Fate To Fake: Loved by the Fallen; Fated to Kill the Divine
Chapter 26: If I were your boyfriend...

Chapter 26: If I were your boyfriend...

The place looked huge—no, beyond huge—like an entire country had sunk into the earth.

The ground had caved in like a meteor had crashed down with unimaginable force, tearing the land apart.

Under the dark sky, scattered with glimmering stars, the vast crater sparkled with eerie beauty. The sharp contrast between the stillness of the stars above and the silent destruction below... it was breathtaking. Strange and surreal. [Imgincmt]

Leo slowly stepped forward, drawn toward the rusted bridge rail. His eyes wandered across the pit, and his fingers tightened into a fist over the cold metal. The wind gently brushed against his face, carrying with it a weirdly nostalgic chill.

"This place..." he whispered, voice rough, like the words dragged up from somewhere deep inside.

"This is the place... You always used to come with your parents," Raphael said softly as she walked up beside him.

"They said you loved it here. Always insisted on visiting. It was beautiful, wasn’t it? Like... magical. That’s why I brought you here. Maybe... maybe it’ll help you remember something?" Her lips curled in a hopeful smile, but her eyes flickered with worry, searching his face for any sign of recognition.

Leo let out a low hum and shook his head slowly. "I’m not sure..." he muttered under his breath.

Raphael’s faint smile faltered, her hope quietly crumbling. She sighed softly, folding her arms. "Well... it’ll take time, I guess. I shouldn’t rush it."

Leo gave a small nod. Somewhere inside, he wasn’t even sure if remembering was the right thing. He was in a different body.

Maybe some memories just weren’t meant to return.

Whatever it may be...

He stared down into the massive crater, his gaze caught in the twisted beauty of it. His hand tightened suddenly around the metal rail as his face winced.

"Argh... AARRRHH!!" he gasped out loud, his knees buckling as both hands shot up to his head. The pain tore through him like lightning, sharp and burning. He groaned in agony, stumbling forward as if the ground beneath him was pulling him in.

For a second—just a second—everything changed. His vision flickered. His eyes, already an unusual shade of red, darkened until they burned with pure scarlet fire. In that instant, he saw it.

Destruction.

Utter and complete.

There were no screams. No sounds. Just a haunting silence... as red flames consumed everything. Buildings crumbled. Shadows writhed and vanished. The world felt hollow. And then—

"LEO!!" Raphael’s voice pierced through the air as she yanked him back from the edge. Her hands gripped his shoulders as she stared into his face, pale and shaken. "Are you okay?! What happened? What did you remember?! I shouldn’t have brought you here—I’m so stupid—I didn’t think it would hurt you!" she rambled, biting her lip as guilt and panic welled up in her chest.

But... what was supposed to be painful about this place?

Her brother told her this was Leo’s favourite spot.

A place full of memories. Laughter. Joy. Then why...?

Leo was panting hard now, clutching her hand like it was the only thing anchoring him. Sweat dripped down his face and soaked through his shirt. His breath came in short bursts, wild and panicked.

"You need water," Raphael said, trying to pull away, but Leo gripped her wrist tightly.

"D-Don’t leave me," he choked out, his voice trembling with raw fear. There was something in his tone... something so broken and helpless that it made Raphael freeze. Her heart clenched painfully as she dropped down and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"I’m right here... I would never leave you," she whispered, brushing his damp hair back gently. She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and held him, waiting patiently for him to breathe... To come back.

Minutes passed. He finally started to calm down. His chest stopped heaving. His grip loosened.

’W-What the hell was that?’ he thought to himself, shaken.

Raphael glanced at him carefully. "You okay now? Breathing fine?" she asked.

Leo blinked at her, then gave a small nod. "Yeah... thanks." His smile was wobbly and awkward, but it was genuine.

"Hah, no need for that. I’m your aunt, remember?" she chuckled gently, ruffling his hair.

Leo managed a weak smile back.

"Anyway... we should get going," Raphael said, her tone shifting to more serious.

It’s already midnight, he came from school in the evening, and then they spent time in hospital so... time passed without them thinking too much.

Leo nodded. It was almost time. Valra would be coming for him.

But then—

"I’ll drive," Leo said, straightening up with a stubborn glint in his eyes.

Raphael blinked at him, stunned. "Oh? No way! You’re underage, and you’re not allowed to drive!" Her voice went sharp as her hands flew up. Her face said it all—absolutely, completely, no chance in hell.

"No means NO!"

Leo bit his lip. "But it’s midnight. No one’s even on the road," he grumbled, glancing around. The empty road below confirmed it. With a reluctant sigh, and a dramatic eye-roll, he marched toward the broken old car.

"Don’t make that face like I just grounded you for a year," Raphael teased, watching his exaggerated walk. "You’re not slick, mister!"

Leo groaned. "Seriously? You drive like an old lady!"

"And you drive cycle like a baby in a bumper!" she shot back, laughing as she slid into the driver’s seat.

Leo muttered something under his breath, sulking as he buckled in, "Looks who is talking"

She smirked, not knowing his words. There was something oddly charming in the way he grumbled—still sharp-tongued, even after that vision.

