Austin POV:
‘Looks like it’s finally over…’
Thinking so, I, along with Mira, kept walking through the beautiful forest. Mira was unusually silent, and I remained quiet as I looked at the messages that kept appearing from the system.
+50,000 affection!
+50,000 affection!
+50,000 affection!
+50,000 affection!
+50,000 affection!
‘Damn, it’s a flood!…’
Reeling from the shock, I could see that the messages had yet to stop. The alarm kept beeping, which led me to mute it, but the messages still kept pouring in. I even earned the title of Awakener of Things That Shouldn’t Awaken, as ominous as it sounds. For now, I kept that at the back of my mind.
Right now is the most important and delicate moment that shall decide how our relationship will go forward. Even though I have completely broken through the barrier around Mira’s heart, I have to treat the situation delicately so as not to make Mira move and end Sonia’s life or do something crazy.
As said before, I am not going to take the initiative. Everything now will lay in Mira’s hands, for I am a man now having finished all my objectives, who would soon go to live the life he should need. And I made sure to transmit all these feelings towards Mira in bulk, which will keep increasing her feelings of guilt, jealousy, and sadness.
“So, what do you want for dinner tonight?”
I suddenly asked within the silence, to which Mira just gave a punctuated answer without any backing to it.
“Just something light.”
“Oh, then consider it done.”
I replied with a light smile as the two of us soon reached the cabin, its location beautiful as always. Mira suddenly started to walk into the cabin, leaving the words.
“I’m a bit tired, we will talk later.”
With that, she entered inside, leaving me outside with ‘confusion’ filling me. However, the moment she entered the cabin, a smile came to my face. Moving towards one of the rocking chairs, I sat on it, my body relaxing as I gave a light thumbs up to the air. This is more than enough for the ones watching to understand what their next move should be.
‘I wonder what her next move will be?’
Musing at these thoughts, I closed my eyes.
…
‘Um… that smells nice…’
Thinking so, I opened my eyes, stretching myself lightly in the chair. My eyes turned towards Mira, who was surprisingly trying to cook! Though she appeared very clumsy with her trying desperately to cut. It’s also harder on her with all her powers completely sealed.
“What are you doing, Mira?”
I suddenly asked, making her flinch as she turned towards me.
“I’m just trying to make food for you.”
She replied with a smile, her eyes looking very different than how they were all these days. But I didn’t jump on it as I replied with a smile.
“Then why don’t we do that together?”
I asked with a loving smile as I stood beside her, taking the main spot as I started to instruct her on how to do things. Thankfully, she followed my instructions after failing to do things alone. The next few minutes were spent with the two of us cooking a light meal, with Mira trying to take the lead.
“How is it?”
Mira asked, her voice meek yet hesitant, something that I was seeing in her for the first time.
“It’s good, I can feel your warmth.”
I replied while taking light sips. The two of us were in the chair, drinking the soup. My words earned me a light, happy blush from Mira. With this, the two of us turned towards the sky, the very familiar silence falling between the two of us until Mira spoke.
“Looks like we will soon be back in the real world.”
“We would indeed, but I will definitely miss these times. Maybe in the future, we can take some trip like this, as a family, maybe include mom and my sisters.”
I replied with a happy tone, to which a light frown came to Mira’s face, which she quickly covered up.
“Yeah, that would be fun.”
She spoke back, her voice not that enthusiastic, but just as the atmosphere was to return to its calmness, Mira suddenly threw a huge rock into the peaceful lake.
“Austin, are you really going to throw away all those feelings you have for me, this easily?”
Her question turned the atmosphere chilly, making me look at her with ‘surprise.’
“Huh? Isn’t it what you want, Aunt?”
I asked back, my question making her face crunch up a bit, but she didn’t back down as she spoke.
“Let’s say I do accept your feelings, will you leave Sonia and these feelings of yours away?”
Her words made her frown, my eyes meeting hers, as a contemplative look took my face, now mirroring pain and confusion. But that didn’t last for long as I looked at her with conviction.
“No, I can’t do that to Sonia, not after everything she has been with.”
While my words were strong, my ‘feelings’ on the other hand were on completely haywire, which I made sure to strongly flow towards Mira, whose face now looked a bit pissed.
“So you are saying that she is more important to you than me?!”
She screamed as she placed the bowl down, her body raising from the chair as she walked up to me. I, for one, was not to back down as I stood up from my chair with confusion plastered all over me.
“No… maybe… I-I don’t know! And why do you care? You were the one that wanted nothing to do with me!”
I screamed back, which led to Mira standing in front of me with red eyes, her breathing hard as she seemed taken aback. Both guilt and anger were in her face as she responded.
