The Unlimited Ascension: Reborn as an Extra

Chapter 109: A Quiet Night Together

The steady sound of the shower echoed from the bathroom, breaking the silence of the hotel room.

L stood by the large window, looking out toward the vast night sky over Vale City.

’How long will I have to pretend to be someone else? Do I not deserve to live independently, free from carrying any burdens? How long do I have to hide from them...’

’Every day I live in fear that they will come to take me back... I can’t live my whole life hiding from them. I have to become stronger. So strong that no one will ever be able to take my freedom away from me again.’

As the sound of the shower seemed to stop after a few minutes, the door of the bathroom opened.

*Creak—!* *Thud!*

L looked back and saw Alen walk out looking fresh. He dried his wet hair with a white towel. He wore a simple, casual white shirt along with dark pants. He walked toward the mirror without looking at L. He casually started to dry his hair while looking at his own reflection.

L looked at his reflection in a daze. He was busy thinking about what he should do if Alen ever found out his true secret.

Would he point a finger at her? Would he accuse her of betraying his trust? Or would he reveal her real identity to everyone?

Whatever it was, she was not ready for what might come. She couldn’t hurt him or force him to stay silent, especially since she had already almost killed him once before. If he really decided to reveal her identity, she would not be able to stop him.

Alen noticed the lingering gaze in the mirror.

"Hey, don’t look at me, you gay bastard!"

L snapped back from the daze, startled. His face turned bright red as he realized he was staring at him much longer than he intended.

"Hey, sorry, but I am not gay!"

"Oh, is that so? But you are showing close signs of it. I doubt if you are truly not..."

Alen walked toward the soft bed, feeling the weight of his exhaustion.

*Yawn~*

L looked at him, surprised by the casual dismissal of his words.

"Hey, did you really hear me? I am not gay! I was just thinking about something else! Please stop calling me that!"

He practically begged him to stop using that name.

"Yeah, yeah, just let me sleep then..."

Alen lay down on the right side of the bed. He closed his eyes and took a long breath to inhale the cool air of the room.

L finally calmed down as he watched Alen try to sleep.

Suddenly, Alen opened his eyes again and spoke.

"Just to make sure, don’t do anything weird while I am sleeping. I am warning you. I might just blast you away..."

He then leaned back into the pillows and closed his eyes. A slow, steady rhythm of breathing continued as sleep finally claimed him.

L looked at him, left speechless in a daze. He didn’t know what he should do to convince that bastard that he wasn’t gay.

’I am a girl, and now he is calling me gay, ughh!... It would have been better being called a pervert as a woman than being called gay while in a male disguise....’

’Umm? Wait a minute, what am I even thinking?! I don’t want him to call me either of those things! I am not that kind of person, hmph!...’

He looked at Alen’s peaceful sleeping face. Suddenly, the pendant artifact started to dim its light beneath his clothes. His body shone with a bright violet light. The violet glow illuminated the entire dark room.

As the disguise faded, the body transformed into her actual being. A beautiful girl stood in the exact same place. Her long, raven-black hair flowed smoothly down her back, perfectly framing her delicate, pale skin. Her mesmerizing amethyst eyes gleamed beautifully across the quiet room. Her flawless white skin shined gently under the moonlight pouring through the window.

"Sigh... Thanks to the heavens, the artifact exhausted its energy after he fell asleep... I just barely survived that awkward situation."

She walked toward the bed, checking carefully to see if he was really asleep or just pretending. She looked at his handsome face. His forehead was covered by his messy silver hair, which shined under the light because of the moisture from the shower.

"It seems he is really asleep... Let’s get washed up before he wakes up."

She took the purple artifact from her neck and placed it safely on the nearby table beside the washroom door. She opened the door and stepped inside.

After she was gone, the room was once again filled with quietness, illuminated only by the warm, pale moonlight.

After half an hour had passed, the door of the bathroom finally opened. Lyris stepped out, wearing a simple oversized white T-shirt and loose pants. Her wet hair shined in the moonlight.

She walked toward the mirror, looking at her true reflection. A beautiful girl with an innocent face stared back from the glass. Her flawless face glowed brightly in the shadows. Her eyes remained blank, showing no outward expression.

’Sigh... It would have been nice if I could have stayed like this without any pretense...’

She walked toward the bed and sat there while looking around the quiet room. The only sound she could hear was the slow, steady breathing of Alen.

She turned her back to the window and looked down at him.

’He is sleeping so peacefully without any tension, right after making me feel embarrassed for the whole day...’

She looked at his flawless face continuously. For some unknown reason, she felt quite attracted toward him in this quiet moment. She could feel the faint warmth radiating from his resting body. The world outside felt so cold compared to sitting near him.

She involuntarily stepped closer and laid down next to him on the large bed. She wasn’t quite touching him, but she was close enough to feel the comforting warmth radiating from his skin.

She stared at his soft expression. Compared to the lunatic, defensive expression he usually wore during the day, he looked much more docile and kind when he slept.

’Why does he behave like that during the day?...’

’It is one way to put it that he is trying to be selfish, but that is not the only thing... He wants to act selfish, but he also seeks for someone to notice him. To not get ignored. To not feel lonely.’

’He is just like me... He fears loneliness, but he also fears betrayal...’

’From the start, ever since the time we spent in the trial, he didn’t try to become too close to me. But he also didn’t remain quiet when I tried to ignore him. He always tried to inevitably get answers from me. Not because he expected a genuine answer, but because he wanted me to notice him. And maybe it’s not just me; maybe he also tries to behave the exact same way with others.’

Lyris lifted her delicate hand and gently cupped his baby-soft cheek. He involuntarily leaned into her hand in his sleep, as if he was actively feeling and seeking her warmth.

’You are not much different from me... Just like how you don’t want to feel ignored and lonely, I also don’t want to feel that...’

’Just like you hesitate to get closer to others, I too hesitate to grow closer to someone, thinking I wouldn’t be able to lose them.’

Lyris stroked his soft, silky silver hair, looking at him with soft eyes.

’You are selfish as well as kind. Just like how a single coin has two different faces, you also have two different personalities... Only a few people could find that out if they took the time to see you from another perspective.’

’You try to act selfish, but even behind that facade, you have a specific reason for it. If someone looked carefully from another perspective, that action might show a hidden hint of your kindness...’

’Just earlier, you tried to act selfish, but even behind that act, you were still helping Ava escape the trial. You didn’t really leave her behind, even though you could have easily gone without her...’

As she continued to look at him, suddenly his body started to shake. His skin turned pale and cold, and his expression changed to show genuine fear.

Lyris frowned at his sudden change in behavior.

’Is he having a nightmare? What could he see in a nightmare that makes even him shake? The confident guy who wouldn’t even admit a loss until the very end?...’

He reached out and held her hand in his sleep, his fingers gripping tight as if seeking the firm assurance of her presence.

She started to stroke his arm gently in order to make him feel comforted. Slowly, the violent shaking seemed to calm down. A single drop of tear escaped his closed eye and fell down his cheek. She caught the tear in her hand, looking at his now softened face.

She continued to stroke his back to make him feel comfortable, staring at him, not wanting him to feel fear ever again.

As the quiet time slowly passed, she started to get caught up in the weight of the peacefulness. Her eyes felt heavy. She involuntarily closed them, savoring the intimate moment, as sleep finally claimed her.

Both figures now lay peacefully beside each other. Each of them had their own deep problems, hidden fears, and secret weaknesses. But now, for the time being, they let themselves rest in this quiet moment. They waited for the new dawn to appear, which would either bring a moment of happiness to make them smile, or a moment of trouble to further complicate their lives.