Hiding was not peace.
It was quiet tension.
The forgotten AF timeline was incomplete—its skies slightly felt gloomy , its stars older than they should be.
Villages existed without real history. Ruins without builders.
Perfect for disappearing.
I healed slowly this time not because my body couldn't recover, but because Shin refused to rush it.
"You don't need to suffer every moment," he told me once, gently pressing glowing Kai energy into a wound that would have closed in seconds otherwise.
I said nothing. I just looked at his girly face and laughed a little and let him continue.
...
The Weight of Proximity
Shin changed when there were no gods watching.
His stiffness and formal posture softened.
His voice lost its formal distance.
He laughed quietly, as if unsure whether he was allowed to.
When he tended to my injuries, he stayed close.
Too close.
My ki, even suppressed, carried the old primal density of Tyrant Origin. It wasn't as aggressive but it was still present.
Heavy. Warm. Alive.
Shin's body reacted before he understood why.
A hitch in his breath once or twice.
A faint flush beneath pale skin.
Hands subconsciously lingering a second longer on my chest and lower stomach, longer than normal.
The naive Kai told himself it was residual adrenaline.
And I had a feeling it wasn't
....
End of the chapter