Chapter 139

Viridis State

Military Base

Seraphina stretched languidly.

As her arms reached high overhead, the oversized jacket she wore pulled taut across her frame, the fabric clinging to every curve and tracing the breathtaking line of her waist.

She tilted her head back slightly, her slender neck forming an elegant, vulnerable arc. At the hollow of her throat, a delicate collarbone peeked through the collar, gleaming like porcelain in the dim light.

The stretch released the tension that had been building in her spine all day, drawing from her throat a soft, lazy sigh edged with huskiness.

Her waist rose and fell with each breath, taut as a drawn bowstring—radiating coiled power yet somehow achingly soft, devastatingly sensual, impossible to look away from.

A few loose strands slipped from her upswept hair, clinging to the damp skin of her neck and adding a touch of untamed allure.

"Hey."

Seraphina called out softly to the figure in front of her.

Standing before her was another woman of equally stunning beauty.

Freya.

At this moment, Freya stood with her arms crossed, cradling an ancient-looking blade that radiated a bone-chilling cold. The weapon was pitch black.

She stood motionless in the dim light, dressed entirely in black tactical gear, like a flower blooming silently in the darkness. Her flawless features held no trace of human warmth—only a suffocating coldness and an untouchable aloofness.

Hearing Seraphina's call, Freya didn't even lift her eyelids. She merely lowered her gaze slightly, her long lashes casting faint shadows across her cheeks. Her voice was flat as still water, devoid of any emotion:

"What is it?"

Seraphina studied the stunning yet utterly unapproachable woman before her, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

She leaned forward slightly, propping her chin on one hand, her gaze raking over Freya without the slightest restraint.

"Don't you ever get tired of watching me like this all the time?"

"No." Freya's response was flat.

"You're still as boring as ever."

Seeing her reaction, Seraphina pouted in exasperation.

Then, suddenly, she moved closer to Freya and sat down beside her, speaking with eager curiosity. "So did you actually sleep with that Jack guy or not? Don't tell me you're still a virgin. I mean, he's pretty hot, and your dad basically handed you over to him anyway. Haven't you at least thought about trying it?"

The moment the words left her mouth, the already stifling air inside the tent seemed to drop to freezing.

The instant Seraphina finished speaking, she sensed the shift—the quiet woman beside her radiated a pressure that had suddenly turned ice-cold.

Freya didn't even turn her head. She remained in that same position, arms crossed around her blade, but in those cold eyes, a dangerous edge finally flickered to life.

A soft, crisp sound.

Freya drew her blade. A bone-chilling cold radiated outward from her like invisible knives slicing through the air.

She pressed the edge against Seraphina's throat, her voice calm and detached, yet sharp as frost-covered steel. "Keep your cheap provocations to yourself. Use that kind of degrading language to insult me again, and I won't mind letting you feel exactly how cold this blade is."

Seraphina felt the icy edge threatening to pierce her skin, but instead of fear, her smile only deepened.

Rather than retreating, she leaned in even closer, her nose almost brushing Freya's frozen, expressionless cheek.

"So cold…" Seraphina gave an exaggerated shiver, though her eyes glinted with mischief. "Come on, it was just a joke. Why are you getting so worked up?"

"But seriously, everything I said was true. You and me—we've been trained like killing machines since we were kids. We don't even know what normal human emotions feel like. All we know is how to kill and how to survive."

Seraphina's voice dropped lower, tinged with self-mockery and a bitterness she barely acknowledged.

She gazed into Freya's unfathomable eyes and continued, "So when that guy Jack showed up, and your father pushed you toward him like you were some kind of object… didn't you feel anything at all? Don't you ever wonder what that thing people call 'love' actually feels like?"

The tent fell deathly silent.

Only the icy touch of the blade against her throat and Seraphina's warm breath lingered between them.

Freya stared at the woman before her—grinning like a fox—and saw it: beneath that carefree facade, buried deep in Seraphina's eyes, was the same grief that only someone like her could understand.

Freya withdrew the blade, her voice cold. "No. I don't."

"Liar."

Seraphina rolled her eyes and settled against the wall beside Freya, leaning her back against the cold surface.

"Honestly, I think this whole fight between us is pointless."

"At the end of the day, the Igaru faction and your Kogara faction—we come from the same roots. Fighting each other to the death over who's number one? What's the point?"

"Don't you think?"

Freya didn't respond immediately.

She remained in that same position, arms crossed around her blade, eyes downcast. Her long lashes cast faint shadows across her cheeks.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?"

Freya's brow furrowed as she instantly went on alert.

"It's me."

A low voice came from outside.

Hearing it, Freya's expression relaxed slightly. She opened the door.

Standing outside was a man in military uniform.

Joseph.

"Ms. Jenkins." Joseph gave her a slight nod.

Freya frowned briefly at Joseph but stepped outside anyway.

Once outside, Freya turned to him. "What is it?"

Joseph was one of Jack's men. If he was looking for her, it meant Jack had given an order.

Joseph looked at her seriously. "The General sent word…"

After hearing what Joseph had to say, Freya froze. "Really?"

"Yes. The General told me himself." Joseph nodded.

"I understand." Freya's voice was quiet, though a flicker of confusion crossed her eyes.

Joseph glanced briefly at Seraphina inside the room before turning and leaving.

Freya walked back into the room, looking somewhat dazed.

"What's wrong? Did your old man die or something?"

Seraphina noticed the odd look on Freya's face and teased her casually, utterly nonchalant.

Freya shot her a glance.

After a moment's hesitation, Freya spoke quietly. "You've always wanted to leave, haven't you? Well, now you can. You're free to go."