Amon sat on the balcony, hunched slightly, his dark eyes fixed on the night sky. His face was calm, but the faint shadow of melancholy clung to it.
He reached for the bottle of wine on the table, fingers closing around the cold glass. For a moment he lingered, tempted. Then he shook his head and set it back down with a quiet sigh. In his past life, he had drowned himself in this stuff. This time around, he wanted to resist... At least, he would try. Smoking, though… no promises. This place was depressing as fuck.
The door creaked open behind him. An exotic woman stepped onto the balcony, her skin dark as polished obsidian, her long white hair damp and clinging to her shoulders like strands of silver silk. The faint moisture on her skin caught the moonlight, softening her sharp, regal features. At first glance she seemed cold, but there was a quiet warmth beneath the icy surface. Her large, luminous eyes were as deep and clear as the ocean, reflecting the same sky Amon had been staring at.
She wore a silver nightgown, one of the things that had caught Amon's attention in the Dark City back then. He had stolen it and given it to her as a gift. The fabric was silky but unremarkable in design. It was soft, smooth, and made for comfort, but draped over her, it became something else entirely. It wasn't the gown that held allure, but the woman wearing it.
Luna raised an eyebrow as she noticed him sitting on the large black chair. The chair felt grand and somehow aristocratic, though Amon himself didn't care. He had placed it on the balcony because he liked the quiet at night, and it was comfortable enough. Knowing him, he was definitely using a literal historical relic as a couch.
Shaking her head, her scarlet lips curled into a small smile as she approached from behind, wrapping her arms around him and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Her lips lingered for a moment, then she frowned.
Seeing his lack of reaction, she huffed in annoyance. Without warning, she jumped into his lap, leaning back to rest her head against his chest while crossing her arms.
Amon glanced down at her, confused, his lips parting in disbelief. Is she pouting? Seriously? He shook his head, amused.
"What is it now?" he asked, smiling.
Luna avoided his gaze, chewing on her cheek with an irritated look.
"As if you don't know!"
Amon blinked, pursing his lips in horror. Please… not this again… I don't really know, woman. I was just chilling here when you appeared.
Amon shifted, then his eyes widened. Oh no… shit, I was just lost in thought and didn't pay attention…
Clearly uncomfortable with where the mood was heading, Amon instinctively reached for a safer subject. He knew, in that moment, that if he argued back, he would lose the battle. Before it even started!
"I haven't been able to keep you company lately," he said lightly, forcing a smile. "So… how's it going?"
Luna glanced up at him, unimpressed. Her eyes narrowed, as if she could see right through his attempt to change the topic. Still, instead of snapping at him, his words latched onto her thoughts like a parasite.
Deceit ans Swindler were coming in clutch!
She sighed softly, then answered.
"Nothing special. The craftsmen are busy building siege equipment, with the Handmaidens helping them out. The hunters are gathering bones from nightmare creatures so the craftsmen can use them for weapons or structures. They're also preparing for battle. Medici told them, 'If I control the battlefield and choose where to fight, I'll control the outcome of the battle itself.' You know? Being a Red Priest and all. As for the castle guards, same as always, patrolling and keeping watch."
Her lips curled faintly, mischief flickering in her eyes. "Though… your people have become a bit famous."
That caught Amon's attention. His brows furrowed, though the corners of his mouth curved upward. "Wait. Famous? How exactly are my subordinates famous?"
Luna laughed softly. It was a pleasant, melodious sound to hear.
"Well, the sleepers are terrified of them. Honestly, you've gathered the most frightening lineup in the Forgotten Shore. Gunlaug was always a name people feared, for obvious reasons. And Harus? He's even worse. Everyone avoids him like he's a ghost. Then there's Kai and Aiko. Kai's a celebrity… well, he was a singer, with the looks to match, and he was already famous. And Aiko? She's notorious for owning a gambling den. As for Caster…"
Amon frowned as he heard Caster. Hmm… that's sus. What had he done now? Still pulling those ridiculous moves?
"…What about Caster?"
Luna's shoulders trembled. She pressed her lips together, clearly trying to hold it in, but a second later she burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… oh, you'll love this. He's kind of… a hero! Hahaha!"
Amon blinked, staring at her. Annoyance hit first, followed by a strange twinge of betrayal. No… I don't think I like this…
"A hero? That fraud? How's he the hero and not me? If anything, I'm the reason they're all still alive."
Still chuckling, Luna shrugged lazily. Her eyes were half-lidded with sleepiness, and her voice was soft but laced with amusement.
"Who knows? Maybe it's because he carried every injured sleeper to safety while the rest of us were too busy killing each other. You don't understand how popular he is. People still talk about him."
