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Chapter 145: Confessions, Chaos, and a Stubborn Heart

Zack gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face.

"Come on, come on... don't die on me!"

He poured every ounce of his healing energy into Safari and Angeleva, but—

It wasn't enough.

Angeleva's body was burning from the poison, her pulse faint.

Safari was barely hanging on, his body shattered.

Zack wasn't strong enough alone.

Then—

"Take our energy."

Zack's head snapped up.

Standing before him were all the freed prisoners—

Tyra, Rojo, Vera, Darry, Waker, Blaine, Fuga, Gorin—

And even Patrick and Grace.

Their eyes burned with determination.

Tyra knelt beside him first.

"I never got to thank Angeleva... she was pretty courageous to stand up against Raven. She gave us hope. She even tried her best to rescue Safari."

She placed her hand on Zack's shoulder.

A golden aura flowed into him.

"And Safari..." Rojo added, placing his own hand on Zack, "...he gave his everything against Raven."

One by one—

They all joined in.

Vera, her voice trembling—
"They saved us... now it's our turn."

Darry, his jaw clenched—
"You better save them, kid."

Waker, smiling softly—
"Let's make sure they wake up to see us."

Blaine, grinning—
"Can't let the big guy die after everything, huh?"

Fuga, calm yet firm—
"They are not dying today."

Gorin, his voice deep—
"They saved our future. It's time we save theirs."

And then—

Patrick and Grace.

Grace, for once being serious.

"I want to thank her. I never got the chance."

Patrick, his hands trembling—
"They're the reason we all are even alive. Please, Zack."

Zack's body glowed.

Power surged through him.

His hands, now brighter than ever, pulsed with a golden light.

"Thank you."

Then—

He unleashed the energy.

It flooded into Safari and Angeleva, washing over them like a warm tidal wave.

The poison in Angeleva's veins began to dissolve.

Safari's shattered bones started to mend.

The two warriors, who had given everything, were now being given back life.

Zack didn't know if it would be enough.

But he would never stop trying.

_ _ _

In the depths of her unconsciousness, Angeleva stood alone.

A vast, empty space stretched before her, painted in soft shades of gold and violet—colors of her past and present.

She felt weightless, yet the emotions weighing on her heart were heavier than ever.

Then, like echoes in the wind—

Memories flooded in.

_ _ _

She had once seen him as nothing more than a stubborn, reckless warrior who got in her way.

A devil. A fighter.

Someone she had no reason to care for.

She tried to seduce him once, using her charm and beauty, expecting him to fall like all the others.

Yet—

He didn't.

For the first time in her life, a man had looked her straight in the eyes, completely unfazed.

"I won't fall for your tricks." he had said with a gruff irritation.

It infuriated her.

She and Safari were competitors earlier.

Somewhere along the way, her rivalry turned into curiosity.

She began to watch him.

Safari was rough, brash, sometimes downright unbearable—but he was also fiercely loyal, determined, and selfless.

She watched how he protected Zack, Jen, Ian, and Olive.
How he carried the weight of his planet's destruction on his shoulders—alone.

She wanted to understand him.

She wanted to respect him.

And most of all—

She wanted to know more about him.

She knew it was dangerous.

A devil and a fairy...
It wasn't meant to be.

She told herself she was only working with him for the sake of the mission.
She told herself it was just a temporary alliance.

She told herself she was only here to defeat the Demon Generals.

Yet—

Every time he smirked at her,
Every time he fought beside her,
Every time he trusted her with his life—

She felt herself falling deeper.

She hated it.

She didn't want this.

She wasn't supposed to feel this way.

She tried to stay distant.

But the more she avoided him...

The closer she got.

The worse it became.

Until, before she even realized it—

She had fallen.

Not as a fairy warrior.
Not as a teammate.

But as a woman.

She loved him.

Now, lying on the brink of death, she finally admitted it.

"Safari... you made me fall for you."

She never wanted this.

But now—

It was the only thing she wanted.

Healing Safari and Angeleva was no longer just Zack's responsibility—it became a mission for everyone.

Zack regularly poured his energy into them, his small hands glowing with an intense light.

But it wasn't enough.

Their wounds were too deep. Their bodies were too broken.

The entire family stepped in.

Jen, Ian, Olive, and the prisoners all gathered around, each channeling whatever energy they could spare.

The entire planet became a place of healing.

At first, there was no visible progress.

Safari remained unmoving, his breathing shallow.
Angeleva's poisoned body trembled, still struggling against the lingering effects.

But they didn't give up.

For four entire days, Angeleva's condition slowly improved.

Her wounds closed, her breathing steadied, and finally—

She opened her eyes.

The moment she awoke, she didn't even give herself time to recover.

She immediately joined the effort to heal Safari.

Despite her own fatigue and pain, she placed her hands on his chest, pouring every last bit of her power into him.

"Come on, Safari... Please, wake up."

