Pants Off!
Riona had a dream, a very clear yet strange one.
In the dream, she watched her whole life from a third-person perspective. No, to be precise, it was the lives of Corin and Elaira.
It was like a long TV series set in an era of superpowers awakening after the apocalypse.
In this story, Corin was the male lead, and Elaira was the female lead. The plot mainly revolved around the love, hate, and growth between Corin, the cunning base commander, and Elaira, a fallen heiress.
And Riona? She was merely a stepping stone in the hero's journey to power, and her end was especially tragic.
After years of diligent service, she was wrongfully accused of conspiring with the Eastern State. She suffered greatly in a dark dungeon, unable to live or die, until Corin ruthlessly shot her.
No one cared for her sacrifices, no one remembered her contributions. Across all the 13 Zones of the Northern State, everyone branded her a traitor.
In the end, Corin, after much effort, became the overseer of the Northern State. He personally eradicated the great villain Soren and ruled the last human sanctuary with an iron fist, becoming the king of this land, a beacon of righteousness.
Elaira, who had shared Corin's trials and tribulations, finally opened his long-frozen heart and became his most beloved.
The story left an iconic quote from Elaira in its final frame, "Let's start over, my name is Elaira, Elaira Mirex. It's so good to see you."
Thus, the world was at peace, and the two lived happily ever after.
Riona found herself wordless, even in her dream. 'What kind of clichéd, melodramatic trash is that?'
She lived in such a vivid and real world, her years of steadfast morality, her unwavering beliefs, her sincere affections, all just to fuel a cheesy romance?
Riona woke up in a mix of anger and unwillingness. When she became conscious, she could hear the heavy rain outside, pattering against the window.
The room was cold and quiet, with a hint of alcohol in the air and the light clinking of metal on a dish.
Everything made her feel like she was in a hospital or a lab.
Riona struggled to open her eyes and saw a figure in white moving in front of her. But the bright light was too harsh, causing her to involuntarily shed tears.
A voice came from above, low and teasing, "What's wrong, did I hurt you?"
Riona roughly understood her situation. She had been rescued by someone kind, and now a doctor was stitching up a wound on her arm.
Without much thought, she shook her head cooperatively, "No."
"Doctor, may I ask..."
He chuckled lightly, his breath soft and his tone mockingly playful, "Doctor?"
Riona, recalling the voice, opened her eyes in shock. "Soren?!"
He stood there in a white coat, tall and handsome, smiling as he met her eyes. His voice was relaxed and casual, "Looks like you're really awake now."
Soren, putting on rubber gloves nonchalantly, said, "You're really lucky to be alive, young lady..."
Riona, seeing him actually treating her wounds, felt a mix of emotions.
Abandoned by Corin, yet saved by him.
Soren, the overseer of the Eastern State's 14 Zones, had been her and Corin's sworn enemy for years. They were as familiar and strange – forged in conflict.
The Northern State bordered the Eastern State, and they often clashed over resources.
In all their previous encounters, it was a matter of life and death. She had slashed his suits many times, and he, annoying and shameless, always infuriated her.
Riona's unwavering dream, apart from defending her territory, was to avenge Corin's brother by killing Soren.
But now, he was her savior...
And not just now, in the fleeting images of her dream, she saw what happened after her death.
Half a month after her tragic end in the dungeon, Soren suddenly attacked the Northern State, devastating its entire base.
That battle was particularly fierce and sorrowful. In the end, led by Corin, all the Awakened across the 13 Zones united to besiege Soren. Although Soren narrowly escaped death, his Nectar Jar was severely damaged.
All the Awakened possess a Nectar Jar, a kind of energy container. Once it's broken, the stored energy slowly leaks away until the Awakened lose their powers completely.
This led to the final attack by Corin's forces on the Eastern State, where Soren, powerless, chose to burn himself down with his last bit of energy.
Atop that white church, he seemed utterly mad, his stunning face illuminated by fire. Laughing, he walked into the inferno of flaming roses, resolutely embracing death.
That scene was heartbreakingly shocking. The distant mountains were bathed in orange-red clouds, the ground engulfed in raging flames, everything burning away in thick smoke...
Riona, entering the dream in a third-person view, didn't understand why Soren suddenly went on a suicidal mission to the Northern State, nor why he chose to burn everything, including himself.
'Is it… because of me?' The realization suddenly fell on Riona.
However, she and Soren's only connection was on the battlefield, which made her wonder what she could have done to make Soren give up everything for her. 'But if it's not for me, why the coincidence in timing? And then there was the silver bracelet he wore on his wrist right before he died – that's mine!'
The bracelet was a gift from her grandmother at her birth. She and her cousin each received one. To find her long-lost cousin, Riona always wore it. She never took it off, even amidst the chaos of the post-apocalyptic world.
"..."
"Young lady, I've called you three times now. What are you daydreaming about?"
When Riona snapped back to reality, she realized Soren was bending over, looking at her. His eyes curved, his face dangerously charming.
Unsure how to deal with this sudden shift in their relationship, Riona looked away, and said, "...Don't call me 'young lady'."
"Is that so? But when I first met you, you were a young girl with a long knife, slashing wildly at me. I asked who taught you, and you just kept on attacking. Such a cute look, yet so unruly..."
He laughed again, letting go of her slender arm and playfully lifting her chin as if just remembering. "Oh, you've grown up now, into a beautiful woman..."
Riona rolled her eyes. "Please stop saying that."
Every time she heard this infuriating man speak, she got goosebumps.
Even though he saved her, she still couldn't help getting angry, the urge to attack him almost ingrained in her DNA.
Riona dodged his intimate touch, her voice slightly unnatural, "But you're not much older than me, don't call me that."
"Then what should I call you? Captain Elex? Or Miss Elex?"
He leaned in, his cool, blood-tinged breath reaching Riona's nose. Perhaps due to the cold air, she could even feel his body heat, as if enveloped in an invisible warm mist.
Riona remained silent, but then heard him speak again, his voice deep and alluring, slow and husky, "Then, Miss Elex, would you mind... taking off your pants?"
"What the hell??"