The night air hung heavy and still, with only the distant rustle of leaves breaking the silence. Above, the stars stretched on, uncaring and impassive. Samael sat perched on a moss-covered boulder, casually twirling a poisoned dagger between his fingers. His usual cocky grin was absent, replaced by a somber, almost melancholic expression. His clothes were ragged, his arms bruised and bloodied, and his once playful eyes now seemed distant.
Ravihiro stood a few paces away, arms folded, his gaze fixed on the dark sky. The glow from Vritra's heart still flickered faintly in his eyes, a crimson hue that hinted at the power simmering beneath the surface. His bloodstained coat billowed gently in the cool breeze, but the stillness between them was more profound than the weather around them.
"Well," Samael finally broke the silence, his voice almost too casual, "guess this is it."
Ravihiro didn't turn to look at him, but his eyes narrowed. "You're leaving?"
Samael chuckled softly, his fingers still playing with the dagger. "Wasn't planning on sticking around forever. You know how it is—places to be, people to kill, poisons to brew. The usual." He glanced over at Ravihiro. "Besides, you've got your own problems to deal with."
Ravihiro gave a sharp exhale through his nose. "Vritra's heart."
"Yeah," Samael nodded, his gaze momentarily distant. "You can pretend it's not eating at you, but I saw the way your sword trembled back there. The hesitation."
Ravihiro clenched his fists, but said nothing. He had felt it. The power—so close to consuming him. For a split second, he had almost given in, let the abyss swallow him whole. It was a tempting thought. But now… now he was left wondering if he had been a heartbeat away from losing control.
Samael sighed, rolling his shoulders before leaning back against the rock. "Look, I'm not here to give you some cheesy 'stay strong' speech. That's not my style. But if you ever start feeling too murderous, just let me know. I'd rather not be the first one to get sliced in half, you know?"
Ravihiro snorted. "Coward."
"Damn right," Samael grinned, the edge of his sarcasm still intact. "I like my lungs intact. Breathing's fun, you should try it sometime."
A brief silence followed. Neither of them seemed in any rush to break it.
Then, as if something weighed heavily on his chest, Samael spoke again, his voice quieter than before. "You know, I never told you why I got into poison cultivation."
Ravihiro, taken aback, turned to glance at him. Samael never talked about his past. Ever.
Samael's gaze drifted off, his fingers still playing with the dagger. "I had a younger sister." He paused, as though the memory was a sharp ache. "She was always sick. Couldn't walk without gasping for air. Spent her days reading books about alchemy, poisons, medicines… hoping she'd find something that could help her. Something that could save her. She thought if she just knew enough, learned enough, she'd find a way out."
Ravihiro raised an eyebrow. It was strange to hear Samael talk so seriously, but he remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Samael scoffed bitterly. "She was too optimistic, I guess. So damn hopeful. And I was too dumb to see what was going on." He gripped the dagger tighter. "One day, some noble idiot took an interest in her. Said he could help her. I… I thought maybe he could. But all he wanted was to make her a test subject. Just another experiment for his poison research."
Ravihiro could feel the atmosphere change. The air thickened, not with the weight of the night, but with the heaviness of an unspoken pain.
"I found her too late," Samael murmured, his voice breaking slightly. "She was lying there, smiling at me, even as her body was falling apart from the inside. She said she wasn't mad. That she was just happy I tried." He chuckled darkly, his eyes growing distant. "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I guess I did both."
Ravihiro could see it now—the cold bitterness in Samael's demeanor, the playful sarcasm that served as armor. It wasn't just an act. It was the result of something much deeper.
"I did what any reasonable person would do," Samael continued, his lips curling into a twisted grin. "I killed the bastard. Made him drink all the poisons he'd made for her. Every single one. Then I burned his damn house down. The whole estate. Nothing left but ash and regret."
Ravihiro remained quiet, letting the words sink in. Samael wasn't just a poison cultivator. He was someone who had turned his pain and rage into a weapon. But that didn't make the pain go away. It just buried it deeper.
Samael shook his head. "You'd think killing him would've made me feel better, right? But nah… it didn't. Not really. What's done is done. And I can't change it. But I'll be damned if I don't make the rest of the world pay for the shit they put her through."
Ravihiro's voice was low. "You didn't have to become this way."
Samael smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, I did. I'm not a hero, Ravihiro. And the world doesn't owe me shit. I'm just a guy trying to make his own way. And maybe, just maybe, I'm gonna enjoy the chaos along the way."
The air grew heavier, but Ravihiro didn't back away. He couldn't. Not with the understanding that had settled between them.
Samael sighed, as if the weight of his words had exhausted him. "But you… you've been killing beasts. And I can't help but wonder why. It's not just about cultivation, is it?"
Ravihiro hesitated, his gaze dropping to the sword at his side. He had killed for power. For control. But there was more to it than that. "I killed them… because I wanted to know if I could live with it."
Samael raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Ravihiro's voice was steady, but there was an underlying tension in his words. "I've been lost for too long. I came to this world with nothing—no name, no purpose. I had to become something more. I couldn't afford to be human. I had to be something else. A weapon. Something that cut through everything, even regret."
Samael was silent for a long time, processing the words. "And?"
Ravihiro's expression darkened. "And now, I don't know if I've gone too far. I killed them, and it didn't feel wrong. It didn't feel like anything. And that scares me."
Samael let out a low chuckle, though it lacked its usual bite. "Well, well. Look at you, getting all philosophical on me."
Ravihiro shot him a sideways glance. "I don't need you making fun of me right now."
Samael shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Hey, I'm just saying. You're a little bit more of a headcase than I thought."
Ravihiro's lips twitched, but he didn't respond.
Samael stood up, dusting off his pants. "Look, if you ever need a reality check, I'll be around. I'll just poison your ass and drag you back to your senses." He winked at Ravihiro. "I'll even throw in a free antidote."
Ravihiro's eyes narrowed. "I'd like to see you try."
"Bet," Samael said with a grin. "Stay alive, kid. And don't let the abyss swallow you whole."
Ravihiro nodded once, silently acknowledging the unspoken bond between them. "You too, Samael."
Samael turned and disappeared into the darkness, his laughter echoing in the distance.
Ravihiro stood alone, staring at the empty spot where his friend had been. His mind felt heavy, the weight of the conversation pressing against him. And as the night stretched on, he whispered to the wind, his voice barely a murmur.
"I already don't recognize myself."