The Essence Of The Darkness
Episode 36: Fear

"Sometimes people hate you not because you did something wrong but because you're better than them and they can't beat you."

"Xavier Light is definitely the brain behind all these events. Who do you think you are anymore? Only he was crazy enough for the witnesses to fear and only he could kill his men with more than twenty stabs in the body,"

Akram mentioned the name in a flat tone, even so, there was a glint in his eyes which indicated that the disturbance and attack from Xavier's figure were trying to kill him through an attempt under the hand, which was not the case, it's nothing new that happens.

Elios paled slightly when he heard the name called, his forehead wrinkled, half in disbelief.

"Xavier's Light? But ... wasn't he still overseas for healing from his severe injuries from a previous major accident?" Elios does not mention it, but from the emphasis in his sentence, indicates that there was Akram's involvement in the accident that befell Xavier.

"People like Xavier are very cunning, maybe he's using a new face and a new name to re-enter the country so he can escape your scrutiny." Akram frowned with a grim expression. "He's come back and he's come to demand a reply" he concluded slowly.

"But now, with the failure of the assassination attempt he's made against you, he must know that you've guessed who the brains behind all this are." Elios seemed to be thinking, "Do you think Xavier will stay hidden and waiting, then just act back when you're off guard?"

Akram shook his head, his fingers tapping on the photo in his hands before moving the photo back to Elios.

"Xavier won't hide. It's wet. I'll bet that he'll appear before us in a moment," Akram watched Elios, who was looking at the photos of the dead body he had placed on him with a puzzled expression, then resumed his sentence. "What do you think Xavier stabbed his poor man with twenty-seven punches? And why did he make sure we found the body and then deliberately left a trace so that our forensics could confirm that the body was his men? With Xavier's shrewdness, if he wanted to, he could exterminate the corpse and make it impossible for us to find it. But, from this way, he definitely wants us to find the body and realize its existence. Xavier knew there was no point in hiding anymore, he would definitely show up."

Elios watched over Akram's expression, then asked back in a cautious tone.

"Are you...is that okay?"

Akram grinned. "I've learned to kill the scary monsters that have haunted me in the past for a long time. The current Xavier is not a scary enemy to me, he is a weak creature hiding behind peerless cruelty and incurable madness," Akram's eyes again flashed with a freezing cold light. "I thought the great accident that had befallen him would make him retreat and give up. Unfortunately, Xavier's madness turns out to be too strong to quell. In the past, I had only given him severe punishment but couldn't kill him for being bound by a promise. Even so, if Xavier were to continuously place himself as a sharp pebble in my path, I would most likely have to break my promise to my mother not to take Xavier's life no matter what."

The silence stretched as Akram uttered his last sentence, creating a cold air that made my feathers stand up.

Elios let out a long sigh afterwards, as if the grudge-filled dreadful air emanating from Akram's body left him breathless like a fish fluttering as it washed ashore unaided.

"So, what should we do now?" elios asked later, still slipping a cautious tone in his voice. Akram's feud with Xavier, is not an ordinary feud between enemies that is intertwined due to circumstances. The feud was entwined for a long time, in a deep-rooted conflict and hatred so deep that it was ingrained in the past.

"We'll wait and see what Xavier's next move is. Just make sure that we're one step ahead. Use all the resources at your disposal to focus on finding Xavier and watching him. I want when he comes to show off his nose, we're all ready to give him a welcome."

"Well, sir," Elios answered quickly, then muttered a request for permission to resign to carry out his duties.

When he just turned around, Akram called him back.

"Elios, increase the protection for Elana, especially when she's in the outside area. My current apartment probably has a pretty tight guard that Xavier can't penetrate. The fact that he arranged the accident on a public road is proof that Xavier was unable to break through the security perimeter of my residence. Elana will be protected when she is inside the house, but another story if she is outside." Akram's eyes narrowed calculatingly, "We have to make sure Xavier doesn't connect Elana with me at all. If Xavier finds out about Elana, he'll make Elana his target. You know even from childhood, Xavier had a crazy obsession with tearing apart everything I liked more than anything else." akram's hand clenched as a strange past emotion swerved back into his soul, as if awakened. "Take Elana out of Xavier's hand" he growled threateningly, as if giving himself an ultimatum.

