Haruno and Huo woke up, feeling the ache of their bodies as they were finally healed. The memories of the battle and Ravihiro's sudden appearance were still fresh in their minds. As they regained consciousness, their eyes fell upon Ravihiro, standing at the door, his eyes sharp and burning with intensity. His face bore a look they hadn't seen before—a murderous aura radiating from him.
He turned his gaze towards them, his voice cold and distant, "Heal yourselves. Meet me afterward."
Without waiting for a response, Ravihiro turned and left the room, his footsteps echoing through the silent hall. Haruno and Huo exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts heavy. They knew this wasn't going to be a simple meeting.
After taking some time to heal, they finally stepped out to meet Ravihiro, the tension already heavy in the air. Haruno introduced Huo, her voice faltering slightly. "Ravihiro… this is Huo Tang. My… friend."
Huo, feeling the weight of the moment, nodded, "Yes, I am her friend."
Ravihiro stood silent, his eyes unreadable. The hall grew thick with unease, the quiet stretching too long. Then, the pressure in the room shifted as Ravihiro's aura intensified. He stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Huo, his voice low but filled with power, "Just a friend?"
The pressure increased sharply, crashing down on Huo like an invisible force. Huo gritted his teeth, struggling to stay on his feet. Haruno immediately stepped forward, "Ravihiro! Stop!"
Ravihiro, without breaking his stare from Huo, spoke in a tone that sent chills down their spines, "Haruno… I raised you since the moment you were born. I taught you how to fight, how to cultivate, how to survive. I even taught you how to walk… but I never taught you how to lie."
His words hung in the air like a death sentence. Haruno's face went pale as her brother's intense gaze turned to her.
"You didn't think I'd notice? Did you really believe you could hide the child that is developing in your womb?"
Haruno's eyes widened, her hand instinctively going to her stomach. The weight of Ravihiro's words hit like a storm, the truth she had tried to conceal now laid bare under his gaze. Huo stood frozen, feeling the crushing judgment from Ravihiro as he realized there would be no hiding from him.
Ravihiro's piercing stare remained, unyielding. The tension in the room was suffocating, his words echoing like the final verdict in a court of fate.Haruno's hand trembled as it rested on her stomach, the weight of Ravihiro's words crushing her spirit. She had hoped to tell him when the time was right, but now, standing before the fierce and unrelenting gaze of her brother, she felt exposed, vulnerable.
Huo, standing beside her, felt the pressure building even more intensely now, every breath becoming a struggle under Ravihiro's overwhelming aura. He swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He had faced death before, but this was different. Ravihiro wasn't just powerful—he was terrifying in his silence, a storm waiting to break.
Ravihiro's cold gaze flicked between them, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "You thought you could run off, hide from me, and start a new life with him without even considering the consequences? Do you even understand what you're involved in, Haruno?"
Haruno clenched her fists, summoning the courage to speak. "I— I didn't plan for this to happen, Ravihiro… It just… happened." Her voice was quiet, trembling, but there was a hint of defiance behind her fear. "Huo saved me, and we've been through so much together. He's not a stranger. He—"
"Enough!" Ravihiro's voice boomed across the room, making both of them flinch. His aura surged, making the air itself seem heavy. "You don't need to tell me who he is. What you need to understand is that your actions—your decisions—have consequences. You are tied to me. Your blood is tied to me. And yet you hide from me?"
Huo finally spoke up, despite the intense pressure threatening to buckle his knees. "I take full responsibility for this. I never meant to dishonor Haruno or you, Ravihiro. I—"
Ravihiro's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his hand, the pressure around Huo intensified. "Responsibility? You think this is about honor? About responsibility? You don't even know what you've gotten yourself into."
Huo gasped, barely able to breathe under the pressure. He struggled to keep his ground, sweat pouring down his face.
Haruno stepped forward, her eyes pleading. "Brother, please… I didn't mean to keep this from you. I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how…"
Ravihiro's gaze softened, but only slightly, as he looked at her. "Haruno, I protected you, raised you. I taught you everything you know. And now, you expect me to believe that you didn't know how to tell me something this important? You should know better."
He let the silence settle before speaking again, more quietly this time. "You have a child now… my nephew or niece. Do you even realize how dangerous this world is? Do you think you can just live a peaceful life, away from it all?"
Haruno, tears in her eyes, shook her head. "No… I know it's dangerous, but I'm not running. I'm not hiding. I'm ready to face it."
Ravihiro studied her for a long moment before turning his gaze to Huo. "And you? You think you can protect her? Protect this child?"
Huo, despite the overwhelming pressure, straightened his back and met Ravihiro's gaze. "I will protect her with my life. No matter what."
The room fell silent. The weight of the moment, the gravity of the situation, hung heavy between them. Ravihiro's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Huo's resolve.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ravihiro took a deep breath, and the pressure in the room lessened. He turned away from them, his voice quieter now, but still sharp. "Heal yourselves fully. When you're ready, come find me. We need to talk about what happens next… as a family."
With that, Ravihiro left the room, the echo of his footsteps fading into the distance. Haruno and Huo stood there, still tense, the weight of everything that had just transpired settling in.
Haruno let out a shaky breath, her heart still racing. "Huo… I—"
"It's okay," Huo interrupted softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll face this together. No matter what happens."
Haruno nodded, but her gaze lingered on the door where Ravihiro had left. There was so much more to say, so much more to confront. And deep down, she knew this was only the beginning of a much larger storm that was coming.