Soul Bonded [Claude De Alger Obelia x reader ]

57. Conflicted Thoughts.

What a mess!

Your footsteps were hasty, almost panicked. Your mind running miles to find solution to the sudden, unexpected hurdle.

Athy was supposed to meet Claude at the age of 9 so why did it happened so early?!

You knew the answer. Nothing was same as your first life. The flow of the first timeline had changed drastically the moment you met Claude when he was kid.

Everything had taken a different route than before.

And yet you feared that despite the change, the tragedy could still repeat. Despite creating a different timeline you were afraid the end would be the same.

Now wonder you were so desperate to run away from Claude. To change Athanasia's predestined death. To change your own fate.

You could discard Claude's threat and escape. But something the way he said with utter conviction made you rethink. He sounded dead serious and ready to drag you back to him even if you ran continents away.

That left you no choice but to stay and wait for perfect opportunity to flee. That too seem impossible.

Claude's unpredictability was dangerous. You didn't want to think of consequences if he caught you escaping.

You didn't want to lose Athy.

You didn't want to die by hands of Claude.

But with the way things were that didn't seem too far way from becoming real.

God, you cornered with no way out. Agitation and frustration swelled and you had to take deep breaths to calm yourself down.

"Y/n)?"

The familiar voice broke you out of your downward spiralling thoughts.

Felix stopped before you, brows creased with worry. "Is something troubling you?" Felix threw a cautious look behind and the worry in his eyes deepened. "Did meeting with his majesty didn't go well?"

You let out a dry laugh. "Yes yes, we all know just how terrifying smooth each meeting with Claude goes."

Felix awkwardly smiled at your sarcasm and patted your head fondly. "Please don't be upset with His Majesty. He might not show it but he's rejoiced to have you back. It's just that he doesn't know how to express it."

"Rejoiced?" You huffed. "That dude was glaring at me with cold eyes the whole time. He even threatened me! You call that him being happy?"

Felix coughed, before speaking. "He's never good at expressing his emotions, and you know it better than anyone. Afterall you stood beside him through all his hardships. If someone can understand him, it's you. Right?"

You paused mouth going dry and you looked away. "I don't know what kind of God- level impression you've of me Felix. I'm not a mind reader. I can't understand your Emperor, let alone his feelings."

Felix wasn't deterred by your words instead he said with conviction. "But you can understand Claude. The Emperor might be someone you don't know but your friend Claude is someone you know and understand, right?" There was a meaningful look on his face as he smiled at you.

You bit inside of your cheek, contemplating his words.

Did you know Claude? Sure you spent a lot of your childhood with him. But he's been so closed off, so guarded that it impossible for anyone to peek in within the steel walls Claude kept surrounded himself with.

When you finally made a small crack in it, got a glimpse of real him, you were ripped away from him and he turned so cold, so distant.

It was stretching the rope thin to think that you know Claude. He was a mystery then and he remained mystery now.