Alpha Instinct-Chapter 69: "A New Party Rises"

"Hey, Leo…" Evelyn’s voice, soft and familiar, hit Leonard like a punch to the gut, each syllable echoing in his ears. The simple words carried the weight of a shared past, of memories and feelings he was struggling to contain.

A flood of emotions washed over him—relief, sadness, longing, and a flicker of hope. Her voice, once a distant sound in his memory, now enveloped him like gravity itself, pulling him back to a past he’d almost forgotten.

"Hey… Eve…," he replied, his voice thick with emotion, as he quickly wiped away the lone tear that had escaped.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Evelyn’s lips. "Look at that, I see I’ve got a new nickname." She looked away for a moment, adjusting a strand of hair that stubbornly fell over her face, before continuing, her voice firm but with a hint of melancholy: "We need to talk, Leo."

"I know, but... I’m heading out..." Leonard said, looking around, uncomfortable, as if searching for an escape route, with Mikaela and Kaleb nearby.

Mikaela, sensing the charged atmosphere, the palpable tension in the air, acted quickly. She grabbed Kaleb by the arm with unexpected strength. "Ohhh, I almost forgot! How could I be so scatterbrained?!" she exclaimed, in an overly dramatic tone.

Kaleb looked at her, completely bewildered. "What are you talking ab—"

"Let’s go, now! I left something important back at the cabin," Mikaela interrupted him, dragging him towards the cabin.

"Hey! Let go of me, you crazy saint!" Kaleb protested, trying to break free without success.

"YOU. ARE. COMING. WITH. ME..." Mikaela hissed between her teeth, her voice low and menacing.

"But… Wait! Help! Let go!", Kaleb continued to squirm, as Mikaela dragged him away, their voices fading into the distance.

Evelyn, now alone with Leonard, resumed the conversation with a more serious tone. "I’m sorry, Leo," she said, lowering her head, her voice heavy with guilt and sadness. "I did everything I could to help... Roland… but, against the King… I was useless."

Leonard watched her in silence for a long time, the wind softly rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees. The pain of loss, the longing for Roland, the emptiness in his chest—everything seemed to intensify in that moment.

Then, with a delicate gesture, he lifted her chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look into his eyes. "It’s okay," he said, with a sad, but gentle smile. "Mikaela told me everything. It wasn’t your fault." His gaze, however, seemed distant, lost in a sea of sorrow and emptiness.

Evelyn, staring into those blue eyes, now clouded and dull, felt a pang in her heart, a strange and unfamiliar sensation, like butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Involuntarily, she took a step back, breaking the physical contact, her face slightly flushed. "I’m… I’m glad that, at least, I managed to save you," she said, looking away, trying to hide the whirlwind of emotions that was overwhelming her.

"You did…", he agreed, with an almost inaudible whisper. But, in his mind, a dark voice whispered, "Saved the body, but not the soul…"

Leonard wanted to say so many things, express the gratitude he felt, the longing that consumed him, the confusion that tormented him… But the words simply wouldn’t come.

For him, Evelyn had always been more than a friend. She had taken care of his mother’s grave, a gesture of kindness he would never forget. They had shared conversations, laughter, and moments of closeness that, now, seemed distant, lost in a past that wouldn’t return. She had been by his side when Liam died, offering him support and comfort. She had always been there.

"Can I… give you a hug?", Leonard finally managed to ask, his voice trembling emotionally.

Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat, a wave of adrenaline rushing through her body. She couldn’t understand the intensity of that reaction but, unable to articulate a response, she just murmured a barely audible "Yeah…"

Leonard wrapped her in a hug—a tight, warm, and full embrace that conveyed all his gratitude, affection, and longing. The soft scent of roses emanating from her hair filled his senses, bringing back memories of happier times when he was still a child.

For both of them, those seconds seemed to stretch into an eternity, a moment of deep and silent connection.

Leonard pulled back abruptly, awkward. "I have to go now," he said, his eyes drifting towards the approaching figures of Mikaela and Kaleb, the latter grumbling louder than an angry cat.

When they got closer, Kaleb, still irritated by Mikaela’s treatment, noticed the different atmosphere, the subtle tension in the air.

He finally picked up on something in the air and, somehow, tried to lighten the mood and help his friend. Kaleb said, in a joking tone, "Evelyn, right? How about joining us? It’ll be fun! Leonard’s on an important mission!"

"Important?" Evelyn said, confused.

"Yeah, a mission to change his class," Kaleb said grandly. "Grandpa Saito gave him 45 days to conclude".

Evelyn looked at Mikaela and then at Leonard, both with indecipherable expressions, clearly surprised by the suggestion.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Mikaela, recovering quickly, gave Leonard a pat on the back. "Come on, Evelyn. It’ll be good to have another woman in the group. I couldn’t handle these two on my own."

Leonard nodded.

"Since everyone is so insistent... I’m in!", Evelyn replied, a playful smile finally appearing on her face, dissipating the tension of the reunion.

"Yes!", Kaleb exclaimed, with exaggerated enthusiasm, breaking the silence. "Now I don’t have to put up with this crazy saint all by myself! I’m saved!", he celebrated, doing an awkward, embarrassing little dance.

Leonard, with a mischievous smirk, approached Kaleb and whispered in his ear, "Careful, mage. One’s the saint, and the other’s the devil… Get ready for the worst…" He let out a low, restrained laugh, watching his friend’s reaction.

Kaleb’s soul seemed to leave his body for an instant. "I’m too old for this shit…", he murmured, completely despondent and in a barely audible voice, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

Meanwhile, Mikaela and Evelyn, ignoring Kaleb’s pathetic scene, walked together towards their horses, and gave each other an excited high-five. "Everything set with your gear, Evelyn?" Mikaela asked with a friendly tone.

"Always ready!", Evelyn replied, with a spark of excitement in her eyes.

"Everything ready, Kaleb?", Mikaela asked, checking one last time with the mage.

"Yeah…", he replied, in a dejected and resigned tone, as if he were heading to death row.

Evelyn asked, "And where are we going?"

Leonard, already mounted on his horse, spun it around with a quick movement and pointed north with a determined look.

"Skull Volcanoes! Let’s go!", Leonard shouted, spurring his horse and taking off at a fast gallop.