Trust Takes Time (3)

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As the shadows swirled around Jinwoo and Raynare, they reappeared in a dimly lit room—Jinwoo's residence. It wasn't a grand mansion or a hideaway fortress like many might expect from someone with his power. Instead, it was an unassuming house, simple but well-kept. The air was still, the silence only interrupted by the faint crackling of the fireplace.

Kalawarner and Mittelt slumped against the wall, their faces pale from the injuries they had sustained during the battle. Both were breathing heavily, their wings bent at awkward angles, feathers singed and torn. They exchanged confused glances, clearly unsettled by the sudden change in their circumstances.

Jinwoo stepped forward, his expression unreadable, while Raynare stood by his side, her face showing no sign of her earlier animosity toward her fallen comrades.

"Beru," Jinwoo called calmly, his voice echoing in the room.

From his shadow, a towering figure emerged—a large, insect-like humanoid with jet-black exoskeleton armor and glowing, fiery eyes. Beru, Jinwoo's most loyal and powerful shadow servant, knelt before his master. He emitted a low, buzzing hum of acknowledgment.

"Heal them," Jinwoo commanded, his tone firm yet not unkind.

Without hesitation, Beru moved toward Kalawarner and Mittelt, his large hands hovering over their battered forms. The room was soon bathed in an eerie green light as Beru's healing magic took effect. The wounds on their wings and bodies began to mend, feathers regrowing, skin knitting itself back together with swift precision.

Kalawarner's eyes widened as she felt her strength returning, the pain in her limbs vanishing as though it had never existed. Mittelt, too, looked astonished as the green aura washed over her, her bruises fading. They were still weak, but they no longer teetered on the edge of death.

"Why... why are you helping us?" Kalawarner asked, her voice trembling with a mix of suspicion and relief. "We were your enemies."

Jinwoo folded his arms, his eyes fixed on the pair. "You were Raynare's allies. I'm not in the habit of wasting lives unnecessarily." He glanced at Raynare, who stood silently, observing the scene. "But make no mistake. If you cross me, I won't hesitate to end you."

Mittelt swallowed hard, her small hands clutching at her newly healed chest. The reality of their situation was sinking in—this man, whoever he was, wielded a power unlike anything they had seen, and he was not someone to be trifled with.

Raynare finally stepped forward, her eyes locked with Kalawarner. "You should be grateful. He could have left you to die. I could have left you to die." Her voice was cold, lacking the cruelty it once held, but still carrying a weight that made Kalawarner flinch. "But I'm no longer playing games. We're all here because of Jinwoo now."

Kalawarner shook her head, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events. "So... you've switched sides? Just like that?"

"It's not about sides anymore," Raynare replied, her tone softer this time. "It's about survival. The world is changing, and if you want to live, you'll follow him too."

Mittelt, sitting up straighter now that her strength had returned, looked at Jinwoo with a mixture of fear and curiosity. "What are you? You're not a devil, nor an angel. You're something else."

Jinwoo remained silent for a moment, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of the room. "I am the Monarch of Shadows," he said simply. "And for now, that's all you need to know."

The two fallen angels exchanged another glance, uncertain of their place in this new order. They had once been so sure of their position in the world, under the leadership of Azazel and the other fallen, but now everything was upended. Raynare's betrayal had been one thing, but Jinwoo's overwhelming power was another entirely.

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