CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Like Moths to the Flame

The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden hue over the horizon, the fading light spilling across the university parking lot like liquid gold. The air was thick with the scent of the asphalt and the distant hum of idle conversations. We piled up in the lot, and once again, I found myself stuck in the middle of yet another argument.

The voices around me—sharp and insisted, and I was helpless to step out of it. Lila's voice cut through the air, unwavering in its conviction.

"No way! She's riding with us!" She declared, tugging at my arm with enough force to pull me slightly off balance. Behind her, Jaxon stood silently, but his steady nods were enough to show where his loyalty lay.

Keiran tugged at my other arm with surprising strength, peeling me away from Lila's grasp. His fingers tightened around my wrist just enough to make it clear—he wasn't backing down.

"If you're driving then, hell no! You once drove through a red light, because you felt the vibe," he said, his voice calm, almost too calm, as he met their eyes with an unbothered look. "It's best if she rides with me. Traveling on my Ducati is much easier."

His words hung in the air, laced with a quiet authority that neither Lila nor Jaxon could easily dismiss. But there was one more who wouldn't give up that easily.

Before anyone could react, Kairos stepped forward, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder before gently pulling me away from the trio. With a swift, almost fluid movement, he maneuvered behind me, his body blocking the others' view.

"She's riding with me. You're a showoff." he said, his voice calm but firm, his arm settling around my back like a shield, gently pulling me towards him. His words cut through the rising tension, a stark contrast to the heated argument brewing in the air. "It's also riskier to ride on your big bike."

The words struck like a challenge, and before I could even attempt to stop their ridiculous argument about who I should ride with, the trio erupted in perfect unison, their voices brimming with disbelief.

"No way!" they exclaimed, their horrified tones overlapping, as though the very idea of me riding with Kairos was akin to courting disaster.

Their reaction caught me off guard. "What's wrong with riding with Kairos?" I asked, glancing at him, only to notice the faintest twitch of amusement tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Everything!" Lila blurted out, waving her arms dramatically. "He's reckless, he's unpredictable, and—" she pointed an accusing finger at him, "—he's a menace behind the wheel!"

Kairos raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in mock offense. "A menace? That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

Keiran pinched the bridge of his nose, his exasperation palpable. "You once got pulled over twice in a single hour, Kai Alaric. Twice."

Jaxon nodded solemnly. "And one of those times, the cop let you off with a warning because he thought you were 'testing out new brakes.'"

Kairos shrugged, his grin only growing wider. "What can I say? Charm goes a long way."

In an instant, they yanked me back, their hands tugging at my arms like a tug-of-war game, trying to pull me from his grasp. Their frantic gestures and protective instincts were clear, but it only deepened the chaotic tug of war over my fate.

"Just don't ride with him, Rin." Keiran muttered, his voice tinged with frustration as he rubbed his temples, clearly recalling all of Kairos' chaotic events. The irritation was evident in the tight set of his jaw, as if the memory itself gave him a headache. "I swear, every time we get on the road with Kai, it's like we attract trouble."

Curious, I asked, "Why? Was it really that bad?"

The twins answered in perfect harmony—their voices nearly synchronized. "He always speeds over the limit as soon as he enters the freeway."

Lila shot a knowing glance at Jaxon, who nodded solemnly, clearly unimpressed. Keiran, on the other hand, let out an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes as if this was an ongoing battle he'd long given up on winning. I shifted my gaze to Kairos, a teasing smile lingered on my lips.

"At what speed? 100 mph?" I guessed, half-expecting the answer to be unreasonable, especially since the speed limit around here was 80 mph.

He shook his head, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Not even close."

I frowned, trying to push the limits of my imagination. "110 mph?"

Another shake of his head. He leaned back slightly, as if savoring the moment before revealing the truth. A grin spread across his face, almost smug. "You're not even close."

I looked at the trio, my expression a mix of disbelief and concern. "How fast does he—" My words trailed off as I shifted my gaze back to Kairos, then to the sleek black stingray parked behind him. "Don't tell me…"

He gave a slow nod, his smile widening with pride. With a flourish, he gently wiped the hood of his car, as if it were the most cherished thing in the world. "190 mph."

I blinked, trying to process his words. "190 mph?" I looked back at the trio again who nodded at me as a sign of reluctant agreement, their expressions grim, like they were all too familiar with Kairos' reckless driving.

The shock hit me like a cold wave—this reckless side of him was something I hadn't expected. Although I already had an inkling that he loved to ride fast, especially considering his counterpart in my world shared the same passion for pushing limits—riding his horse to the point of exhaustion—I didn't expect him to be this thrill-seeking daredevil. It was a side of him I had never seen before, and it sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

"I…" I inhaled deeply, steadying myself before I spoke my final verdict. "I will never ride with you."

The trio high-fived triumphantly, Lila even sticking her tongue out at Kairos, who now wore a defeated expression—like a scolded puppy caught chewing its owner's favorite slippers. Shaking my head at the absurdity of it all, I took the keys from Lila and extended my hand toward Jaxon.

He blinked at me, clearly puzzled by the gesture, his brows knitting together. "What?"

"You're driving." I said firmly, dropping the keys into his hand before the rest could even protest. "I'm not taking any chances with the rest of them."

Without waiting for a response, I spun on my heel and marched toward their graffitied Jeep Wrangler, the bright swirls and chaotic patterns on the vehicle almost as loud as its owners.

Behind me, I heard Kairos mutter, "What's wrong with my driving, though?" His tone was laced with mock innocence, as if he genuinely couldn't understand the problem.

The four of us turned to him, glaring, and exclaimed in unison, "Everything!"

