Lucifer: Godless Reawakening-Chapter 251: Only love

"He is someone being targeted by both sides. He is not meant to exist. He is not the balance this world needs. He is the extinction everyone fears."

Emma remembered every word the Shaman had spoken that day, when she summoned it to free William from his curse.

She had been warned. She had been shown the origin tied to the man she loved and the future waiting for him. The Shaman had even offered her a chance to withdraw, to cancel the summoning entirely. It would have left without demanding compensation or inflicting punishment.

That alone was a sign of how cautious even that Primordial being was.

Yet Emma had not hesitated.

She sealed the deal.

With her own blood, she erased the chains that bound the man she had given her heart to.

But did the Shaman’s words leave her ignorant? Unbothered?

No.

Not at all.

She did not regret freeing William.

She feared what would happen when he finally uncovered his true origin.

Once he learned where he had stood during the early stages of the war, William would understand what awaited him when the world rose to chaos again. When the banners were raised and the two sides clashed once more, the one person they would both target without hesitation would be him.

That was what she feared most.

If he discovered the truth, he might choose to walk away from the life a normal eighteen-year-old should live. He might abandon everyone he cared about in order to keep them safe.

It was a logical conclusion.

And it was born entirely from her fear.

So she chose secrecy.

She would rather he remain ignorant of his origin until the day came when he was too bound to her to even consider leaving. It was a selfish gamble. It could easily backfire. Emma did not know when their feelings would reach that depth, or if they ever would.

Still, she held onto one belief.

Or perhaps she was simply avoiding the topic out of fear. Because once the truth was laid bare, she would have to face what was inevitable.

She believed in the bond they shared. In most matters, she trusted the connection between them without hesitation.

But there was one factor that still made her doubt whether that belief was strong enough.

And if the truth was destined to surface anyway, what was the point of hiding it? Of lying to him? Of hurting him when he eventually uncovered everything on his own?

The silence between them did not last long.

"I told you about the nightmarish creature I’ve been seeing for as long as I can remember, right?" William said quietly. "The one who saved us from the General-ranked devil back then? He told me a little about myself. Not much. But it was... crucial."

Emma drew in a slow breath and leaned back in her seat.

Then she met his eyes.

"I don’t know what he told you, William," she said softly, "but trust me. We can overcome any obstacle, as long as we have each other."

William hummed, crossed his arms, and looked at her. "You do realize that being blessed by one of the Upper Gods, one of the Three Elite Angels, makes you my natural enemy, right?"

Emma lowered her gaze and remained silent.

That silence was answer enough. It confirmed Lamb’s logic.

"You’re scared, Emma," he continued quietly. "Scared that one day I’ll leave you because you’re meant to hunt me down."

She flinched.

Her fist tightened at her side as she muttered, "Willingly? I would kill myself before even a single thought of harming you forms in my head."

William gave a faint shrug. "I wouldn’t mind dying by your hands, though."

Emma’s eyes snapped wide. "What are you saying, Will?!"

He let out a slow breath. "It’s inevitable, Emma. If your God wills it, He could use you against me. And you know you wouldn’t be able to resist."

Emma frowned.

She had heard the rumors. The stories. And she carried knowledge of what the future could become.

When she used the Seventh Circle, Divine Judgment, she stepped closer to divinity itself. And once she reached the stage of Nephilim, a realm beyond mortal parameters, she would stand closer to her deity than any other human ever could.

At that stage, one did not merely inherit a fragment of their patron’s power.

They inherited consciousness. Intent. Experience.

And once that happened, no matter how deep her feelings ran, she would be compelled to follow her God’s will.

"You can’t remove a blessing, Emma," William said quietly. "And you can’t stop your growth. So it’s inevitable. One day, you might hurt me. Or even kill—"

"Stop. Just stop."

She raised her hand, cutting him off before he could repeat it again.

Her eyes flushed red. Her heart felt unbearably heavy as emotions churned inside her.

"How can you sound so calm about this?" she demanded. "Have you already accepted that fate? Are you preparing to walk away from me?"