Elios looked at Akram hesitantly. "After this, are you still planning to let Miss Elana out of the house? Shouldn't you keep Miss Elana safe inside the house until we can clear up the matter?"

Akram shook his thin head. "You know, I made a promise to Elana and I won't break it. Maybe for a while ahead, with the condition of her hands, Elana will be safely protected inside the hospital. But, I'm sure, as soon as her condition recovers, the stubborn woman will charge her promise again to be allowed to go to work" Akram sighed. "If I may choose, I better keep Elana on that isolated island because she'll be safe there!... Perhaps it's better that I break off my entire bond with Elana and release her so that she doesn't have to engage in this tangled tangle of intricate threads" Akram's expression darkened, as if holding embers in her chest. "But I can't do it. What I want most right now is to keep Elana within my sight, and I won't let Xavier interfere and ruin everything again like he did in the past. I think it's time I faced Xavier in the right way, no longer bound by promises to people who have left this world."

Akram Night turned his back on Elios after signaling the men to leave. Meanwhile, Elios chose to wait until Akram's back disappeared behind the door of Elana's nursery before then sighing deeply.

He knew that after this, things would become very difficult. They need to be extra vigilant, with strong defense and full security, while being ready to attack with extra force if needed.

Because Xavier Light is not an indiscriminate person, and his relationship with Akram Night is complex, involving a terrible memory and the deep trauma that the young Akram had to go through years ago. You could say that Akram Night's past with Xavier Light had formed Akram into a cruel and terrible figure like now.

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Elana was being lulled in her chicken sleep when the sound of the door being opened raised her consciousness instantly. He quickly turned his head towards the door, and frowned when he saw Akram Night stepping back into the room where he was being treated

It was already night, the atmosphere of silence and the view of the darkness of the sky that was plastered from outside the window seemed to signal that the humans who were under the protection of the night, immediately went up to the contest and went to sleep. Elana thought that Akram would go with Elios and not come back. In fact, Akram came back to this place and made Elana wonder.

"Why are you back?" Elana couldn't bear to not voice her question, and her tone of voice that seemed to dislike made Akram frown.

"I came to sleep, what else do you think?" sahut Akram cynically took off his suit and attached it to the arm of the sofa, then took off his shirt buttons and rolled up his sleeve.

I came here after work to feed Elana dinner, because the nurse on duty reported that Elana for several nights hardly touched her food. The loss of appetite Elana is certainly disturbing Akram attention because he himself is the most know how big appetite Elana when healthy. That's why Akram specifically came earlier than usual, leaving all his work, especially to force Elana to eat. Elios may have come to interrupt him earlier, but Akram had no intention of leaving the hospital until morning.

Elana bit her lips, looking at Akram with a frown.

"You don't have to sleep in this room every night to make up for your guilt. A.. I don't blame you for all the injuries I've been through, I'm certainly aware that they were all accidents that can't be controlled or prevented," Elana spoke stammering as if she had trouble stringing words. Being used to confronting Akram, it was difficult for him to speak such a conciliatory tone to Akram.

Of course Elana is still unable to forgive Akram for all his cruel deeds that he did to Elana all this time. But, in the last few days, seeing Akram without being absent always come to his treatment room and sleep on the hospital sofa which certainly feels much uncomfortable compared to the bed in his own house, it has made Elana's heart uncontrollably feel touched.

"Who said I felt guilty? I'm just keeping my property in good condition and it can be used again,"

Elana's eyes widened, her cheeks slightly blushed, humiliated but still unsure that Akram would have the heart to hurl such insults at her.

"Property? What...what do you mean?" Elana hissed the question, trying to ascertain straightforwardly what Akram's statement meant.

Acram crisscrossing, squinting. "Have you forgotten where you are, Elana? You're my property, my woman and I are here every night, troubling myself with sleeping in an uncomfortable hospital bed, it's not because I feel guilty about you, but more because I want to intimidate the doctor who treated you to give you the best treatment, so that you get well soon and I can use it again," Akram put his cynical gaze into the hands of Elana who was tempted, then deliberately said in a mocking tone. "As long as the cast is plugged in, I can't fuck you, not only because I still have the heart not to fuck a sick woman, but it also lowers my lust. It will still take some more time until the cast can be removed and you think how much do I lose? Maintaining properties I can't even use?"

