Chapter Sixteen: Mirror of the Past

The spark in Kairos' eyes didn't waver, even after my indirect rejection. If anything, it deepened, radiating an intense emotion—something I couldn't bring myself to name. He reached out his hand—again and again, I failed to pull away, it felt harder to do than face death itself—his hand brushing against my chin, his touch was light yet deliberate. His gaze lingered on my lips for a while, before shifting his gaze to meet mine.

"If you weren't you, this conversation wouldn't even exist."

I drew in a shaky breath, a soft gasp slipped through my lips before I could stop it. The weight of his words lingered over me, heavy and inescapable—like a truth that I wasn't ready to confront. My chest tightened, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

Kairos inhaled deeply as he took a step back to give me space—a lull to give me time to absorb what he had said—but his eyes stayed locked with mine. I should've looked away, walked off, or simply rejected him more clearly—anything to shield myself from the unbridled emotion in his eyes—but I couldn't. His gaze held me captive, his words ensnaring—compelling me to unlock the deeper layers of myself, the ones I kept veiled.

My lips parted, but no words came out. What could I possibly say after hearing something that I never expected—something that dissolved all my doubts and fears? Even though he was someone I held dear in the world I came from, in this reality I was forced into, he was supposed to be nothing more than a stranger—a temporary character in my life story who would cause neither happiness nor sadness in my renewed existence. A mere passer-by in this inherited life of mine.

Yet, like a seasoned assassin, he crept into my life with stealth, invading spaces I thought were safe from intrusion—no, he wasn't just an assassin. He was a storm—a howling storm that came undetected. Not to disrupt my life, but to clear my path.

His shimmering gaze lingered, like sunlight dancing on water, as I finally found my voice, "You are really cunning, you know?"

"I know." He answered in an instant, a sweet smile tugged at his lips.

A soft chuckle slipped through me, carrying my unspoken resignation. Before I could even retort to his cheeky taunt, the sound of hurried footsteps filled the corridor. It didn't take long before the owners of those footsteps appeared—it was Keiran and the twins. Their faces carried a tinge of worry at first, but upon seeing Kairos and me in a slightly compromising position, their expressions shifted almost in an instant—from concern to excitement, as if they'd seen something unexpectedly thrilling or promising.

"Stop it." I immediately cut them off from asking unnecessary questions as I discreetly distanced myself from Kai. "Whatever's on your mind, don't even bring it up." I said it calmly, but there was an unmistakable warning in my tone.

I'd had enough of hearing anything that could make my heart burst. One word from them would only make the turmoil in my head worse—like a bug corrupting an already corrupted system, sending error notifications that had been blaring since earlier.

Unfortunately, Keiran was still as clueless as ever—much like my twin, who never knew when to stop talking, even after being told to. A complete chatterbox.

"I just realized it, but you two seemed closer than before." Keiran uttered innocently, though his eyes told a different story. "Even in the clubroom—"

Kairos' epee flew toward him before he could even finish his words, grazing his cheek like a sharp arrow. Keiran looked at me, his face a mix of shock and disbelief after I had thrown the epee at him. Lila and Jaxon wore confused expressions, wondering what Keiran meant, their gazes shifting between him and me.

"Even in the clubroom?" Jaxon asked, slightly confused at first, but his face lit up as if he remembered something. Lila chimed in with a laugh, "Clubroom… oh… that…" She smiled sheepishly.

Keiran was about to open his mouth to add fuel to the fire, but no sound escaped as I spoke with a clear warning.

"Say one more word, and you're dead," I warned, my lips curling into a sweet smile that masked the embarrassment I felt. The warmth in my cheeks was a dead giveaway, even though I hadn't dared to check a mirror. I could practically feel my face glowing with embarrassment, the sensation was enough to make me want to hide.

And the cunning Kai Alaric Ashford took full advantage of the moment, grasping my hand, drawing it closer to his lips. "My Lady, may I now claim my reward for winning the match earlier?" He asked before pressing a kiss to the back of my hand and added, "Would you like to go on a date with this commoner?"

My heart hammered in my chest when he addressed me the way I was usually called back in my world. Each beat was erratic, as though it had forgotten its rhythm entirely. I struggled to regain my composure, but the heat in my cheeks burned hotter than the summer sun, betraying me. I should have pulled my hand away, should have said something—anything—to shatter the amorous tension lingering between us. But the words refused to come, lodged in my throat like an unspoken secret.

"Stop it." My voice was cold—or at least, I wanted it to be. Yet, it came out weak, trembling just enough to betray me. It only made him impudent, his smirk widening as if he'd won a game, I didn't know we were playing.

I tried to pull my hand back, but he held it firmly, his grip was light yet unyielding. "Kairos."

I called his name, my voice soft but laced with an edge, hoping he'd catch the unspoken warning. It was a plea wrapped in a command, an attempt to ground myself amidst the whirlwind he had created. But even as I said it, my traitorous heart betrayed me, beating faster as his teasing smirk deepened.

The three, who had been silent after their playful betrayal, finally decided to help me escape from Kai.

