Rein stood frozen in the hallway, still shaken from the encounter with Emilia. He had no idea what had just happened, or why the air between them had felt so thick with tension. His thoughts were a tangled mess, but the one thing that stood out was the look in Emilia's eyes—something close to frustration and, dare he say, pain?
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. He looked up, and there she was, Emilia, standing just a few feet away. But this time, there was something different about her—something sharper, something colder.
"You didn't come after me," Emilia said, her voice low and tight with anger. Her eyes bore into him, and for the first time, Rein felt the weight of her gaze in a way that made his chest tighten.
"I... I didn't know what to say," he murmured, his words faltering under the intensity of her stare.
Her lips curled into something that was almost a sneer, but there was no humor in it. "You never know what to say, do you?"
Rein swallowed, his mind racing, trying to understand the shift in her. "Emilia, I don't remember—"
"Stop." Her voice was a sharp command, cutting through his words before they could form. "You think that gives you an excuse? You think I'm just supposed to wait around until you suddenly remember who I am?" Her tone was cold, but there was an edge to it, something raw and laced with something deeper.
Rein took a step back, but Emilia was quicker. She reached out, grabbing his wrist with surprising force and pulling him toward her. The sudden closeness made his heart race, but it wasn't fear—it was something else. Something more confusing.
"Listen to me," she said, her voice a whisper now, but no less intense. "You can't keep running away from this. From me. From what we are."
Rein's pulse quickened as he stared into her eyes, seeing the storm brewing within them. "I—I'm not running," he stammered, his thoughts racing. "I just... I don't remember."
Emilia's grip on his wrist tightened, her gaze darkening. "Maybe that's the problem," she hissed. "Maybe you don't want to remember."
Before he could react, she stepped closer, her body nearly pressed against his, her breath warm against his skin. Rein's heart pounded in his chest, and his breath hitched.
She leaned in, her lips brushing the side of his ear as she whispered, "But you will, Rein. Whether you want to or not."
The air between them was thick with an unspoken promise, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. Emilia's presence was overwhelming, the way she held him, the way her body seemed to call to him.
Rein's mind was spinning. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to handle the pull between them. But as Emilia's eyes locked onto his, he could feel the weight of something familiar stirring deep within him.
The tension was almost unbearable.
Emilia's fingers brushed against his jaw, tilting his head slightly. "You don't remember me, do you?" she asked again, this time with a softness that was almost cruel.
Rein's throat went dry. He wanted to respond, but his words caught in his throat. The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy, until Emilia finally broke it.
"Maybe I'll make you remember," she muttered, a dangerous edge in her voice.
Before Rein could even react, she took a step back, releasing him from her grip. The space between them felt colder now, and the tension in the air was unbearable.
"Just don't take too long," she added, her tone flat. "I'm not waiting forever."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Rein standing there, heart racing, his mind a whirlwind of emotions.
Emilia's departure left Rein standing there in the empty hallway, his mind a tangled mess. The weight of her words, her anger, the intense moments they shared… it all felt like a haze he couldn't fully make sense of. His chest tightened with confusion, but something else stirred within him, something unfamiliar. He felt a strange heat in his body, a warmth that was as unsettling as it was… oddly exciting.
Rein shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. What was that? Why do I feel like this?
The confusion only deepened as he tried to make sense of the sensations that had ignited inside him, but the more he thought about it, the more his body betrayed him. He could still feel the lingering heat of Emilia's touch, the firmness of her grip, the intensity in her gaze. It made no sense, and yet his body reacted in ways that left him unsure, frustrated, and a little embarrassed.
Before he could process any of it, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. He looked up, startled, to see Diana approaching. She smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. There was a subtle tension in the air, something he couldn't put his finger on.
"Rein, have you seen her?" Diana asked, looking around. "The girl who helped us earlier…"
Rein blinked, his heart suddenly skipping a beat as he thought of Emilia. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words stuck in his throat. His thoughts were still jumbled, and for some reason, Diana's presence made everything even more awkward. The connection between them was already delicate, and now, with his mind racing and his body betraying him, it felt like he couldn't quite keep it together.
"Uh…" he stammered, trying to focus on her question. "I… don't know."
Diana raised an eyebrow, watching him closely. "You don't know? You were with her earlier, weren't you?"
Rein shifted uneasily, his face flushing slightly. He didn't understand why, but the thought of Emilia now felt… strange. "I… I wasn't with her. She just… she just helped me, that's all."
Diana didn't seem convinced. "You sure? You look a little off."
Rein could feel his pulse quickening. He didn't want to explain, didn't want to delve into whatever was happening in his head. Not with Diana. Not now.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered quickly, forcing a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I haven't seen her since."
Diana gave him a lingering look, her curiosity piqued, but she seemed to drop it for the moment. She nodded, though a faint concern still lingered in her eyes. "Okay, well, if you see her, let me know. We still need to talk about the expedition."
Rein nodded absently, his mind still elsewhere. As Diana walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted. He didn't know what it was, but there was a heaviness in his chest that wouldn't go away. The weight of Emilia's departure, combined with the strange stirrings in his body, left him feeling even more uncertain than before.