"Yet, in the outside world, I knew that I was a burden for the relationship between the two of you first and with Kamila later. That's why one year ago, once I regained my body, even if it's just a featureless energy construct, I kept it hidden from Lith."
The wisp jumped off his arms and floated in front of Phloria so that their eyes now met.
"Even before that, I left Lith's hand whenever he spent quality time with Kamila. I didn't tell him about my new body until I was forced to because outside this tower, I'm still nothing but a voice. Even now, I can only dream about having a normal life.
"After hearing my side of the story, do you still feel like blaming Lith for keeping my existence a secret? Before answering, think about how, despite all you two went through together, you lashed out the moment you learned the truth and how your much more immature self at the academy would've reacted."
Now Solus was out of breath as well, her hair whipped around as if she was amid a storm.
Phloria set aside her hurt feelings and felt stupid for wearing her heart on her sleeve. After Lith had rescued her, Phloria had been blinded by gratefulness, just like after sleeping on all the revelations of the past day, she had been blinded by jealousy.
"It seems I keep going from one extreme to the other." Phloria sighed. "Before you hear my answer, however, I would like you to cover up, Solus. From what I can see you're not very featureless anymore."
Solus's anger disappeared as she blushed up to her ears. A quick glance revealed to her that Phloria was right. Even though most of her body was still made of energy, its anatomy had become quite accurate.
She quickly turned her head, catching Lith who had been staring at her ass from the beginning.
"I didn't mention it earlier because I didn't want to ruin your heartfelt speech." Lith shrugged while giving her a telepathic thumbs up.
'Looking real good.' He told her via their mind link to not embarrass her in front of Phloria.
'Damn it. This is one of those times I'd like for us to not be always sincere with each other.' Solus replied while turning a few shades of purple along with the tower's light until her Skinwalker armor saved her from further humiliation.
Phloria paced around the room this time, trying to separate facts from opinions before speaking again. After a few minutes, Phloria sat down on the bed and took a few deep breaths to calm down.
"What part did Solus play in our relationship, exactly?" Phloria asked, her voice back to normal.
"She pushed me to take you out more, to be less of an insensitive jerk, and to be less stingy with my presents." Lith replied, making Phloria chuckle.
"Solus, were you there during my mom's birthday, when Lith promised to come to my rescue, no matter what, the moment I called his name?"
"Yes, but I swear that I never wrote any of his speeches nor did I play any part in the events that led to you two to become close and later to break up. That promise surprised me as well. It's one of the most romantic things he has ever done." Solus replied.
"I know, and that's why I got so riled up earlier. I'm not going to lie, discovering your existence, Solus, turned a creepy light on all those beautiful moments we shared. More than that, it made me doubt Lith's feelings not only for me, but for Kamila as well." Phloria said.
"What do you mean?" Lith asked.
"Well, put yourself in my shoes. We didn't see for a long time, yet you made that wonderful promise to me and in Kulah you put your life on the line to save me."
"That's because I still care deeply about you. You are…" Phloria raised her hand, cutting Lith short.
"Then, yesterday, you came to my rescue again, told me all those beautiful things about how much you care about me and that you want me at your side during your apprenticeship despite you already have a girlfriend. That made me think.
"Think that even though you have Kamila, you didn't tell her about Solus. That maybe you were using me as an experiment, to see my reaction to your other half and decide whether or not to share this secret with her as well.
"Worst case scenario, you might as well be trying to keep me as a replacement in case Kamila breaks up with you." Phloria said.
"That would be cruel and egotistical beyond belief!" Lith blurted out.
"No, it would just be human." Phloria shook her head. "I need time to think about my apprenticeship with Faluel and about how I want our relationship if there has to be any."
Phloria stood up, looking at Solus in the eyes.
"I apologize for my rudeness towards you. You've been through things so horrible that I can barely fathom them, yet I judged you both hastily and harshly. You're a brave, wonderful woman, Solus. You and Lith are lucky to have each other."
Then, she stood in front of Lith. Part of her wanted to hold him just as strongly as the other part wanted to slap the heck out of him.
"Do you have anything to add before we part ways again?" She clenched her hands to keep them under control.
His pained expression broke her heart in more than one way. It both rekindled her feelings for him yet it also exacerbated all those years of secrets and deception, making her wonder if any part of their relationship had ever been real.
"Yes. I want you to know that after you broke up with me, I felt like shit for a long time and I wondered why I didn't fight for you back then. Yet it was only after meeting Kamila that I understood the reason for my apparently foolish behavior.
"You've been there for me the whole time, you never let me go, no matter how much I pushed you away. You were the only person to know the truth about me and you accepted me anyway.
"Yet the moment you left me, I stood idly because it was the right thing to do. Because back then, I was still toxic. I was a lump of poison ready to plague whoever attempted to come too close to me.
"The only way I had to stop you would have been proposing, but everything we might have built together would have been doomed from the start due to its foundations made of lies and venom.
"We would have surely broken up after a while, but not before ruining both my life and yours, tainting every good memory of us we shared."
"I still regret not shedding a single tear for Yurial, just like I did when you left me. I had no feelings of my own but rage and hate. Without Solus, I was an empty shell. Without her light, I was no better than an Abomination.
"On top of that, we were both too young and our ideals too different.
"You dreamt of fighting for the Kingdom whereas my only goal was to discover what is wrong with me and protect my family from the danger that my bundle of secrets would cause the moment it gets discovered."
