Free Web NovelMatt let out a long sigh.
Eleonora kept watching him with her purple eyes narrowed.
Matt looked down for a moment.
"I'm sorry."
Eleonora went still.
The wind passed between them.
For a second, even the banners on the terrace seemed to stop moving.
Eleonora blinked.
"What?"
Matt pressed his lips together.
He didn't like repeating that.
Not because he didn't mean it.
But because saying it out loud was awful.
"I apologize," said Matt, looking to one side. "For leaving without telling you."
Eleonora didn't respond. Matt put his hands in the pockets of his black pants and continued, his voice lower.
"I shouldn't have left you like that."
Eleonora stared at him.
For a moment, her firm expression cracked.
Not much.
Barely.
But Matt noticed.
Her purple eyes lost a little of their hardness, and her lips parted as if she were about to say something.
"Matt…"
Eleonora took half a step toward him.
Her hand rose just slightly.
As if she were about to accept.
As if she were about to forgive him.
But then she stopped.
Her fingers slowly closed and her expression hardened again.
"No."
Matt looked up.
Eleonora lowered her hand.
"I'm not falling for it."
Matt frowned.
"Falling for it?"
"Yes."
Eleonora took a slow breath, as if reminding herself of something.
"You're going to leave again."
Matt stayed silent.
Then answered with exhaustion.
"I already told you I can't take you to my world."
Eleonora clenched her fist.
"Then there's no deal."
Matt watched her.
For a few seconds, neither of them said anything.
The wind blew over the terrace again, moving Eleonora's black hair and making the purple bun that held it flutter.
Matt walked to one of the nearby stone benches and sat down.
Eleonora followed him with her gaze, suspicious.
Matt rested his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers in front of his mouth.
He didn't speak.
He just thought.
Eleonora wasn't going to budge.
That was a problem.
A big one.
Matt had expected resistance.
Expected reproaches.
Expected Eleonora to insult him for several minutes, run through every mistake, demand the soul contract like always — and then, somehow, eventually agree.
But no.
This time she was actually refusing.
For real.
And that complicated everything.
Without Eleonora, he had no ego weapon.
Without an ego weapon, fighting enemies who did have one was just stupidity.
And unfortunately, stupidity was exactly the kind of situation the queen seemed to lovingly steer him toward.
Matt closed his eyes.
'Great.'
It was still all the queen's fault.
◇◆◇
Eleonora watched Matt in silence.
Matt was sitting in front of her, his white hair shifting lightly in the wind, his gaze down, lost in his thoughts.
He looked tired.
Too tired.
And that was unfair.
Because Eleonora wanted to be angry.
She wanted to hold her ground.
She wanted to remember that he had left her. freewebnøvel.com
That he'd gone without saying goodbye.
That she'd spent months waiting for answers while Iris tried to use her with the finesse of a boulder rolling down a staircase.
But seeing him like this…
Bothered her.
A lot.
Eleonora pressed her lips together.
'No.'
She couldn't give in.
Not that easily.
The queen had warned her.
Months ago, when Eleonora had still been too low to even argue.
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When she had discovered the truth.
That Iris wasn't Matt. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
That that sensation she had recognized so well — that way of moving, that insufferable and relentless will that had pushed her beyond her limits —
It didn't belong to Iris.
It belonged to Matt.
And Matt had left.
The queen had found her in one of the castle's old halls, standing in front of a window, staring at the sky without a word.
"He left you behind," the queen had said, her voice soft.
Eleonora hadn't answered then.
There was no need to.
"Matt is like that. Stubborn. Proud. And very good at lying when he wants to escape."
Eleonora had clenched her fists.
"He'll come back," the queen continued. "Sooner or later, he'll come back."
Eleonora had looked at her then.
"When he does, don't let yourself be swayed too easily by his words."
Eleonora had looked down.
"If you want him not to leave you again, you have to make him complete the soul contract with you."
The queen had smiled.
"Only then will he truly be bound to you."
Eleonora remembered those words.
Over and over.
For months.
And now Matt was sitting right there in front of her, apologizing.
Thinking.
Probably looking for another way out.
Eleonora felt her chest tighten.
She couldn't let him escape again.
She couldn't agree to be used without the contract.
She couldn't be abandoned again.
Not again.
Although…
Eleonora looked at Matt.
Matt looked genuinely worried.
Maybe if she softened just a little…
Just a little.
Perhaps that would soften his heart in return.
Perhaps it would be easier to guide him toward the contract that way.
