The forest was eerily silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves and the distant sound of insects. Adam stood tall, his piercing gaze locked onto the bandit leader, Mark, who was sprawled on the ground.
Mark's face was pale, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to comprehend the situation.
Adam extended his hand, his fingers forming a gun-like shape, the focus of his energy channeling through it. His voice was calm but carried the weight of finality.
"Air Bullet."
The air around Adam's hand compressed and swirled, forming an invisible projectile that burst forward with a deafening crack.
The bullet of air pierced through Mark's chest, clean and precise, leaving no chance for survival.Mark's body jerked violently before collapsing lifelessly onto the ground. Adam stepped back, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding area.
His instincts were heightened, searching for any signs of another potential threat. But the forest remained still.Satisfied that no one else was present, Adam exhaled deeply. For the first time in what felt like hours, he allowed himself to relax.
His gaze shifted upward, taking in the dark canopy of trees above him. The night had fully descended, the shadows stretching long and wide.A smile crept onto Adam's face as he muttered to himself, "I've saved my family and my village." His words echoed softly in the stillness.
Adam was initially terrified when he saw a future where his entire village was killed in front of him,
And he was not able to do anything, whereas Adam is now much calmer and he is feeling proud that he has changed his feature, then Adam realizes that can a person really change the future?
Feeling a surge of pride, Adam let out a triumphant cheer. But his moment of joy was short-lived as practicality set in.
"Let's see how much mana I have left," he said in English, his tone returning to a more serious note.Blue digits materialized before his eyes, glowing faintly in the darkness:
122/1008.
Adam frowned slightly. "That's… low," he murmured. "If this fight had dragged on any longer, I might not have made it."The weight of his near-depletion sank in, but Adam quickly pushed the thought aside. "No use dwelling on it. I need to get back home."
Adam turned his focus inward, summoning the image of his room in his mind. Without hesitation, he said, "Teleport."
In an instant, his body vanished, leaving the dark forest behind. Unbeknownst to Adam, hidden in the shadows, a pair of eyes had been watching him the entire time.
Adam reappeared in his room, the transition seamless but disorienting.The wooden bed, the small table by the corner, and the faint glow of the oil lamp greeted him like familiar friends.
The simplicity of his surroundings brought a sense of comfort, though it also reminded him of how far removed this world was from the one he had once known.
Taking a moment to steady himself, Adam scanned the room, ensuring that no one had entered during his absence. Once satisfied, he exhaled deeply and let his guard down.
But as the adrenaline wore off, a wave of dizziness struck him. His vision blurred, and his knees wobbled slightly.
"This… this must be because my mana is so low," Adam thought, clutching the edge of his bed for support. "Teleporting must've drained another 100 points."
The faint glow of the lamp seemed almost blinding to him as his head throbbed with pain. Everything in his vision took on a bluish hue, an unsettling reminder of his depleted state.
Deciding it was best to rest, Adam lowered himself onto the wooden bed. The old frame creaked under his weight, a sound that might have annoyed him before but now felt oddly reassuring.
"Home, sweet home," Adam muttered, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "It's not much, but it'll do." As he lay back, the events of the night replayed in his mind.
The adrenaline, the danger, the close calls—all of it weighed heavily on him. Though his body hadn't endured much physically, the mental strain left him feeling as though he'd run a marathon.
Slowly, the tension began to fade from his muscles, and his eyelids grew heavy. Before he knew it, Adam had drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The room was quiet, save for the soft crackle of the oil lamp. Adam lay motionless on the bed, his breathing slow and steady.
Downstairs, the faint clatter of dishes echoed as his mother and sister cleared the dining table. They had called out for Adam earlier, their voices carrying through the house, but he hadn't responded.
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Concerned, his mother had asked Yami to take a plate of food upstairs to Adam. But Yami, ever the mischievous one, had declined with a knowing smirk
"Why don't you let Sophia take it?" Yami suggested, her tone teasing.
Sophia, seated nearby, turned bright red but quickly nodded. "Of course! I'll take it to him!" she said, a little too enthusiastically.
Carrying the tray carefully, Sophia ascended the wooden stairs, her heart pounding in her chest. She reached Adam's door and hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.
Inside, the soft glow of the lamp illuminated Adam's still form. Sophia's eyes softened as she took in the sight of him, his face peaceful in sleep.
"He must've been exhausted," she thought, stepping quietly into the room. Setting the tray down on the small table, Sophia moved closer to the bed, her gaze lingering on Adam.
She noticed how his chest rose and fell with each steady breath and how the faint lines of stress on his face seemed to have melted away.
For a brief moment, Sophia considered waking him, but she decided against it. Instead, she smiled gently and whispered, "Rest well, Adam."
