“Nothing to say in any respect?”

Erika solely nodded silently in response to Maxwell’s query. Though he could not say that he did not anticipate this type of reply, that did not imply that he was unaffected and even detached to it. Nevertheless, that additionally did not imply that he would do something about it both.

As Maxwell continued to leisurely lean over the railing, he shrugged casually earlier than he spoke up.

“Then that concludes this assembly. I’ll see you on the Struggle Convention tomorrow.”

“Sure, your majesty.”

As she usually does, Erika bowed courteously earlier than she left. Simply earlier than she may depart nevertheless, Maxwell was capable of catch a sure look in her eye. Whereas her skilled disposition did nicely to disguise her inside emotions, that look in her eyes will all the time betray her true intentions.

Particularly to somebody like Maxwell.

Regardless of all of this, Maxwell nonetheless most popular to not act on his coronary heart’s needs on the subject of these sorts of issues. Whereas he might admit that he would not flip down any type of ‘confession,’ and as a substitute even settle for it brazenly, in fact he would solely do that out of connivence in an effort to keep away from any pointless rigidity later down the road.

So long as Erika remained loyal and helpful to Maxwell, then by all means, she is free to imagine and do no matter she desires.

The one query left can be whether or not Maxwell can correctly reciprocate Erika’s emotions or not. And by Maxwell’s personal admission, not even he knew the reply.

In fact, there was a motive why Maxwell felt this fashion.

If Maxwell had been to explain it, he would say that it was a lesson that was taught to him a lifetime in the past.

…

“Get up you sleepyhead.”

As Leon tried to relaxation his eyes, he felt the identical annoying repeated feeling of somebody, most probably the proprietor of the voice that simply spoke, knocking on his brow along with her fist. With slight irritation in his voice, Leon continued to connect his eyes collectively as he responded to the particular person.

“I am not sleeping, I am solely resting my eyes.”

“Then you definitely will not thoughts if I ‘relaxation my eyes’ on high of you.”

Quickly after, Leon felt the feeling of somebody gently laying on high of him. In his sincere opinion, it was a moderately good feeling. Even because the off-road jeep bumped with the unevenness of the trail, this did little to disturb Leon’s comfiness.

Quickly, the particular person laying on him and the proprietor of that very same voice spoke up once more.

“You realize… I did not anticipate you to be all the best way out right here. As a historian aren’t you out of your ingredient?”

This time, Leon compelled his eyelids open and confronted the particular person as he spoke up.

“I do not know Lydia. It is nearly as if I used to be compelled right here. And sure I do admit that I’m out of my ingredient.”

Lydia chuckled to herself when she heard Leon’s response.

“Ahahaha, I do not assume that I am going to ever tire of your quote en quote ‘humour…’ The one factor I might say that was extra enjoyable than your ‘jokes’ can be taking part in Complete Struggle video games with you… Effectively… These issues are a lot better than the rest this world has to supply anyway.”

Lydia sighed to herself earlier than continued.

“Hey ummmm… I would say one thing bizarre right here… You do not thoughts proper?”

Leon was left a bit speechless when he heard Lydia however he was nonetheless capable of reply with the identical phrase that he all the time mentioned in a lot of these conditions.

“In fact I do not thoughts. There’s nothing you might say that might probably offend me. You are free to talk your thoughts.”

When Lydia heard Leon’s response, she herself was additionally left a bit speechless for a second earlier than took a deep breath, regained her composure after which lastly spoke up.

“I really feel… bored by the world… it is simply no enjoyable… Generally I want… I want that I wasn’t born on this period. It is simply not… not entertaining. I do not know what it’s precisely however this world simply does not do it for me.”

As Lydia spoke, Leon instantly felt a foul feeling construct up in his abdomen. He has identified Lydia for a very long time however by no means earlier than has he seen her like this. However, Lydia did not appear to note Leon’s worries as she continued talking.

“Now we have an awesome survivability probability, we learnt from the errors of our previous and we are able to create ‘small miracles’ with know-how… And… I admit they’re all enjoyable and all… however they only appear so… so ingenuine… Have you learnt what I imply?”

Leon did not in any respect know within the least easy methods to correctly reply to what Lydia mentioned. With a barely fearful voice, Leon answered Lydia’s query.

“No I do not know what you imply…”

Leon opened his mouth to proceed however earlier than the subject may very well be pursued, the dialog quickly got here to a cease.

A literal one.

They’ve reached their vacation spot.

With a sigh, Leon gave Lydia a single reminder earlier than the obtained out the jeep.

“Can we speak about this later?”

“In fact.”

With a barely cautious smile on his face, Leon exited the jeep solely to be greeted by rainforests and a moderately ominous wanting ruins.

Because of the cover of the rainforest, Leon’s eyes weren’t bombarded with the tough rays of the solar as he walked in direction of the ruins.

Quickly, Lydia casually began one other dialog with Leon as if what simply occurred within the jeep by no means occurred.

“In the event you’re fearful do not be. I made positive that we already cleared out all of the traps and risks earlier than I took you right here on a ‘barely intense date.'”

