The Mysterious Life of Amelia 1

Chapter 9

The cold power was immense, and that's all I felt throughout my body.

My clothes clung to my body. I was cold, and my teeth chattered. I saw I was still in the river when I opened my eyes. Oliver didn't rescue me.

How do I get out of here? Where does this current lead? I asked myself, is it safer to trust this than to trust Oliver?

Part of my head thinks of a strategy, and another part looks for him. He, as a guide, is a menace in this, but I saw him running towards the river current. He is likely to rescue me at any time. As soon as I reached him, I hugged him with relief, but the current was too strong to get in. He tried to separate us, and I had to hold Oliver's hand as if my life depended on it. He made a swift decision to use his wings and fly away from the river.

I was afraid I would put him at a disadvantage, but I saw no difficulty on his face. He laid me on the bed when we were both wet.

As my clothes clung to my body and let Oliver see my body, Oliver's clothes clung to him as well.

I felt drained, both in body and mind. I thought I would drown, even though I tried to swim to the other side of the current and do a water spell, but it didn't help.

"It's embarrassing, but it's just a suggestion. It's better to take off our clothes and stay in our underwear to wring out the wet clothes," Oliver offered politely, but I hesitated for several reasons...

On the one hand, because we are both wet, he can still see what I have under my clothes. However, it brings back memories of what happened when I was human—the gang rape attempt.

On the other hand, he is a teacher. He won't hurt me, will he?

I didn't trust him that much, so I refused the offer. We didn't explain anything to him, and he didn't press us. In my opinion, he understood, and that's thoughtful of him.

Oliver covered me with a blanket and created a fireball from his hand to heat the room. I would have been grateful if it hadn't been his fault in the first place, but I still said "thank you" sincerely.

He smiled and sat on the bed. "We will continue the tests tomorrow," Oliver added with a smile.

I furrowed my eyebrows from a lack of understanding. "What about tomorrow?" What time? As stressed as ever, I asked, "How long have we been here?".

"We've been here for five and a half hours?" He hesitated. Why did he hesitate?

"Are you asking or telling?"

"I mean, I think five and a half hours, more or less." He answered, but then asked in a serious tone, "Why? Should you have continued your mission with Jace?"

I shook my head, feeling a sense of unease.

As I glanced at him, he said lightly, "Ah, well... No matter what I saw, you managed to connect with him as friends."

"Why don't you want to open up to people? To connect with them?" I asked in a serious tone because the moment we discussed his life, he changed the subject.

"From now on, I will only be open with you, but it's a secret; don't tell anyone." He made me laugh by putting his finger to his lips, and I agreed like a smart girl.

"But I know why you don't want to hook up with someone."

"Well... I'm all ears if you're that smart."

"Because people have hurt you, you should be careful around them." I feel that way. Many people think I show up for them."

"Why do I think you're talking about yourself rather than me like you said?"

I looked down. A lump in my throat suffocated me. I didn't know why. I was also hurt a lot. I know some of the people, but I'm not proud of it. I'm not embarrassed by it, either. I looked up and said with a smile, "Yeah, it makes me doubt people, but still."

After a long silence, I wasn't the only one thinking about this. Oliver stood up and said, "Well, you need to return home. I'll take you to your house."

I nodded my head, and when I got up, he was too close to me, within kissing distance.

I've seen stories about enemies turned into lovers in TV shows, movies, and books. But I've never experienced anything like that up close. Especially since it is also related to the age gap.

Silence filled the room, shaking the whole world. I didn't know how I got to this state, but my heart acted before my thoughts. We stood there, close, so close, and Oliver looked at me with a look that left no doubt—he felt the same.

I took a deep breath and felt the air stuck in my throat. As I approached his lips, I hesitated for a moment, just looking into his eyes for a hint from him. Before I could ask myself, he surprised me. His lips pressed against mine, a kiss full of passion that I didn't know how to deal with. His touch was gentle but strong, as his hands clung to my waist and I felt my body drawn to him.

It felt like forever. Time disappeared between the kisses as if everything else in the world became a distant blur. I didn't notice how much time had passed—just like when he tested my powers back then. Now, time shattered on his lips, and I lost control.

His bristles scratched my cheek. It felt good, so I didn't react. There was no need. I just wanted to stay there, wrapped in his feelings. A sharp and cold thought filled my heart and came to me without warning. They forbade our relations. I smiled at him with a faint expression, leaned my forehead against his, and took a deep breath.

"We can't be together," I said, my heart beating fast, almost hoping he'd say otherwise. There was a heavy pulse in my chest, as if my heart were trying to burst.

"Yes," I replied in a quiet voice, knowing that it would hurt him. "But... I feel it for Jace too, and the vision... I see us, Jace and me, together."

His voice became harsh, perhaps hurtful. "If you knew from the beginning that you would be a couple, why did you kiss me now?" he asked. His voice oozed pain, and he could not hide it. I could feel his pain, and it hurt me too.

"You see," I said in a broken voice, my eyes filling with tears, "I've never experienced anything like this. I've never felt this way about anyone. I just don't know which one to choose between you and him." My voice broke, and I wiped away the tears that streamed down my face.

He sat down next to me and put a warm hand on my shoulder as if offering comfort. However, I felt his pain even in that gentle touch. "I don't know what to do," he said in a hushed voice, as if the words were too heavy to say.

Time passes at a rapid pace. One moment we were together, and the next he was gone. "I will continue to be your guide," he said. His tone shifted to a formal register. "But it will be a matter of professionalism."

I knew it was the end. Maybe not completely. But it was enough to know that this relationship could not continue as it was. As he lifted me into his arms and began to soar, I embraced his neck. I felt his warmth against mine for the last time.

When we arrived at my house, he set me down with care, paused for a moment, and gazed at me. I wanted to say something, anything, to improve this painful silence. "So... is this the end?" I asked with a trembling voice, afraid of the answer.

He smiled, but it was sad. "I will always be your guide," he said in a soft voice, "but this... this is enough."