Chapter 131: Apologies

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Apologies

POV Switch: Daniel

Paul was running toward him.

His face was pale. His eyes were wide. His body was broken. He was bleeding. He was exhausted. He was terrified.

Behind him was a man. A tall man. A broad man. A powerful man. His fists were wreathed in flames. His eyes were burning with rage. His footsteps cracked the ground.

"Daniel!" Paul shouted. "Run!"

Daniel didn’t run.

He stood there. His hands were in his pockets. His expression was calm. His eyes were cold.

He looked at Paul. At his broken body. At his bleeding face. At his exhausted eyes.

He looked at Cheeky. At her cracked iron skin. At her trembling body. At her scared face.

He looked at the man. At his flames. At his rage. At his power.

He spoke.

"Did he hurt you?"

Paul blinked. "What?"

"Did he hurt you? The man with the flames. Did he hurt you?"

Paul stared at him. His mouth was open. His eyes were wide.

"Are you deaf?" he shouted. "Run!"

Daniel didn’t run.

He looked at Paul’s injuries. At his bruises. At his cuts. At his burns.

"Who hurt you?" he asked.

Paul screamed. "Run!"

Daniel looked at the man. At his flames. At his rage. At his power.

"He did it, right?" Daniel asked.

Paul stared at him. His face was a mask of disbelief.

"Yes!" he shouted. "He did it! And he will do the same to you if you don’t run!"

Daniel didn’t run.

He stood there. His hands were in his pockets. His expression was calm. His eyes were cold.

"I’m not going anywhere," he said.

Paul blinked. "What?"

"Without my apology."

Paul stared at him. His mouth was open. His eyes were wide.

"What the fuck?" he whispered. "Did your dad never apologize to your mom or something?"

Daniel looked at him. His expression didn’t change. But his eyes were colder now.

"That joke is too far," he said.

Paul flinched. He raised his hands. He stepped back.

"Okay," he said. "Okay. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just don’t want to die."

Daniel smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

"See?" he said. "You apologized."

Paul stared at him. His mouth was open. His eyes were wide.

He face-palmed himself. He was still standing there. He had stopped running. Cheeky was beside him. She had stopped too.

Daniel looked at them. At their broken bodies. At their exhausted faces.

"Go take a break," he said.

Paul blinked. "What?"

"Take a break. Both of you. I’m going to go get you an apology."

Paul stared at him. "I don’t need one."

"I know. But I want one."

"You want one?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he hurt you."

Paul was silent. He looked at Daniel. At his calm face. At his cold eyes. At his determined expression.

"You’re insane," he whispered.

Daniel smiled. "I know."

Cheeky was still standing there. She was shy. She was nervous. She didn’t speak. She just looked at Daniel. At his calm face. At his confident posture.

The flame man stopped running. He stood there. He was breathing hard. His flames were still burning.

He was about to speak.

Daniel shouted first.

"Oh right! Lyra and that dumbass Brick Head are running my way!"

He turned. He looked to his left.

Lyra and Brick Head were running toward him. Behind them was a mob. A mob with weapons. A mob with anger.

Daniel was about to turn back.

Then someone jumped on him.

It was Lyra.

She wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him tight. Her face pressed against his chest. Her body pressed against his.

Daniel froze.

He felt her warmth. Her heartbeat. Her breath. He felt her chest pressing against his. He felt her arms around his neck. He felt her legs around his waist.

He was in cloud nine.

He was trying hard not to wake his little brother. It would be disgraceful after his cool guy act.

Lyra pulled back. She looked at him. Her eyes were wet. Her face was red.

"I was so worried," she said. "I thought you were dead."

Daniel smiled. A warm, gentle smile.

"I’m not dead," he said.

"I know. But I was worried."

"I know."

He patted her head. She leaned into his touch. She closed her eyes.

Then Fluffy spoke.

"Pretty lady!"

Lyra looked at her. "Fluffy?"

"Fluffy has a new best friend!"

Lyra blinked. "What?"

Fluffy gestured at Mittens. Mittens was standing behind her. She was shy. She was nervous. She waved.

"This is Mittens," Fluffy said. "Fluffy’s new best friend."

Lyra stared at Mittens. At her cat ears. At her cat tail. At her small form.

"What about me?" Lyra asked.

Fluffy tilted her head. "What about you?"

"Am I not your best friend?"

Fluffy thought about it. "Pretty lady is too big."

Lyra’s eye twitched. "What?"

"Pretty lady is too big. Fluffy is small. Mittens is small. Fluffy and Mittens are same size."

Lyra stared at her. Her mouth was open. Her eyes were wide.

"That’s... that’s insulting," she said. "To a woman."

Fluffy tilted her head. "What?"

"Calling a woman big is insulting."

"Fluffy didn’t call pretty lady big. Fluffy said pretty lady is too big."

"That’s the same thing!"

"It’s not."

"It is!"

Fluffy shook her head. "Pretty lady is confusing."

Lyra groaned. She looked at Daniel. Her eyes were pleading.

"Tell her," she said.

Daniel was still recovering. He was breathing hard. His face was red. His body was trembling.

"Tell her what?" he asked.

"That I’m not big!"

Daniel looked at her. At her desperate face. At her pleading eyes.

"You’re not big," he said.

Lyra nodded. She looked at Fluffy.

"See?"

Fluffy tilted her head. "But pretty lady is big."

Lyra groaned again.

Brick Head was standing nearby. He was giving a random speech to Paul. Paul was ignoring him. He was too tired. Too broken. Too done.

The crowd that was chasing them ran away. They had seen the flame man. They had seen his fire. They had seen his rage.

They didn’t want to be involved.

The flame man stood there. He was watching. His flames were still burning. His eyes were still glowing.

"What’s this bullshit?" he demanded. "Are you related to this too? Yes or no. If your answer is yes, you will all die. So answer wisely."

Daniel stepped forward.

His harem was at his back. His harem was at his side.

Lyra was beside him. Her guns were drawn. Her eyes were sharp.

Fluffy was beside her. Her daggers were drawn. Her eyes were fierce.

Cheeky was behind him. Her metal was swirling. Her eyes were determined.

Mittens was behind her. She was scared. She was trembling. But she was there.

Paul was beside him. His wind was flickering. His eyes were tired. But he was there.

Brick Head was behind him. His fists were raised. His eyes were determined. He was there too.

Daniel looked at the flame man. At his flames. At his rage. At his power.

He spoke. Just one word.

"Apologies."