Chapter 36: Change

As Elios walked back to the camp, he avoided Ren's group, beelining for Olivia and Liam. But when he got closer, Olivia and Liam almost couldn't recognize him. They stared at his slicked back silver hair and golden eyes in shock and disbelieve, causing Elios's smile to falter.

"Hey Livia, hey Liam. What are you guys doing?"

Olivia and Liam snapped out of their daze when they heard Elios's voice, confirming that the man before them was Elios. But when they tried to think of a response, only questions on his appearance came to mind. Deciding to take one for the team, Olivia bit the bullet.

"E-Elios? Is that you? Why do you look so... Different?"

Silence hung in the air after Olivia's question, with both Olivia and Liam waiting for the answer. But when Elios was faced with the questioning looks, he felt fear inside his heart. What if they found out about his pact with Leviathan? What if they found out that his power is borrowed, and he couldn't achieve anything on his own?

"Cough... I just wanted to try a new style."

Elios knew in his heart that his secret cannot be exposed, that would spell doom for his heroic image he's tried so hard to build.

"Oh, it looks great!"

Olivia cheerfully said, flashing a big smile at Elios. Olivia knew Elios was lying, but what could she do? Everyone has a secret or two, so Olivia pry further. As she sat back down, Olivia observed Elios. She had a nagging feeling that something was up. Olivia watched as Elios set up his own tent swiftly, completing his task in seconds. After finishing up, Elios stood there, staring intently to the side.

'Huh? What is he looking at?'

Turning her head towards where Elios was looking, Olivia was surprised to see Ren. She watched as Ren laughed and played with Jun and Nina, causing her to unconsciously smile at the scene. But as she shifted her focus back to Elios, her heartbeat quickened, and cold sweat formed.

"Elios...?"

Olivia felt fear grip her heart when she saw the expression on Elios's face, feeling paralyzed in her seat. Her breath quickened as Elios's glare grew fiercer, giving her the feeling of suffocation.

"Huff... Huff... Huff..."

As Olivia struggled to breathe, the oppressive feeling suddenly disappeared, as if it was switched off. Olivia held her chest unconsciously, feeling relieved that she could breathe again. Olivia immediately looked back towards Elios, only to find him calmly sitting there, acting as if nothing happened.

"Was that real...?"

Olivia couldn't believe that the polite Elios caused her that much fear, almost causing her to suffocate. She knew that Elios was slowly changing ever since the gas station, but she wanted to believe the Elios she knew, the Elios who grew up with her. However, Olivia was faltering, she can't recognize the old Elios anymore.

"Whatcha thinking about Livia?"

Olivia jumped in surprise, then looked up to face Elios's smiling face. Although the smile was friendly and familiar, Olivia felt unease when she looked at those golden eyes. Psyching herself up, Olivia stood up to face Elios.

"Elios, what happened to you?"

Olivia flinched slightly after asking her question, anticipating Elios to become physical. As Elios's eyes grew colder, his smile grew wider. Olivia felt like an eternity passed by while she waited for her answer, countless worst case scenarios flashed through her mind.

"Oh, you know. I told you earlier, I wanted to change my style. You even said it looked good remember?"

Elios continued to smile, which only caused Olivia to feel more suspicious. Closing her eyes, Olivia decided to push Elios more, thinking that Elios wouldn't hurt her. With determination in her eyes, Olivia looked at Elios straight in the eyes.

"What is the real reason?"

Just as these words left Olivia's mouth, the surrounding temperature dropped. Elios's eyes glowed with a golden light, paralyzing Olivia with fear. As Elios looked down at Olivia, his glare grew colder.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Are you fucking deaf?"