000 - What Makes The Sky Blue

Afterward, Eugen finally decided to face his past and talk to his daughter, Apollonia.

He opened the heavy wooden jail door cautiously, stepping into the dimly lit room. The sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. Apollonia was sitting at the far end of the room, her posture hunched, her head bowed, and her entire being exuding a palpable aura of despair.

Her expression was unlike anything he had ever seen on her before. Troubled, conflicted—even regretful. Whatever Orchid had said to her earlier had left a deep impact.

"Apollo?" Eugen called out softly, his voice hesitant as if afraid to disturb the heavy silence that filled the room.

There was no response. Apollonia remained in her seat, staring down at the floor as if lost in her thoughts.

She looked utterly defeated.

Eugen clenched his fists, unsure of what to do. He had spent years avoiding her, running from the responsibility of being her father. He had no right to console her now. No right to act as if he could fix what he had broken.

But despite the weight of his guilt, he tried again, this time louder. "Apollo."

Slowly, she raised her head. Her eyes, sharp and accusing, locked onto him.

"What do you want?" she snapped, her voice carrying an edge of aggression.

"Let's go, Apollo," Eugen said, his voice soft but steady. "You don't need to be here anymore. The misunderstanding has been cleared. You're free to leave."

"Leave? Leave to where?" she barked, her tone dripping with bitterness. "Everything I've done has been a waste of time. I've failed at everything. I couldn't protect Orchis. I couldn't save Orchis. Just go back to your perfect friend who can do everything right!"

It didn't take much to understand who she was referring to—Rei. The venom in her voice as she spoke his name was unmistakable.

"And you!" she continued, her voice rising. "Don't you dare act like a father now! Where were you when Mom died? Where were you when I was left alone, crying myself to sleep at night? WHERE WERE YOU, EUGEN?"

Her voice cracked as she screamed his name, the pain in her words cutting through the room like a blade.

Eugen stood frozen, guilt crashing over him in waves. She was right. He had left her, abandoned her when she needed him most. He had no excuses.

"I'm sorry, Apollo," he finally said, his voice trembling. His hands clenched tightly at his sides. "I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I'm sorry for everything."

"SHUT UP!" Apollonia roared. "Don't you dare say sorry now! It's too late for that!"

"I know it's too late," Eugen said, his voice steadying even as tears welled in his eyes. "I know I failed you. I should have been there. I should have comforted you, held you when you cried, been the father you deserved. But I was weak. I ran away because I couldn't handle the pain. And for that, I'm so, so sorry."

His words were genuine, each one heavy with the weight of his regret. But they only seemed to fuel Apollonia's rage.

"SHUT UP!" she screamed again, her teeth gritting so hard it looked as if they might crack. Her fists, still bound by the magical restraints, clenched tightly, blood dripping from her palms as her nails dug into her flesh.

In an instant, she was on her feet. Before Eugen could react, she lashed out, landing a punch squarely on his jaw. The force sent him staggering to the side, but he didn't retaliate.

Even though he could have dodged—her restraints weakened her blows—he chose not to.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again.

Her eyes widened, her anger boiling over. "I SAID SHUT UP!" she screamed, rushing toward him and landing another punch, this time knocking him to the floor. She climbed on top of him, her bound fists raining down on him mercilessly.

Eugen didn't fight back. He didn't even try to block her strikes.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, over and over, his voice unwavering despite the blows.

Apollonia's punches grew harder, her breaths ragged as tears streamed down her face. "STOP SAYING THAT!" she cried, her voice breaking with raw emotion. Yet even as her fists struck his face and chest, Eugen continued to apologize, his tone never wavering.

Each punch carried years of pain, anger, and abandonment. And still, Eugen endured, letting her unleash every ounce of her fury.

He knew he deserved this. He had failed her. And if this was what it took for her to release the anger she had held for so long, then he would take it all.

The sound of Apollonia's punches echoed through the jail cell, relentless and raw. It continued for several minutes until her strength finally gave out.

After two weeks of imprisonment, her stamina was severely weakened. She could only keep striking for so long before exhaustion took over. Even so, in just a few minutes, Eugen's face was battered beyond recognition.

Bruises and blood covered his face, his lips split, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth and from every spot she had struck. His nose was bleeding as well, clearly broken.

"I'm...sorry...Apollo...my daughter..." Eugen rasped, barely able to speak through the pain and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Each word sent a sharp sting through his battered jaw, but he didn't stop.

Hearing him call her "daughter" made Apollonia jolt. Her body trembled, and her clenched, bloodied fists began to shake. Blood dripped steadily from her palms, pooling on the floor beneath her.

"Stop calling me that," she muttered, her voice quieter this time, lacking the same venom as before.

"You're my daughter," Eugen said, his voice strained but filled with conviction. "Even though you've grown up now, you'll always be my little girl. I won't make the same mistake I made before."

He forced a faint, pained smile. "So it's fine, Apollo. Hit me as much as you want. Vent all your anger, all your pain—I'll take it all."

Apollonia stood silent, staring at him.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed suddenly, lifting both her fists high above her head. She gathered all her remaining strength, ready to bring them down on him again with all her might.

Eugen, still smiling, closed his eyes. He braced himself for the impact, willing to accept whatever she had left to unleash.

But the blow never came.

Instead, a deafening *BOOM* echoed through the room.

Eugen opened his eyes slowly, confused. He found Apollonia's fists buried deep into the floor beside his head. The ground beneath them was cracked and shattered from the force of her strike.

Her hands, now heavily injured, bled profusely from the violent impact. This jail cell had been designed to contain dangerous prisoners, its walls and floors reinforced to withstand incredible force. Yet, Apollonia's rage had been enough to damage even that.

"Apollo!? What are you doing? Your hands—they're severely injured!" Eugen exclaimed, his voice full of concern as he scrambled to sit up.

Apollonia didn't respond. She staggered to her feet, her body swaying dangerously from exhaustion. She nearly collapsed but managed to catch herself just in time.

Seeing her struggle, Eugen forced himself up despite the pain wracking his body. He reached out to her, his own injuries forgotten.

"Let me see your hands," he said urgently, holding out his own trembling hands to her.

She looked at his bloodied, swollen face, then at her own hands, which were mangled and likely fractured. Despite everything, his face—clearly in worse shape than her hands— but he still bore an expression of concern for her.

Slowly, reluctantly, she extended her hands toward him.

"This is really bad," he murmured, carefully examining her injuries. "Why did you punch the floor instead of me?"

Apollonia felt a faint warmth stir inside her at his concern, but she quickly dismissed it.

"Not your business," she muttered, her voice tinged with irritation. "You should be glad I didn't hit you. That blow would've knocked you out cold."

"It would've been better if you had," Eugen said firmly. "I can take being unconscious. But your hands are seriously hurt. We need to get a healer right away."

Without waiting for a reply, he reached into his pocket with his right arm and pulled out a key. It was the one that unlocked her restraints.

The metal cuffs fell away with a soft clink, and the magical bindings on her wrists dissipated soon after. For the first time in weeks, she was free.

"Let's go, Apollo. One of my friends can heal your injuries," Eugen said, taking her hand gently despite the obvious pain it caused him to move. He began to lead her out of the cell.

Apollonia didn't resist. She let him guide her, too exhausted to argue or pull away.

It wasn't because she had forgiven him—not yet.

It would take far more than this for her to forgive him. But for now, she was too tired to fight.