Meanwhile in Chris's village...
The morning arrived and the sun was shining as bright as ever, the village was bustling with life as usual as people moved on with their day. Yesterday's Awakening caused an uproar in the village, everybody couldn't believe that their village had produced two prodigies.
Chris stirred in his sleep for a moment before slowly coming awake, he sluggishly sat upright on his bed as he stretched his bones while letting out a small yawn.
Today was the day where every Awakened child will go to the Dark Woods to test out their abilities, Chris walked to the bathroom of his house and took a quick bath, he needed to relax and wash the fatigue off his body.
After finishing his bath, Chris walked back to his room, a towel around his waist as his muscular frame glowed faintly in the hallway light. Once inside his room, he quickly changed into casual clothing and made his way downstairs.
As he descended from the stairs, he heard the voices of two people having a conversation. One was from his mother, he could tell. And the other was very familiar, a voice he had heard just yesterday.
As he reached the final step, he caught sight of his mother, her smile beaming as she converesed in conversation. And ahead of her sat Elara, her crimson hair and proud demeanor, now more calm and collected.
"Elara!?" Chris said suprised, "What are you doing here?" He asked, confusion weighting his mind.
Elara turned to see Chris standing by the stairs, her eyes widening slightly as a cheeky smile formed on her lips. She stood up from her chair and walked over to him, with a jab of her finger to his chest she spoke:
"What am i doing here? To get you of course, silly." She said, playfully continuing to poke his chest, though she stopped once she felt the trimmed muscles underneath his shirt.
Unconsciously, Elara's hand found its way to Chris's chest, her palm feeling every inch of his sculpted body.
"Chris, have you been working out? You're so...muscular." Elara breathed, her eyes gleaming with darkness.
Chris grabbed her hand and took it off his chest, feeling a bit uncomfortable as a sweat ran down the side of his face "That's enough." He said as he let go of her hand.
Jade stood up from the table and straightened her dress" Why don't you both sit down and talk for a bit, i'll prepare breakfast." Jade said as she walked into the kitchen.
They both looked at each other for a bit before sitting down at the table, Chris narrowed his eyes as he began to speak, his tone cold and serious "What are you really doing here?"
Elara's playful demeaner softened as she put on a more serious face "I've come to ask for your cooperation." Elara said, glasping her hands together over the table.
"Cooperation? For what?" Chris asked.
Elara sighed, "Today, all the Awakened children are going to explore the dark woods. We're going to be split into teams of two and hunt for monsters inside the forest, i've never actually hunted before, so i don't possess any combat experience."
Elara took a deep breath, steeling herself before continuing
"But i can tell that you have, your aura just gives off that feel of power. Even while we were Awakening our magic, you had a confident look in your eye, one that already knew how things were going to turn out."
Chris' eyes widened slightly at her explanation, but he couldn't just agree without probing a bit further "And you think i'm the best partner for you in this test, How can you be so sure of that?"
Elara looked to the table below her as her cheeks began to flush, burning a small shade of crimson "I-i..i already take a liking to you, so i'm sure of it."
Chris blinked, that was not what he was expecting to hear. He wanted to say something but his throat felt impossibly dry, for a moment he just stared at her, his mind struggling to make sense of what he heard. He faked a cough, trying to clear his mind as he kept reminding himself that he's got a girlfriend.
Elara's face burned red as she immediately realized her mistake, "I-i didn't mean it in a romantic way, of course. It's more like a...admiration!" She quickly said, trying to cover up the misunderstanding, though she couldn't ignore her heart which was beating loudly in her chest.
Chris cleared his throat, forcing a neutral expression. "Right, admiration." He managed a nod, though he couldn't ignore the way Elara's face still looked slightly flushed.
Just then, Jade returned with two plates in hand, breaking the awkward silence. "Here you go," she said, setting down breakfast for each of them. "Eat up, both of you. A long day like this calls for a full stomach."
"Thanks, Mom." Chris offered her a grateful smile before turning back to his food. As they ate, the silence between him and Elara seemed to grow more comfortable, though a subtle tension lingered beneath.
After they finished, Elara looked at Chris, her eyes more serious now. "Listen, Chris, whatever happened just now… let's put it aside for now. The Dark Woods are dangerous, and I want to come back alive. You're strong, and I trust you. So... will you be my partner?"
Chris stared silently for a moment before nodding "Alright, i'll be your partner." He said with a kind smile, thougn he knew that there wouldn't be any hunting done today, as that forest was now clear of monsters, but Elara and the village didn't know that.
Elara's eyes gleamed with happiness, she blinked in suprise "R-really?" She asked, a bit skeptical.
"Sure, why not." Chris said as he finished his meal and walked towards the kitchen to clean his plate.
Elara smiled as she stood up as well, walking into the kitchen to also wash her plate. She stood next to Chris as they cleaned their dishes, their shoulders brushing against each other.
"Thanks for this, i owe you." Elara said with a bright smile.
Chris chuckled, "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He said.
As they stood side by side in the kitchen, elbows occasionally bumping as they scrubbed their plates, a comfortable silence settled between them. The earlier awkwardness had faded, replaced by a sense of camaraderie.
Chris finished washing his plate first, giving it a quick rinse before placing it in the drying rack. He turned to find Elara still at the sink, her eyes focused, yet there was a slight smile on her face.
"Thanks again," Elara said, glancing up at him as she handed over her plate for him to rinse. "For agreeing to be my partner, and… just for being nice."
Chris chuckled softly, shaking his head as he took the plate. "Like I said, it's nothing," he replied, rinsing the last bit of soap away. "Besides, partners look out for each other, right?"
Elara's smile widened, her eyes holding a glint of determination. "Right. Partners."
They shared a small, knowing nod, sealing their temporary alliance. For a moment, there was only the sound of water running and dishes clinking. Then, Jade called out from the other room, "You two better get going soon, or you'll miss the gathering at the village square."
Chris dried his hands on a towel, giving Elara a nod. "Guess that's our cue."
With one last look around the cozy kitchen, they both turned and made their way to the door, leaving behind the warmth of the house and stepping into the anticipation of the day ahead.