I finally arrived home after a few hours of nonstop driving. Luckily, I avoided most of the traffic, so the ride was smoother than expected.
I grabbed my bags from the car and made my way inside, tossing them onto my bed.
'Alright, let's see how this goes…'
I sent Alexia a message to let her know I was home. She responded quickly, saying she'd be over in an hour.
With some time to spare, I took a quick shower and put my clothes away. Then something crossed my mind.
'Ah, I forgot to send her the address…'
In my haste, I hadn't realized she didn't know where I lived now. I reached for my phone to send it to her but paused, confused. She hadn't even asked.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as I was about to hit send, I heard three soft knocks at the door. Glancing out the window, I saw her—the person I hadn't seen since I died. Her long purple hair rested on her shoulders as she stood at my doorstep.
Looks like she didn't need the address…
I wasn't surprised she found me. Silas or Sierra probably told her when they met.
Either way, she was here now. It was time to see what she wanted to talk about.
I moved toward the door, a bit nervous. Taking a deep breath, I realized there was nothing to fear. The nerves quickly disappeared, replaced by confidence as I grabbed the handle and opened the door, a smile already on my face as I met her eyes.
"Hello, Alexia."
She stared at me for a few seconds, her eyes widening slightly as she took in my new appearance. There was a strange look in her eyes for a moment before it disappeared, replaced by a questioning gaze.
"So… did you awaken?"
Her question surprised me but also confirmed a few suspicions I had.
'So she does know about these things…'
"Yeah, not too long ago." I kept a smile, but my answer seemed to disappoint her. I saw sadness in her eyes, causing my smile to fade.
"Is that… a bad thing?" I stepped back, gesturing for her to come in.
She stepped inside, and I led her to the living room, where we sat on the couch.
"I'm happy for you, and thank you for helping me with the Daniel situation…" She said she was happy, and it seemed genuine, but there was still sadness behind her words.
"Akashic… now that you've done this, Daniel isn't going to let this go." Her voice carried a hint of worry.
"Daniel doesn't scare me. I came back early because I don't know what he'll do next. In his tantrum, he might hurt you or someone close to me, so I need to be here to counter him." I began to explain, and she just stared at me with those big, beautiful eyes.
"Still, even though you're awakened, it's only a medical physique. Daniel hasn't awakened yet, but there are powerful people in his family."
'Right, they all think my power is just medical…' That could work to my advantage.
But most importantly, Daniel hasn't awakened yet? Maybe it's coming soon… otherwise, why was he so strong back then…?
"I'm figuring out what to do with him. At my current strength, I can't beat his resources. I have a few plans, but I need to see how things play out." I knew patience was key.
We sat in silence for a while before I asked, "Have you awakened?" I wanted to hear her answer before using my skill.
"It's complicated. I have a physique, but technically, I haven't awakened…"
Her answer was confusing, but I waited for her to explain.
"It's hard to explain… how about this? Most healing physiques have the ability to scan the bodies of others. Use it on me. You'll find out everything."
That was new information to me.
'What's this ability she's mentioning? Could it be dangerous if someone used it on me?'
'That sounds like it could be a problem…'
'Good to know.'
I was surprised she would allow me to scan her.
"Don't worry. I trust you and have nothing to hide. I want you to know everything…" She smiled, her gaze intense.
I placed my hand on her arm for show and felt her shudder slightly from my touch.
[Observe]
———
Stats
Name: Alexia Sparrow
Skills: Queen's Aura (Semi)
Physique: Supreme Queen (Sealed)
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Stamina: 10
———
'Her physique is sealed… why?'
'I see. What does this mean for her?'
'In theory?'
Suddenly, everything clicked. I understood why this marriage was so important to Daniel's family. Since he hadn't awakened, getting Alexia would grant him a powerful physique.
'Wait…is that why he was so strong…is that why she did what she did?'
Many thoughts ran through my head as I desperately tried to calm my anger.
'Her father must have told them about it, offering his daughter as a bargaining chip.'
'But I don't understand. If the goal was to use her as a bargaining chip, why go to Vero? Sure, they're the best in the city, but that was mainly due to Silas. With him out of the picture, wouldn't it be smarter to go for an ancient or royal bloodline?'
My thoughts spun, but there were no answers. The system couldn't tell me what it didn't know.
I felt there was more to this situation, but either way, I didn't like what they planned for her.
"Akashic?"
I calmed myself and focused on her again.
"I see. You're very strong… This must have been difficult for you. I'm sorry you had to go through that, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you sooner." I now understood why she made her choice in my first life. Rather than live her life with Daniel, she chose another way.
