Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 478: Responsibility Maketh The Man

CH478 Responsibility Maketh The Man

***

”Do you have something you want to tell me?” Alex asked.

Zora remained silent.

Something boiled up from the depths of Alex’s mind.

Before it could overflow, he prompted OmniRune. A portal opened behind Zora without warning.

Without another word, Alex stepped forward and pulled her into the portal with him.

The gateway closed and disappeared , leaving Udara and Eleanor frozen in place.

The two women looked at one another, confusion written plainly on their faces.

What they did understand instinctively was that Alex was genuinely angry.

And that was something they had never seen before.

Inside the Sanctuary, Alex paused for a brief moment, forcing himself to breathe.

He pointed toward one of the seats in the resting area.

”Sit.”

The word came out sharper than he intended—cold and commanding.

Zora raised an eyebrow, but still did as he asked.

Alex sat across from her.

”Well?” he said.

His crimson eyes locked onto her icy blue ones.

Alex believed he was being calm. He didn’t realise how much restrained madness simmered beneath his supposedly calm exterior.

It was only then that Zora truly grasped the gravity of the situation.

”I didn’t expect you to notice yet,” she said quietly.

Alex’s fingers tightened.

”I can see energy,” he replied coldly. ”How could I not notice when my wife is freezing from the inside out? Your bloodline power is spiralling out of control—and you didn’t think that was something I should know?”

It was only upon hearing his own voice that Alex realised how far from composed he actually was.

The fury coiling in his stomach was hot and violent.

”Why?” he asked.

”I didn’t want to add more to your plate,” Zora said. ”I didn’t think it was the right time—especially not while we were still in battle.”

Alex leaned forward slightly.

”If we weren’t in battle,” he said slowly, ”or if I hadn’t noticed before it ended... would you have told me by now?”

Zora hesitated for a fraction of a second.

”Most likely not,” she admitted. ”If I did, you’d worry—and in your worry, you’d take risks you shouldn’t.”

Alex’s breath hitched.

”Unnecessary risks?” he repeated.

The words nearly tore themselves from his throat as he struggled to keep his temper in check.

Seeing his reaction only made Zora harden her stance.

”Yes. Unnecessary risks,” she said firmly. ”Between your nature and your bloodline, I know you won’t be able to control yourself if I told you.

”I’ve already made peace with my fate. I don’t want you trying to save me if it means you lose yourself in the process.”

She met his gaze without flinching.

”To me, your life is more important than mine.”

Alex’s eyes turned completely crimson. He stood at the very edge of reason.

From the depths of his being, faint whispers stirred—urging him to give in, to lash out, to let the rage loose.

The infernal nature buried within his Furor Bloodline was meddling.

This was exactly what Zora had been afraid of.

Alex closed his eyes.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist so tight they almost broke the skin of his palm. He forced himself to ignore the noise from his infernal origin and focus on his breathing –Slow and controlled.

Zora, on her part, waited in silence.

A couple of minutes passed.

When Alex finally opened his eyes again, they were still crimson—proof that he was far from calm—but the madness had retreated just enough to keep him in control.

He looked at the woman sitting across from him.

In that moment, a storm of emotions surged through him—anger, frustration, fear...

But above all else—

Love.

’Get yourself together, Alex,’ he admonished himself. ’You’re pushing forty already while she’s at least a decade younger than you.

’You’re supposed to be the mature one. So act like it.’

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out a slow breath.

”I understand why you made the choice you did,” Alex said at last. ”But understanding doesn’t mean I agree with it.”

”I—”

”Let me finish.” He raised a hand, stopping her gently but firmly. ”Let’s not turn this into an argument and lose sight of the real issue.”

”I will always have many things on my plate. That’s the reality of being a man, a noble, and a leader.” His voice was steady now. ”But no matter how heavy those burdens become, I will never not set them aside for my family.”

He looked her straight in the eyes.

”That’s what it means to be a husband, a father– A family man.”

He continued quietly, but each word carried weight.