“Barely intense certainly…”

Leon could not assist letting out a comment as he glanced across the small camp that surrounded the ruins. Each man throughout the the camp was at the least twice the dimensions of Leon and none of them had been unarmed.

They had been members of some P.M.C. firm that subcontracted Lydia. Though regardless of her dimension and manner when in comparison with these males, all of them nonetheless adopted Lydia’s orders.

“Come on, simply ignore these clowns. Solely Broc can be becoming a member of us.”

As Lydia mentioned this, one of many troopers quickly joined the 2 because the made their means contained in the ruins.

What occurred subsequent was a collection of moderately uninteresting sights and occasions that Leon has seen earlier than.

Nevertheless, on the finish of the ruins was one thing really fascinating.

It was a suspended orb…

That was glowing a dim blue mild…

“Wow… Now that is fascinating…”

Nevertheless, opposite to what Leon anticipated, Lydia was stunned by this phenomena as nicely.

“It is… by no means accomplished that earlier than…”

Inside moments Lydia moved in direction of the glowing orb earlier than she grasped it with each of her arms. The second she touched it, the low dim blue mild of the orb began pulsating in common intervals, considerably akin to that of a heartbeat.

Quickly, Lydia subconsciously declared a moderately ominous sentence.

“I… I hear voices…”

“Voices? Is not that not a superb factor?”

When Leon heard what Lydia mentioned, he could not assist however specific his considerations instantly. Regardless of Leon’s warnings, Lydia continued greedy the orbs inside her arms.

“It says I could make a want on it…”

Seeing Lydia act this fashion and what the orb is ‘telling her,’ that dangerous feeling that Leon initially had multiplied tenfold.

“Actually Lydia I do not really feel too good about this… And I am not even in my ingredient!”

Nevertheless, Lydia both did not hear Leon in any respect or she was ignoring him. With no alternative, Leon confronted Broc as he pleaded the non-public soldier to do one thing.

“Come on, you are meant to be her bodyguard aren’t you? She may probably be endangering herself! Do one thing!”

“Your boyfriend is true ma’am. I recommend that you-“

Growth!

Simply earlier than Broc may end talking nevertheless, a sure explosion rocked the ruins inflicting the whole lot current to stagger from the tremors. With a slight tinge of uneasiness in his voice, Leon slowly requested Lydia a query.

“What the hell did you simply do?”

In response, to Maxwell’s query, Lydia stuttered out her phrases as her face step by step began to put on an expression of realisation. And inside that expression of realisation, there have been some slight glimmers of pleasure and happiness as nicely.

“I made a want… And… I believe it may be coming true.”

Simply earlier than anybody can react, the ceiling proper above Lydia instantly collapsed, burying her in a pile of rubble inside seconds.

Because the mud settled, the one factor seen from below that pile of rubble was a single bloody arm with a hand that twitched sporadically.

There was little question about it.

She was lifeless.

Nevertheless, Leon could not waste time mourning proper now.

“Come on let’s exit of right here!”

“However the woman…”

Leon shook Broc’s shoulder in a moderately panicked method earlier than shouting out loud.

“Are you blind?! She’s lifeless! Come on! Let’s get out of right here earlier than we be a part of her!”

“Sure sir!”

Quickly, Broc and Leon turned to expire the best way the got here.

As one would anticipate, since Broc was a educated soldier of a personal army, he quickly outpaced Leon and inside moments a brief hole shaped between the 2.

Sadly for Leon, that brief distinction in pace made all of the distinction.

Within the small hole between Leon and Broc, one other collapsing part of the ruins brought about Leon to be collapsed from Broc.

Fully trapped from his solely strategy to escape to security, all Leon may do was scream for assist.

“Wait! Assist!”

Nevertheless, Leon’s pleas for assist weren’t heard by any ears.

On the level, all Leon may do was go searching his common environment in desperation.

However attempt as he would possibly, there was nothing that he may do that might escape his destiny.

And shortly, the ruins collapsed totally.

But it surely solely took two folks with them.

At that very second, the whole lot that Leon aspired to be, the whole lot that he had, the whole lot that he was about to attain, the whole lot has utterly disappeared.

All of it gone, nearly erased, by no means to be seen once more.

What it was changed by was a by no means ending ‘sea’ of darkness?

Or was it higher to explain it as a ‘sky?’

However, it was simply easy darkness.

Darkness so far as the attention may see.

Darkness.

Darkness.

Darkness.

Nothing to really feel.

Nothing to the touch.

Nothing.

Completely nothing.

Nothing however darkness.

Nevertheless, that ceaseless darkness of nothingness quickly gave strategy to a single solitary but vivid mild.

It was a ‘present.’

Whereas Leon might have misplaced the whole lot, by some means, someway he was fortunate sufficient to obtain a set of ‘presents.’

These ‘presents’ being a brand new life in a brand new world together with a brand new identify to go well with his new life.

And his new identify was Maxwell.

What he was unaware of at that second, was that moments earlier than him, another person was granted a brand new life on this similar new world as nicely.

A particular somebody who was answerable for their ‘presents’ within the first place.

A particular somebody who made a want on a glowing orb that she most likely should not have touched.

And due to her want, the destiny of two folks and a complete world completely different to their very own was modified perpetually.