Chapter 16: Forbidden Love

The confession that Kairus had just made struck Avyanna like a bolt of lightning — unexpected, overwhelming. It rooted her to the spot, freezing her in place as his words echoed in her ears, clear and raw, leaving her breathless.

For a moment, she couldn't even look at him. She could only hear the desperate honesty in his voice, feel the way the world seemed to shift beneath her feet.

Finally, forcing herself to find her voice, Avyanna spoke, her words trembling on the edge of pain and sorrow.

“A life with me... is something you don't want to be part of," she said, her voice low and almost breaking. She kept her eyes fixed on the rippling water, unable to meet his gaze. "I'm an orphan, Kairus. I'm working for a shady organization... one I can't just leave. I signed a contract — a pledge that binds me until my last breath. Living with me means living in hell."

She took a sharp breath, the weight of her reality pressing heavily on her chest, trying to make him understand that loving her wasn't freedom — it was a prison.

But Kairus didn’t even hesitate.

“I don't care..." he said, stepping closer, his voice full of conviction. "I don’t care about any of that. Wherever the hell is you're talking about — I don’t care. I’ll be with you wherever you go, Avyanna. I won’t leave you, even if you push me away. Even if it takes me swearing a pledge to that damn organization you’re trapped in — I’ll do it. I'll do anything, just to be with you."

His words were wild, reckless, and sincere — and they terrified her.

“Don’t be insane!" Avyanna snapped, finally turning to face him, her eyes wide with fear and anger. "Don’t be insane, Kairus! I’m trying to protect you — trying to save you — and here you are, ready to throw yourself into the fire just to stay by my side!"

“I just want to be with you!" he shouted back, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

“Then be safe!” Avyanna cried, her voice breaking as she spun around to face the river again, her body trembling with the effort of holding herself together. “I don’t want to be a widow at a young age.”

Her words, whispered into the wind, carried a raw, desperate ache — a truth that hurt more than anything else she could have said. She wanted him alive. She wanted him safe. Even if that meant he had to stay far, far away from her.

The river flowed on before her, uncaring and endless, just like the future she couldn’t seem to change.

Kairus stood there, frozen behind her, the weight of her words crashing into him like a violent tide. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Only the sounds of the river and the distant laughter of children filled the empty space between them.

But then — he moved.

Slowly, carefully, as if approaching something fragile that might break if he pushed too hard, Kairus stepped closer. The grass rustled softly beneath his feet.

“I don’t care about dying young," he said quietly, his voice raw, yet steady. "What scares me more... is living a long life without you."

Avyanna shut her eyes tightly, her fists curling into the fabric of her pants. She could feel the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had already made her choice — the painful choice — to push him away for his own good. Why was he making this harder?

“You deserve a life without chains... without blood in your hands... without looking over your shoulder every second," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I can’t give you that, Kairus. I’ll only destroy the light in you."

He closed the last few steps between them and reached out — hesitant at first — before resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. His touch was warm, grounding her, even as her world spun.

“I don’t need light,” he said softly. “I need you.”

Avyanna opened her eyes again, the river blurring in front of her. Part of her wanted to scream at him, to tell him to walk away while he still could. But another part — a broken, desperate part of her — wanted to believe him, wanted to fall into his arms and forget the world that had shaped her into what she was.

“Kairus..." she whispered brokenly, her defenses crumbling by the second.

“I’m not afraid of your world, Avyanna," he murmured, stepping even closer, until his forehead rested gently against the back of her head. "I’m not afraid of what you think will ruin me. The only thing I’m afraid of... is losing you before I even had the chance to fight for you."

The sunset bathed them in a soft golden glow, making the moment almost surreal — two broken souls standing on the edge of something beautiful and terrifying.

Slowly, Avyanna turned around to face him. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and Kairus met her gaze with a look so fierce, so full of unwavering love, that it made her chest ache.

She opened her mouth to speak — but no words came out.

Instead, Kairus lifted his hand and gently cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped before she could stop it. He didn’t say anything more. He didn’t need to.

His touch said it all — I’m here. I’m not leaving. No matter how dark it gets.

And for the first time in a long time, Avyanna let herself lean into that warmth, even if just for a moment.

For a heartbeat, time stood still.

Avyanna stayed there, pressed against the warmth of Kairus’ palm, feeling the rapid beat of her own heart hammering in her chest. She closed her eyes, breathing him in, letting herself forget — just for a second — the brutal world waiting for her outside this fragile moment.

But reality, cruel and relentless, was never far behind.

From the corner of her eye, Avyanna caught a flicker of movement — something sharp, something wrong. Her instincts, honed by years of living dangerously, kicked in before her mind could even register it fully.

She grabbed Kairus by the wrist and yanked him down just as a small dart whizzed past where his neck had been only a second ago, embedding itself in a tree behind them with a chilling thunk.

Kairus hit the ground hard, stunned, but Avyanna was already crouched low, scanning the trees, her hand instinctively reaching inside her jacket for the hidden blade she always carried.

“They found me,” she hissed under her breath, her voice razor-sharp now, all softness gone.

Kairus scrambled up beside her, his face pale but determined. “Who—?"

“My organization," she snapped, her eyes still scanning. "They don’t like loose ends. And right now..." She gave a bitter, broken laugh. "...I’m the loosest end there is."

Another dart flew through the air, this time closer to her shoulder, but she was ready — she grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it with brutal precision at the source of the attack. A muffled curse echoed from the shadows.

"Kairus, run!" she ordered, her voice low but urgent.

But he didn’t move.

“No," he said stubbornly, standing his ground beside her. “I'm not leaving you."

"Kairus!" she snapped, grabbing his shirt. “I can’t fight while worrying about you! Please — just this once — listen to me!"

But before he could argue again, dark figures began emerging from the trees, surrounding them slowly like wolves cornering their prey. There were at least five of them, all dressed in black, their faces hidden, their weapons gleaming in the dying light of the sunset.

Avyanna’s heart thundered. She shifted into a defensive stance, shielding Kairus with her body.

"You’ve been given enough time, Ms. Yna," one of the masked figures said coldly. His voice was distorted through a voice modulator, but she knew who he was — Rin, her handler.

"You know the rules. No attachments. No distractions. You broke the oath."

Avyanna gritted her teeth, the blade in her hand tightening.

"If you want me..." she said coldly, "you'll have to kill me."

The agents advanced, weapons raised — and Kairus, without hesitation, stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

"I said I’d stay," he said fiercely, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "And I meant it."

Avyanna’s throat tightened. This wasn’t the way she wanted him dragged into her darkness. But now there was no turning back.

Not tonight.

The first agent lunged — and the fight began.