"I… I was scared…" She lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper.
Her hands gripped her pants, trembling slightly.
My heart throbbed as I looked at her. This scene felt familiar. Why? The more I tried to focus on that thought, the more I felt a headache coming on.
"I didn't know what to do… everyone, even my father, was ready to throw me at them…"
It took me a second to react, but I moved closer and held her. She froze for a moment, then relaxed in my embrace, wrapping one arm around me and resting her head on my chest.
"I wasn't strong enough to kill them… so I was going to… myself."
Hearing her say that made my heart clench. I thought back to the first time—how helpless she was, and how I couldn't help. I just held her tighter, letting her vent her frustrations.
"Akashic…" She looked up at me, her voice soft.
"Yes, Alexia?"
"Please don't leave me…"
A jolt of electricity ran through me at her words. An image flashed in my mind, blurry, but I could make out a small face staring up at me, mouthing the same words.
Before I could respond, she continued, "I… love you. Even if we can't be together, please don't leave me."
[+100 Satisfaction Points]
Simply hearing her say those words filled me with a warm, pleasant feeling. But the end of her sentence brought me back to reality as I shook off the thoughts.
"Why—"
She placed her finger over my lips.
"You already have a physique. You know the details of mine. I can't hurt you. If you died…" She trailed off, but I understood what she meant.
"So… just let me be near you," she finished, making eye contact with me.
Now was the time to solidify our relationship.
First, I needed a skill to help me—not just now, but in the future.
I love this system.
Navigating to the shop, I found what I was looking for.
———
Shop
Balance: 2,300 SP
[Inform] – 200 SP
———
'Hmm? Shouldn't I have fewer points than that?' I haven't been keeping track, especially with all the deductions. But I'm pretty sure I was below that.
'Perfect. I'm buying it.'
[Inform] – Transmits information from yourself to others.
In other words, I could use this to show Alexia a tiny bit of my physique. I could've told her, but she wouldn't believe me. A physique that absorbs others? Impossible.
Since she thought I'd die if we were together, she'd never allow it. I needed to prove it.
'How do I use this?'
'Is it painful?'
Alright then.
"Alexia, I have a skill I'd like to use on you, but it requires—"
"Okay, do it."
She didn't even let me finish before agreeing, laying back on the couch.
"Well… just relax. It won't hurt."
I followed the instructions, placing my hand on her forehead. Her eyes were closed, and I noticed the dried tear stains on her cheeks.
Her circumstances reminded me of Lena and how the two of them were victims of the same group.
Slowly, I inserted a strand of my aura into her, transmitting the information I wanted her to receive.
About my physique, its ability to absorb others—but not how I received it. Along with that, I let her feel my emotions, my feelings for her. I wanted her to truly understand.
…
Time slowly passed as I finished, carefully withdrawing the strand of aura.
Her eyes shot open as she looked at me, processing everything she had just learned.
"Dangerous… if people knew, you'd be in trouble…" Her first words were about my safety, her concern clear.
Warmth spread through me as I met her gaze.
"I love you, Alexia. I trust you with this."
She didn't respond, and she didn't need to. Her eyes said everything—the same look of love I had seen before our deaths, only stronger now.
We sat in comfortable silence until she suddenly asked:
"Lena… who is she?"
???
I was momentarily confused, but I didn't see any point in hiding the truth.
"She's Luna's sister. I met her when I went to Cloud City." I answered honestly, I had nothing to hide.
"Is she nice?"
"Yeah. Though she comes on a little strong, she's not a bad person. She seems to really care about her friends."
"Mm… do you like her?" Her next question threw me as I took the time to really think about it.
But I still didn't plan on lying, if I wanted my desires to be realized without jeopardizing everything, I couldn't lie here.
"I'd need to spend more time with her to give a real answer. But so far, yes."
To my surprise, she smiled and rested her head against my chest.
"Okay."
'What just happened?'
Damn it…
It was my first time using the ability, and my thoughts had been a little scattered at the start.
A happy accident?
"So, you don't mind?" I asked carefully.
"I know she can never take my spot. So as long as she makes you happy, I'm happy. If she becomes a problem, then… never mind."
There was a certain eeriness to her words, but I couldn't deny it was… alluring.
"And besides, I'm the first, right~?"
She slipped out of my embrace, her eyes filled with desire as she moved closer, straddling me. Her arms wrapped around my neck.
"Of course you are." I whispered, my hands settling on her waist.
Her lips met mine, and all the years of longing poured out between us.
There was no more holding back.
Not for her.
Not for me.
We gave in, releasing the affection we had kept bottled up for so long.