"Nice catch! Can I have a bite of that too?" Unknowingly, Nicholas's deep voice soothed her frantic heart a bit.
"What, what is happening?" She couldn't make heads or tails of whatever was happening around her.
Nicholas was wearing the same feathery brown cloak that she saw him in during their first meeting. Seeing him here was absurd, but he was the only one who could have enlightened her. So she depended on him, but she also remained alert.
"Oh! Don't worry! We are in my shield. I mean no harm." He spoke lightly and walked leisurely around. Soon, he found a chair and sat down impolitely.
"If, if you mean no harm, then why am I trapped? Why can't I move my feet?" She tried to console her thumping core. He had saved her once. He shouldn't be a bad man. She tried to repeatedly assure herself.
"Oh! I thought that if I didn't do that, you would run away to your home. If you promise not to run away, I will set you free!" He was enjoying her vivid expressions. Annoying her was his greatest comfort. Who knew that she was so weak that she couldn't break free on her own? Don't blame him, it wasn't his fault at all!
"Okay, set me free. I won't run." First things first. She had to get rid of the trap around her legs.
He was enjoying the leftover food on the table. Without looking up, he snapped his fingers, and the trap came undone.
She could move freely now. So, she made a dash to her home!
A slight smirk appeared on the resolute man.
Thump!
A booming sound of someone crashing reverberated around them. It was Arella, she wanted to run, but instead, she had crashed into a transparent wall! Damn! Her shoulders hurt!
"Ha ha ha! Still so reckless! Moving without weighing pros and cons!" Nicholas laughed and uttered under his breath.
"Come, sit down. No need to show me your ninja moves. I just wanted to eat with you." He pointed at the unoccupied chair in front of him.
Dejectedly, she made her way to the chair. One thing she was sure of, this man had no malicious intentions. Otherwise, the spiritual barrier would have stopped him. Moreover, he came from the side of the city and not the side of the forest. So, she must have traveled a lot to pick that rabbit up and fly here.
"It's better to add some seasonings to it. Without it, the meat might taste bland. What do you say?" He asked for her opinions.
"How did you enter the barrier without facing any resistance?" Arella voiced out her source of confusion.
"You haven't answered my question and want me to answer yours? Unfair, isn't it?" Nicholas calmly stated.
"Yes, please add some seasoning to it. There, I have answered yours. Now answer mine," She was feeling extremely confused.
"Okay, adding seasoning to it now." The man busied himself in adding a dash of this and that to the meat.
Arella found it weird. He was the intruder, but he was acting as if he was the host! And he was blatantly ignoring her! The nerve of this man!
"You still haven't answered mine. Unfair, isn't it?" She wasn't one to back away! Moreover, he gave vibes of being an easygoing person. She didn't want to appear a scaredy cat in front of him!
"You already know the answer. I told you in the healing center." Nicholas spared no glance at her and kept on garnishing the meat.
"By the way, nice work. It has been roasted perfectly." He sincerely praised her.
Meanwhile, Arella was lost in the memories of the healing center. What did he tell her? She rewound her memories and came to only one conclusion.
"Power." Arella breathed lightly.
"Good job! Yes, it's power. In order to beat, overpower, surpass, or suppress anyone or anything, you need Power." Nicholas was elated to know that at least her logic was sound and her memories were clear.
"But this absurd! Are you telling me that you are more powerful than an eternity old, divinity infused spiritual barrier?" Arella scoffed! This man, he looked young but he claimed to be more powerful than an ancient barrier. Even kids won't buy his story!
"Oh no no! I am not as powerful as the barrier. I am still learning and have lots of years ahead. But I am at par! I am no threat to it and have no malicious intentions towards its host. Moreover, the barrier recognizes my blood." Nicholas looked at Arella's eyes for the first time, and a glint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
Noticing his gaze made her feel a little uncomfortable. She felt as if she was being judged or evaluated. She lowered her eyes and looked at the mouth watering meat.
"Is this real? Is it really happening?" She asked softly. She felt that it was all a dream.
The rabbit she couldn't see with naked eyes was right in front of her. And along with that, was Nicholas, whom she had no intention of seeing in her dreams at all. If she was really dreaming, she would be seeing Adrian instead of him! But, if not a dream, how else could anyone justify whatever was happening?
"The organs do nothing but limit one's senses. When one decides to stop depending on it, the senses become limitless." Out of the blue, the easygoing person spoke profound words that flew straight above her head.
She became more confused. He didn't look at her, instead, he focused on seasoning the rabbit meat. Thankfully, everything he needed was on the table.
"So, this is really happening?" She was utterly confused by now. Was he really that powerful? Could be, after all, he was from the Star Alliance.
Was the rabbit the same rabbit she saw, or rather envisioned beyond the barrier? But how did catch fire? And why was Nicholas here? She focused her gaze on the man sitting in front of her.
Looking at his actions, he appeared as a foodie. Only interested in the food and nothing else!
"God! How did you become this dumb?" He flicked her forehead with a spoon.
This action stumped her! Her fingers went to the forehead, caressing the hit spot.
"Of course this is real! You found a prey, felt hungry, and roasted it. But, I noticed that you couldn't reach it because of the barrier. So, I kindly flew miles to make the delivery. And now, I am hungry and want to eat it! What's so unrealistic about it?" He sounded annoyed, but the way he dressed the rabbit was very gentle.
He was definitely a foodie! The stir fried vegetables were now a part of the meat. Smeared in oil, seasoning, and stir fried vegetables, it did look appetizing.
"So, what about the shield?" She watched him perform his magic on the rabbit.
"Oh! So, that nobody else steals it from us. We can eat it in peace that way, without any interruptions." He was busy putting the sauces on it now.
Ha ha ha, a chuckle sounded in his ear, and he finally looked up.
"You really understand that I don't understand a bit. This must be a dream. A weird one at that! Anytime, I would wake up, and all of this would disappear in a flash." She chuckled at her own imagination. A rabbit was fine, but what was Nicholas doing in her dream? So absurd!
A seriousness flashed in Nicholas' eyes.
"You still don't understand anything? Even after using your senses and powers, you don't understand anything?"
It was now that he looked seriously at her. Her eyes were brighter, but the brightness still hadn't reached the former heights. The ice still loomed in her eyes. His eyes instinctively went lower, to her collarbone and found a red crystal hanging on her neck.
The crystal was still intact, without a crack. And the flame it held was still trapped inside.
A realization hit him. He closed his eyes and clenched his hands tightly. He was such a fool! Sensing her powers, he became so elated that he forgot to check her status! He had always blamed her for being reckless. But now, what was he doing?
Wasn't he reckless too? But maybe, in the face of love, they all become a little reckless.
It was now, that he was starting to understand her a little bit. Her love, determination, and recklessness, it was slowly making sense to him now.