Chapter 549 Silent Night
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~~~(POV: Cera Adamo)~~~
~~~(Location: In Tent, The Kingdom of Nu'bor, The Continent of Alforza)~~~
~~~(Time: 9:55 PM)~~~
We're resting inside our tent, and it's a bit awkward since our argument. While it wasn't a truly bad one, it was one that you'd feel weird after. It was a personal argument. That's the best way I can describe it. One that hurts more at the moment than later.
Which is why it's so awkward. We've only argued one other time, and it wasn't actually an argument, just a disagreement.
"Are we going to talk any time soon?"
It's her asking this, and I turn my head to see her staring at the tent's ceiling. Her eyes look red still, but she stopped crying hours ago. I've only seen her cry like that a few times before. I hate that I was the one that made her cry, but it was for good reasons.
Reasons she doesn't agree with, and that's understandable. In the end, it's not best to make decisions without the thoughts and considerations of those involved. And that's what I did to Sally. I never thought I'd do that, but I guess it depends on the situation.
"I don't think we need to talk. I told you that I'd do it again. And I don't regret it. If it comes down to saving your life over mine. My choice is to save you."
She can hate that all she wants, and she can threaten to break up with me all she wants. But that's just how I am, and I'm not changing that about me because she doesn't like it.
If she feels that I don't value my life as much as hers, then that's her problem. It's not my responsibility to change her perspective on that. I love and care about Sally. I'd rather her live than perish, and that's just the truth of it.
"Well, I'm serious about what I said too. If you do something like that again, I'm leaving you."
It feels like the argument is starting up again, but there is really nothing stopping it.
"If that's how you feel, I won't change it."
"So you're not even trying to change that about you?"
In my opinion, it's one of my better qualities. But I see now it depends on how you look at it.
"No, I'm not changing that about me. There are a lot of bad things about me, and there are a few good things. I consider my willingness to save the ones I love over myself a good quality. I'd do the same for my Mom and Dad. And my siblings."
She leans up on her elbows and turns her body to me. I turn my head again, and I see the anger in her eyes. But it's not like before. It's tamer.
"Then why should I stay with you now?"
Ahh, I figured I'd run into something like this eventually with Sally. But it sucks that it has to be this. An ultimatum has been given. Either change the way I prioritize other loved one's lives over my own, or she leaves me.
She wants to force me to equal my life with my loved ones. So I don't prioritize theirs.
"Then the exit to the tent is right in front of us."
I watch as her eyes slowly widen and her mouth drops open.
"So, that's it... You're not willing to change this one thing about you... And you'd rather throw away what we've built than change that..."
Her voice sounds weak and broken, and I hate being the one who caused it. But a man has his values and morals, and he shouldn't have to compromise any of them.
"If you want to put it that way, then yes. But I prefer to look at it like I'm not being forced to change something I think is good about me."
Sally leans up and looks away awkwardly after I put it like that. She's so focused on how dangerous it is to my life that she's not considering how important it might be for me.
We all have our values, morals, and codes. Something that we live by, and those rarely change after you get to a certain age. It's a grueling process to be an adult, and even more so when you're in a relationship.
I believe there are times to compromise, but I also believe there to be times you don't. For the sake of your own character.
"Umm... Then what now... If you're not going to change that about you... I can't be with you..."
She's trying to loop it back around and start over. Hoping for a different answer. It's quite manipulative and controlling. A side of Sally I've never seen before, and I'd be impressed if it wasn't being used on me. But my answer is still the same.
"Sally... My answer is the same. The exit to the tent is right there."
If I lose the love of my life, then it's something I'd never get over. But it's better she leave me like this than die because she didn't want me saving her.
"This isn't how this is supposed to go... You're supposed to give up and change..."
Her voice cracks, and she starts crying again, and she buries her face into her knees. I lean up and scoot over to her. Wrapping an arm around her. She leans her head into me and silently cries.
"You can't force me to change, Sally. Not when I don't want to. Loving someone means accepting and holding their flaws close to you. And you consider me prioritizing my loved ones' lives over mine a flaw, and that means you have to accept that about me. If not, we know what's next."
When I thought the argument was over early, I couldn't have been more wrong, it seems. This is the first time I've gone through something like this. Where my girlfriend tried to manipulate me.
It's definitely an experience and one that I'll never forget. I'm honestly surprised that sally had it in her to do this. But maybe that's because of how much she loves me. I couldn't say for sure, but it's nice to see Sally have a side like this. A one with typical normal girlfriend behavior.
"But what if you do die from doing something like that... How do you expect me to live without you... It's not like I can kill myself now since I'm a Player... But if you die, and I can't... I'd lose my mind..."
So this is what it's been about. I knew it from the beginning, and she mentioned it. But it's nice to hear her say it. She's scared of me dying and leaving her behind. But that's a part of life and something you can't avoid.
"We're both Immortal to time, Sally. Yours is due to your Pure Elven Blood, and mine is due to my Divinity and Half Angel status. But that doesn't mean we're invincible. And there is always a threat of one of us dying permanently. So why live in that fear?"
I don't fear death. And I don't think I ever will. There is only one thing I fear, and that's leaving behind the people I love without a chance to live. And that can be considered selfish by some, and others the opposite.
But that's who I am.
"Well... I'm not changing what I said... But I'll stay with you if and when you do something that stupid again... But if you do, I'm keeping my word too... I'm leaving you if you do that..."
That's the best outcome we could've gotten from this talk, and I'm glad we had it.
It was a silent night at first, but it turned into something we needed.
Clarification.
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A/N: Below this line, I'll be keeping Cera's player information. That way, I won't have to place it into the story above anymore. It takes about 180 words up.
[Slayer (Zern) Lvl.236][Tier-4]
[Exp: 72/100%]
[Title: The Son of Arch-Angel Michael (Hidden)]
[Stats] [Strength - 7095][Endurance - 7045][Dexterity - 7215][Speed - 8240][Focus - 19,660]
[Mana aura control: 6/100%]
[Health: 76,560,000,000/76,560,000,000] [Mana: 216,600,000,000/216,600,000,000]
[Stat Points: 440] [Armor rating: 500]
[Inventory] [Dice of Wayland (Divine)] [The Witness (Legendary Sword)] [Fenrir's Whistle (Divine)] [Camping gear] [Fishing poles 2x] [Festival Garbs 2x] [4x EXP Boosts] [Princess Saliandra's Panties (Black Lace)] [Desert Warrior Nomad Set (Rare)]
[Passive Perks]
[Inheritor of the Sword] [Son of Heaven] [Slayer of Evil] [Holy Willow Trees Savior] [Finder of Legends] [The Divine who has Legend] [Destined for Greatness] [Dungeon Diver] [An Overachiever]
[Active Skills]
[Heavens light Lvl.74 325/7400] [Protected by Heaven Lvl.74 225/7400] [Slash Lvl.92 4600/21000] [Parry Lvl.68 85/6800] [Double Strike N/A] [Kingslayer N/A] [Raging Machine N/A] [Winged Glory] [Angelic Flight] [Divine Pressure Exertion] [Divinity Pulse] [Controlled Fun] [Aspect of Transportation (Legendary)]