The Hero Returns with his Yandere Wife-Chapter 10 - 9

The tunnel reeked of scorched earth and betrayal, its jagged walls glistening with damp rot under the flicker of a dying lantern. Dust swirled in the air, settling like ash over the broken forms of Kellan and Lira, who knelt amidst the rubble. Their breaths came in shallow gasps, the weight of their shame pressing them into the cracked stone floor.

Kellan's hulking frame sagged, his massive shoulders hunched as his broken arm hung limp, the faint glow that once pulsed in his fists now snuffed out. Blood crusted his knuckles, and his dark eyes stayed fixed on the ground, unable to meet the storm brewing above him. Beside him, Lira trembled, her cracked goggles clutched in her lap like a lifeline. Tears carved clean streaks through the grime on her face, her voice a fractured whisper:

"We're sorry... so sorry..."

Elena loomed over them, a scarred silhouette against the dim light. Her burnt hand twitched at her side, the pain a dull throb she ignored, while her good eye—an icy shard of blue—flickered between rage and something softer. She'd spared them, but the decision hung fragile, a thread stretched taut over a chasm.

Her chest heaved as she fought the urge to lash out—Kellan's betrayal could've been their end, the spark of their rebellion extinguished here in this forsaken hole. Silently, she sent a prayer of thanks to Ryn and Mira, their shadowed presence a lifeline she'd dared to summon after a decade of silence.

Dax stepped into the circle, his hood slipping back to reveal sharp, angular features and eyes that glinted like polished steel. His telepathic tendrils snaked through the air, brushing against Kellan's and Lira's minds—a cold, invisible wind prying at their defenses.

He winced, a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth, then turned to Elena.

"They're telling the truth—for now. No shields, no lies. Thoughts are a mess, but they're raw."

His gaze snapped back to the kneeling pair, voice hardening.

"Keep it that way. Block me, and I'll feel it. You're on borrowed time."

Kellan's head jerked in a nod, his gravelly baritone cracking like stone under strain.

"Read me all you want. I'm done screwing this up."

Lira's sob caught in her throat, her small frame shrinking further.

"Me too—open book. Just... keep her away."

Her eyes darted sideways, landing on Mira, who stood silent and unmoving, shadows curling at her feet like something alive.

Soren sheathed her blade with a sharp clack, the sound echoing off the tunnel walls. Her frost-kissed hair caught the lantern's glow, shimmering like ice as she towered over the defeated pair.

"I'm ashamed of you both."

Her voice was cold, cutting.

"Kellan, an S-class? You were our anchor, not our saboteur."

Kellan's good hand clawed at the stone, his voice a low rumble of regret.

"I know. I messed up bad, Soren. I'm sorry."

Lira's plea was barely audible, a trembling thread.

"We didn't mean it to spiral like this... please..."

Elena's gaze softened, but her mind churned—a storm of calculations and what-ifs.

She glanced across the tunnel to Ryn and Mira, who stood apart, a world unto themselves amidst the wreckage.

Mira knelt beside Ryn, her movements fluid and deliberate.

Her sleeveless black dress clung to her tall, lean frame, the hem swaying like a whisper as she unpacked a worn cloth bundle. She pulled free a hunk of bread and a strip of dried meat, tearing off a piece with deft fingers.

Her midnight hair spilled over her shoulders, framing a face both fierce and tender as she pressed the food to Ryn's lips.

"Eat."

Her voice was low, a velvet blade edged with steel.

"You're running on fumes."

Ryn slumped against the wall, his casual jacket scuffed and torn, his hazel eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. He chewed reluctantly, a faint grin tugging at his lips.

"I'm stuffed, Mira. Eat it yourself."

Her eyes narrowed, a possessive glint flashing as she shoved another piece at him.

"Don't argue. You haven't tapped your powers in a decade—taking down those grunts, facing Kellan? You're drained."

He swallowed, pushing her hand back with a chuckle.

"I'm fine—stop fussing."

Mira leaned closer, her tone dropping to a hiss, sharp and intimate.

"You're mine to fuss over, idiot. Eat, or I'll make you."

From their huddle, the five superheroes watched, tense.

Kellan's breath hitched each time Mira's voice cut through the air.

Lira flinched at Ryn's laugh, her goggles slipping.

Soren's grip tightened on her blade.

Dax's mind brushed against them, a thought flickering—"They don't act like normal heroes."

Soren finally spoke, voice edged with suspicion.

"Who are they, really?"

She turned to Elena.

"That guy—Ryn—he's A-class, but he flattened Kellan like it was nothing. S-class Kellan."

Elena exhaled, her burnt hand unclenching.

"His rank was A-class." She paused. "But he never pushed for more—didn't want to."

Dax frowned.

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"Didn't want to? He's that strong—how?"

Elena's good eye flickered with a decade-old memory—Ryn wreathed in flames, his team basking in his stolen glory.

"His squad took his credit," she said. "Every mission, every victory—he was their stepping stone, and he let them climb."

Soren's brow creased.

"Let them? Why?"

Elena's gaze drifted to Mira, feeding Ryn like a ritual.

"She made sure of it."

Lira's voice quavered.

"She... kept him down?"

Elena nodded.

"Redirected the praise, kept him A-class—out of the S-rank spotlight."

Dax's telepathy grazed the edges of their bond, his murmur thoughtful.

"Does she even care about him? She's S-class—why hold him back?"

Elena hesitated.

"She's scared."

Kellan lifted his head slightly.

"So she... protected him? By stealing his shot?"

Lira shivered.

"That's twisted."

Soren scoffed.

"Sounds like a coward's excuse. She wanted the crown."

Dax's eyes narrowed.

"Maybe. But fear's real—S-class marks you forever."

Elena's gaze lingered on Mira, her hand brushing Ryn's hair.

Mira's love was no gentle thing.

It was a barbed coil, wound tight around Ryn to keep him hers.

Dax's telepathy swept Kellan and Lira again, tasting their open fear.

Lira shrunk back at Mira's laughter.

Kellan's good hand twitched.

Soren's smirk faded.

"Protection—or possession? I can't tell."

Dax's gaze stayed on Mira, his telepathy useless against her.

"Either way, she's a loaded gun."

Elena's good eye traced Mira's hand stroking Ryn's hair.

She loved him, that much was clear.

But was it devotion... or a desperate, smothering need to keep him hers?