As the car rolled away from the crater, the silence between them settled. The road was nearly empty, only a couple of distant headlights dotting the horizon.

"Tell me..." Raphael said after a long pause. Her hands gripped the steering wheel just a little tighter. "Did you remember anything?"

Leo leaned his elbow against the window, his breath fogging up the glass slightly. His gaze was fixed ahead. His voice, when he finally spoke, was quieter than before.

"I can’t say I remembered exactly... It’s more like... I saw something," he said slowly, eyes narrowing as he recalled it. "I saw... destruction. Everything was just... gone. Empty. Silent. Like the world had already ended."

Raphael’s knuckles whitened on the wheel. "Destruction?" she repeated, eyes flicking toward him.

Raphael stared at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with a small sigh, she muttered, "I see...".

After taking a breath, she exhaled softly and shifted the topic with a casual tone, "Anyway... how’s school going today? And, um... I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but... I have to maintain a certain distance, you know? So if you were offended by how I acted during our first meeting... I just want to say I’m sorry, okay?"

Leo blinked at her.

There was a pause as he tilted his head a bit. Then, without warning, he asked casually, "Are you... Single?"

Sccrrrchhh!!

The tires shrieked, the car swerved just slightly, and the front bumper nearly scraped the pavement. Raphael jolted in her seat, clutching the steering wheel as she tried to steady the vehicle again. Her eyes widened, and her face turned a bright shade of red.

"W-What was that for?!" she sputtered, her voice pitching higher than she intended.

Leo, who had almost lost his soul at that near-death experience, gave her a flat look before glancing out the window. "Nothing. Just... curious. I mean... how is my beautiful aunt still single? You’re taking care of your brother’s kid like some cool guardian angel—wouldn’t your boyfriend or husband get mad about that?"

He gave a shrug, his voice nonchalant but laced with something cheeky underneath. "If I were your boyfriend, I’d be pretty pissed off. Like seriously, if you kept prioritising your nephew over me all the time... I might throw a jealous fit."

There wasn’t any deep, secret reason behind the question—well, maybe a tiny bit of curiosity—but mostly, he just wanted to see her reaction.

The car went quiet... all of a sudden.

Leo glanced sideways... and froze.

Raphael wasn’t answering.

She was just... sitting there, staring at him (Not looking at the road)... But to Leo, she didn’t look real anymore.

Her hair—long, inky black—danced in the cool night air that slipped through the open window, the silky strands fluttering around her like ribbons of midnight. The faint streetlights painted her profile in a soft golden glow. Her skin was smooth, pale, with a warm blush spreading across her cheeks that reached even the tips of her ears. Her jawline was sharp but graceful, lips slightly parted, a quiet breath caught in surprise.

And then her eyes—emerald green—glowed behind the lenses of her lower-framed rectangular glasses, almost too vivid under the dim lights. Her long lashes curled upward, fluttering slightly as she stared. Even the curve of her neck and the gentle slope of her collarbone looked... perfect. The soft outline of her chest moved with each breath, pressed lightly beneath the seatbelt that traced over her upper body. [Imgincmt]

The starry sky behind her—vast, silent, shifting slowly—only made her seem more ethereal.

She didn’t look human in that moment.

She looked like an angel.

Too mesmerising.

Ba-dump.

Leo’s heart skipped a beat—literally. His breath caught. The silence between them stretched, a little too long... until,

Crack.

Leo’s ears twitched at a strange sound. His gaze darted forward.

"IT’S A POLE! TURN LEFT!!"

Raphael gasped, snapped her head back to the road, and her eyes widened in horror. A massive pole loomed directly ahead.

"OH SHI—!"

She yanked the gear, twisted the steering wheel with all her strength, and—

SCCRRCCHHHHH!!

The car screeched, tires burning against the road as it swerved hard, just barely dodging the pole by inches.

Leo gripped the dashboard, panting like he’d just survived a plane crash. ’I—I am definitely not riding with her again!’ he screamed internally, chest heaving.

But it wasn’t over.

"H-How dare you tease me, you little bastard!" Raphael shouted, her face still flushed, but now contorted in flustered fury.

"No, NO—don’t do that!" Leo cried, full panic setting in as he noticed her foot slamming on the gas. "I wasn’t teasing! I swear! Oh my god—why are you speeding up?! Shit! There’s a hole! A HOLE!!"

"Haha! Take that, brat!" Raphael shouted with triumphant glee, though her voice trembled slightly. "Teasing your aunt like that... you totally deserve this! Hmph!"

Leo screamed as the car bounced slightly from a shallow pothole. He held on for dear life, while Raphael’s face turned even redder—though she tried to act smug.

Inside, her heart was pounding.

Thump... thump...

What the hell was that?

Why was her heart racing so fast? From the near-crash? No, not that.

Her heart had started beating the moment he’d said those words.

’If I were your boyfriend...’

HELL NO!

She slammed a hand on the steering wheel in frustration.

He was her nephew!

A kid!

Her brother would absolutely slaughter her if he ever even got a hint of what she was feeling right now.

She couldn’t understand why her heart skipped a beat when she saw his genuine face... as if... he was longing for something.

As if... he was here but at the same time... far.

This was not the Leo she felt... This felt completely different!

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