Reunion

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"Let go of me!" Camille fights with Axl's stronghold but fails. The frustration of having him so close but so far only confuses her more. To think that the only thing Axl feels for her is pity. It's humiliating to recognize that she's fallen for her delusions. "Let go." She tries defeatedly. Axl sighs, looking through her thoughts. "I apologize," he says as he realizes that the cause of her distress.

"I apologize," he says a second time, which Camille notices he's apologizing for a different reason. Axl is beginning to understand the real sense of protection he has for her. Ever since they met, little by little, the god became fond of her smiling face, her glittering eyes every time she surprised her. To watch the goddesses fall for her charm, he's been fighting to tame his temper to stop himself from hurting her. This change in his feelings is so new and refreshing, but in the end, he also became the reason for Camille's tearful eyes, her flustered face, and troubled heart. Having a hard time trying to control herself, Camille crosses her arms over her chest to fight her heartache.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not like I was expecting anything..." she bites her tongue. Of course, Axl knows that she's been expecting more than his protection.

"So, you finally are giving up?" Axl wonders sternly. Her thoughts start to become apparent and sharp. Comparing the feeling of seeing Onyx, after wishing and barging with his mother for so long and to have Camille on the verge of tears, forcing herself to be strong for him.

"Give up?" Camille forces herself. She can't be running around in circles anymore.

"Camille..." he tries, reaching his hand to touch her agitated face, but to his surprise, she pushes him away again, gazing up at him.

"Did I ever have anything to give up on?" She repeats with a dull tone that triggers him. Seeing nothing but the image of her human boyfriend. Her desperation to see him and the struggle to stop his suffering have become stronger than her desire to stay in a safe place.

"Sacrifice, huh," Axl comments, trying to retain his anger.

"I can't blame you for being what you are, to be with who you want to be. After all, I'm nothing here." Camille reproaches.

"I am giving you a chance, Camille..." Axl tries but stops as she burst out laughing just like she's done before. A burst of laughter that sounds more like cries of help.

"Are you enjoying seeing me struggle with my feelings for you? Yes, I'm sure you know. Is it fun to manipulate my emotions to the point of making me think I have a chance? Look at me, I'm pitiful to you, aren't I?" Fighting to keep her tears inside, she forces her voice out.

"Yes. You have a chance no other had. Not even her," his voice finally turns to a low sound of disbelief. Clearly seeing the fear of going back but still fighting for his sake. To give him a chance to be happy with someone he lost. He reaches out once more time. Camille freezes as his fingertips touch her chin. He lifts her face, forcing her to look into his dazzling eyes. Camille needs to go back and break her human ties. If she breaks her bonds, Axl will have a chance to fight back against the great gods. Looking into her beautiful eyes, Axl can see that protecting her goes beyond him being nice. Her destiny brought her here to face him. She came looking for peace, protection, and love. And freedom. Recalling the Great God of Darkness and Light words, something finally sinks into his soul.

"Camille..." he says, remembering the first time her name played in his voice. It felt unique and valuable, and now it stings him that she has never been able to look at him in the eyes and call him by his name. To hug him like she hugs Azzel and Kaiden. Cry in Zerrat's arms. She's so close to everyone else but him.

"To come here and meet everyone, to meet you, it's been nothing more than a dream, and I need to wake up," she whispers with the loveliest voice Axl has ever heard in his long life, breaking his once sealed heart. He's waking up again. "This is enough for me," she smiles sorely, but what she's failing to see is that Axl has researched and prepared himself to make this sacrifice count. To send her back where he won't get to see her timid expressions when he's looking at her. Axl sighs heavily in distress.

"My mother has a strange way to show her affection. Pushing me to my limit is something she has never been capable of until now..." he comments mostly to himself. Someone like the Great Goddess of Evil and Death is as many times more dangerous than a mere human like Steve. But even this step, Axl is unwilling to admit that it's boiling his blood and hurting his pride as a powerful god. "What made you change your mind?" he asks, trying to think in different ways that his mother can change her mind and make of Camille someone just a miserable as his life has been. Someone so pure and full of light like Camille can't be hurt. He can't let it happen.

Camille thinks for a moment, gathering her words to make herself understand that she's been living a delusion. "In my world, we believe that heaven and God belong up there..." she says, looking up at the starry sky, failing to keep her voice steady. She takes a deep breath. A tender smile spreads across her flustered face as the moon bathes her in a pleasant glow, thanks to Luna, the Goddess of the Moon, and the calm wind eases her troubled mind, thanks to Paloma. "To me, this world is heaven, and it belongs up there, somewhere unreachable. My world was never beautiful like this one, but this, is not my world either," she admits, finally turning her sorrowful eyes full of pain and loneliness, making him feel a light stab inside. "It's not fair to the people looking for me," she whispers, thinking only about Adam. He would be the only one looking for her. He promised he would never give up.

"Is not fair to him..." Axl points out bitterly. Camille looks at him but says nothing. The guilt in her eyes is unmistakable. "I understand..." Axl says as the feeling of protecting and being closer to her comes in natural now. Feeling secure and stronger that he can protect her anywhere, even if she's not close to him anymore. The connection he feels with her is strange but powerful. Camille stands still, falling deep into the spell of his royal blue eyes; the delicate scent of the ocean overwhelms her personal space. "I will do as you wish," he whispers in the sweetest way he ever talked to anyone, a tone that only stabs her to a breaking point.

Camille closes her eyes to secure his voice in her mind. For one last second, Axl takes a look at her beautiful face, her quivering lips, her long lashes. With the unique light in her violet eyes, he takes a deep breath in; for the first time in centuries, the God of Water hesitates on making a move on someone. "I have faith in you," he whispers, leaning down, gently crashing his lips against Camille's, catching her by surprise.

He wraps her mind into a sweet sensation that will make her forget this place as it opens the portal to her world. Sealing everything from the Gods' World in the depths of her mind, Axl kisses her with tenderness, making sure to save every last of her memory for when she's gone. "Please, be happy..." Camille whispers as he holds her tightly to his chest, letting her fall gently into a deep sleep, where he won't exist anymore. Axl watches her lips mouthing one last sentence. "I love you..."

Axl snaps his eyes open in shock to hear Camille's words, admitting her feelings for him. Making the sacrifice to send her back even more painful. The risk of her falling back in love with Adam, of never finding her way back, of never saying these words to him again. Axl's eyes turn icy cold as the anger and abhorrence for his mother become even greater. Carrying her through the water portal all the way to her house in Primavera Town. In a blink of an eye, Axl lands in Camille's room. Laying her down on her bed, he decides to stay with her until she opens her eyes again, with no memory of him. He sighs with despair.

"If you cannot do it, just call out for help." He caresses her cheek while she falls into a deep sleep. "Please, call for help..." he whispers in her ear, but she doesn't hear him anymore. "Call my name..." he pleads, hoping that she at least will remember his name. A little annoyance builds up in him to remember she'll be seeing her human boyfriend again, the one she yearned for in her sleep. "Maybe this is your punishment for not calling my name. But I am willing to forgive you if you break free from your attachments," he says, stealing one last kiss.

"I will protect you. Just call me," Axl reassures her knowing that he can always watch over her and come back if she's in danger. He sighs and moves back to his portal again. He tops before stepping into his dimension. With one last look, the god smiles sourly as he leaves her behind.

The Sacred Water Sanctuary and the goddesses fall into a heavy cloak of sadness because Camille won't wake up there anymore. 

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