow elves was not accustomed to such restraint, not from beings of power. She had met many rulers, many conquerors, but none had ever possessed the kind of patience and control that Arfrotian exhibited. She knew that most beings who ventured into this omniverse did so for personal gain, whether to seek out her people, her power, or perhaps to claim her. And yet, here he was, doing nothing but meditating in a prison, as if he didn't care about the dangers he could unleash or the opportunity to dominate her people.
"So," she asked, her voice laced with both genuine curiosity and a hint of amusement, "why did you come to this omniverse, then? I haven't seen any other life quite like yours in this frozen wasteland. What brings someone like you to a place so devoid of life?"
Arfrotian opened his eyes, meeting her gaze with the same cool detachment that had marked their entire conversation. There was no hint of arrogance, no pretension in his voice, just the simple, unassuming truth.
"It's a personal matter," he said, his voice calm, betraying no hint of emotion. "Perhaps to hone my power is why I came here."
Luvania's gaze flickered for a moment, her lips curling slightly as she processed his words. A personal matter? To hone his power? That was certainly not the answer she had expected. Most who came here—whether they were gods, emperors, or powerful rulers—sought her out for one reason or another. Her people, her body, or the power that radiated from her black ice had all been coveted. But Arfrotian didn't seem interested in any of those things. His goal was not her, nor her power. It was something deeper, something more personal. She couldn't quite grasp it.
"Oh," Luvania responded, her voice soft with a touch of intrigue, "is that why you came here? Just to hone your power?"
As if her words were a challenge, she leaned in slightly, her body language becoming more seductive, a deliberate shift. She knew her allure, the way her form could captivate any male, whether powerful or weak. But Arfrotian was different. He wasn't affected by her presence the way others were, and that fascinated her.
"You truly didn't come for me, then?" she asked, her voice low and laced with playful seduction, her eyes glinting with mischief. She posed herself in a way that displayed her body's curves, a subtle yet potent invitation for him to acknowledge her beauty. "You didn't come here to claim me, but only to improve your powers?"
Arfrotian's response was immediate and chilling. His voice, as cold as the black ice surrounding them, cut through the air like a blade.
"I don't even know you. Why would I come for someone I don't know?"
The words struck Luvania like a sudden gust of frozen wind. She had expected to be met with at least some semblance of admiration, even if only for the sake of her own ego. But Arfrotian's reply was dismissive, casual even, and it rattled her. He didn't even know her? She, the queen of the shadow elves, ruler of the black mystic megaverse, reduced to an unknown entity in his eyes. Luvania was taken aback, her usual composure faltering for a moment.
"Oh," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of surprise and mild irritation. "Well, where are you from to not know me?" She couldn't help herself. There was a childish, almost petulant edge to her voice, as though she were a little girl throwing a tantrum after being ignored. "How could someone as powerful as you not know me? I'm the queen of all the shadow elves!"
Her words were sharp, a clear sign of how rare it was for anyone to dismiss her presence in such a way. Most of those who came to her megaverse were already familiar with her reputation and sought her out for one reason or another. But Arfrotian, in his cool, unbothered demeanor, seemed completely uninterested in her. It was both frustrating and oddly refreshing for her.
Arfrotian, still unmoved by her sudden shift in tone, thought for a moment before replying. His eyes met hers again, calm and collected, and a faint hint of recognition flickered in his mind.
"Perhaps…" he began, his voice still composed, "thinking back, I think you might be Luvania?"
The name seemed to settle in the air between them like a quiet storm. Luvania's eyes widened slightly, a smile spreading across her face. It was the first time anyone had acknowledged her in such a way—without flattery, without hidden desires.
"Yes, I am Luvania," she said, her voice softening with a touch of satisfaction. "Finally, someone remembers my name."
Arfrotian said nothing in response to her declaration. He simply stared at her, unmoved. There was no recognition of her beauty, no lustful desire that most men or even powerful rulers had displayed when meeting her. It was as if her allure meant nothing to him, and for some reason, that made Luvania feel both unsettled and intrigued.
Luvania, unable to resist testing him further, smirked and leaned closer, her body now fully on display as she posed seductively before him. "You know," she said, her voice smooth and inviting, "most outside rulers come to this omniverse for one thing… for me." She allowed the words to hang in the air for a moment, letting them settle as she watched Arfrotian's reaction closely.
Her body shifted in a fluid motion, the black ice of the prison floor reflecting her every movement. "Mostly, this body of mine is what they want. And yet, here you are—someone powerful enough to break free from this prison and bring havoc to our entire shadow elf race—but you sit there, unbothered, indifferent to everything around you." She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What type of man are you?"
Arfrotian's response, when it came, was simple yet shook her to the core.
"I'm the kind of man who knows the difference between power and temptation."
His words were so stark, so chilling, that Luvania couldn't help but shiver. She had been prepared for arrogance, for boasts, or perhaps even for him to finally acknowledge her allure. But instead, Arfrotian had dismissed her entirely, seeing through her seductive gestures as if they were nothing more than a game.
His response had pierced her, making her realize that there were men who could resist the very thing she had always used to control and captivate others. She could no longer gauge him, no longer predict his desires or intentions.
Arfrotian, for all his coldness and restraint, had just made Luvania feel something she hadn't expected—vulnerability. In that moment, she wasn't the queen of the shadow elves, the ruler of the black mystic megaverse. She was simply a woman who had encountered a man who was beyond her reach.