"What do you mean by temptation? I don't think the elders and our parents would approve of such a thing!"
Olivia shook her head firmly with closed eyes. She didn't want to look at his devilish mouth, spewing such terrifying lies to her face.
Felix lifted her chin gently and gazed at her tight shut eyes and pressed lips. "Little Oli, do you honestly believe that the family would care about our lives when their longevity and authority is threatened?"
He chuckled mockingly and said, "Don't be so naive. Even if only one of us managed to survive the process of awakening, it is a win in their eyes, since it means that they still have a chance to obtain some items that may extend their lives."
He sighed and pulled away from her, "Don't hate them for it, neither disdain them. It is a simple trade between us. They gave us bloodlines, resources, training opportunities, and everything we need to awaken. So, we won't forget them after we gain power."
Indeed, the family was doing all of this, not out of the goodness of their heart. Rather, to obtain backing from their awakened juniors during upcoming authority struggles.
This current Era was controlled not by weapons, or diplomacy. But simply, the number of awakening individuals a country or a family had.
The elders would be damned if they left this race for authority, just so they could protect useless juniors who had no real power in this New Era.
That's why the World Council, downplayed the painful process of awakening by releasing only the good parts of it, as for the dangers and the actual process, they didn't mention it much in their streams.
The families, companies, governments, associations, and more backgrounds were all in this together. They knew that youngsters no matter how rash they were in making decisions. They still wouldn't dare to awaken if its dangers were released publicly.
The leaders wanted them to underestimate it and go for it no matter what. If not else, who would pave the road ahead in this New Era?
Felix chuckled and approached Olivia who had her palms in her ears while muttering in denial, "you are a liar.'"... "I'm not listening to your lies."...."my parents won't allow it."
"Tell me the most painful physical experience you went through to this point." He asked her after seeing that she wasn't going to hear any more of his explanations. Yet, Olivia didn't respond. She just pretended that she didn't hear a thing.
Vexed, Felix removed her hands from covering her ears and repeated his question again with a firmer tone.
This time Olivia couldn't pretend anymore. She fiddled with the corner of her outfit and answered, "It was when I was 12 years old. I fell from the stairs of my parent's mansion. I broke 2 ribs and one arm."
"Oh yes, I do remember that I visited you in the hospital many times to show my concern." Nostalgic, he chuckled as he remembered those peaceful days.
"But each time you visited, you kept drawing on my arm's cast funny faces and calling me mummy after seeing me in bandages." Olivia pouted with her hands crossed.
"Stop jesting little Oli. You must have mistaken me for Kenny." Before she could bicker back with him, he poked her forehead and said, "Now tell me Oli. If that was the greatest pain you felt in your life, how are you supposed to handle an agony that strikes the fiber of your being trying to change your very own cells to something different in a period that lasts more than 30 minutes?"
"Please enlighten me."
He hoped that everything he just said might break her illusion and bring some sense in her mind that awakening was not something to be taken lightly of.
Only when one really braced himself for death, could he start the process with a focused mind, have a decent chance of passing it.
Agitated, Olivia could only turn her head away from his questioning gaze. "I don't know okay?! If everything that you said was right, it only meant that I am not ready for awakening and probably never will. So I really don't know what to do anymore."
She covered her eyes as she sobbed. She couldn't handle it anymore. Felix was shattering all her dreams for a bright future, where she was a strong awakened, controlling her own fate and resisting everyone's bullying.
However, now she could only cry her eyes out after realizing that she would stay the same as always, weak and protected by others.
Something she hated since young. As no matter how much she had grown, everyone sees her as a little child either to bully and tease or to protect and please.
Felix brought her to his embrace and patted her back gently to comfort her. "Don't worry about it Oli. I just wanted you to treat awakening seriously, not block you from it." He smiled and said, "I can help you lower the pain period to only 20%. You just have to promise me that you will work hard during the upcoming pain tolerance drills, so you can be as prepared as possible."
