—
"Sorry, I'm so sorry!!" Aashwit uttered, his voice thick with sorrow and remorse.
*By seeing her cry, something broke inside me. I can just imagine how much people can be broken by loneliness. I'm such a fool. What have I been thinking all this time? In my pursuit of strength and answers, I was about to abandon the people I hold dear, teetering on the brink of death without a final glimpse of their faces, leaving them alone to feel this sorrow if I died here after saying all those words and promises. I have become blind to run after this powers; at first, I thought that now I have power, no one is going to harm me and the people I care for. But I left them behind. After chakra level 5 awakening, I am feeling this strange tingling in my heart; my senses are alerting me that something big is going to take place in the near future, and I am not near as strong to protect all the people I care for if I leave them behind. I must do something quickly. I have two options now:*
*The first is to go back and gather all the people I care for and do something about their safety; the second is to remain here and become strong and then go back to them. But the problem is that going to take years—much more time than I estimated—and my instincts are telling me it's not safe to leave them alone. Wait! Let's just choose the third option,* Aashwit thought and smiled.
*Before that, I must return and express how profoundly I feel for them, how invaluable they are to me. I can't keep running; I need to confront my current reality. I can cultivate my power here as well, and once I am strong enough to face these mountains, I will come back. It's just going to take a little more time.* Just as this realization struck him, it felt like a dam bursting within him—no, an ocean beginning to crack.
---
When Aashwit was lost in his thoughts, Sakura slowly regained her senses and composed herself. Unconsciously, she began to reciprocate Aashwit's embrace. Minutes passed; both had ceased their tears quite a while ago, yet they still remained tightly entwined in each other's arms.
*What is this? It's... It's entirely new. I've never felt anything like this in my entire life. This warmth, this embrace—it's the first time I've experienced such comfort. It reminds me of being in my father's arms, yet it feels so different.* As Sakura calmed down, she began to embrace and try to understand this unfamiliar sensation of warmth.
As all of this unfolded, Aashwit's chakra began to behave strangely; his eyes flickered between green, black, and red—three distinct colors.
Suddenly, Vidyut, who had been unable to communicate with him throughout their time in the mountains, spoke up.
*Aashwit! Aashwit! I can talk again now, but something is happening!*
*You can speak now? Forget that for a moment—what do you mean by 'something happening'!* Aashwit replied inwardly, a mix of relief and anxiety swirling within him at Vidyut's sudden words.
*Don't worry; it's something positive. We should celebrate this! More than half of my body is disintegrating. This means we are merging—you are embracing your true self and your consciousness. The most significant thing is that I've noticed there's a chance this girl has helped you. When you hugged her, a strange type of energy entered your body—though it was too small to notice at first. However, because I'm deeply connected to your consciousness, I sensed it. This energy has helped you break free from the shackles that bind you.*
*There's a chance she is also an awakener?*
*But I don't sense any chakra energy fluctuations in her,* Aashwit pondered inwardly as he looked down at Sakura, who had drifted into sleep.
*And I can't sense falsehood in her words; she seems so innocent. I can't believe everything we've seen is merely a facade. She is definitely not an awakener,* Aashwit thought quietly as Vidyut nodded in agreement.
*You are right; she isn't an awakener—or rather, she isn't a normal awakener. There's something different about her, and I think she also doesn't know anything about that.*
*That doesn't matter right now; we'll consider this later. For some reason, my eyelids are growing heavy; I feel incredibly sleepy. Wake me if anything unusual occurs.* With that, Aashwit closed his eyes while still holding Sakura in his embrace. He shifted slightly and leaned against the cabin wall, cradling Sakura against his chest.
---
"Hunn?" Sakura stirred awake from the sudden shift in position. But upon seeing Aashwit's face, she let go of all her thoughts and nestled back into his embrace, positioning herself comfortably against him as she clung to his chest with a sense of peace and safety.
Twenty minutes had passed, and both Aashwit and Sakura remained in a peaceful slumber. Gradually, Sakura's eyelids began to twitch as she slowly awakened. The first sight that greeted her was Aashwit's serene sleeping face. Due to her petite stature of 150 cm, her head barely reached his chest. As she gazed at him, memories of the events leading up to this moment flooded her mind.
*Oh no... I'm such an embarrassment as an adult. I shouldn't cry over something so trivial. It's not like he deceived me; it was just a harmless trick. I need to regain control; I can't let my emotions overwhelm me. My foolish display must have made him sad too,* Sakura reflected inwardly.
*But still, it's the first time I've slept so soundly. It feels like I've been cradled in...?* She struggled to articulate the depth of her feelings.
*My heart feels lighter than ever,* she mused as she rested her head against Aashwit's chest.
*It's odd; it's even better if I'm not clinging to a boy many years younger than me—but still, it feels... comforting.* She muttered meekly as she nestled closer and tightened her embrace around him.
"Maybe if we had met years before that old bastard and that scarred bastard came and ruined my life... or maybe if I were younger..." she murmured while glancing up at Aashwit's face. Her gaze softened as it drifted from his hair to his forehead, then to his closed eyelids and nose before finally resting on his lips.
"Maybe if I were younger," she whispered as her eyes lingered on his lips. The moment those words escaped her lips, realization struck her like lightning, and her face flushed crimson red.
*No, no, no! I shouldn't think like this! He is just a boy; it doesn't matter! We only met two or three days ago—yes, that's it! I understand now; I've been living alone for so long that it's taken its toll on me. He is the first person I've encountered in years who has shown me such kindness after my father and grandmother.*
*Sigh... Looking at him makes me wish for a fresh start. If only I'd had a boyfriend like him when I was young—so kind, caring, sensitive—and somewhat mysterious with weird healing powers! Just like Mother did with Father; we could have run away from there and lived a happy life filled with love and joy. It would be a wonderful life—my dream life! If only there were a restart button we could press to begin anew; it could be amazing!*
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