The air was thick with a piercing tension and a silence that grated on the nerves. Danan, finger on the trigger of his pistol, glared at Eve as he slowly tightened his grip, his attention drawn to the restless buzz of insects.

  "Danan, stop this nonsense. You think that little toy gun can kill me?" Eve's voice was calm, almost mocking.

  "You won't know until I try...!" Danan snapped back.

  The hammer clicked, and a burst of flame erupted from the muzzle as a single bullet hurtled toward Eve.

  A shrill metallic clang echoed through the air. Eve's silver wings sliced the bullet into fragments, and in a flash, the girl extended a razor-sharp feather toward Danan's throat. "You and I? We're not even in the same league," she declared, flaunting the overwhelming gap in their power.

  "..."

  "Danan, I'm not looking for meaningless fights. All I want is your cooperation. Forget trust or faith—you don't need those. Just do as I say. Understood?" Eve's voice was cold, commanding.

  The silver wing pressed deeper into Danan's throat, drawing blood. Staring into the girl's eyes, Danan bared his teeth, seizing the blade-like feather with his bare hand. Ignoring the pain as it sliced through skin and flesh, he twisted it with raw fury.

  "So you're telling me to bow down? To bleed for you? Don't make me laugh...! Who the hell do you think I am?!" he roared.

  With a fierce tug, he yanked the feather, throwing Eve off balance.

  No matter how much she tried to crush him, no matter the gap in their strength, Danan refused to yield. The undercity where he was raised was a brutal, lawless pit—a fallen Sodom where the weak were devoured by the strong, stripped of everything. In the face of Eve's smug superiority, Danan tore a single feather from her silver wing, gripping it tightly in his bloodied hand.

  He would bow to no one. If even the slimmest chance existed, he would seize it, crush it in his fist. Bleeding, body torn, Danan closed the distance to Eve, his eyes burning with rage and hatred. He drove the feather toward her throat.

  "You'd better calm down," Eve said coolly.

  Blood pooled at Danan's feet. Five silver wings had pierced his body, skewering every vital point except his heart.

  "That defiance, that rebellious streak—it's admirable," Eve continued. "But looking at you stirs something in me. Irritation. You're clawing to survive, yet I sense you're already half-dead. It's such a frustrating contradiction."

  "What would you know?" Danan spat.

  "How could I possibly know? We're strangers, you and I. No one can truly understand another's thoughts. Even infants sense that instinctively," Eve replied, her tone almost pitying.

  "Don't dress up your fancy words to make us sound special...! I won't be anyone's tool! Never—ever—will I let you sway me!" Danan's voice thundered with defiance.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  The undercity had no order like the mid-level districts. It was a crucible of chaos, built on violence and desire. Murder, arson, theft, rape, fraud, assault—once your dignity and rights were taken, they were gone forever in that filthy abyss. In the undercity, a "trustworthy" person was just someone you could exploit later. "Reliable" words were those backed by tangible profit and undeniable reality. To survive there was to sacrifice your humanity to the beast within.

  "If you think you can use me, give it up! Your words are worthless—empty drivel! If you're gonna kill me, do it! But if you do, I'll—"

  "You're a sad man, Danan," Eve interrupted softly.

  Her prismatic eyes met his, dark and hollow like the bottom of a ravine. She pulled the feather from his throat.

  "I've seen someone like you before. Someone who couldn't trust anyone, couldn't love anyone—not even themselves. Danan, no matter how much you scream or struggle, there's no going back. You've bonded with Lumina. You have to help me."

  "That's your excuse?!" Danan shouted. "I never—"

  "Never what? Still planning to glare at me? No matter how you fight, you can't beat me. You have no choice but to obey if you want to survive. Your will, your refusal to give up—it's impressive, but right now, it's useless. Stop this pointless struggle."

  Their conversation was a deadlock, a parallel line of advance and retreat. Danan and Eve stared each other down, neither willing to yield.

  How can I make this man bend? Eve wondered.

  How can I break free from this girl? Danan thought.

  How can I make the person in front of me do what I want?

  In the suffocating silence, Eve let out a deep sigh. "Fine," she murmured. "If I achieve my goal, I'll grant your wish."

  "Think you're a god now?" Danan scoffed.

  "Don't be ridiculous. I'm human, just like you. How could I become a god?" Eve replied with a faint smile.

  "Then what, a devil's temptation?"

  "Funny joke," she said, amused. "But no. The girl standing before you is just a little tougher than most. So, let's see... You're a relic hunter, right? I'll give you information about ancient ruins."

  "Not buying it," Danan said flatly.

  "...Then one more thing. I'll show you the real sky."

  Danan's fingers twitched ever so slightly.

  "Long ago, the sky was endless blue. Birds sang among green trees, and animals roamed the fields. You might not care, but—"

  "Tell me more," Danan cut in.

  "What?" Eve's eyes gleamed.

  Before Danan could clamp his mouth shut, Eve caught his flicker of interest. A smile spread across her face, her finger brushing her pale pink lips.

  "What's that? Curious about the past?" she teased.

  "..."

  "No need to clam up. I saw it—the crack in your resolve, the gap in your armor. Danan, let me tell you something. Help me, and I'll give you the real sky. A paradise. Tempting, isn't it?"

  It was his own weakness, his own slip that led to this. Desperately trying to patch his crumbling facade, Danan faced Eve, who now held his desire like a weapon. She withdrew the silver wings piercing his body.

  "Danan, you can live a caged life in this tower, wallowing in tainted freedom. Or you can join me and aim for a new world. The choice is yours. If you want to stay a stray dog chained forever, reject my offer. But... I'm the only one who can break your collar and leash. Doesn't it suit you better? To be a hunting hound?"

  "A stray dog, huh?" Danan muttered.

  "Exactly. A mangy mutt, soaked in the rain, howling like a mad beast. A lost dog searching for a master who's long gone, just scraping by. Danan, come on. Let me tame you. I'll guide you so you never lose your way again. So take my hand—"

  Danan's pistol fired, the bullet grazing Eve's forehead, smoke curling from the barrel.

  "Don't get cocky, brat," he growled. "Listen up. Even dogs have pride."

  "..."

  "Sure, your offer's tempting. But it's not my desire. Don't think you can measure me, you little—! My life, my path, belongs to no one else. Even if I stumble, the road I find is the right one."

  Called a dog, scorned as a mutt—it didn't matter. Danan had already bitten through the invisible chains around his neck, torn off the collar etched with a faded name. Spitting the blood pooling in his mouth, he grabbed Eve by the chest as she staggered back.

  "I haven't even found my own desire yet."

  With that, he slammed her to the ground.