For nine more days, they fought to bring him back.

The family never left his side.

The prisoners never stopped giving their energy.

And finally—

After what felt like an eternity—

Safari's fingers twitched.

His chest rose.

His eyes slowly opened.

The moment Safari fully awoke, Angeleva threw herself at him.

She hugged him so tightly that he gasped for air.

"A-Angeleva...! I... can't... breathe...!"

But she didn't care.

Tears streamed down her face as she buried her head in his shoulder.

"You idiot... You absolute idiot...!"

For the first time in a long while, Safari actually smiled.

She saw the same expression she had last seen before they were separated—the same grin of defiance, survival, and relief.

The entire family erupted into cheers.

Even the prisoners, who had once been broken and lost, joined in the celebration.

The entire planet erupted into cheers as they celebrated Safari and Angeleva's survival.

A small party was held, filled with joy and relief.

There was laughter, music, and plenty of food.

But—

Despite the lively atmosphere, there was one person who wasn't fully present.

Safari.

Even after fully healing, he was keeping his distance from Angeleva.

Instead of speaking to her, Safari busied himself.

He talked to his family.

He interacted with the prisoners—personally thanking Blaine, Rojo, Tyra, Clara, Fuga, Darry, and Vera for their help.

But every time Angeleva tried to approach—

He found a way to slip away.

And she noticed.

She felt hopeless watching his coldness.

Did everything they went through... mean nothing to him?

Ian noticed her frustration and nudged her.

"Are you really just gonna let him walk away?"

Olive crossed her arms.

"You have to be straightforward with your feelings, big sis. If you want something, you take it."

But Angeleva hesitated.

"What if he rejects me...?"

"Will I be able to take that?"

Jen placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Even if he rejects you, we're still family."

Zack clenched his fists and nodded.

"Admitting your feelings isn't a crime! Be more confident!"

Finally—

Angeleva strengthened her resolve.

And then—

She charged straight at Safari in the most comedic way possible.

She skidded to a stop in front of him.

Safari blinked, confused.

"What's the matter?"

Angeleva took a deep breath—

Then grabbed his hands.

Her heart pounded.

And finally—

"Safari... I love you."

For a moment—there was silence.

Safari's expression didn't change.

He didn't even look surprised.

Then—

"It's a relationship that's never happening."

He turned to leave.

But before he could—

Angeleva grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back.

"Then what about your feelings?"

Safari's body tensed.

He stuttered.

Then after a long pause—

"I... I do love you... But—"

Safari stood frozen, Angeleva's grip tight on his wrist.

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions.

He thought back—

To every moment spent with her and their family.

To the times he tried to keep his distance.

Yet—

No matter how much he pushed away, fate always pulled him back.

He feared it.

But—

Rather than hating her, rather than creating distance, he only grew closer.

Circumstances forced them together.

And as much as he tried to resist—

His respect for her grew.

Then his admiration.

And then—

It became something unbreakable.

He was a devil.

She was a fairy.

Two opposites.

They should never be together.

And yet—

There he was.

There they were.

And the worst part?

That unbreakable bond turned into something far more dangerous—

Love.

If he had died with Raven—

He never would've had to face this.

He could have just been relieved that she was safe.

But now?

Now he had to stand here—

And face her.

And what shook him most—

Was knowing that she felt the same way.

"I... I do love you... But—"

His eyes widened.

His breath hitched.

He just admitted it.

His heart pounded.

He turned away sharply.

"Forget I said that!" he snapped.

And then—

He ran.

Zack, Jen, Ian, and Olive stood frozen.

They exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"...That just happened." Ian muttered.

"Well," Jen sighed, hands on her hips.
"That was way harder than I thought it'd be."

Zack blinked, still processing.

Olive smirked, shaking her head.
"He's really that stubborn, huh?"

Angeleva watched him go.

Her heart ached.

He admitted it.

But he ran.

She clenched her fists.

_ _ _

Safari ran deep into an isolated forest.

His heart was still racing.

His feet crushed twigs and leaves beneath him.

He needed space.
He needed to think.

Why did I say that?

He slumped against a tree, panting.

His head tilted back, staring at the sky.

He felt like a complete idiot.

Back near the castle, Angeleva sighed.

"Forget it," she muttered.
"He's not coming back."

Jen pouted. "No way! We're not giving up that easily!"

Zack nodded. "We've come too far!"

Olive smirked. "If he thinks he can hide, he's dead wrong."

Patrick and Grace stepped forward.

"Need backup?" Patrick grinned.

Angeleva blinked.

"You... you're one of the—"

Grace nodded. "Yeah, yeah. We saw everything. We're on your side."

"We're with you," Patrick added with a thumbs-up.

The family cheered, celebrating new allies.

And then—

They all grabbed Angeleva's hands and marched off into the forest.

Meanwhile, Safari leaned against the tree.

Alone.

Trying to silence the storm inside him.