Hearing those sudden, fragile words slip from Alia's weak throat made Viktor's heart skip a beat. Making no attempt to wipe away his tears, he gazed even deeper into her pale face.
Keeping her trembling fingers resting gently against Viktor's cheek, Alia whispered in a broken, agonizingly painful voice:
"Viktor... I know what my father commanded me to do. But suppose... what if a situation really comes where I am forced... what if my own hands end up causing you harm? What will you do then? Will you hate me? Or will you still love me just like this, even then?"
Hearing those ultimate expressions of fear from Alia's lips made Viktor's piercing blue eyes grow even redder. Without a second's hesitation, he pressed her hand against his lips, kissing it with intense emotion, and answered in a fierce, unwavering voice:
"You kill me? Impossible, Alia! You could never take my life with your own hands, because inside that heart of yours, there is nothing except love for me. And even if we assume for the sake of argument that something like that happened under the worst circumstances even then, this Viktor wouldn't change by a single inch. Even if you destroyed me, I would take that blow to my chest with a smile, because I've already dedicated this life entirely to you. Everyone else in this world might try to destroy me, but if my own queen puts an end to my existence, I wouldn't have a single regret. So never speak such foolish words again, my love!"
As the days passed by in this heavy silence, the vibrant warmth that used to fill their home seemed to have vanished completely.
Alia was no longer her old self she didn't laugh anymore, nor did she speak with that familiar, bubbly lightness. Instead, she spent her days completely quiet, resembling a silent stone statue. Despite a thousand attempts, Viktor couldn't bring that sweet smile back to her face. It was as if Alia had built an invisible wall around herself, avoiding casual conversations with Viktor and hiding everything behind guarded, vacant eyes.
Whenever Viktor sat down beside her, Alia would either keep her eyes closed or turn her face away. This silent distance and quiet detachment gnawed at Viktor's heart with every passing second. He could clearly feel that the deep-seated guilt and the chilling shadow of her father's cruel commands were slowly consuming her from within.
Yet, Viktor refused to give up. Every single day, he tried even harder to stay close to her, even though Alia's profound silence made the air in the room feel heavier than ever.The suffocating silence and the unbearable mental pressure trapped inside finally reached a breaking point one day. Under the pretext of going to the bathroom, Alia slipped out of the room. Locking the door from the inside, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror—her eyes held a profound emptiness and a desperate longing for release.
Pulling a sharp blade from the drawer, she pressed it against her wrist. Her hand trembled, but driven by the cursed commands of her father and the terrifying thought of danger closing in on Viktor because of her, she forced her shaking hand down to cut her skin—right at the final second, she couldn't do it. Tears streamed down, her hand went numb, and the blade slipped from her grip, clattering down toward the floor.
At that exact fraction of a second, the bathroom door burst open as Viktor slammed his way inside!
His heart had been gripped by a sudden, overwhelming dread. Rushing into the room, he saw Alia standing there trembling with the blade in her hand, streams of tears pouring down her face. Without wasting a split second, Viktor lunged forward like a storm and grabbed her hands tightly snatching and holding onto her wrists just in time to stop her from harming herself.
Viktor's piercing blue eyes were blazing red with a mix of fury, terror, and absolute heartbreak. With a trembling, agonizing cry, he shouted:
"Alia! What were you trying to do?! Have you lost your mind?! Do you want to destroy my life like this?!"
Then Alia says :I can't take it anymore, if I die, you will survive.
As those heartbreaking words slipped from Alia's broken, suffocating voice, it felt as though someone had ripped the heart straight out of Viktor's chest. Sobbing uncontrollably and gasping for breath, Alia lowered her head and broke down completely, her tears dampening Viktor's fingers.
Without waiting a single second, Viktor batted the blade away from her hand and pulled Alia's entire body into a tight, protective embrace against his strong chest. Burying his face in her hair, his voice trembling with a fierce, agonizing cry, he shouted:
"If you die, I'll survive?! What fool's paradise are you living in, Alia? Don't you realize that my very life is bound to your breath? If you leave this world today, this Viktor will have no reason left to live! I would die, Alia literally die! I can't even bear a single drop of your tears, and you're talking about ending your own life?! Don't let your father's cursed commands win over me, my love. I am alive only to shield you, to keep loving you. Never speak such words again... never!"
Instead of returning to her room after coming out of the bathroom, Alia walked straight out of the house, hastily wiping away her tears. Her body shivered in the cold breeze, but there was no hesitation in her steps. She walked directly toward the familiar, rocky shore near the sea behind the house.
Ahead of her lay the endless roar of the ocean, paired with the tense, brooding mood of the weather. Reaching the very edge of the water, Alia stood atop a boulder, staring blankly down at the churning waves below. The salty wind whipped through her hair, while deep inside her mind, Viktor's desperate words echoed relentlessly "My very life is bound to your breath."
