Chương 182: Chapter 181 - Pangea (LX)

I wake up. I feel her embrace, her hand still caressing my hair. It slows as she notices my subtle reaction, but she remains silent… and so do I. I don't want to move. I just… want to stay here. It feels good. It reminds me of simpler times, when my mom would cradle me like this and take all my worries away. I feel so… safe. So at peace, like all the chaos of the world has melted away.

It's like I've zoomed out of reality and drifted to another place—a space far away from it all, where it's only us, and nothing else exists. A quiet place. A tranquil place. Where the mind is empty and the heart is full. I rest there, feeling her touch, her love, her presence. I remember the lullaby. I didn't understand a word, and yet… I did. It felt so heartfelt, so deep, so selfless, so bonding, so… her. I sense each movement of her fingers, her touch brushing over my scalp in a rhythmic, intoxicating way.

Like a soft brush sweeping away all my worries, leaving them to scatter into the wind. I smile. I feel happy. I feel… loved.

"Ayu," I whisper. Her hand lingers mid-motion. I turn slightly, my eyes locking with hers.

"I love you." She smiles—a smile so pure and bright, the kind I would do anything to see again and again.

"I know, silly," she says, her voice warm as she caresses my face.

"I love you too." I lift my hand, gliding it gently across her cheek.

"Thank you." She grins and playfully taps my nose with her finger.

"You owe me a spar." I laugh softly.

"Indeed I do." I shift my head to look at the improvised arena she built. It's a bit small for us, but it's solid.

"Great work." Then, I glance back at her, forcing a small grin. Truthfully, I'm not really in the mood, but… if she wants to…

"I'm ready whenever you are," I finally say, trying to sound motivated. But she frowns and shakes her head gently.

"Not tonight. Tonight… just rest by my side." A warm, heartfelt glow fills my chest, and my eyes soften as I smile faintly.

"Alright." Her expression eases, a smile spreading across her face.

"The lullaby you sang to me… it was beautiful, Ayu." Her cheeks redden slightly, and she looks away for a moment.

"My mom used to sing it to me when I was a baby," she says quietly, her voice tinged with a bittersweet warmth.

"I'm sure wherever she is now, she'd be so proud of you." Ayu's gaze drops briefly, her smile fading as a flicker of vulnerability crosses her face.

"I miss her. I always have. And now that all the memories of her became so clear… I miss her even more. She was… she was a great mother. Even when she had cancer, she still walked and played with me every day, acting tough until the very last moment. She never, ever showed weakness. She suffered alone, forcing that smile to make me happy. She…" I soften my tone, leaning closer.

"I see where my Ayu got her powerful will from. Your mother was surely a wonderful, strong woman, just like you are. And I am sure, right now, she's smiling from somewhere, looking at you with warmth and love in her eyes." I straighten my posture, sitting up fully in front of Ayu. Her gaze softens as I gently take her hands in mine and stare into her eyes.

"You know… when I was on the third floor of The Tower, the third white room, I nearly failed. I had completely fallen into the hunger and lust for power, trapped in a cycle of violence and death. I was… lost. But then… when all seemed hopeless, you know what happened?" Ayu slowly raises her eyes, slightly moist as they meet mine.

"At that moment, I saw him. I saw… my dad. He was there, lending me his hand, pulling me out of the abyss. He… he saved me, Ayu. He saved my life there. And I know… I know it was him. And I'm certain that for you, your mom is also there, watching, keeping you safe, lending you her hand from wherever she is. Because that's the kind of woman she was, right? Do you think something as small as death could ever separate her from you? No. She…" I pause and gently move Ayu's hand to her heart, holding it there.

"She is, and always will be, right here." Ayu smiled softly.

"You always know what to say, don't you?"

"It's my heart speaking, Ayu. And my heart… well… it's very fond of you." Ayu chuckled.

"Just… fond?"

"Well, since it's yours, maybe you can answer that better than I can."

"Silly." I laugh.

"So 'silly' is the new one? An upgrade from 'stupid,' I guess?" She narrows her eyes, a mischievous glint in them.

"Stupid," she suddenly says, bursting into a loud laughter as she leans back. I shake my head and smile, watching her laugh. Such a warm sight. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Slowly, her laughter fades as her gaze meets mine, her cheeks slightly rosy. As the silence lingers, we both lean forward, sharing a soft kiss. The feel of her lips on mine is blissful.

The kiss holds for a moment before we separate, her breath brushing against my skin as we do. I let the moment stretch as we gaze at each other.

"You know, your English is pretty much perfect by now. That was quick," I say, throwing out a random comment. She nods, her face lighting up with the compliment.

"English is easy," she replies with a smirk.

"Maybe too easy for my Ayu," I tease. She grins and suddenly stands up.

"Let's go for a night walk." I blink, caught off guard for a moment, but then nod, standing up as well. As I rise, she extends her hand, and I take it in mine.

"Where do you want to go?" I ask.

"Anywhere," she answers, tilting her head slightly with a playful smile.

"Let's pick a random direction and just walk. No plan, no destination, just… an aimless walk." I stare at her face beaming with a smile as she looks up to the sky.

"Okay, let's go then." We start walking, leaping across the cliffs, gazing at the waterfalls and lakes reflecting the starry mantle of the night. We continue, hand in hand, leaping from one spot to another. Along the way, Ayu suddenly shifts direction, pulling me with her just as a tentacle slashes through the air behind us moments later, splashing water over us. We both burst into laughter, drenched but enjoying the moment.

