I woke up looking at the ceiling my mind was, over the place. My brain thinking a lot of things at the same time. That kiss scene kept playing in my head. It was an accident I said to myself…it was not supposed to happen it was really embarrassing. I hated every seconds of being this sensitive.
The room smelled like cold tea and regret. And then, the "System" decided to shove more data into my head.
I was not the one who was scared anymore. I could feel Lena. It was like she was inside of me. I felt a very heavy pain and longing in my chest….there were all love and hope she had been hiding for years. She had carry that sadness around her for long, like a heavy burden she couldn't lift. And now I'm the one feeling how much it hurts.
She'd loved this guy. She'd died with her mouth shut, and now I was the one stuck with the leftover noise.
[System Note: Emotional Resonance Detected — Host Integration +15%]
[Mission Status: Observation Phase — Keep your eyes open]
I let out a groan. Rolled onto my back. I was a "Pure One"—whatever that meant but right now I just felt like a cosmic trash can for someone else's feelings.
All those feelings that I had not dealt with were. Now they were coming back to me. I understood then that the kiss that happened by accident was not something I did because I am clumsy. The accidental kiss was a connection. A spark that Lena had been trying to make happen for a very long time. The accidental kiss was like a bridge, between us.
"This is crazy " I said to myself in the quiet. I did not even know this guy.. Now her heart is something I have to deal with? Great. Just great."
The door creaked. I froze.
"He walked in looking totally defeated. I watched him track everything in the room: he looked at the tea, my messy hair, and then the floor, almost like he was looking for an exit strategy or an apology. He still thought I was Lena. He still thought everything was normal.
"I… I came to say sorry," he mumbled, scratching his neck. "For bolting earlier. I just… I didn't know what to do."
I blinked. Here we go, I thought. The big emotional climax. Get the tissues.
"I didn't want to ruin things between us," he said , and I swear I could hear his voice shaking. "I like you. I've always liked you. I just stayed quiet because I didn't want to break us. I didn't know how to say it."
My heart skipped. Or her heart. At this point, I couldn't tell whose was whose. The relief hit the body like a shot of cheap whiskey. All that "unfinished business" Seraphine kept yapping about was finally bubbling to the surface.
[System Note: Emotional Mission Triggered — We're getting somewhere.]
[Mission Progress: 45%]
He took a step closer to me his hands were shaking badly. "You do not have to say anything to me. I just could not keep pretending that everything is okay.
It hit me then. This wasn't just a "System" prompt or a box to tick. This was a moment when I felt something deeply. I leaned forward. Let the weight of Lenas emotions settle between us. The room felt very tense. In a quiet way. The air, in the room was electric. It was a gentle feeling.
[Mission Progress: 60% — Emotional Integration Almost Complete]
[Warning: Do not attempt physical escalation without consent — Emotional Bonding Only]
He exhaled loudly, finally looking at me. "I don't regret saying it. Not one bit."
I smiled. It felt really good. For the first time smiling at people did not feel like I was wearing a mask.
"Can I?…. He said"
My mind flashed back to that hospital bed—to the sight of that nurse I never got to hold. I had died begging an angel for just one second of touch. I had complained that years of my life were "for nothing" because I was incomplete.
I looked at him—really looked at him. I wasn't a "Pure One" anymore. I was a man who had been hungry for years, finally standing at a feast.
Fuck the nurse's waist, I thought. I want everything.
I didn't wait. I reached out and pulled him closer to me.
His lips hit mine. The world just stopped existing. It was not a kiss anymore. It was like we crashed into each other.
I could feel the roughness of his jaw, a friction that made everything else fall away. My hands acted on instinct, winding into his hair and pulling him in until there was no 'him' or 'me' anymore—just this beautiful, messy collision. Everything blurred—his hair between my fingers, the pressure of his mouth—it all bled together into one single pulse. Then he bit my lower lip, a tiny, sharp sting that was pure, playful heat. This bite sent a shock of excitement right to my stomach. He did not let the moment pass. The mans tongue was in my mouth it tasted like feelings and a strong need, for something. His tongue was tasting like warmth and desperation.
I bit back. I am not some kind of person. I am a man who has finally found a reason to stop complaining all the time. I grazed his lip with my teeth. I heard him groan against my mouth. That sound was really something. It went through my chest. His hands were over me. They traced the shape of my hips. Pulled me close to him. I could feel the lines of his chest against me.. I could feel that he was really excited. He was as, into this as I was. His body was telling me that.
We weren't just kissing; we were fighting for air. Every bit of Lena's longing and my own pent-up frustration came out in that one mess of lips and teeth.
Mission Complete — Intimacy Achieved. Finally.]
[Reward: 7 Days in the Driver's Seat. Don't wreck it.]
Suddenly, a golden light washed over everything. I felt light, then heavy, then… right. For the first time, there was no "lag" between my brain and this body.
[System Note: Soul Integrated. Unfinished business? Handled.]
Seraphine appeared in the corner of the room, looking smug as usual. "Well done, Pure One. You figured it out. Seven days of full sensory control. Try to stay out of trouble."
I blinked, my breath coming in ragged bursts, still feeling the heat of his skin against mine. "Seven days," I whispered. "Full control. About damn time."
He was still there, looking at me with those big, hopeful eyes. "So… are we okay?"
I grinned. I felt powerful. I felt alive. "Yeah," I said, and for once, I meant it. "We're better than okay."
[System Update: Mission Success. Bonus Reward Granted.]
I sank back into the moment. Seven days. One body. A whole lot of things I wanted to try. For the first time in two lifetimes, I wasn't just a passenger. I was the one driving.