Turning toward the door, Sophia is about to go back down when she stops and says in a very low voice."I just want to see it once, Adam won't know"
The room was cloaked in silence, save for the faint crackle of the oil lamp on the small table near the bed. The warm glow illuminated the wooden walls, casting soft, flickering shadows.
Adam lay on his bed, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he remained in a deep, dreamless sleep.
Sophia stood near the door, hesitant. She had just placed the tray of dinner on the table, ready to leave the room, but something made her pause.
Her gaze lingered on Adam, his face peaceful and unguarded in slumber.
Slowly, she turned back, her footsteps light against the wooden floor, the soft creak of the planks the only sound breaking the stillness.
Her heart raced as she approached the bed. She had never seen Adam like this before—so vulnerable, so serene. For a moment, she simply stood there, drinking in the sight of him.
"He looks so different," she thought, her eyes scanning his face, the faint shadows of exhaustion under his eyes, the calm expression that replaced his usual determination. "I've never seen him like this. Have I ever really looked at him this closely before?"
Sophia's fingers trembled as she placed her hand on the edge of the bed for support.
Slowly, she leaned in, her face inches from Adam's. His breaths were soft and even, a quiet rhythm that somehow steadied the turmoil in her chest.
Sophia can feel Adam's breath on her face and she feels very awkward and embarrassed. "Adam…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Adam stirred slightly but did not wake, his body too worn from the night's events. Sophia let out a shaky breath. Seeing no response, she carefully lowered herself onto the bed, lying beside him.
She turned to face him, her head resting on her arm. Adam, still lying on his back, remained oblivious.
Her voice was soft, almost a murmur, as though speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile moment. "You're always so distant, Adam. You've never really noticed me, have you?"
Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile as she continued, her words carrying the weight of years of unspoken feelings.
"I've always wanted us to have a moment like this. Just the two of us. But you… you've always been out of reach."
Sophia's breath hitched as she glanced at his face. "If you were awake, I wouldn't have the courage to say any of this. But now… now I feel like I can finally tell you what I've been hiding for so long."
Her hands hovered near his face, trembling with hesitation. The warmth in her chest warred with the icy grip of fear.
"What if he wakes up? What will he think of me?" she thought, biting her lip. But the need to express her feelings, even to an unresponsive Adam, pushed her forward.
Finally, she placed her hand gently on his cheek, her fingers brushing against his cool skin. A jolt of worry coursed through her.
"He's cold…" she whispered, concern flickering in her eyes.
Without thinking, she moved closer, her body instinctively seeking to warm him. She wrapped her arms around him, her head resting lightly against his chest.
Her legs shifted, pressing against his as she tried to share her warmth.
Adam's heartbeat was steady, a gentle rhythm that seemed to calm her racing thoughts. Sophia's breaths quickened, her face flushed, but she stayed close, her emotions swirling.
As she lay beside him, the memories flooded back. Her voice quivered as she spoke softly, more to herself than to Adam.
"I've always been so scared, Adam. I've never been brave like you. I wasn't talented like my mother, or courageous like my father. I was just… me."
Her eyes welled with unshed tears as she recalled their first meeting. "But you… you never treated me like I was less. You told me I was awesome, even when I didn't believe it myself. Why, Adam? Why did you come to me when everyone else kept their distance?"
Her voice broke slightly as she continued, the vulnerability in her tone raw and unfiltered. "And now, when I want to come closer, you're the one pulling away."
Sophia's hand gently traced the curve of his jaw. Her touch was light, almost hesitant, as though afraid to break the moment.
Her heart ached with the weight of her emotions, emotions she had buried for so long.
"I've loved you for so long, Adam," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Since we were children. I've always wanted to tell you, but… I never had the courage."
Tears threatened to spill as she rested her forehead against his. "I know you don't feel the same. But tonight, just for tonight, let me have this moment."
Sophia closed her eyes, her breathing uneven as she clung to him. The warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart—it was all she had ever dreamed of, and yet it felt so fragile, so fleeting.
"I love you, Adam," she murmured, her voice breaking with emotion. "I always will."
She rested her head against his, her body finally relaxing as the tension ebbed away. Slowly, the exhaustion of the day caught up with her, and her breathing steadied. Sleep overtook her, her body nestled against Adam's, her heart finally unburdened.
Downstairs, Adam's mother and sister sat at the dining table, exchanging concerned glances.
"It's been a while. Why hasn't Sophia come back down?" his mother asked, her tone worried.
Yami, ever the troublemaker, smirked mischievously. "I'll go check. Maybe she got distracted."
Ascending the stairs, Yami's footsteps were light but deliberate. She reached Adam's door and pushed it open without hesitation.
The sight before her made her freeze. Sophia lay curled up beside Adam, her arms wrapped around him, their faces mere inches apart.
Yami's eyes widened in shock before a slow grin spread across her face. "Well, well… this is interesting." She was expecting it but she hadn't thought she would get to see this scene.
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End of this chapter 10.