Amon rubbed his temple. He couldn't decide whether to laugh, get angry... Or against his will, feel a little proud.
"…Fine. But what about me? I must be famous too. No way people aren't praising me."
This time, Luna's smile faltered. Her lips curled into something forced, her gaze flickering as though she was bracing him. She leaned close, pressing a soft kiss against his neck, as if to cushion the blow.
"…Sleepers are mostly afraid of you. And they hate you, too. With a passion, actually. Your name's like… well, like the plague. Someone even started a rumor that just saying it might bring misfortune."
Amon was bewildered. What the fuck? What am I, Voldemort?! I still have a nose!
His thoughts spiraled, each more indignant than the last. Who was the one collecting shards? Who destroyed the damned city and wiped out the Abominations so the Crimson Terror couldn't use them? Who ordered Caster to evacuate the wounded, and who stopped the battle by dropping a fucking ship? Seven hundred of you are alive.
And that's because of me!
Still, when he thought about it, the bitterness dulled. He hadn't explained his plans to anyone. To most, he was just an unassuming boy in the background until the final battle… I think I was even called "the Leech"… so maybe it's understandable.
Meanwhile, Luna was watching his sulky, disappointed expression with far too much amusement.
"Okay, maybe your big city-burning experiment didn't make you into Tony Stark like you hoped… but hey, at least you've got the reputation of Ultron. That's something, right?"
Amon sagged deeper into the chair, looking even more dejected. I wanted to assemble the Avengers, though…
Luna's lips curved, her hand reaching up to pat his shoulder, the gesture both mocking and oddly comforting.
Amon sighed, growing even more disheartened by the rumors about him. He had at least expected to be feared but also respected. Kind of like inspiring people… So now my name's associated with snakes… not ravens!? Shit.
He gritted his teeth in displeasure. And hearing Luna giggling in his arms only added salt to the wound.
Shaking his head, he scooped Luna up from the chair as he stood. She yelped in surprise, kicking her feet as he slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Hey!" she protested, thumping his back, but he ignored her, walking inside with a thoughtful expression.
He set her down on the bed, then summoned the Campfire. Grabbing a pot, he poured in water from the Endless Spring. Next, he pulled fresh meat from Fraud's Bag, slicing it into strips and seasoning it with the spices Kido had given him.
Now that he thought about it, Kido's Aspect was absurdly useful, like having a mini Frank Freaking Lee. Hmm… actually, that's a disturbing thought.
The water began to boil. Amon dropped in vegetables and a few chunks of unseasoned meat, leaving the rest to cook on a pan.
From the bed, Luna watched him with her chin propped on her hand. Cooking wasn't her strong suit. She wasn't hopeless, but nothing she made would turn heads either. Amon, though… lazy as he was, when he did cook, it was surprisingly good. He'd vanish from kitchens for months, then casually make a meal worth remembering.
Her lips quirked. He seemed distant, lost in thought.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.
Amon furrowed his brow, eyes lingering on the simmering pot. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then his voice came calm and low.
"Nothing. Just… the past."
Luna nodded, though even she felt a shadow pass over her as the past pressed in.
"…Do you think they're here too?" she asked hesitantly, her lips pursed and sorrow flickering in her eyes.
Amon didn't answer right away. He just stared into the flames, expression taut with displeasure.
"I don't know," he finally muttered. "We're in a novel. It's fucking ridiculous, really... Haaaaa… I'll figure it out when the time comes."
Luna's eyebrow arched, her gaze dimming with concern as she noticed the way his mouth tightened. It was as if he already suspected something but wasn't certain and needed confirmation.
Luna knew that Amon hated this world. Who wouldn't? A world without your family would always feel cold and unfamiliar. It would always lack peace and comfort.
He might fool others with his jokes, his nonsense, even his fights and destruction. But never her. She saw through it: all of it was just a distraction, a way to avoid facing the ugly truth... That he might never see his family again.
Some might think he was being dramatic or emotional. But she understood better. Amon's father once said, "A man who forgets his family is worse than garbage." And Amon had never forgotten his family, nor ever would.
And that was the heart of him. He had been born into their warmth, raised in their house, taught who he was and how to live. And now, all that joy had been ripped away the moment he woke up in this cursed world.
Many people wanted power, revenge, influence, fame, wealth, or knowledge. But Amon just wanted his home.
And after he lost the most important thing in his life, it became far too easy for him to feel powerless in the face of problems too vast to solve. That was why Amon carried a constant sense of doom, hopelessness, and sadness that wasn't easy to shake. Even if he masterfully hid it all, even from himself.
To Luna, it seemed as if he was deceiving himself, refusing to face the cruel truth. His very identity was chained to an Aspect he had never asked for. The irony was merciless: the happiest days of his life had been stolen by the same force he now embodied.