Her voice trembled, but her gaze did not waver.

"If that’s what you want," she continued, her tone sharpening, "then listen to me carefully, Delimore William."

She leaned into him, her left knee pressing into the seat between his legs as her hand fisted into his collar and yanked him closer.

There was nothing gentle about her now.

Her temperament burned fierce. Her eyes blazed with anger and raw determination.

"I will not let you go," she said through clenched teeth, her voice trembling with intensity. "No matter what you’ve decided."

Her grip tightened.

"If you try to run, I will chase you to the very edge of this world and drag you back. I’ll keep you by my side even if I have to chain you again."

Her breath was uneven, her gaze unwavering.

"You can’t escape me. Not anymore."

Her forehead almost touched his.

"A life without you is not a life at all. It’s an empty world."

Her voice dropped, but the resolve within it only hardened.

"So keep that in mind and erase any thought that puts distance between us. Because I am not going to let you go. Not now, not ever."

William looked straight into her eyes.

Love. Anger. Fear.

He saw all of it without needing to pry into her mind.

This was perhaps the first time he had seen her so vulnerable and yet so unbreakable at the same time.

He saw her insecurities clearly. But instead of shrinking under them, instead of crying or pleading, she had risen and declared what she would do if he ever tried to walk away.

And this is one of the many reasons why he has lost his heart to this girl.

Slowly, he took her hand and pressed a kiss against her fingers.

"I wanted to see this," he said softly.

The words startled her, but she did not pull away. She continued glaring at him, though the fire in her eyes flickered.

William trailed the kiss along her hand and placed a gentle peck on her wrist.

"If you had just sat there and accepted our fate," he murmured, "I would’ve been hurt, Emma. Because I don’t give a damn about the future."

He shook his head slightly.

"I’ve always known my existence isn’t needed by this world. The divine mark I carry, the way the underworld reacts to me... I knew I’d be cornered someday."

He met her gaze again, his voice steady.

"But when I looked at that future, at myself standing in that corner, I didn’t see myself alone. I saw someone beside me. Shoulder to shoulder. Growling at anyone thirsty for my blood."

Her shoulders finally loosened.

Tears gathered in her eyes as her voice trembled. "Then... why did you keep saying those hurtful things? Repeating how I would harm you..."

William gave her an apologetic smile and pulled her into his arms.

"I’m sorry," he whispered. "I was just upset that you even thought I’d leave you over something like that."

She sniffled but did not resist the embrace.

Even though she was still upset with him, she needed his warmth more than ever.

He let out a soft chuckle. "How long have you been beating yourself up over this? Overthinking and punishing yourself like that?"

Emma grumbled under her breath. "Don’t talk about it. You know I hate hiding things from you, no matter how serious they are. And when you looked at me like that on the stairs... it broke my heart."

William’s smile turned helpless. "I’m sorry, Emma. Truly. You were scared. I would have been too, if I were in your place. But instead of trusting your judgment, I let myself get upset."

Emma shook her head firmly. "No. I was wrong too. I should’ve trusted what we have more than my fear. I made a decision based on an uncertain possibility instead of believing in our relationship."

William hummed softly. "I guess we both made mistakes. And we’re both sorry."

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he looked at her.

"So... how about we make up with a kiss?"

Emma glared at him briefly before she just closed her eyes and awaited him.

He didn’t make her wait for long

Their lips met softly at first, hesitant but warm. The tension that had coiled between them slowly unraveled. His hand slid to her waist, steady and reassuring, while hers rested against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart.

The kiss deepened, still tender and full of heartfelt feelings.

Just as he began to pull back slightly, Emma suddenly bit down on his lower lip. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Not hard enough to hurt. Just enough to make him freeze in surprise.

She pulled back a fraction, her eyes still glossy from unshed tears, and whispered, "That’s for making me cry."

William blinked, then let out a quiet laugh, his thumb brushing beneath her eye.

"If that’s the punishment," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers, "I might deserve another one."

This time, when she kissed him again, there was no anger left.

Only love.