Right at that moment, the rapid sound of footsteps echoed from behind her. There was no mistaking it Viktor had chased after her. Standing amidst the open winds of the seashore, Alia stared out ahead and broke down in a heavy, sobbing cry, her fractured voice blending into the roaring sound of the waves.
Amidst the roaring crash of the ocean waves and the heavy sound of Viktor's breathing, Alia slowly turned around. Traces of tears were still fresh on her pale face, but the corners of her eyes held a strange, emotional depth and a profound expression of love.
She unbuckled the expensive, premium watch from her right wrist the very watch Viktor had once fastened around her arm with his own hands. The dial of the watch still caught the faint, lingering glow of the late afternoon light.
Alia held the watch out toward Viktor. A faint, fragile smile touched the corners of her lips as she whispered in a quiet, slightly guilty voice:
"Why did you get so angry, Viktor? I wasn't actually trying to destroy myself... I was just testing you. I wanted to see how you would handle it if something really happened to me! I wanted to check if your love for me could withstand a little madness like this... please don't be angry with me, my love."
As the expensive watch slipped from Alia's hand and rested onto Viktor's palm, all of Viktor's anger vanished into thin air like camphor. In place of that fury, a wave of profound relief and boundless love swelled up inside his chest. Not waiting a single second longer, he lunged forward and pulled Alia tightly back into the protective embrace of his arms.
Amidst the salty sea breeze, Viktor's embrace felt like a strange, safe haven. Alia's entire body trembled against the warmth of his strong chest. A massive wave of relief and profound love was storming through Viktor's heart he could barely believe that Alia was only testing him, that she hadn't truly meant to end her life!
However, standing deep within the madness of Viktor's blind devotion, Alia's expression suddenly turned as cold as stone. Trapped within his tight embrace, she closed her eyes. Amidst the howling storm winds and the crashing waves, a cold, sharp whisper echoed deep within the darkness of her mind:
"You said you would take my blow to your chest with a smile, Viktor... but do you truly know what you are swearing upon? Today it was just a test, but what if destiny genuinely plays that cruel game one day? What if, on some real night, trapped inside the cage of your father's inescapable command, these very hands of mine tear out your beating heart will you still be able to die with a smile then? Will these soft hands of mine ultimately become the cause of your death?"
Alia did not open her eyes. She pressed her hands even tighter against Viktor's back, while a terrifying, crimson truth floated up from the hidden depths of her soul:
"In very truth... one day, you will die by my hands, Viktor. And on that day, there will be no test left only blood, destiny, and the finality of an eternal darkness."
As the fierce sea breeze grew even colder, Viktor gently loosened his grip on Alia and smiled softly. His red-rimmed blue eyes were overflowing with endless love and gratitude.
Reaching into his pocket, Viktor pulled out a stunning, exquisitely crafted silver locket. In the center of the locket was an engraved cross intertwined with their initials. Before Alia could even realize what was happening, Viktor carefully unclasped it and fastened it around her bare neck. The moment the cool metal touched her skin, Alia blinked in surprise and looked down at it.
Right at that second, Viktor leaned in and pressed a deep, warm kiss directly over the newly placed locket on her neck. Then, gazing out at the churning, violent waves of the sea, he whispered in a strange, cool, and mysterious tone in Russian:
"Ты моя жизнь, и моя смерть. Пусть эти воды заберут все наши страхи."
You are my life, and you are my death. Let these waters wash away all our fears.
Without waiting a single second after finishing those words, Viktor didn't hesitate. Before Alia could even blink, he tossed his jacket aside and dove straight into the foaming, crashing waves of the ice-cold ocean. The freezing water swallowed him from all sides, but the joy and liberation inside his soul felt deeper than the sea itself.
Seeing Viktor dive alone into the freezing water sent a sudden, sharp jolt straight through Alia's chest. The cool touch of the locket and the dark prophecy lingering in the back of her mind instantly dissolved into the wind. Not wasting a single second longer without caring about her shoes or anything else she leaped straight off the rocky ledge into the icy depths of the churning sea!
The violent impact of the water and its freezing chill threatened to numb her entire body, but Alia managed to swim through the current and reach Viktor's side.
Catching sight of Alia swimming toward him, Viktor's eyes widened in surprise as he reached out with one arm and pulled her close. Amidst the swelling waves and the deep water, Viktor's soaked frame pressed tightly against hers. Right then, without uttering a single word, Viktor cupped Alia's face gently in both hands and pulled her toward him.
Floating in the rhythm of the ocean swells, Viktor brought his lips down onto hers a deep, passionate, and scorching lip kiss! The intense intimacy of their kiss instantly made them forget the freezing cold of the water around them, as if the entire world had paused to watch them.