Monica knew Khan better than he knew himself. He was her man, her idiot, so she was aware of his many shortcomings and how blind he was to them.
An ordinary warrior couldnât complete the quest that afflicted Khanâs life. Even the best soldiers in the universe would probably fail at that, so Monica knew Khan needed to become greater than he already was. He had to evolve beyond the very concept of power and couldnât do it while being shackled to a mere human being.
As painful as it was, Monica knew what Khan needed and what she had to do to let him achieve that. It killed her even to think about uttering those words, but her life was nothing compared to her love for Khan. Monica would happily die and suffer many times over for her incredible, dumb, and selfless man if that got him where he had to be.
It was the same as when Monica did her public interview, destroying her political figure to protect Khan. She didnât hesitate at all back then, and her resolve wasnât any weaker now. Monica had simply needed time to process it due to the finality that the decision would bring.
"What are you doing?" Khan asked, shocked, confused, and breathless.
"Iâm breaking up with you," Monica cried, too exhausted even to attempt to hold back the tears and sobs. "Iâm setting you free so you can do what you must do without holding back, so you can stop limiting yourself for my sake."
Even from behind the tears, Monica could read all the emotions rushing through Khanâs face. His disbelief was evident, as well as all his attempts to find solutions that wouldnât involve breaking up.
Monicaâs determination almost faltered at that sight. She knew that, on some level, Khan understood what she was saying. He saw too much to be unaware of that point.
Yet, Khan was still unwilling to accept that, and Monica felt warm watching that feeling. Despite everything, her man truly loved her, which was why she had to be clear. She had to sever that connection completely so that her idiot could save himself.
"So," Monica continued, sniffing loudly to achieve a modicum of sternness, "Stop touching, kissing, and loving me. Donât look for me anymore. Donât think about me, either. Go on with your life, and focus solely on yourself."
Khan instinctively let go of Monicaâs wrists at that request, but she suddenly missed his touch. Monica knew she had to be strong, but her determination finally crumbled. Everything would still end, but Monica would claim one last gift from the man who taught her love.
Monica stepped forward, clinging to Khanâs torso and squeezing it while hiding her face on his exposed chest. That was her resting spot, the most comfortable pillow in the world. It belonged to her, so she would steal some of its warmth one last time before giving up on it forever.
"Thank you," Monica sobbed. "Thank you for everything. Thank you for being human for me."
Khan was at a loss for words, so he wrapped his arms around Monica, holding her trembling figure tightly. She had never felt frailer, making him want to protect her with everything he had. Yet, her mana also carried a certain, unshakable strength that all his immense power couldnât oppose.
Khanâs mind was blank. A storm of emotions raged inside his mind but somehow didnât come out. He could stop all that whenever he wanted, but his feelings respected Monicaâs wishes, even if it killed him.
"You are the only woman who could make me love again," Khan said, speaking from the bottom of his heart as his vision clouded. It seemed his eyes could still produce tears.
"I know," Monica giggled, lifting her head to look at Khan. "After all, Iâm the best girlfriend in the world."
Khan couldnât help but match Monicaâs smile, and the two lost themselves in their respective eyes. They didnât need words to express how they felt about each other, but that beautiful thing still had to end. Monica knew it had to.
Nevertheless, looking at Khan made Monicaâs resolve crumble again. Merely touching Khan wasnât enough as a last gift. She would claim one final thing while Khan still belonged to her.
Monica leaned forward, reaching for Khanâs lips. The two exchanged a sad kiss that the tears didnât manage to ruin. Monica also broke her hug, lifting a hand to place it on Khanâs cheek.
"Goodbye, Khan," Monica whispered once the kiss ended. "Goodbye, my love, my king, my everything."
âGoodbye, love of my life,â Monica thought, stepping back. Khanâs arms were in the way, but they opened at her arrival, allowing her to leave his hug without putting any strength.
That simple but meaningful detail almost made Monica waver again. She knew why Khan wasnât fighting back. It was the same reason she was breaking up with him. Khan was doing that for her, putting her wishes above his feelings.
The urge to slap Khan and go back on every spoken word tried to assault Monica, but she promptly diverted her head, covering her mouth to suppress her sobs while she hurried toward the terraceâs elevator. She had reached her limit, so she had to leave.
Khan couldnât express how much he was willing and ready to do, but his figure and mana didnât move. He knew it wouldnât take much to change Monicaâs mind, but he still didnât try. Khan felt like someone was ripping out his heart from his chest, but the pain was fine as long as it helped Monica. Khan didnât mind dying inside if that was what Monica wished.
So, instead of running after Monica, Khan watched her figure enter the elevator and disappear before setting off in the opposite direction. He had to be far away from everything to avoid going against Monicaâs wishes, and being close to anything alive was too dangerous in his current mood.