Chapter 11: The balcony...
*THOOM*
The entire building trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake, and the sound of shattering glass echoed from nearby structures.
Cynthia, who was resting on the bed, jolted awake in panic.
"Klein?!"
She rushed toward the balcony door, and the moment she stepped outside, her eyes narrowed.
The balcony had completely collapsed.
Chunks of concrete and twisted metal railings were lying in a broken heap on the ground below.
Klein was dusting off his clothes while standing in the middle of the rubble.
"Klein!"
He looked up at her from below and, seeing her worried expression, he raised his hand and waved casually.
"I’m alright."
Cynthia frowned in confusion ’What the hell happened? The balcony just... fell off?’
She glanced around and saw that several windows in the nearby apartment buildings were shattered.
Car alarms were blaring in the distance.
Without wasting another second, she turned and hurried down the stairs.
She burst out of the building and ran straight toward him.
"Klein!" She reached him and immediately grabbed his arms, looking him up and down for injuries.
"Are you alright? What happened?! Did someone attack us?!"
Klein shook his head, "I’m fine, Cyn. No one attacked us. I was just testing something."
She stared at him, still breathing heavily from the sudden panic.
"Testing something?"
Klein scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly "I was exerting my mana."
"Trying to get a better feel for the new power after the awakening. I didn’t think it would be this strong... I must have released too much at once. The pressure wave broke the supports."
Cynthia blinked in surprise, "You... accidentally destroyed the balcony... by releasing mana?"
Klein nodded, "Yeah."
"You’re already breaking buildings?" She let out a helpless laugh, running a hand through her long white hair.
She stepped closer and flicked his forehead lightly.
"You scared the shit out of me, idiot. I thought we were under attack or something."
Klein caught her hand gently before she could pull it back "Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you."
Cynthia let out a soft sigh and leaned her forehead against his chest.
"Just... be careful, okay? You’re still recovering from whatever happened after the Rite. Don’t push yourself too hard."
Turning her head, she saw the broken balcony in the room "Now we have to explain to the building management why our balcony decided to take a vacation."
At that moment, the front doors of the private clinic burst open.
Three nurses rushed out in a panic and looked at the destroyed balcony and the pile of rubble.
"W-What happened here?!"
"The patients inside are scared! Some of them thought it was an earthquake!"
"How... how did the balcony just collapse like that?!"
Cynthia stepped forward to calm them "There is nothing to worry about."
"The balcony just... fell. There are no injuries for anyone. No one was on it when it collapsed."
She gave them a reassuring smile, "I will come and talk to Dr. Martha personally and explain everything. Please go back inside and calm the patients. Tell them it was just a structural failure... nothing dangerous."
---
Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, Arwen let out a soft breath as she watched Klein eat.
"I was gone for just a few moments... And you almost turned the entire clinic into a demolition site."
Klein paused mid-bite and gave her a sheepish smile, cheeks slightly full with the food Arwen had brought from the store.
"It wasn’t that bad." he mumbled, swallowing quickly. "Just the balcony. The rest of the building is still standing."
Arwen moved closer to him and kissed his cheek "We know you’re excited about your new powers," she said gently.
"But you just woke up from fainting earlier. Your body is still adjusting. You can’t push yourself like this so soon."
Cynthia nodded "Yeah. At least wait until we get home before you start breaking things."
Arwen watched him eat for a few more moments before speaking again, "Dr. Martha said your body is healthy, but the strain from awakening such a powerful class is affecting your mana pathways."
"Does it still hurt?" she asked softly.
Shaking his head, he replied "It’s better now. The headache is mostly gone. Just... a strange feeling."
Cynthia leaned closer, resting her chin on his shoulder from the other side.
"So what exactly happened when you were testing your mana?" she asked curiously. "You said you released too much?"
Klein nodded, "I was trying to circulate it properly. The golden energy feels pure. The pressure built up too fast and exploded outward. I tried to contain it, but... well, you saw the result."
With a soft giggle, Arwen replied, "It’s alright. No one is injured, that’s the most important thing. I’ll go and talk to Martha. We should cover the cost of the destruction ourselves. It wouldn’t be right to leave it like this."
She stood up from the edge of the bed, brushing a few loose strands of black hair behind her ear.
Before leaving, she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Klein’s forehead.
"Rest properly, okay?" she whispered. "Don’t push yourself again."
Klein gave her a small nod. Arwen smiled softly at both of them, then turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Cynthia, who has been waiting patiently, leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on Klein’s cheek.
Then she pulled back just enough to look at him with her eyes full of affection.
Klein closed his eyes for a moment, quietly enjoying her warmth.
Her scent, her presence, the familiar way she always sought him out... it all reminded him so much of Aeloria.
In his past life, Aeloria was exactly like this.
Always chasing him and loving him unconditionally.
Never minding that she came second to Zrryha.
She accepted being his second choice... until the very end, when she drove his own spear through her heart just to stay by his side in death.
The memory made his chest twist painfully.
He gently wrapped his arm around Cynthia’s shoulder and pulled her closer, holding her against his body.
’I won’t do the same mistake again. I won’t let another woman who loves me die with regret.’
Cynthia nuzzled deeper into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist as she held him tightly.