“If you didn’t want me anymore and wanted to be with Sonia, why did you bring me here? Why spend all this time and effort on a woman that you want to forget?”
Her sudden attack took me back as I bit my lips a bit, her words being on point. I turned silent for a moment, but I didn’t back down at the fierceness of Mira as I gave my shot back.
The tension between Mira and me crackled in the air like wildfire, our words slashing through the serene forest like jagged shards of glass. Angry and hurtful accusations flew between us like arrows, striking at the deepest recesses of Mira’s heart.
“You think I brought you here to forget you?” My voice wavered with a mix of ‘frustration’ and ‘sorrow’. “You have no idea how much I love you, Mira. It tears me apart every day, knowing that you’re right here with me, yet so impossibly out of reach.”
Mira’s eyes blazed with anger, her cheeks flushed with emotion. “And what about Sonia? Are you just going to throw away your feelings for her? She’s been with you through thick and thin. Is she less important than me?”
My jaw clenched as I fought back ‘tears’. “I can’t abandon her, Mira. She’s been my anchor when I was adrift in the storm of life. I owe her so much.”
Mira’s voice quivered as she shot back, “Is that it?! Is that all you feel for me?!”
“Again! why do you care!? isn’t this the last time we will spend our time with each other!? and you don’t love me, so why do you care?!”
Our words hung in the air, a painful reminder of the turmoil that had haunted me throughout the week. The tears welled up in Mira’s eyes, one of guilt and anger and she turned away, her shoulders shaking with emotion. She didn’t want to cry in front of me, to show her vulnerability, but the overwhelming surge of feelings couldn’t be contained any longer.
This made the atmosphere darker as I looked at Mira’s back with ‘shivering’ feelings, confusion, and perhaps doubt being transmitted over to her, one that made Mira’s shoulder tremble.
“I looked and looked and looked! and I was more than willing to let everything go! I wanted this to end in a happy tone! so why are you angry!?”
This shout of mine caused the atmosphere to tremble, the raw power behind it combining with my raw feelings, to which Mira remained silent, seeing that my feeling turned ‘sour’, betrayal and hate slowly blooming as I spoke.
“Leave it, it was my fault to expect something, it was my fault to fall in love with you and it was my fault to ever dream…”
With such words I turned around, my feelings only being filled with Sonia, her face filling my vision as I left these words.
“Let’s go home…”
And so I began to walk towards the cabin and it was at this time that Mira screamed.
“NO!”
Her words made me turn to look at her, my eyes meeting her trembling ones.
“What do you mean no? Let’s leave aunt, I have already made my decision, there is nothing you can tell me that will change my mind”
And thus with these words, while my feelings for Sonia bloomed I turned to walk towards the cabin again and it was then that Mira bit her lips and screamed.
“You can’t go because I LOVE YOU!!”
The last of her screams filled the surroundings, causing me to pause in my place, a good few seconds later I looked into Mira’s eyes, one filled with several emotions but the main being love, the true love of a woman towards a man, she held her skirt as she spoke.
“I love you Austin, I love you and I don’t want to lose you…”
No soon had her words finished I appeared in front of her, Mira’s voice was choked with tears as she whispered, “I love you, Austin. But I’m scared. I’m scared of losing you, of breaking your heart, of what people will say.”
Mira’s resolve wavered as she looked into my eyes, the depth of my love breaking down her defenses. “Austin. I love you more than anything in this world.”
Her voice had softened, the harsh edges of her words giving way to the vulnerability of her heart. We stood there, locked in a silent embrace, And then as if guided by some invisible force, our lips met. It was a kiss that started softly, tentative, like a fragile bud unfurling in the warmth of spring. But as our emotions surged, it deepened, becoming more intense, more urgent.
Our mouths moved together in a passionate dance, each kiss a confession of the love that had simmered beneath the surface for far too long. It was a kiss filled with the raw intensity of our feelings, a kiss that bridged the gap between us and shattered the barriers we had built.
Once again our lips met in a fierce and passionate kiss, the culmination of a week of longing and desire. It was a kiss filled with raw emotion, a kiss that conveyed all the words we had left unspoken.
As we clung to each other, our bodies pressed together, the world around us faded into insignificance. The valley of dreams, the peaceful lake, the starlit sky—all faded away, leaving only the two of us, lost in the intensity of our love.
Our kiss was a promise, a declaration that we were willing to face the challenges and obstacles that lay ahead. It was a pledge to stand together, to fight for our love, and to defy the expectations of others.
At that moment, as our lips finally parted, Mira knew that she had crossed a threshold and that there was no turning back. Her love had triumphed over doubt and fear, and She was ready to embrace a future together, no matter where it might lead.
No matter who she has to kill to get it…