Eventually, we reach a particularly tall vantage point, offering a breathtaking view of most of the Isles. We stop to take it all in, the cool night breeze brushing against us. As I'm distracted by the view, Ayu turns toward me abruptly, holding my face in her hand. She rises onto her tiptoes and kisses me deeply, her tongue fiercely intertwining with mine before she pulls away in a teasing manner. A thread of saliva connects our tongues briefly as she leans back, blinking playfully at me.

As I stare at her, a sudden idea sparks in my mind.

"Do you know how to dance?" I ask. Her eyes widen slightly, and for a moment, there's a flicker of something else—pride? Amusement? She tilts her head.

"Depends on what you mean by 'dance,'" she replies softly. I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. Without another word, the images flow into my mind. I see Ayu, dressed in a fitted traditional Muay Thai outfit adorned with vibrant patterns, her toned figure moving in the arena through intricate steps. Spectators in the background cheer. Her hands lift in rhythmic gestures, her legs shift in deliberate, flowing motions, each movement precise yet graceful. It looks like some sort of ritual.

And while it certainly radiates a fierce, powerful aura, seeing Ayu herself doing it… it hits differently. She looks… damn hot.

"That's… beautiful and se—," I stop myself, realizing it's probably not the best choice of words here.

"Se? You mean, sexy?" she teases, a naughty smile lighting up her face.

"Well… yes," I admit, caught red-handed. Her expression suddenly shifts as she narrows her eyes and leans closer.

"So you don't see me as a warrior?" Shit. Ok… think fast.

"Ayu, you're one of the strongest, toughest warriors I've ever known. But that doesn't take away from the fact that you're also the most beautiful, sexy woman I've ever seen. So… I know it's not appropriate to say it in this context but—" She presses her finger against my lips, silencing me.

"You're really good with words, aren't you?" she says, her voice soft but teasing. Then she pulls me down slightly, rising on her tiptoes until her lips brush against my ear as she whispers, "But let me give you some advice… I like men who act, not men who talk." And then, slowly, she moves her face closer to mine, her lips teasingly close. Just as I lean forward for a kiss, she steps back, a wicked smile playing on her lips. This girl… She really knows how to get my blood pumping. Damn.

"So," she says, her voice light and playful, "what were you saying about dancing?" Chiara's breathing quickened, her pulse pounding in her ears as the words swirled and looped in her mind. Weak. You made me fight. Siddharth is dead. Each thought lashed at her like a whip, tearing away her composure, leaving her trembling. Her hands gripped her head tightly as if trying to hold her mind together, but the voices—her own voice—kept coming, multiplying, fracturing." If I had been stronger…"" But you were not.""

If I had believed him…"" But you did not."" If I had stood my ground, been decisive…"" You faltered. You failed." The world around her twisted, warping into disjointed fragments. The edges of her vision blurred, colors blending into shapes that didn't make sense." You made him a real killer."" More will die."" Without your plan, they would be alive." Her thoughts fractured further, splitting, dividing into two voices—her voice, but not her voice." You failed Siddharth."" You failed the Oasis."" You failed Alonso.""

You failed Ayu."" You failed yourself." Her legs wobbled, and she staggered forward, nearly collapsing to the ground. She tried to steady herself, but the ground felt unsteady, her reality slipping further away." If I had acted differently—"" But you didn't."" If I had done more, if I had been a better leader—"" You weren't. You never were." Her vision blurred further, like shattered glass reflecting a thousand versions of her failure. One voice was cold, analytical, dissecting her every misstep.

The other was raw, visceral, dripping with self-loathing." You are weak. You were always weak."" Weak and pathetic." Her lips moved, but no words came out. Tears streamed down her face, unbidden, hot against her cheeks." I… I tried. I…"" Not hard enough."" You weren't enough."" You'll never be enough." Her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the ground." Your weakness buried Siddharth."" Alonso's hands are stained because of you."" You pushed Ayu away."

Her hands clawed at the dirt as if grounding herself would stop the spiraling chaos in her mind." Siddharth would have done better."" Siddharth is dead."" Alonso could have been their pillar."" Alonso hates you."" Ayu hates you." Her body shook violently." You'll only destroy what's left."" Even if you try to fix it, they will never trust you again." The voices converged into one, resonating in her fractured mind, loud and clear:" You are nothing."

Chiara curled into herself, trembling, her fragmented mind grasping desperately at something—anything. But… to hold on to what?

"Chiara?" Huh? Her eyes darted to the side. Two figures? No… two Lukas? No… wait… who? What?

"Chiara, what the hell?!" The figure moved closer. The figure touched her. Her head was tilted upward, and her unfocused gaze locked onto a face. His eyes… such beautiful eyes. An angel? The figure tensed, moving her head back and forth, inspecting her.

"Chiara, answer me!" Answer? What did he want her to answer? She didn't have answers… she wanted answers too…

"Fuck." The figure's voice was tense. Why? Wait… she knew that voice, that face… Lukas. Yes, it was Lukas. She knew Lukas.

"Lukas…" she mumbled, her voice soft and distant. Her trembling hand reached out, brushing against his head. His hair was soft. She ran her fingers through it, absently massaging it. Fluffy. Lukas had nice hair. He froze, his face contorted with confusion and concern. And then… his expression changed. His gaze shifted to something behind her. His body tensed. He caught her hand, stopping its gentle motion. Did he hate her too? Chiara smiled faintly. It's okay. I hate myself too.

"Chiara…" His voice slightly cracked. She blinked, confused. Why was he looking at her like that? Then, as if a wave of exhaustion hit her, her vision began to blur. And then… darkness.