Young Varian covered his cheek as he stared at Sia in confusion.
"Why?" He muttered.
He glanced down at the floor of the living room and clenched his fists.
"Why are you stopping me from going?" His voice shook as it grew in volume.
Looking at him, Sia's golden eyes welled up with tears.
She stepped forward and hugged him. "You can't fight such monsters. You'll kill yourself."
Young Varian trembled.
They were both 15 years this year. Sia had awakened in Mind Path a few months ago.
Young Varian used up the money from his part-time job and gave her a surprise gift.
A Zero star bracelet. Even though it wasn't even one star, not any weapon could be a zero star.
He still remembered their cheerful shouts as they danced till late.
He was happy and excited.
Sia awakened.
He was next.
Except, a year passed and he never awakened.
They had no money to hire adventurers. So Dungeons were not an option.
As his peers awakened one by one, Varian's mood went from excitement to hope to nervousness and finally fear.
He was already left behind.
What would happen to his dreams of ending the war?
The dream he was pushing himself for the past 5 years. The brutal training he never missed despite sickness.
If he didn't awaken, what was the point?
So Young Varian thought of a solution.
Fight the strongest Level 0 Animals. For instance, a mutated tiger or a lion.
These were still weaker than any Level 1 Magic Beasts. But to him, their danger was too high.
Thus, the current scene.
"Please. Just wait for some time. You'll awaken." Sia's tears drenched his chest.
She held him tight. She was trembling.
Neither of them thought they'd grow so close in a few years. But—
"How long?" Young Varian's voice turned rough.
Sia's body stiffened.
"Everyone in our class already awakened. Even the guys who never trained in their lives. They can't even do ten push ups." Young Varian's voice grew erratic.
He wasn't a complainer. He always tried to do his best.
But—
"I know there is no fairness. But I won't lay in my house wishing I'd awaken." He grabbed her shoulders and separated her.
Looking at beautiful tear stricken face, his heart ached. But his fear was too much to bear.
"I will do whatever I can." He looked into her golden eyes and said.
Then he turned around and walked towards the main door.
Sia bit her lip and she trembled.
She liked his stubbornness. Liked how he never gave up. But now, that was the very thing that was pushing him to his death.
She dashed in front of him and spread her arms, blocking the main door.
Looking at his stubbornness, her sorrow turned to rage and she yelled. "Varian, if you take another step outside, I'll use my powers and stop you."
Young Varian's breath turned rough. He tried to take deep breaths to control himself. It always worked.
Always.
Not this time.
He glared at her, his voice beyond solemn as he growled. "So this is why I want to awaken. I can't even take my own decisions. I can't pursue my dream."
Sia gnashed her teeth as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Your life is more important."
"It is I who decides it. Not you." Young Varian stepped forward and pushed her out of the way.
Sia stumbled down. His last words stopped her from acting. "If you can stop me now, I'll take it that you don't want me to awaken after awakening yourself."
She curled up in front of the door and wailed.
Why?
He knew she didn't meant it. She wanted him to awaken the most. Even more than himself.
If she could, she'd rather him awaken than herself.
But his words, they pierced her heart and Sia didn't know it could hurt so much.
The one that could hurt you the most are the ones you love the most.
That didn't mean the pain was less. Sia hated herself for her inability.
She couldn't help him go to Dungeon. She couldn't even help him fight those Level 0 Monsters.
Instead, she was trying to stop him. It was for his safety, but except for worrying, she felt useless.
'Never give up hope.'
"V-Varian!" She hurriedly got up and ran down the stairs, and almost tripped.
Her beautiful brown hair was disheveled as she jumped onto the hover bike and rushed off to a particular venue.
Ten minutes passed since he left.
"Go. Break the speed limit. Reach there in time." She gripped the phoenix bracelet and hoped nothing happened.
'We don't have any heirloom except this dragon bracelet.'
'So I thought why not have another heirloom? Here you go. An awesome phoenix bracelet. It can stabilize your mental state and help you a bit.'
After putting the bracelet on her wrist, he too stretched his hand and compared their bracelets.
He glanced at her with a sagely expression. 'Maybe our bracelets would turn out to be secret artifacts.'
Sia chuckled at his antics. 'If there are so many secret artifacts, the shop sellers would be Sovereigns.'
'Who knows? Maybe he is a hermit? After we defeat the Abyssals, we can also be hermits.'
'Hahaha!'
"Varian." Sia's heart pounded and as she inched closer to the destination, she was afraid she'd see something that would shatter her soul.
Sia jumped off the hover bike and dashed through the small forest.
His comm was showing this location.
As she ran at speeds she never thought were possible, Sia saw a scene that nearly made her heart stop.
A three meter lion was raising its paw against a bloodied young man.
It was him! He lost too much blood.
Escaping wasn't an option. So he wanted to fight till the end, maybe he thought he'd awaken in the final moment.
The Young Man raised his bloodied arms for a final punch. But looking at the way he staggered, the lion would easily evade his attack.
He couldn't.
Sia's mind went blank as the lion's paw was about to smash down at the young man's head.
"No!"
Her mental power did its job and the lion's brain momentarily paused.
It couldn't dodge Varian's punch that tore through its neck and ended its life.
Its paw, on the other hand, still smashed down with a tremendous force, enough to kill the injured Varian.
But—
She blocked the blow at the last moment.
"Argh." Sia collapsed into a pool of blood as she felt the tearing pain from her abdomen.
Varian collapsed to his knees and held her in his embrace. "S-Sia, don't die. Please."
He hurriedly ordered his comm to call for an ambulance.
Sia felt tears well up from the pain, but she managed to say. "H-healing potion."
Varian hands shook as he grabbed the vial from her pocket. He opened the lid and was about to feed her.
Sia weakly raised her arm and stopped him. "You take it first."
Varian shook his dizzy head and decided to give her the potion before he collapsed.
He would die, but at least she would live.
But Sia still held her weak arm and bit her lip as the pain increased. "If you dare die, I will dare to follow you."
Varian's body stiffened and he took half of the potion and fed her the other half.
Sweat rolled down her forehead and Sia's world blurred.
She saw Varian. He barely had any strength to move. But somehow, he was able to hold her in his arms.
She wondered how.
Varian bowed his head and looked into her eyes. Sia glanced back.
All she could see was worry about her own life.
Fool, what happened to worrying about your awakening? About your dream?
At least worry about your own life. Even now, you're more likely to die than me.
"If we survive," Varian's weak voice sounded as he brought his bloodied palm and ruffled her hair "I will stop this and wait for natural awakening."
Sia smiled weakly, but shook her head. "No. You'll fight. We'll fight."
Varian didn't seem to understand. Even with all those injuries, he managed to sit so steadily.
Sia groaned in the pain and closed her eyes "I-I was saving money to buy healing potions. I wanted to keep it as a surprise."
Varian's breathing movements suddenly stopped, scaring Sia.
Her eye snapped open and she watched as he cried for the first time. "I'm sorry."
As energy sapped out of her weak body, Sia said weakly. "There is always hope. To be both safe and to pursue your dreams."
Young Varian nodded and slowly his eyelids drooped.
Sia too felt her consciousness fading. Before the world went black, she heard the sounds of emergency rescue.
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