New day and new trouble.
But does it have to be at midnight 12. Eren was asking the same question to Alena.
" What happened?"
" Nothing, we are just proceeding with mana infusion now." It sounded genuinely ordinary with her mouth but it wasn't.
It was horridous process to torture a body to its limit, just to segregate mana in regular bases so that a natural mana core would form. Which is not exactly of surety.
" Right now?" Asked eren, a little surprised but nothing much. That's just how absurd her demands and talks were on daily basis. He was habitual of her insanity.
" Ofcourse, only by doing this now you'll wake up early morning and start building us a house."
So that's why. Very practical and kinda heartless of her. Disturbing his sleep was enough but this only meant that from now on this was a schedule.
" Do you not have any shame making me do all this work on your behalf?" Asked eren with little annoyance.
" What?, you don't want to be a cultivator?"
" You know damn well i'm not talking about that " Obviously she knew but what about it, that was the price he needed to pay.
" Don't be a baby eren, This will definitely be torturing and I just want you get rest all night long once this is over.
As for that house, do you honestly believe that I'm in need of one. Look at me, I'm monster living in this cave for thousand years.
It wouldn't change a thing where I'll live but you have a chance to become better and not just physically.
Human luxury is one of the best and you gotta enjoy it but just need work for it." Her voice sounded a bit lonely and sad but much more wise and pragmatic response.
" A thousand years!!!"
Eren understood what she meant but this particular detail surely made him bewildered. How old was she really?
" That's going off the topic."
" Tell me about it who know if I'll make out of this alive or not." Asked eren with a fake sad smile to make her pity him.
" Wow look who's getting cozy now, have you secretly developed interest in me?" Her cheeky tone made eren blush a bit.
" Maybe...No.. now that I've said this, I genuinely feel close to you. Maybe I really have fallen for you." Said eren with vivid fake loving expression.
"..." She was surprised hearing eren reply, especially since he was mostly silent, absorbed in his own world and worry. Also that was prank but such topics never came to her understanding so this was also new for her. Especially with her monster appearance.
" Ready to become mrs. Salvatore?" Said eren cheekily finally getting upper hand over her.
" That sounds lovely dear husband." She reciprocated his prank, playing along with him.
"..." Eren was silent for a moment then it weirded him out how lively he was actually with this person. That wasn't a bad thing but he was a bit afraid, Past life experiences changed his heart.
Not getting too ahead of him, he recoiled back.
" How long we're going to play this?" Serious tone as he stopped this joke.
" As long you want dear husband." Guess she found another weird name to Annoy eren, now only thing eren could do was to accept that he really screwed up and apologise or play along with her antics till one of them accept defeat.
Guess what he chose.
" Okay let's start mana infusion." Or he can do that, change the topic itself. His tone a bit down and distant, like all the fun he was having just died down.
Alena felt that, change in his mood and it annoyed her. She herself didn't knew why but that disturbed her greatly.
" No." Alena puffed her fox face in anger.
" What?, why?"
"..." Alena found it hard to describe what she felt, one side pushed her to ask all his worries while other wanted to let him be.
She had more doubt on herself than eren, why was that she reacted in such a way?
" Hey?"
" because I don't feel good." She tried sounding angry but complexity of her emotion were quite visible.
" Wanna hear about my life?" Asked eren with a smile. It was weird for eren to simply express out his life and experiences but when he saw her sad face.
It reminded him of Nina, he couldn't help but push himself deeper in this level of relation.
Eren feared getting close to someone, afraid that they might leave him one day and wanted to avoid getting to comfy with Alena.
But one memory that resurfaced awoke another emotion inside him, regret. Regret that if he hadn't been so distant maybe he could've known about Nina's brother and their life but only thing he knew was Nina's cold hand on his cheek and regret that came along with her unfinished words.
He didn't wanted his words to end unfinished, he was ready even if he had to dive into the ocean of emotions again.
Eren walked closer to Alena, his hands slowly reaching out her fox face, resting on ground as she sat relaxed but upon his touch she slightly flinched.
" I'll tell you but this comes with risk, Once I do this there is no going back for me.
I hope you value my company and do not leave me." Eren sat beside her, resting his head on her leg.
Alena could feel the depth of his emotion, she was experienced in life and more or less guessed what he was going through.
She understood it very well that for eren this was a last try to any intellectualy emotional relation and if failed now, he'll never trust anyone.
Not even himself for loving anyone.
She understood him, More than she knew herself. A doubt she knew existed in her thoughts that,
was she ready to be part of his life?
Will she be okay once she becomes the anchor to Eren's life? As if she found long lost meaning to her lonely life and answer came in yes.
" I'm a monster." She asked, is that okay?
" I have no eyes to see literal world but if we're talking monsters, I don't fall behind." said eren with mirthless smile.
" This is not one sided proposition, If I'm coming in this voluntarily then I hope you can stay to the very end with me." She herself had similar thoughts as eren, no going back till last breath.
" Till last breath."
" Till last breath." Alena repeated the word after and as if a strong magic was casted and unseen bond was formed between them.
Just then a bright light shone, shrouding Alena in blinding prismatic glow.