Chapter 33: The Woman Who Waited Too Long
Esmeray had been alone for far too long.
No matter how much restraint she had, the moment she saw Ethan—young, beautiful beyond words, and utterly unaware of the effect he had—something in her snapped.
A playful hunger.
A dangerous temptation.
She pressed herself against the barrier, her large breasts flattening slightly against the invisible force making this scene more obscene.
Ethan stared.
He had controlled himself since entering the Tower, focused only on survival. He had ignored temptations, distractions—but Esmeray was a different kind of danger.
The kind that got into his head.
The kind that made his throat dry and his body betray him.
His crotch twitched, and he cursed under his breath, shifting uncomfortably.
A tent was forming in his pants.
Esmeray saw it.
Her lips curled into a slow, knowing smile, her green eyes darkening with desire.
It had been millions of years. Millions of years with no one. No warmth. No touch.
If not for this damn barrier, she might have already thrown herself at him.
Ethan wasn't just beautiful.
He was special. He was dangerous.
A irregular — or so she thought.
And that made her want him even more.
She took a slow step forward, her fingertips tracing the barrier as if testing its limits.
"You look delicious."
Her voice was silk and smoke, wrapping around him, pulling him in.
Ethan's body tensed.
His mind screamed at him to back away.
But his body?
It wanted to step closer.
He swallowed hard.
This wasn't just attraction.
This was madness.
He was about to take a step forward—
A sound behind him.
A small yawn.
Anita is awake.
Ethan snapped out of it instantly.
His body turned rigid, his breathing evened out. The fog of desire cleared.
Esmeray, too, immediately straightened.
With a flick of her hand, she adjusted her robe, covering herself more modestly—or at least, as much as possible.
Even she had some shame.
"Mister…?"
A small, sleepy voice.
Ethan turned, his lips pulling into a soft smile.
"Oh, you're already awake, Anita? Did you sleep well?"
Anita blinked up at him, then beamed, bouncing on her feet.
"Mister! Yes, Mister! Anita has never slept so well before!"
She twirled in excitement, golden eyes glowing.
Pure, radiant.
A soul that had once been broken—now healed.
Ethan's heart warmed.
He liked seeing her this happy. It was a stark contrast to the fearful, trembling and scary girl he had met before.
He patted her head.
"Stay here, okay? I need to talk to that lady over there. Don't go anywhere."
Anita followed his gaze to the mysterious woman beyond the barrier.
Her golden eyes flickered with curiosity, but she nodded eagerly.
"Anita will obey Mister! Anita will always obey Mister!"
Ethan turned back to Esmeray, stepping forward—confidently this time.
She couldn't reach him. She couldn't touch him. He can see she can't pass the barrier.
And now that his mind was clear, he wouldn't let himself be distracted so easily.
Esmeray stared at Anita, brows furrowed.
"…That girl."
She looked back at Ethan.
"Her soul… it's pure."
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing.
"How? That shouldn't be possible. Not here. What did you do?"
Ethan didn't hesitate.
"I took away her trauma. I freed her from her past."
Esmeray's eyes flickered with something unreadable.
"…You freed her?"
Ethan nodded. "And I will take her with me."
A pause.
Esmeray frowned.
"You can't."
Her voice was firm.
"If your living body is dead, you can only go to the Soul Realm and start a new life there. That's the rule."
Ethan's expression didn't change.
"I can't explain it to you. But know this—I can, and I will."
Something in his voice made Esmeray's stomach tighten.
Then—
Ethan took another step closer, his green eyes locked onto hers.
Green vs Green.
"If I can take a soul with me once… why can't I do it twice?"
Esmeray's breath hitched.
Her mind froze.
Her fingers curled slightly, pressing against the barrier.
"…You want to take me out of here?"
Ethan smirked.
"Isn't that what you want? Isn't that why you were trying to seduce me?"
Esmeray chuckled.
"Yes, partly. But also—" she licked her lips, "you're too beautiful to ignore. I've been alone for so long, you understand?"
Ethan didn't look away.
He didn't flinch. Didn't blush.
He had an audience behind him. A little girl watching him. How can he lose face by acting like horny beast here ?
So he applied all his will to be neutral.
"Do you think it'll be easy?" she asked, tilting her head. "That girl was different. I'm trapped here. This barrier isn't something even I can break. How do you plan to do it?"
Ethan didn't answer her.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
And asked the Tower.
'Can I take her?'
A long silence.
Then—
{You are already a target to them after saving The Lost Angel. }
{But at most, you are just a minor inconvenience.}
{Nothing worth paying attention to.For now.}
{But if you free her…}
{They will not let you go.}
{They will hunt you. And if you ever dare to step foot in the Soul realm, you will be dead before knowing how.}
A pause—
Then Ethan grinned. They were already on him when he saved Anita. Sooner or later, they will come for him. So it didn't matter anymore.
I will let the future me solve this problems. For now…
'So basically… I can save her.'
The Tower hesitated.
{Yes.}
'How?'
{Same process. Take her burden.}
Ethan's eyes flickered open.
His gaze locked onto Esmeray's calm, amused expression.
She looked so alive. So confident. So unbothered.
'What burden?' he thought. 'She doesn't seem broken to me.'
The Tower's voice was gentle this time. As if giving advice to her child—or as if feeling the pain itself.
{Her solitude.}
The Tower continued.
{Experience her millions of years of solitude.}
{Ease her pain.}
{And let me remind you, O Giver.}
{The most normal, happy, and lively people…}
{Are often the most broken inside.}
{Do not judge a book by its cover.}
Silence.
Ethan clenched his fists. A million of years of solitude ? Can he…
Then, slowly, his lips curled into a cocky, fearless grin.
He met Esmeray's gaze.
"Fine. Let's see what your millions of solitude feels like."
—End of Chapter 33—
A/N:
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