continued from ✘
✥ ║ ❝ ... ❞
From within the far reaches of her consciousness, he could sense the CRITICAL judgement of herself---it wasn’t as though their minds were separate after all. The virus and launch programs were always CONNECTED, and Rion would’ve liked to believe that they were still connected even after death. They had always been one---there was no way that they could ever be split in two. She was his other half, as he was hers.
Though Rion’s memories were FADED and crumbled, he had always seen Lilia as a GODDESS---a divine being without any fault. Those dark circles under her eyes? He couldn’t even see them. When he looked at her, he would look at her as a WHOLE; from the top of her head to her toes. To him, she was the polar opposite of what he was: tainted, blood-stained, and CURSED from his birth to carry a harsh responsibility that he never even asked for to begin with.
He may have not been the REAL Rion after all, but all that matter was that Lilia believed he was. The others could have jumped to their death for all he cared.
Almost tentatively he steps forward and into her personal space, cupping her either side of her head in his CALLUSED hands. So many times had she ever done this act for him, and now it was her turn. Tilting her head back so they could meet eye to eye, Rion’s gaze was UNWAVERING and firm---he was going to make his point and she had to believe it.
❝ There’s no real need to CHANGE it anyway. You’re absolutely BEAUTIFUL just the way you are, Lilia. ❞
Although his face had not changed since the beginning of the conversation, behind his eyes held the genuine WARMTH of a smile---one that would push and toil to worm its way onto his face, but to no avail. The pad of his thumb would graze across her cheek soothingly, as though to FORCE away that negativity out of her skin and away from her forever.