Chapter 93
A small tremor pulsed beneath his palm, not merely from Aldraya's body, but from the waves of uncertainty radiating from the core of her existence.
In his mind, countless possibilities tangled together, including the darkest fear.
That this sensation of pain was not a simple physical reaction, but an echo of something far greater, unfamiliar, and possibly born from the Sa that had been forced to awaken far beyond its natural limits.
He stared closely at Aldraya's face, a face that remained expressionless yet now distorted by an invisible pressure.
Theo remembered vividly how Aldraya had wielded Sa Fides Regnat in the previous battle, how the Administrator seed inside her responded too obediently and too strongly, as though unaware of the concept of limits or caution.
And as he held Aldraya's shoulders to keep her upright, the image of her Sa potential being boosted ten thousand percent by his own strike pierced his thoughts.
Power of that magnitude was not only difficult to control, but capable of tearing the boundaries between body and energy until their fragments carried wounds no human language could describe.
The space around them felt taut, as though an unseen field gathered around Aldraya's head, forcing Theo to measure the situation with instincts birthed half from strength and half from an affection he refused to acknowledge.
He tried reading Aldraya's breath, the movement of her energy flow, the subtle imbalance that emerged when Sa exceeded its safe threshold.
In the hush, he felt his fear condense, becoming something heavy and thick.
The two of them stood as though caught between two layers of reality, with Theo as the only anchor trying to keep Aldraya from sinking deeper into the core of a pain she could not explain.
'I need your honesty now, Aldraya.If your body is overreacting because of my strike earlier, I must understand the symptoms before they worsen.'
Emmmh!
'Don't hide anything. Even if the pain is small, tell me.Don't make me guess like this.'
In a span of time that felt far longer than it truly was, Aldraya remained silent, offering no gesture capable of easing the turmoil inside Theo's mind.
The silence around them became a space saturated with grim possibilities, and Theo traced each second with an anxiety that paled his reason.
He imagined every potential side effect from using Sa beyond expectation, especially after its potential had been amplified far beyond what a human body should endure.
His assumptions spun like a wild current, touching things he could not confirm yet could not ignore entirely.
A slight movement of Aldraya's shoulders, shaken by Theo's panicked grip, shattered a fragment of the atmosphere's balance.
Theo never meant to hurt her, but his fear rendered his actions too forceful, too abrupt.
Fifteen seconds felt like an empty stretch that swallowed time, and throughout, Aldraya remained bent, clutching her head with her left hand, as though trapped in a storm only she could feel.
Theo waited for any sign—something he could hold onto—while his thoughts replayed questions that never found answers.
Then in a nearly soundless moment, Aldraya slowly lifted her head.
Her movement was not rushed, nor did it reflect clear recovery, yet there was a faint firmness in the way she straightened her posture.
Her gaze, always empty and devoid of emotion since the beginning, returned to Theo with a calmness that made the moment even harder to predict.
Theo was still holding her shoulders, their faces close enough to feel each other's breath, yet that closeness brought no warmth.
There were only two pairs of eyes meeting, both drifting in uncertainties no words could fully express.
For a moment, the world felt too quiet.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be disrespectful.
I just panicked earlier, that's all.
It wasn't because of something sacred or anything like that.
I was only worried."
"What do you mean?"
"I truly just reacted instinctively.You looked like you were in pain, so I—"
"Is everything you just said referring to that?"
"...."
Theo slowly released his grip, allowing Aldraya's shoulders to slip free from the grasp formed by his spontaneous fear.
The movement was not a retreat or regret, but a way of affirming that everything he had done was born from reflexive concern, not an attempt to cross boundaries that should be protected between his hands and Aldraya's existence.
He stood still for a moment, adjusting his distance and posture, realizing his suddenness could be misunderstood, and internally reassuring himself that there was no room for anything personal or sacred between them at this moment.
Aldraya remained silent for a while, then her expressionless eyes blinked quickly, as if processing something far beyond the reach of ordinary logic.
Her gaze carried neither curiosity nor annoyance, demanding neither explanation nor emotional clarity.
Her head tilted slightly to the right, maintaining a rigid expressionless line, as though placing herself in the role of an observer evaluating actions without involving herself.
There was no sign of anger.
No hint of irritation.
Only a flat calmness that made the moment feel almost sterile.
In that silence, a question left Aldraya's lips without emotional weight.
She wanted to know Theo's intention, to clarify each word and movement that had just occurred, yet her question was delivered from a distance untouched by personal feelings or concern.
Her gaze held back all possible interpretations, confirming that their interaction still lingered on the level of observation and logical verification, not the emotionally charged conversations of ordinary humans.
Theo, despite his confusion and panic, realized that every intention now had to pass through patience and caution, not mere impulse.
Aldraya remained still, waiting for his answer.
'Something is off. Your response doesn't match the pain you showed earlier.'
"Earlier, something obstructed our departure.
Even though you drove them away, afterward you felt a headache.
That's why I approached and questioned you too much."
Theo recognized an oddness he could no longer overlook.
There was a subtle ripple from Aldraya's body indicating tension beyond simple physical pain, and his mind demanded clarity before that uncertainty grew further.
With that awareness, he restrained his impulses, choosing to shape his words to sound sincere without provoking misunderstanding.
Every movement of his lips and thread of thought was directed toward bridging the gap of misinterpretation that might arise between them.
As he spoke, Theo recalled every second that had halted their advance.
Something had blocked their path—an external disturbance that restrained the journey they were meant to take.
Aldraya, with all the abilities embedded within her, had repelled that interference, yet the consequences could not be ignored.
The headache she felt became a trace of energy released too forcefully, a residue of effort beyond reasonable limits, and this was what made Theo approach and steady himself by offering a temporary hold.
In the quiet honesty that subtly revealed the depth of Theo's concern, he understood that his actions were not merely responses to Aldraya's pain, but an acknowledgment of her capabilities and limits.
The clarification he offered was not conveyed through harsh words or excessive gestures, but through distance and posture that balanced care with respect.
He affirmed himself as a gentle observer, not a dominator or a seeker of validation, and it was this that allowed their interaction to remain on the thin line between attention and vigilance.
To be continued…