The Obsession of ARES

As she walked toward the door, Selene called after her, rolling her eyes. "Now you know we still need some catching up to do". She paused for a while. "And Amara I won't regret it" Amara paused for a moment at the doorway, her back to them. "I hope so," she murmured softly, then stepped out without looking back. Sora was about to hop after her when Selene tugged sharply on her pigtails. "Ow! What was that for?!" Sora yelped. "Where do you think you're going? Come help me with this." "Huuu..." Sora let out a frustrated whimper, her shoulders slumping as Selene smirked knowingly. Amara stepped out of the building, the cool breeze brushing against her skin as if trying to soothe the storm inside her. Her footsteps were slow and measured, but her mind raced. I've spent my whole life stuck in this city, she thought bitterly. Enduring, clawing my way through, just to end up with nothing. And now... now I have to start over from scratch, don't I? A sharp, humorless laugh escaped her lips. I might as well live my life a little, then. She stopped in front of a glass wall, her reflection staring back at her. Amber eyes rimmed with exhaustion, hair falling messily over her shoulders, her face a mixture of resilience and weariness. She stared for a moment before the corner of her lips curved into a small, almost defiant smile. Maybe I should cut my hair. Buy a few things for myself. If I'm starting fresh, I can't keep living like this, can I? Her chest tightened at the thought of Sora and Selene-the only people she truly had. If they ever found out I tried to take my life last night... how would they feel? Amara clenched her fists, drawing a deep breath to steady herself. Her mind drifted, unbidden, to the man she had pulled from the sea-the stranger whose fate she'd changed. For a moment, his pale, unconscious face flashed before her eyes. She shook her head sharply. Well... that's no longer my business. I did my best. With that, she raised a hand and hailed a taxi, exhaustion weighing down her every movement. She wasn't ready for anything else tonight. Right now, all she wanted was to get back to the Hayes estate and collapse into sleep. -- Somewhere in the heart of the city, within an extremely exclusive residential estate that only the most powerful families could afford to reside in, silence pressed heavily against the walls of a vast villa. Inside a dimly lit room, a man reclined lazily in a chair. His long legs were crossed, one arm draped over the armrest, the other covering half of his face. Despite the relaxed posture, there was nothing casual about him. His skin was frighteningly pale, the kind that only accentuated the sharp, almost inhuman perfection of his features. His lips curved faintly, though not in amusement. "How is the investigation going?" His voice was low and hoarse, yet it carried a weight that made the air itself feel suffocating. None of the men standing before him dared to speak. They stood stiffly, backs drenched in cold sweat, as though the wrong word would seal their fate. No one even breathed too loudly Only one man stepped forward-his assistant, Elias. "Young Master," Elias said, his voice steady though sweat dampened his back, "we managed to deal with those who dared ambush you. But... we still cannot identify who leaked your location." The man lowered his hand slightly, revealing eyes as sharp as obsidian. He spoke again, his tone flat. "And the woman? Have you found her?" At the mention of the woman, Elias's composure faltered for the first time. Cold sweat trickled down his temple. "Sir, we... only recovered a wallet she left behind. But it appears to belong to a man. There was nothing inside except for a small amount of cash and-" he paused, bowing deeper, "-a hidden card. We are still investigating the seal on it." The man's expression twisted into a faint, icy smile that sent chills down everyone's spine. "Incompetent." Just that single word had the temperature in the room dropping several degrees. The guards held their breath, hearts pounding. No one dared to move. Suddenly, the man's body lurched forward as a violent fit of coughs wracked him. The pale shade of his face deepened, his thin lips stained faintly red. "Young Master, you only just woke from a coma-you mustn't strain yourself!" The doctor at the side rushed forward, his tone urgent, worry evident in his eyes. "Get out," the man ordered, his voice colder than winter ice. Everyone in the room scrambled away in panic, heads bowed low, until only Elias and the doctor remained, hesitant. The man slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp and merciless, like a blade. The pale light illuminated his features-strikingly handsome yet terrifying, like a demon king who had just clawed his way out of hell. His black hair fell across his forehead, shadowing his expression as his lips curved into a dangerous smirk. "Do I need to repeat myself?" The doctor and Elias bowed hastily, retreating with trembling steps until the room fell into silence again. The young man leaned back once more, eyes half-lidded. His brows knitted together as he stared into the void, his thoughts drifting. Who was that woman...? Her face was nothing but a blur in his memory-hazy, slipping away each time he tried to recall it. Yet, the faint warmth of her touch still lingered against his skin. It gnawed at him, that one memory he couldn't grasp. A woman who appeared out of nowhere, dragged him back from the gates of death... and disappeared without a trace. His jaw clenched. No matter who she is... I will find her. -- That night, Amara returned home exhausted. Without saying a word to anyone, she slipped into her small room-the only space she could truly call her own. Collapsing onto the bed, she stared at the ceiling, her heart a tangled mess of emotions. Should she feel grateful that she was still standing after everything, or bitter that life had stripped her of everything she once had? She didn't know. But one thing was certain-she would no longer cower in the shadows of her past. Whatever trials awaited, she would face them head-on. Her eyelids grew heavy, yet her mind refused to settle, thoughts chasing her deep into the night. Somewhere between hope and sorrow, she drifted into sleep-unaware that fate had already set something far greater in motion for her.