Olivia lifted her small head and stared at Felix with her Damp blue eyes, quivering eyelashes like a hurt bunny. "Really you can do that?"
He shrugged his shoulders and explained, unaffected by her cute appearance, "Indeed, not just me. I believe the family will try their best to do the same. But they won't be able to lower the pain period to 20%, but probably just 75%. That's not so bad, as at least some of our cousins will survive."
His dull reply was a clear display that he was unbothered about their certain death. He only cared about two of his cousins; one was Olivia his childhood friend (in his point of view). The other was Noah whose character was admirable.
As for others, they could burn in hell and he wouldn't mind.
She broke off from his hug and wiped her tears with her sleeves. "Why don't you share your method to the family, isn't it better if everyone had higher chances to succeed?"
"Because our methods are the same." He clicked on his bracelet and a hologram of a small glass bottle filled with thick blue liquid, revolved in front of Olivia. "This is what we will use. A potion called pain relief; the only difference is the number of potions used."
He explained that each potion could lower the pain duration by 20%, but after drinking four continuously her body would build immunity to its effect, thus forcing the duration to freeze at 20%.
Those potions were extremely important for each awakener. One must at least drink minimum 2 potions before risking it. However, the family was not rich enough to afford 2 potions for each junior.
Heck, they couldn't afford to get even one for each junior. This meant for those who risked awakening in that condition, death was certain unless a miracle happened.
"I understand, but why would you go that far for me? Is it really as my cousins said....you like me?"
She avoided having eye contact with him as she stammered her question.
Amused at her conclusion, he flicked her forehead and patted her head like a child. "Get some common sense Little Oli. If I had feelings towards you, would I bully and tease you each time I meet you until you avoided me at all costs?"
He turned around and walked towards the bathroom door, leaving his real reason why he went through all of this.
"I see you as a childhood friend, who played with me and tolerated my tantrums during the death of my family. I am only doing this to repay you for the past."
'And also not to see your corpse covered in your own pool of blood and sweat.' He thought.
Olivia rubbed her red forehead and stomped her leg in irritation after being treated like a kid again. "I will show you all that I am 17 years old just like you, and make you treat me with respect. Just you wait.'
She cleaned her face with water and followed after Felix. Yet, the moment she emerged from the door, she saw everyone looking at her damp eyes and red face from crying and embarrassment. Things that water couldn't clean.
'What a beast, he really did it.'
'I can't believe my cute Olivia was defiled by that thug.'
'I swear I will avenge you, Olivia, just wait after I awaken.'
Olivia tilted her petite oval head in confusion at their looks. 'What's with their pained expression? Did they get all food poisoned or what?'
"I wish you get well soon."
She nodded at them and walked towards the treadmill near Felix and started jogging.
Everyone's already messy thoughts got even messier at this flabbergasting sight. Never in their wildest dreams would they have expected Olivia, the number 1 Felix's prey, to approach him by her own will.
'What the hell. Why did she practice near Felix when there are over 20 treadmills empty?'
'No, my little Olivia, don't join his side. Even if he took your first time, you should never obey him.'
'Why do I feel like this training camp is not going to be peaceful?'
'Interesting, Olivia is the last one I expected to befriend him. Truly interesting.' Kenny mused while his real face had a wide gentle smile on it, as he did squats.
'.....' Noah.
"Why are you training next to me, are you not afraid of rumors? You do realize that we were in the bathroom alone for over 15 minutes, and by doing this you just made it worse for you."
Confused just like the rest, Felix asked her. He knew that her real personality was quite shy and gets easily affected by rumors. So, for her to be this bold was truly a sight to behold.
Olivia bared her little fangs at him and others. "You can all mind your business, and stop caring about what I do, and what I say. I am 17 years old just like everyone here. I am not a child to fear others' opinions on me. They can say what they want I don't care."
Felix chuckled at her cute angry tantrum and said, "Alright little adult, whatever you say."
She humphed and focused on her practice, not wanting to bicker with him anymore.
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