"That's enough, Kai. Let her breathe," Keiran teased, handing back his epee—the one I'd thrown on impulse—in exchange for my hand.

Lila and Jaxon flanked me, their wide smiles practically glowing with amusement, as though the spectacle they'd just witnessed had been the highlight of their day.

"Our lady needs time to emotionally prepare herself. It's basic etiquette to give her space before sweeping her off her feet," Lila quipped with a mock-serious tone, her grin betraying her amusement.

"But don't worry, we will make sure that she will come to the promised place." Jaxon added which made my jaw drop as I shifted my gaze at them with disbelief—frustrated by their deliberate cunning mischief.

"This is considered treason," I informed them with a straight face, though my eyes betrayed my amusement, twinkling with mischief of their own.

They laughed at my rebuttal before Lila dragged me away—finally dissolving the awkwardness created by the alluring atmosphere between Kai and me.

"Let's get you changed for our group date," Lila said, reminding me that I hadn't switched back into my regular clothes. She flashed me a grin before turning her attention back to Kai. "You too. You won't go on a date dressed like that, will you?" she teased, pointing at Kai Alaric, who was still in his fencing uniform, just like me.

"Let's meet at the parking lot," Keiran added, his tone all business before he and Jaxon practically dragged Kai off to get him changed into his regular clothes as well.

--

"Did you date Master Quin's twin before? Is that why you fainted when he told you he's, his twin?" Lila called from behind the door of the cubicle I was changing in.

I fell silent for a moment, rolling the sleeves of my cashmere sweater, the soft fabric warm against my skin, before slipping on my beige trench coat. The cool fabric of the coat draped gracefully over my shoulders. "No. We didn't."

My voice was steady, though my mind lingered on Lila's question. After a brief pause, I stepped out of the cubicle and bent down to trade my sneakers for a pair of black ankle boots, the click of the sleek heels echoing in the changing room.

Lila looked at me, her expression skeptical, as if she couldn't quite believe what I'd just said, especially after Achilles' declaration earlier. I smiled at her and shook my head, then turned toward the mirror. I quickly fixed my hair, adding a few soft strokes to tame the stray strands, before applying a touch of color to my cheeks and lips.

"He used to be my world." I admitted without a trace of shame in my voice. I faced Lila with a neutral expression. "But not anymore."

"And he was the reason for your drastic change," Lila stated, to which I responded with a gentle smile as I placed the clothes I had changed out of into my locker. "But if you loved him for so long, wasn't it hard to forget him so easily?"

I gently closed my locker and turned to face Lila, unsure of how to answer her question. How could I explain the truth without revealing too much? How could I tell her that I wasn't the Karina Azalena she knew, but just a character from a book she had written? Or that I felt nothing for the Achilles Dimitri of this world, making it easier to forget him?

In the end, I gave him a part of my truth.

"I dedicated my life to him—even became his loyal dog, all to please him. I changed myself so much that when I finally came to my senses…" I glanced away, unable to meet Lila's unwavering gaze. "I had already lost everything."

Lila remained silent, her gaze steady, as though she were waiting for me to unravel the rest of my truth.

"And when I thought that there's no turning back anymore…" I exhaled slowly—breath shaky as it left my lungs. My fingers tightened around the handle of my handbag, a quiet tension coiling in my chest. "I chose death."

The words I uttered lingered in the air. Even though I know that Lila may have taken my word figuratively, the weight of my words was pressing us down like an unseen force. Only the faint hum of activity outside the locker room filtered through the silence, but inside, it was as if the world had frozen in place.

My gaze drifted to my reflection in the mirror, drawn to the person I had become since arriving in this world. The face staring back at me was familiar yet foreign—polished, composed, but carrying a heaviness that couldn't be masked. The traces of the old me were long gone, stripped away by choices I could no longer undo—not that I regret what I did. And yet, the scar Achilles Dimitri had left within me remained—a quiet, relentless reminder of everything I had endured and everything I had lost. It wasn't visible, that scar. But I could feel it, etched deep into my soul, whispering of wounds that time alone could never heal.

Lila was the first to recover. She stepped closer and pulled me into a warm embrace, the kind that reminded me of Yuna's comforting touch. Her voice was soft and comforting as she whispered, "You've been through so much, but you're here, and you're going to find your happiness. I believe that."

For the first time since losing everything—since being thrust into this world and desperately trying to fit in—tears slipped free, unbidden and unstoppable. Her next words enveloped me, soothing the pain I had kept buried—giving me the solace I never realized I needed.

"You're brave. For letting go, for taking the initiative to change." She gently pulled away, her fingers brushing away the tears that had traced down my cheeks. "You have already taken the first step to escape it—your mirror of the past." She turned me toward the mirror again, as if guiding me to face the person I had become. "Do you know what the next step is?"

I glanced at her, a quiet question in my eyes.

Lila smiled softly, her words steady and purposeful. "Break it. Escaping it doesn't mean it won't come back to haunt you. So, break it—so it can never imprison you again."