Aria sat there, staring at the half-eaten bowl of mystery stew in front of her. She wasn't sure if she was hungry or if the stew was staring back at her. Either way, the whole situation felt like a joke—she'd died, been reincarnated into a magical world, and now here she was, surrounded by people who were either too helpful or far too smug.
Elian, the elf who had somehow managed to convince her that the best way to deal with a dangerous obsession was… well, to feed it, apparently, sat opposite her. His eyes twinkled with mischief, like he was watching a live comedy show. She didn't appreciate it.
"So, you're telling me that in this world, I'm supposed to just... control Caine's obsession with me? Like some kind of... magical puppet master?" Aria asked, feeling the words roll off her tongue with more disbelief than she could contain.
Elian shrugged, clearly unfazed by her skepticism. "I'm not saying you should play with fire. But I'm also not saying you shouldn't. You are the one who's suddenly back from the dead, right? You might as well make the most of it."
Aria rubbed her forehead. "I really need to stop dying, seriously. This is getting out of hand."
"Just think about it," Elian continued, seemingly oblivious to her sarcasm. "Caine's obsession with you? It's like a kind of… power. The more he's obsessed, the more energy, focus, and, frankly, chaos you can stir up. It's dangerous, yes, but if you understand it, you can control it."
"Control it?" Aria repeated. "That doesn't sound like something I should want. It sounds like something that'll blow up in my face."
"Oh, but that's the fun part." Elian's grin widened as he leaned back in his chair, stretching out lazily. "You want to survive, don't you? You want to make him regret killing you. And what better way to do that than by being the one who makes him beg for more?"
Aria stared at him, her thoughts a tangled mess. A part of her wanted to lash out, tell him to shut up and leave her alone. But the truth gnawed at her—a dark, twisted truth. He was right. She did want to make Caine regret everything. If he thought he could control her, own her, then she would prove him wrong. But she had to be smart about it.
"How do you propose I 'control' this obsession, exactly?" she asked, her voice more composed than she felt.
Elian's expression turned playful again, though there was a glimmer of something more serious behind his eyes. "Magic. You've got it. Whether you realize it or not. I'd start there."
Aria frowned. "I don't have magic."
Elian raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying her confusion. "You think you don't? Oh, darling, you've got magic spilling out of your veins. You just need to… access it. Focus. Let it flow."
"Flow, huh?" Aria muttered under her breath, her skepticism mounting.
Before Elian could respond, a soft chime echoed through the room. Both of them looked up to see a small floating crystal ball hovering in the air. It bobbed gently, then zoomed toward them like a hummingbird on a mission, stopping directly in front of Elian.
The elf caught it with one hand and tapped it once. The crystal flickered, revealing a faint image of a man with piercing blue eyes—Caine, unmistakably.
"Caine," Aria whispered, her heart skipping a beat as her gaze locked onto his image. It was impossible not to feel the pull. Even now, even after everything that had happened… there was something in the way his eyes focused on her.
Elian gave a mock salute with the crystal. "There he is, the man of the hour. Look at that. He's already obsessed. But this? This is just the beginning."
Aria set her jaw, the fire of determination igniting within her chest. She would never allow him to control her again. "What do I do now?"
Elian smirked, his tone teasing. "Now? Well, now you practice. Magic first. And then, when you're ready, you can start playing your little mind games. We'll just need to figure out how to make him need you more than ever."
Aria wasn't sure whether to laugh or to strangle Elian. But she had to admit—there was a part of her that was curious, maybe even a little excited. The power was there. She could feel it, deep inside her. If she could tap into that magic, then maybe she could reshape the story. Maybe she could rewrite the rules.
"You're insane," she muttered.
"I get that a lot," Elian quipped with a grin. "But you know what they say. Insanity is just another form of genius."
"Great," Aria said dryly. "And I'm supposed to be the genius in this scenario?"
"Of course." Elian's eyes sparkled. "You're the one with the magic, after all. You've got to figure out how to use it, how to manipulate it—and him. There's no rush, but you've got to get started somewhere."
Aria rubbed her temples. "Okay, okay. Magic first."
With a sigh, she stood up, glancing at the empty space in front of her. She didn't know what to expect, but she needed to try. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hands, trying to focus her mind. Her fingers twitched, almost as if something invisible was flowing through them.
A surge of warmth shot through her palms.
Startled, she jerked her hands back. "What the hell was that?" Her voice was shaky, but a thrill ran down her spine. It wasn't just a feeling of power—it was potential. Magic, real magic.
Elian's grin widened. "See? Told you. All you needed was a little focus."
Aria looked at him, still catching her breath. "This is insane."
"Oh, it's just getting started." Elian's voice was low, filled with anticipation. "Now, let's see if you can make something happen. You'll want to get that power under control before Caine comes knocking."
Suddenly, a crash echoed through the door. Both of them froze. A sharp, low voice cut through the air.
"Aria… you can't escape me that easily."
Aria's heart skipped a beat. Caine.
Without thinking, her hands instinctively moved. The air around her seemed to hum with energy, and she could feel the magic coursing through her body. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but it felt right—natural.
Elian gave her a brief, approving look before turning to the door. "It's showtime."
The door flew open with a bang.
There, standing in the doorway, was Caine—tall, imposing, with eyes that seemed to pierce through her very soul. His cold, calculating gaze locked onto her, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
Aria could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She had been waiting for this. She had prepared herself… but she hadn't expected the intensity of the emotion flooding her chest. She hated him. She needed him.
He took a step forward, his lips curling into a dark smile. "You've got nowhere to run, Aria. Nowhere to hide."
Aria's voice came out stronger than she expected. "I'm not running anymore, Caine."