--

"Let's ride the roller coaster again!" Lila insisted, tugging gently at my arm, while Jaxon nodded in agreement beside me—a déjà vu of earlier.

"We've already been there three times! Let's try the Vikings! You've been skipping it!" Keiran countered, pulling me away from the twins' grasp. Their endless bickering only made my headache worse.

"Enough!" I snapped, my voice trembling with frustration. The instant the words left my mouth, both Keiran and Lila froze, stepping back in sync. Their playful demeanor vanished, and they lowered their heads, suddenly quiet.

I already felt exhausted even before we finally arrived in our destination. Since the twin's wrangler can only have four people in it, another argument broke out—a continuation of the chaos that we barely ended. This time, it was Keiran and Kairos at each other's throats, neither willing to give in on who would be riding with us. Since I'd be riding with the twins, neither Kairos nor Keiran wanted to ride in their own vehicles and instead insisted on tagging along with us. If I hadn't snapped and told them to ride their own vehicles, we would still be stuck at the school parking lot, locked in an endless battle of stubbornness.

When we finally arrived at the theme park—the one they'd been planning to visit since last week—they immediately started using me as the rope in their tug-of-war over which ride to go on first. Even something as simple as who would sit with me, or what food I should have has turned into a competition. I could already feel a headache building as each of them tried to pull me in their direction, practically treating me like a prize they were desperate to claim.

If Achilles Dimitri and Kai Alaric were immature for making a bet out of me, then this trio would be a bunch of chaotic kids trapped in the bodies of adults.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm building inside me. "Can we just enjoy the day without turning everything into a competition?" I asked, my tone softer but still carrying the edge of irritation. They were all mature adults, but the moment it came to me, they reverted to behaving like kindergartners fighting over a toy.

For a moment, silence hung between us. Even the ride operator looked at me with pity, as if I had somehow become the mother of these grown children, despite being the same age. From behind me, Kairos chuckled and handed me a cup of ice. One thing I was thankful for, however, was that Kairos had stopped competing with them after what happened in the parking lot.

"You can't blame us if we want to compete for your attention. We just love being with you, my lady—like moths drawn to a flame." he teased, but immediately zipped his mouth when he caught my glare. He raised his hands as a sign of resignation.

"Start one more argument, and I swear I'll go home—with neither of you," I warned, my patience wearing thin. I popped a piece of ice into my mouth and fell in line for the Ferris wheel, the ride none of them wanted to go on because they found it boring. They followed behind me, and out of the corner of my eye, I could still see them quietly bantering, hands gesturing in the air.

"How many can fit in?" I asked the operator as we stepped up to the front of the line.

"Four."

I glanced behind me, pointing at Kairos, who was silently trailing me, his eyes locked onto me as though I were some sort of entertainment. "He'll ride with me," I declared, then turned to the trio, still caught up in their silent bickering. "And those chaotic kids will ride together." I told the operator, whose expression was a curious mix of pity and amusement.

I heard the three muttering behind us, cursing Kairos, who seemed to be beaming with happiness for being picked by me. As we stepped into the gondola, a wave of relief washed over me. I couldn't help but think that I should have been firmer with scolding them from the start.

My eyes wandered as the world below us grew smaller. I shook my head, a soft giggle escaping my lips when I spotted the chaotic trio in the gondola next to ours, still arguing nonstop. It turned into a hearty laugh as I remembered all the chaos we'd experienced.

Indeed, it was a déjà vu. It was something I experienced in the past that no one in this world knows—something only I had the chance to remember. Or maybe it was a reenactment of what I had in my world, before my life revolved around Achilles Dimitri.

Suddenly, my laughter faltered, fading into an uncomfortable silence as I became acutely aware of Kairos' intense gaze, which seemed to weigh heavily on me. I found myself staring back at him, my mind brimming with questions, unsure where to even begin. For a fleeting moment, we remained silent, both of us seemingly lost for words, despite the inner voices in our heads screaming to be heard. There's a lot going on in my mind, filling my head with thoughts I can't quite grasp, questions I'm afraid to answer, and feelings I'm not sure how to confront.

"I still can't get used to it…" He broke the silence first, his gaze unwavering. "Seeing you laughing genuinely."

"Why? Do I look weird?" I asked, trying to act casual, despite my heart wanting to leap out of its cage.

He shook his head, revealing a smile filled with unspoken emotions. "You look radiant—like the full moon shining in a sky already filled with light."

In a normal situation, I might have brushed off his deliberate flirting, but no matter how many times I opened my mouth, no words dared to escape. And thus, silence filled us.

"What? Are you feeling awkward around me now?" He finally broke the silence once more, with a simple question, yet I struggled to find an answer.

"Was it hard to answer?" He chuckled before averting his gaze and staring at the majestic view in front of us—where the full moon hung brightly against a blanket of stars, casting a silver glow over the theme park below. The colorful lights from the rides twinkled around us, reflecting off the glass of the gondola as it gently swayed. The vibrant atmosphere made my heart race, my breath hitching in my throat.

I inhaled sharply, a wave of nervousness washing over me before I finally voiced the question that had been lingering in my mind. "What did you mean by that?" I asked, referring to his response to my indirect rejection earlier.

Kairos met my gaze, his expression serious yet unbothered. "What I said is exactly what I meant," he replied, his tone leaving no room for misunderstanding.

I held his gaze, my expression serious and unwavering. "So, if I were still the same Karina who followed Achilles Dimitri around like a dog, you wouldn't even be speaking to me like this?" Anger surged inside me, the words escaping before I could fully restrain them.

Kairos didn't hesitate for a moment. "Yes." He popped an ice cube into his mouth and added,

"The Karina I want is you. At least get that fact straight."