Fate could not have devised a crueler joke: to turn him into the personification of time, yet rob him of the time that had once given him warmth and belonging.
His heart was divided, a void of uncertainty growing within it like an infection, as he was torn between the boy he had once been and the figure he was expected to become in this new world. The wound in his identity ran deep, and the more he searched for the self that felt true, the more he found himself confused and lost.
His past buried him in sadness and regrets, his present filled him with both pleasure and pain, and his future seemed to lead him straight toward madness. He longed for all three, yet found peace in none.
He was torn by his own feelings and desires. As if walking three paths at once, only to end up even more lost and blind. He never truly belonged anywhere in time and was inevitably heading toward his own doom...
Thinking like this, a deep sadness washed over Luna's heart. Her own family was gone, she had buried them as a teenager before she transmigrated. But Amon's… his family was still out there. He had left them in the past... or perhaps that past had never existed at all.
Something wet slid down her cheek. Realizing she was crying, Luna bit her lip and wiped the tears away. She looked at Amon's face, lost and expressionless, yet filled with a thousand unspoken things.
Even she couldn't understand why he went so far. Why steal shard-memories? Why orchestrate all of this? Why destroy Dark City? Why fight so desperately to defeat everyone?
Was it to prove he was real, more real than anyone else? That he wasn't an illusion, but a man who still had something to return to? A family waiting for him, a brother's grave that still needed to be cleared of leaves and branches?
Luna stood and walked to him, wrapping her arms around him softly. This time, Amon didn't ignored her. He only held her arm tightly.
She stayed silent. There were no words that could ease the pain of losing the very thing that gave someone a reason to live. She knew Amon had felt bleak and hollow after Lazare's death, and that the only thing keeping him from becoming an empty husk was the thought of his family.
Yet now, that same family might not even exist anymore.
A father who could no longer work. A mother whose health had crumbled after his brother's death. A grandfather lying in a hospital bed, and a grandmother barely clinging to life.
How could anyone not feel hopeless, knowing they had left their family in such a state?
Her lips trembled before she lowered herself and leaned forward, hugging him tightly.
"Everything will be fine… I'm still here. And I'm never going to leave you, okay? We'll always be together, no matter what."
Amon exhaled softly and nodded, his expression settling into weary composure. Luna smiled faintly, even if all she saw on his face was exhaustion, it was still better than emptiness.
Then he stood. She blinked, surprised… and froze when his lips suddenly brushed against hers.
Amon's mouth twitched into a pale smile as he kissed her, before parting just enough to murmur against her lips:
"Okay. Let's eat. Tomorrow's a big day. We need rest."
Luna's smile faded into a pout as she watched him turn away, already dismissing the moment as if it were nothing and busily plating food. Food? Really? She didn't care about food at all. Not to mention… Don't think I don't know you're trying to avoid the subject…
Maybe I should distract him… she thought, feeling a bit desperate after his pathetic attempt to shift her focus. But then, her eyes widened as if an idea had just formed in her head.
Without warning, she grabbed his arm. Amon looked down in confusion, only to be yanked forward and shoved onto the bed.
Luna straddled him, her scarlet lips curling as she licked them slowly. Her pale, long lashes lowered, and her voice dripped with desire and sensuality.
"I remember this body you transmigrated into was a virgin. So…" She tilted her head with feigned innocence. "…does that mean I get to take your virginity twice?"
For a moment, she studied Amon's surprised expression, her own thoughts unreadable. Should I tell him about it…? She pursed her lips, feeling a bit of fear, but quickly pushed the thought away. No, he had enough problems; she would deal with this on her own.
For tonight… he will enjoy me. And I will enjoy him.
She thought that as she slowly slid her nightgown down, letting it slip past her shoulders until nothing remained to hide her dark, tantalizing skin.
Pleasure and pain, then…
***
[A/N: For some reason, I'm really satisfied with this chapter. Nothing major happened, but I managed to express Amon's internal conflict through it. This chapter is also written in honor of all our families, may they always be with us. As the saying goes, family is all we have.
Anyway, I spent nine damned hours on this chapter, and before I could post, I fell asleep, lol. It's not as long as some of the bigger chapters I write, but at around 2,700 words, I think it's still pretty good. Though honestly, it was harder to write than fight scenes.
Weirdly enough, I'm starting to like Luna's character more after writing this. Before, I just thought she was cool, but now I feel more connected to her. Maybe she'll replace Medici as my favorite character… or maybe she already has. Who knows?
Also, this is probably the closest thing to romance you guys are going to get. To be honest, I'm not super confident when it comes to writing it, so… whatever.
That's it for now. Enjoy the meal, guys.]
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