Eleonora took a slow breath. Then she broke the silence.
"Why don't you go eat?"
Matt slowly raised his gaze.
His expression didn't change much.
"That's my problem."
Eleonora tilted her head slightly.
"Earlier you called me a resentful ex."
Matt closed his eyes.
"Don't start with that."
Eleonora approached him with calm steps.
"From what I've learned, couples worry about each other."
Matt opened his eyes.
Eleonora stopped in front of him and smiled just barely.
"They take care of each other."
Matt looked at her without expression.
"Stop saying nonsense. I'm not in the mood."
Eleonora let out a low laugh.
Matt frowned.
"Also, where did you learn that?"
"I learned many things while you were gone."
"That doesn't answer anything."
"I wanted to understand you better."
Matt looked at her for a few seconds. Then he let out a dry laugh.
"What for? If you don't want to be my weapon."
Eleonora leaned toward him slightly.
"I won't be your weapon if you don't complete the contract with me."
Matt went quiet.
Then he looked away.
"I can't."
Eleonora's smile faded a little.
Matt continued:
"Get used to it. Your owner is Iris now."
Eleonora went rigid.
Matt leaned back against the bench and spoke with a calm that was clearly forced.
"Complete the contract with her."
Eleonora's eyes went wide.
"Matt."
"You'll be fine," he said. "That idiot will probably improve over time."
Eleonora moved fast.
Too fast.
Before Matt finished speaking, she pressed her hand over his mouth.
Matt blinked.
Eleonora stared at him.
"Don't say that."
Matt pulled her hand away.
"They have nothing but time, the two of you."
"No."
"Iris can improve."
"No."
"They'll live for centuries or whatever. She'll learn something eventually."
Eleonora gritted her teeth.
"Is it really that hard for you to understand?"
Matt frowned.
Eleonora threw herself at him.
Matt's eyes went wide.
"Huh?"
Thud!
Eleonora landed on top of Matt, pushing him back against the stone bench. Not with enough force to hurt him. But with enough insistence to keep him from getting up right away.
Matt looked up at her from below.
Eleonora planted both hands on either side of him and faced him, her purple eyes blazing with frustration.
"I don't want to be abandoned again with an incompetent."
Matt looked at her in silence.
Then sighed.
"You're exaggerating."
"No."
"Iris will improve over time."
"I've tried."
"And?"
Eleonora lowered her head slightly.
Her black hair fell forward, grazing Matt's shoulders.
"She's awful."
Matt didn't respond. Eleonora pressed her fingers against the bench.
"So awful that I'd rather die than keep guiding someone that incompetent."
Matt looked at her with exhaustion.
"You're dramatic."
"I'm a high-level ego weapon."
"That doesn't make you less dramatic."
Eleonora ignored him. Matt took a slow breath.
"Then help me one last time."
Eleonora went still. Matt spoke lower.
"I'm not going to use you for long."
Eleonora's eyes hardened.
"No."
"Eleonora."
"No."
"I just need to settle this."
"You don't understand anything."
Matt looked at her. Eleonora lowered her voice, but the intensity didn't drop.
"You don't understand what it feels like to be touched by you."
Matt went still.
"Excuse me?"
"You don't understand what it feels like to be used by you."
Eleonora seemed not to notice, or not to care, how terrible that sentence sounded.
"The feeling was incredible."
Matt looked at her with an embarrassed expression.
"Eleonora."
"Every battle with you…" She smiled a little, but her eyes were full of emotion. "Every clash. Every movement. Every time you pushed me to my limit without even completing the contract."
Matt stayed quiet.
Eleonora went on:
"It was absurd. Infuriating. Dangerous. But it was also thrilling."
Her smile disappeared.
"With Iris, on the other hand…"
Eleonora made a genuine grimace of disgust.
"I just feel revolted."
Matt didn't answer.
Not because he had nothing to say.
He had plenty.
But something in what Eleonora was saying felt strangely familiar.
Very familiar.
In his head, a screen appeared.
A long match.
A map full of lines, towers, and objectives.
Allies moving well.
A team that knew when to fall back, when to push, when to cover and when to let him do his part.
That feeling.
Of playing with someone competent.
With someone who understood the rhythm.
With someone who didn't need the basics explained to them every two seconds.
Matt looked down.
And then he remembered the opposite.
The teammate who went in alone.
The one who ignored the map.
The one who threw skills into empty air.
The one who threw away a perfect lead because they decided to chase someone under a tower.
