5. Arc 1: Victor's Flight

Victor's heart was cold, but his head was hot. Nora was all he had. "Let her go."

Warren raised an eyebrow, still inspecting the little seedling. He checked her shoots over carefully, as if he was a gardener checking for rot or insects.

Nora was frightened, shaking all over like a baby bunny, but even so, she didn't forget to appreciate Warren's beauty.

'So. . .close. Victor, he's so pretty. And he's so gentle with my shoots, he's not pinching at all,' she sighed.

Victor bit the inside of his lip until it bled. His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to snatch Nora back, but. . .Warren was an Earth Deity. If he didn't want Victor to touch him, he wouldn't even be able to get close.

Therefore, all Victor could do was swallow his pride, soften his tone, and plead. "Please. . .give her back, Warren. Please."

Warren, ". . ." On the outside, he remained stoic, as if indifferent. But inside, Warren was a little shaken. Such a soft voice and words. . .how long had it been since Victor spoke to him like that? Too long. Warren had forgotten how Victor's submissive side made him feel. The hand that wasn't holding Nora clenched so tight it could have shattered stone.

"No," Warren said with some difficulty. In the blink of an eye, he had stuffed Nora into a pocket. Far from complaining, Nora was delighted.

'Oh. . .' she said. Victor grimaced.

Victor and Warren watched each other warily for a solid minute, waiting for the other to make a move, like wild animals circling each other. Finally, Victor cleared his throat and slowly sat on the bench closest to him. Warren watched him a few seconds longer, as if not believing that Victor could be obedient. He sat back down as well, facing Victor.

"What exactly do you want?" Victor asked. "To apologize?"

Warren contemplated this in silence for a moment. "No. I won't apologize. Not for that."

Disbelief clouded Victor's face. He wouldn't apologize? Not even for. . .Victor took a deep breath.

"Then what else is there? If you won't apologize then what else do you want from me?"

Warren hesitated. "I want. . .I want you to stop being mad at me."

He wants Victor to stop being mad at him? For the past, or for right now? He wasn't really making any progress on that front no matter which it was. Victor was livid. So angered, he could hardly unclench his jaw to force out a reply.

Finally, through gritted teeth, he spat, "how the **** do you expect me to stop being mad if you don't apologize?"

Warren kept silent. He wasn't the best at picking up facial cues, but Victor's left eyebrow was spasming and Warren knew that only happened when he was angry enough to get violent.

Victor wasn't a violent person by nature. Warren knew this. There had probably only been two times in Victor's entire life, including this one, where he had been angry enough to want to hit another person, and Warren was the cause of both of them.

Victor was cursing the man in front of him endlessly. If he wasn't so much older, Victor would have probably beat the man half to death in his last lifetime.

After all, the only thing really separating Victor and Warren, in terms of power, was spiritual accumulation. Earth Deities had over five hundred years of spiritual accumulation. Victor had only ninety years. Warren, he knew, was well into the thousands.

Victor closed his eyes. The very sight of Warren was tinting his vision red. "Then give my seedling back. There's nothing else to talk about."

Warren didn't move. He didn't even blink, seeming to be working through something. Victor was about to yell at him, but he suddenly spoke up.

"I regret your suffering," he said finally. "I do. But I won't apologize for my actions. It was necessary."

It. Was. Necessary? Victor tried to remain calm. At the very least, he didn't want to completely lose his dignity in front of this man. "Why?" he asked.

Victor paused. What was the use in asking why? Warren didn't give reasons. He had asked the impossible question.

As expected, Warren didn't answer his question. Instead, he said, "I will keep your sprout for now. Rest assured, I won't hurt her. Come meet me at the Rachat hotel in a few days. I will definitely earn your forgiveness then."

Victor's eyes drifted to the pocket where Nora was kept. He couldn't. He wouldn't leave without Nora.

Though Nora couldn't see what was happening, she could feel the tension.

'It's okay, Victor. I'll be fine. I can't sense any ill intentions off this guy. He won't hurt me,' she said.

'I know he won't.'

Nora was startled. Isn't that why he wasn't agreeing? 'Oh. Then what's the problem? Just come get me in a few days. It'll give me more time to. . .appreciate Sir Earth Deity.'

'I don't want to leave you.'

Nora understood. She and Victor hadn't separated once in ninety years. Without the other, they almost didn't know how to function. But they would have to.

'I know, sweetie. It's just a few days. Just pretend I'm taking a power nap.'

Nora sometimes took naps for weeks at a time. Because she was such a small sprout, with such a high spiritual accumulation, her body was occasionally worn out and she needed to sleep to repair.

Victor sighed. '. . .Alright.'

Victor met Warren's eyes, glaring. "Fine. See you there."

Warren just nodded with his usually expressionless face. Then in the next moment, he was gone, taking Nora away with him. Victor drooped on the bench once he was out of sight. His head sank down to rest on his knees.

He was alone. Such a strange feeling. He hadn't been alone since he was still alive and living in these apartments, tending to the garden and working nights at the diner, barely making enough money to pay rent.

Fate really has a way of fucking people over.

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