It was when we survived another mob of Raydrics that went our way that he said the phrase. It was the phrase that I would often hear around me and not pay attention to it, except for this moment.

"I love you."

It was like my heart suddenly constricted and I felt all the air in my lungs simply vanished. My mouth felt dry and I could not bear to look at him in the eyes. I wanted to smile and yet my lips didn't bother to move. I wanted to say something back but my voice doesn't want to be found.

He had declared that he loved me even when we had not spoken a word to each other. He had said he used to see me in Prontera, where I usually loiter around. The moment he laid his eyes on me, his heart skipped a beat and prayed to be introduced to me ever since.

Of course I never believed him. I never did believe in love at first sight.

Van, my childhood friend, introduced him to me. He had met him in the pyramids, looking for Osiris. They had hit off curiously well. I was surprised since Van was uneasy in letting new people in but he and Ben was inseparable in an instant.

Van would usually be the one to hatch a plan for us to be together and get to know each other very well, and we did. For months, Ben has been my constant hunting partner and became one of my close friends as well.

There has never been a dull moment with him. Every time that we spent time together, it was full of laughs and good times. Sometimes, people would actually ask me if we were an item, because they said we act like one. I smile politely and shake my head.

The only thing that we disagree on is my habit of drinking. Ever since I was a high-level acolyte, you would see me every night in the Prontera pub, holding a bottle of beer. It was very unusual to see a priestess, sitting beside an assassin, both regular in a pub. This was just a habit imposed on me, which I gladly agreed to.

Ben never really liked drinking, and he disliked to see me go into a pub full of drunken men, not that he really can do anything.

I raised head and forced myself to look at him directly in the eyes. His face was flushed, like it always was when he just killed a dozen Raydrics at the same time. He bit his lip, anticipating for the answer that he would not hear from my mouth.

"I…I…."

I have no idea where to start.

His eyes bore into mine, burning it with his stare.

"I...just want to say…"

Say it! Time would not help you this time. I thought I had made up my mind…but why am I so scared to say it out loud?

"…thank you."

There. The relief I thought would enter my heart abandoned it and guilt consumed it. I stared at the ground, wishing to eat me alive. When I looked at him again, hoping to apologize, he was already smiling as if nothing happened.