"Kail! You came!" I gasped as his arms locked around me, preventing me from hitting the jagged ground.
"Silly girl!" he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. Before I could respond, he leaned down and kissed me—a desperate, fierce kiss that tasted of soot, sweat, and relief.
He pulled back just an inch, his eyes searching mine. "I told you not to go! It's all because you're so stubborn! What if something had happened to you? What if I hadn't made it in time?"
I managed a weak, weary smile. "You know I'm not that kind of person, Kail. I'm not afraid of anything. I'm the girl who's overthrown empires and survived the impossible. There was only one thing in this world I never managed to get..."
"What's that?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"A boyfriend," I whispered.
Kail blinked, a startled laugh escaping his lips. "Well... let's get out of here first. A burning, collapsing forest is not exactly the right place to discuss your dating life."
I looked back at the remains of the cave. The secondary explosions were still echoing deep underground. "Yeah... let's go. I just hope that this time, Gilbert is finally dead."
The Mansion
The silence of Kail's home was a stark contrast to the chaos we had just left. As soon as we stepped into the foyer, Kail didn't let me go. He pulled me into a tight, crushing hug.
"Do you know how scared I was?!" he whispered against my hair.
"The great General has something he's afraid of?" I teased, though I was leaning into him, exhausted.
"Yes, I do," he admitted. "Lately, anyway."
"And what is it?"
"The fear of losing you."
I froze. "What?"
"Unbelievable, right?" Kail pulled back to look me in the eye. "You've made me restless, Silvia. I can't imagine the world without you in it anymore. You always make me worry with your reckless stunts... Huh?!"
I didn't know what to say, so I just buried my face in his chest, listening to the steady, rapid thrum of his heart. "Won't you regret it?" I asked softly.
"Regret what?"
"Being with a woman like me? I'm a soldier first. There are a lot of things I lack as a 'normal' girl. And I'm afraid that after you meet my father, you'll run away like everyone else."
Kail tilted my chin up. "You are an excellent woman. As for your father, I've already seen him on the battlefield."
"I mean... not as a General, but as the father of your girlfriend. He can be... harsh. I told you, I've never had a real boyfriend. Every time a guy confessed and found out who my father was, they broke up with me immediately. My longest relationship lasted exactly one day."
Kail laughed, a deep, warm sound. "I won't run away like those punks. Should I be thankful to your father then? For keeping everyone else away?"
"Maybe?" I smiled. "In the end, he's just worried about me. He cares the most."
Kail leaned in and kissed me again, slower this time. It wasn't fueled by adrenaline, but by a promise. When our lips finally separated, he whispered, "He isn't alone in worrying about you anymore. From now on, I want to be the one who protects you."
The Decision
We sat on the sofa, but Kail kept his arm firmly around my shoulders, as if afraid I might vanish if he let go.
"Kail..."
"Hmm?"
"I miss my family," I admitted, the weight of my two-month absence finally hitting me. "I know I said I wanted to finish the mission before returning, but the mission is almost over. The base is destroyed, the Professor is safe, and the data is being recovered. I want to see them."
"As you wish," Kail said softly. "We will go to your house whenever you want."
"As soon as possible."
"Alright. Tomorrow morning."
I leaned my head on his shoulder, a playful thought crossing my mind. "By the way... you're a terrible superior officer."
"Why's that?"
"You left your soldiers alone back at the forest. Aren't you the one responsible for this entire case? You should be filing reports and interrogating survivors."
Kail smiled, pulling me closer. "About that... I left my right-hand man in charge. He knows what to do. You don't need to worry about the army right now."
"Oh? And why is the General so distracted?"
"Because," he whispered, kissing my temple, "I'm very busy right now. I have a much more important mission to attend to."
~ to be continued