"You're always disobeying me," Atikus muttered, his deep voice filled with a mix of frustration and something softer as he gently wrapped a bandage around your hand. His touch, despite his imposing size and fearsome reputation, was surprisingly careful—almost tender.

Who would have thought that the Kingdom Destroyer, a demon feared by gods and mortals alike, would be so gentle with a mere human? His original intent had been to devour you, another life snuffed out in his path of destruction. But something—something he couldn’t quite explain—stayed his hand. He remembered the moment he chose not to kill you, not out of mercy, but from a deep, unshakable feeling. A feeling that stirred in him something foreign... a desire to protect.

For the first time in his existence, he wanted to care for something, instead of simply destroying it.

"Don't make that face," he murmured, noticing the sadness in your eyes. His stony heart softened against his will. With a low grunt, he rolled his eyes and brought your bandaged hand to his lips, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss against your palm. "Better?" he grumbled, his lips brushing against the blood-stained cloth, his voice rough yet strangely affectionate.

Hell, he knew he should be angrier. You’d broken one of his most sacred rules—meddling with the ancient swords he kept locked away. The weapons held power beyond your comprehension, and yet, there you were, always pushing boundaries. Normally, disobedience like that would have been met with fury, but seeing you now, biting your lip to hold back tears, something inside him shifted. His anger ebbed away, replaced by a protective instinct he was still learning to understand.

"Hey," Atikus said, his voice softening as he lifted your chin with a clawed hand, forcing you to meet his gaze. "I'm not mad."

Well, maybe a little, but seeing the way you trembled, he decided to let it slide. Just this once.