Beyond Reality : the beginning of the end : Ethan path

The girl woke up in the middle of the night.

She slowly opened her eyes.

She didn't recognize the ceiling.

Nor the walls.

Not even the smell of the place.

She sat up on the bed, looking around cautiously.

"Where am I...?"

She remembered what had happened.

The circle.

The humans.

The man who had summoned her.

Then the pain.

She had no idea how much time had passed.

She looked toward the door.

Could she escape?

Maybe.

But she didn't know where she was, or how to get back home.

As she was thinking, a different smell reached her nose.

Something warm and delicious.

Food.

She cautiously left the room and followed the smell until she reached the kitchen.

There, she saw Ethan standing in front of a large pot, stirring chicken soup simmering over a low flame.

She stopped at the entrance.

She instinctively took a step back.

Then she began thinking.

He had carried her here.

He had put her on his bed.

And he hadn't done anything to her.

And now...

He was cooking.

Maybe he was preparing food for her.

She raised her head slightly, as if she had regained some of her confidence.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

She entered the kitchen.

"Hey, you stupid human!"

Ethan turned around.

"You're awake."

"Don't speak to me in the form of a command!"

Ethan stopped.

"What?"

She pointed at herself.

"I'm the only one who has the right to give orders here. You're my servant, and you have to obey me."

Ethan stared at her for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Okay."

She looked slightly confused.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. I'll try not to phrase things as commands anymore."

He paused before adding:

"And I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I didn't know my words could hurt you."

She lowered her eyes slightly.

"Your apology isn't accepted."

"Then what do you want?"

"You have to make it up to me."

"Fine."

She hadn't expected him to agree so quickly.

Ethan placed a bowl in front of her.

The smell of chicken soup filled the kitchen.

Lian stared at it.

Then at Ethan.

Then back at the bowl.

She pushed it slightly away.

"I don't trust you."

"Fair enough."

"Taste it first."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"You think it's poisoned?"

"Maybe."

Ethan picked up the spoon and tasted the soup.

He waited a moment.

"Finished testing it?"

She didn't answer.

She picked up the spoon.

The next moment, she began eating quickly.

Ethan stared at her.

It was obvious she hadn't eaten a proper meal in a long time.

"You were really hungry."

She stopped for a moment.

Then continued eating as if she hadn't heard him.

A few minutes later, her face was covered with some of the soup.

Ethan noticed.

He took a napkin and unexpectedly wiped the side of her face.

Lian froze.

Her face turned red with embarrassment.

"What are you doing?!"

He handed her the napkin.

"Your face."

She quickly took it and wiped her face herself.

"I could have done that!"

"I know."

After she finished eating, Ethan said:

"If you want, we can go out and get some ice cream."

She looked up.

"Ice cream?"

"Yeah."

She didn't refuse.

***

On the way, she began talking about herself.

"My name is Lian Crimson."

Ethan was thinking about something else.

"And I'm from the Crimson bloodline, one of the finest dragonkin bloodlines known for ice magic."

He didn't answer.

"Are you listening?"

Ethan was thinking about how he could talk to her more comfortably without accidentally turning his words into commands.

"Are you listening?!"

No answer.

She raised her voice.

"Human!"

Ethan suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Huh?"

"I was talking to you!"

"Sorry. I was thinking."

"My name is Lian Crimson!"

"Oh... Lin."

She stopped.

"Lian!"

"Right, right. Sorry."

She looked at him, annoyed.

"You're terrible at remembering names."

"I agree."

***

The two of them arrived at an ice cream shop.

Ethan bought one for each of them, and then they headed to a quiet park.

It was already night.

There weren't many people around.

A few couples were sitting beneath the trees, away from the paths.

Ethan chose a bench and sat down.

Lian sat beside him, holding her ice cream.

This time, there was no tension between them like there had been earlier at home.

Ethan said:

"Tell me about your family."

She was silent for a moment.

Then she said:

"The Crimson family isn't really one single family. There are many smaller branches."

"And what does it mean to be a familiar?"

She looked down at her ice cream.

"In our family, each branch places a seal on one of its children."

"Why?"

"To strengthen the bloodline."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

She continued:

"The familiar gains some of their master's abilities, and the master can benefit from the familiar's abilities. That's why choosing a familiar isn't random."

Ethan looked at her with interest.

He was beginning to understand why the book had chosen her.

"So you and I..."

He stopped.

He noticed that Lian had begun to feel more comfortable around him.

She no longer looked at him the way she had at first.

Even her tone had changed.

Then Ethan suddenly felt something strange in his mouth.

The taste of chewing gum.

He stopped.

At the same time, Lian stopped eating her ice cream.

She looked at him.

"Did you feel that?"

"Yeah."

They looked at each other.

They both understood at the same moment.

The contract had been completed.

A faint light appeared around Lian.

There was no pain.

No magic circle.

Just the feeling that something connecting them had reached its end.

She smiled.

Her smile strangely resembled Ethan's without either of them realizing it.

"Looks like I can go home now."

Ethan stood up.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

Her body began turning into a bright light.

She held onto her ice cream until the very last moment.

"Goodbye, Ethan."

"Goodbye, Lian."

The light disappeared, taking her with it.

Nothing remained.

No trace.

No sound.

Not even evidence that she had ever been there.

Ethan sat down again.

He looked at the spot where she had been sitting.

For the first time since entering this strange world...

he didn't feel suspicious of someone new.

He didn't feel the need to watch every word he said.

It had only been a short moment.

But somehow, it had left him with a strange feeling.

A feeling of comfort.

Then he looked at his ice cream, which was beginning to melt.

"She could've taken it with her."

He smiled to himself.

And remained sitting alone on the bench.

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