”All these so-called responsibilities—power, ambition, the peak of the world—they’re meaningless if I can’t uphold my responsibility to my family.”

His voice sounded gently.

”What’s the point of standing at the top... if there’s no one there to share the view with?”

Alex looked at her, his expression softening.

”You said that, to you, my life is more important than yours,” he said quietly. ”Do you think I feel any differently?”

”To me, your life is more important than mine as well.”

He continued, his voice steady but sincere.

”You know me better than almost anyone. You can’t honestly tell me you haven’t realised this already—everything I’ve achieved hasn’t been for myself alone. It’s been for my family.”

”I am where I am because of my responsibilities,” he said. ”Responsibility doesn’t break a real man. It forges him. And no responsibility shapes a man more than the one he bears for and to his family.”

Alex rose from his seat and moved closer, then lowered himself to one knee before her. He took her hand in his left, cupping it gently with his right.

”So, wife of mine,” he said softly, ”my responsibilities are to provide for you, protect you, defend you... and to do everything within my power to give you a happy life.

”And that includes solving your bloodline problem.”

His grip tightened slightly, not possessive, but resolute.

”These aren’t burdens that weigh me down,” he continued. ”They’re responsibilities that make me better. They shape me into the man you chose—into the man you want me to be.”

Then his gaze hardened, becoming solemn.

”So if this ever happens again,” he said firmly, ”and you keep something like this from me—if you keep me from my responsibility—you aren’t lightening my load.”

”You’re denying me the chance to become better.”

He searched her eyes.

”Do you understand?”

His words struck Zora to the core.

She rose from her seat and threw herself into his arms. Alex, still half-kneeling, was caught off guard, and the two of them tumbled to the ground together.

Zora didn’t care about the bruises or the sting of impact.

Her arms locked tightly around his neck as she lay against him, holding him as if she might never let go.

There were so many things she wanted to say—how sorry she was, how afraid she was of her looming fate, how many hopes she had buried because she was too afraid to believe in them.

But no matter how hard she tried, the words wouldn’t come.

Yet when she looked into his eyes, she knew she didn’t need to say them.

He understood.

Just as he always had—seeing past her composure, past her strength, straight to the fragile heart she kept hidden.

She didn’t need to explain.

But there was one thing she had to say.

”I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Alex stared up at the faux sky of the pocket dimension as he gently caressed the woman lying against him, his hand moving slowly along her back to comfort her.

”Apology not accepted,” Alex said suddenly. ”I’m still very much angry.”

Zora’s body stiffened.

She pushed herself up slightly, bracing against his chest as she searched his face, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

But before she could say a word, Alex’s hand moved to the back of her head and pulled her down.

He kissed her.

Zora froze for a split second—then melted into him, responding instinctively.

When they finally parted, Alex spoke again.

”But I’ll get over it,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Zora noticed then that his pupils had returned to their usual gem-like ruby red.

She nodded silently and rested her head back on his chest, letting him stroke her hair as she listened to his heartbeat—steady, grounding, strangely calming.

”My bloodline power is overwhelming my mana,” Zora said quietly.

Alex didn’t interrupt.

”I’ve been using my mana to dilute it,” she continued, ”but it seems that my mana is no longer enough. And if I try to advance—to increase my mana capacity—I fear I’ll only end up strengthening my bloodline as well.”

”I see...” Alex murmured. ”That’s quite the conundrum.”

”I wish I actually understood what my bloodline power is,” Zora added. ”Maybe then I could control it better.”

Alex suddenly stiffened.

”Wait.”

He gently lifted her from his chest so they were face to face.

”You don’t know what your bloodline power actually is?” he asked. ”You don’t know why it turns everything to ice?”

Zora blinked.

”I just assumed it was a trait of an Ice Phoenix,” she said.

Alex stared at her, incredulity written plainly across his face.

”...Huh.”

”You know what it is?” Zora raised an eyebrow.

Alex nodded.

He shifted so both of them were sitting upright.

”It isn’t ice,” he said slowly.

”It’s Yin.”

”Or more precisely—Yin-aligned property.”

***