The humbling tone in Akram's voice extraordinarily pierced him, raining down to the depths of Elana's heart, drowning his soul to the bottom.

It turns out that Elana had mistakenly thought that although a little, Akram had a human nature in his soul. Elana was too high to judge Akram while the man did not deserve it.

Elana's face was flushed red, while rays of hatred lit up in her eyes for Akram.

"If you really want to make sure your property is healing, maybe you shouldn't come here until I'm completely healed. By not looking at you, I'm sure that my healing process will be faster!" Elana exclaimed at Akram, her eyes filled with wounds while her lips trembled as if enduring pain.

Akram narrowed his eyes, looking at Elana with a dark arrogant expression.

"Who do you feel entitled to rule me? I'll come when I want to come and I'll go when I want to go" Akram glanced at his watch, then looked at Elana sharply and decided to end their argument until here. "Sleep! It's getting late. There's still work to be done and I don't want you to bother me!"

Elana does not need to be ordered twice to break her interaction with Akram. She felt really sick as well as exhausted and the presence of Akram in this room had clearly not made her feel any better.

Elana quickly looked away opposite to Akram's position, focusing her gaze on the dim shades on the front wall of her eyes and trying to neutralize her turbulent emotions in the chest. His own eyes were hot with a circle of tears gathered in his corner, about to flow and drip down his cheeks.

As powerful as Elana restraint, forbid the circle of tears to roll themselves down

Akram won't let her get her to shed her tears again! It won't! Because that cruel, scathing-mouthed evil man was not worthy of it, would never be worthy!

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The night was late when Akram finally laid down his work and anchored his gaze towards the contest bed where Elana lay.

Silence combined with the dim light that surrounded the two of them and from Elana's regular breathing, making her chest come down gently, Akram made sure that Elana was asleep.

Akram slowly pushed his work digital screen to the edge of the sofa and turned off the reading light that was stuck on the nightstand next to the sofa. Akram then got up and took his steps closer to the edge of Elana's bed, stopping right there.

Long she stood glued to the side of Elana's bed, watching Elana's deep figure as various inexplicable emotions roiled within her chest.

He did not intend to humiliate Elana to that extent. However, Elana's unexpected friendly attitude, which asks her to remove the guilt, unexpectedly even awakened the defensive attitude of Akram to unconsciously himself immediately install a fortress to drive Elana away so as not to step closer to his heart.

Akram slightly leaned over to Elana, his hand unable to resist sweeping the woman's hair, then wrapped a soft strand of Elana's hair around her finger. Her sharp eyes watched Elana's entire face and her heart throbbed as she found the remaining tear point at the corner of the tightly closed eye.

Akram rubbed the tears gently, making Elana move a little as if disturbed before the woman fell asleep again in her sleep.

Unable to hold back, Akram shifts Elana's body to the opposite side of the bed, then puts herself up on the bed, lying next to Elana in the same hospital bed.

Although the size of this bed is large enough for the category of a hospital bed, but still with Akram's tall body and contrast with the tiny Elana, they both had to stick tight so as not to fall out of bed.

Akram tilted his body towards Elana, then slowly attached Elana's body to her, trying as much as possible not to hurt Elana's right hand which was still covered in thick casts. His eyes were closed while his mind was still raging.

His closeness to Elana had created a new nuance in his heart that made Akram confused as he never allowed others to step deeper into his heart. On the one hand, Akram is filled with a strong sense of anticipation to learn new things that overwhelm his feelings, but on the other hand, he is wracked with fear due to past trauma that once afflicted him

It was that fear that made Akram constantly trying to push Elana away from her heart.

Akram used to lock his heart, closing it tightly with a keyless permanent seal, which should make the door of his heart unopenable by anyone. Akram has been adept at acting like an emotionless robot for a long time, learning to dislike things more than he should and learning to assume things are meaningless to him, so that when he had to lose those things, his hard and numb heart, would feel nothing. For he will not feel sad when he loses something he does not love.

Akram has learned to dull his sense of feeling towards the pain of loss, because in the past, in his dark and dark childhood, he has, Xavier Light uses his weakness to destroy everything he has ever loved, destroying Akram's soul to the point of being so badly damaged that it is impossible to cure it.

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