Matt felt a chill.
'Oh.'
Yeah.
He got it a little.
Playing with a good team was a joy.
Playing with a bad one was the kind of psychological torture that should be banned by international treaty.
Matt looked at Eleonora.
She was still on top of him, firm, annoyed, hurt, and completely convinced of everything she was saying.
Matt let out a sigh.
"Alright."
Eleonora blinked.
"What?"
"I won't push any further."
Eleonora went still. Matt raised his hands and carefully took her by the shoulders.
Then he gently moved her off of him.
Eleonora didn't resist.
Maybe from surprise.
Maybe because she hadn't expected him to give in.
Matt stood up from the bench and straightened his black shirt.
Eleonora looked at him, confused.
"You're giving up?"
"Don't say it like you wanted me to keep going."
"I didn't expect you to stop."
"I didn't expect you to give me such an intense explanation about how incredible it was to be used by me."
Eleonora opened her mouth.
"That wasn't—"
"That was exactly what it was."
Eleonora flushed slightly.
Just a little. Then she frowned.
"You're misunderstanding it!"
"I don't want to interpret it any way."
Matt turned on his heel. Eleonora stepped toward him.
"Where are you going?"
Matt answered without looking at her.
"The Forge Cave."
The air shifted.
Eleonora went still.
"What?"
Matt kept walking toward the edge of the terrace.
"The Forge Cave."
Eleonora's eyes widened.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Probably."
"Your ego weapon is right here."
Matt stopped and looked back.
"Yes."
Eleonora clenched her fists.
"Then you don't need to go to that place."
"The ego weapon I knew doesn't want to fight with me anymore."
Eleonora was speechless.
For a few seconds, she just looked at him. Then she spoke with a mix of anger and fear.
"Going to that cave is dangerous."
Matt let out a dry laugh.
"Good."
"Good?"
"Yes."
Eleonora stepped toward him.
"Don't think that putting yourself in danger is going to make me feel sorry for you."
Matt didn't answer.
"And don't think I'm going to become a weapon just because you do something stupid."
Matt looked at her in silence.
Eleonora tensed.
"What?"
Matt spoke calmly.
"That's why I'm going to find a new weapon there."
Eleonora froze.
The sentence seemed to hit her harder than Matt expected.
Her purple eyes opened slightly wider.
"A new weapon?"
"Yes."
"You could die."
"I could also die without one."
"Don't joke about that."
"I'm not."
Eleonora gritted her teeth.
"The queen told me that, without Iris, your strength isn't what it used to be."
Matt didn't answer.
"And even when you were in that body…" Eleonora took another step toward him. "Last time, you barely made it through that place."
Matt looked at her.
"Then I won't make the same mistakes."
Eleonora frowned.
Matt turned fully toward her.
"I'll ask you one more time."
The wind blew hard.
Eleonora felt the pressure in her chest.
Matt wasn't smiling.
He didn't look like he was mocking her.
He didn't look like he was playing around.
"Are you going to let me use you," he asked, "or am I going to have to go to that cave and find a new weapon?"
Eleonora didn't answer right away.
Because she knew him.
She knew that tone.
It wasn't an empty threat.
It wasn't a performance.
Matt was serious.
And that made her waver.
Part of her wanted to give in.
Wanted to transform into a sword.
Wanted to feel his hands again, his rhythm, his ridiculous decisions and that awful way he had of risking everything like common sense was just a suggestion.
But giving in now meant losing.
It meant telling him he could leave, come back, apologize, pressure her and have her back again.
It meant giving him permission to keep doing whatever he wanted with her.
No.
She had swallowed enough humiliation.
She had agreed to become his weapon without a complete soul contract.
She had endured him rejecting the bond.
She had waited.
She had been left behind.
And she was not going to fall for his tricks again.
Eleonora raised her head.
"No."
Matt didn't move.
Eleonora clenched her fists.
"I will never go with you again."
Silence fell between them.
Matt looked at her for a few seconds. Then he nodded.
"Understood."
Eleonora felt a strange jolt in her chest.
"What?"
Matt took a step back.
"You've given your answer."
"No, wait."
Matt didn't wait.
A dark pressure rose from his back.
Eleonora's eyes went wide.
"Matt."
Shrrrk!
Two black wings burst from his back, large and taut, tearing slightly through the fabric of his black shirt.
Matt rolled his shoulders, testing the feeling.
Eleonora felt panic rising in her throat.
No.
That idiot wasn't actually going to go there.
Right?
