CHAPTER 94: CONFESSION [3]

Filler Chapter-: If you Hate romnce Skip it.

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"So... what are you planning to do about Maya’s confession?"

Silas asked, exhaling slowly as he leaned against the edge of the pocket dimension’s railing.

His gaze didn’t waver from the sparring match below, where Margaret and Lily moved with lethal precision.

Lyrium shifted slightly beside him, arms crossed, brow furrowed.

"What do you mean? You expect me to just... answer her? Or pretend like it didn’t happen?"

His voice carried a mix of frustration and uncertainty, the weight of the question pressing on him more than he wanted to admit.

Silas tilted his head slightly, the corner of his lips lifting into a faint, knowing smile.

"I’m saying... you can’t just ignore it, Lyrium. Maya didn’t just hand you a note, she... she put herself out there. And from what I can tell, you’ve got that stubborn streak of yours. Either you’ll completely ignore her, or you’ll trip over your own pride and make a mess of it."

Lyrium let out a low grunt, eyes flicking back to the sparring arena.

Sparks flew from Margaret’s blade as she executed a sweeping strike, Lily countering with uncanny precision.

Each clash of metal sent a shiver through the chamber.

Even with all that going on, Silas’ words... they don’t make it any easier, Lyrium thought.

"The thing is..."

Silas continued, voice softer now, almost reflective,

"I can see how you get when you care about someone or... something. You’ll overthink it. You’ll hesitate. And if you hesitate around her, Maya? She’ll notice. And you know she won’t wait forever."

Lyrium clenched his fists.

"So... what? I just run after her? Or do I... stay silent and hope it blows over?"

His question wasn’t rhetorical; he genuinely had no idea.

Silas chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Neither. You observe. You think. And then... you act with purpose. Not like the chaos you usually drag yourself into."

His smile widened just slightly, teasing yet somehow grounding.

Clank—!

The sound of metal striking metal rang sharply from below, slicing through the tension.

Lyrium’s gaze snapped back to the arena just as Margaret executed a swift, unexpected maneuver, forcing Lily to stumble slightly.

Sparks danced across the floor, a visual symphony of skill and determination.

And yet, even with the chaos unfolding below, the weight of Silas’ words lingered in Lyrium’s mind.

Maya.

The confession. What he should do... and what he wanted to do.

Lyirum was still watching their fight as Margaret chase Lily as he use her ice element while lily defects it.

"I don’t know,"

Lyrium admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

"I haven’t really thought about it that much... I mean, I don’t want to date anyone right now. And... she’s a senior, on top of that, she’s my sister’s friend. It just... feels complicated."

Before Silas could respond, Ren appeared, jogging lightly toward them.

His armless training shirt clung to his torso with sweat, a towel draped over his neck, and a cola in his hand.

He plopped down beside them with a grin, ignoring Lyrium’s hesitations entirely.

"I mean,"

Ren said, taking a swig of his drink,

"Who in the history of the world ever said a guy can’t date his sister’s friend? Senior or not, Lyrium... that’s not a rule anywhere. And seriously, you’re overthinking it."

Lyrium blinked, feeling both exasperated and slightly amused.

"Overthinking? That’s... probably an understatement coming from you."

Silas, leaning back calmly, let out a quiet laugh.

"Ren’s not wrong. But Lyrium... think carefully. It’s not just about rules or norms, it’s about what you actually want, and how this could affect everyone around you."

Ren rolled his eyes, tossing the empty cola can aside.

"Pfft, everyone’s too serious. Life’s short, man. If you like her, you like her. Figure it out, don’t make it a tragedy."

Lyrium let out a long sigh, running a hand down his face.

"Ugh... you two make it sound so simple, but trust me, it’s anything but."

The tension between them was a strange mix of amusement and seriousness, Ren teasing, Silas advising, and Lyrium caught somewhere in between, weighing his thoughts as the sound of clashing swords and elemental energy echoed faintly from the training arena below.

"Hmmm..."

Lyrium murmured, leaning back slightly, still lost in thought.

Silas glanced at him calmly, arms crossed.

"Give it some thought. Don’t rush it, but don’t ignore it either. Sometimes the right answer comes when you actually think things through."

Ren, meanwhile, rolled his eyes and leaned back, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Yeah, but don’t go breaking a young maiden’s heart, mate. I’m telling you."

He raised the cola can in his hand, took the last sip, and with perfect precision tossed it toward the dustbin across the room.

"Bam."

He murmured almost theatrically as the can landed dead center, the sound echoing slightly.

He turned back to Lyrium, shrugging casually.

"See? Aiming matters. Timing matters. And so does how you handle a girl’s feelings. Don’t mess it up, alright?"

Lyrium stared at him, part frustrated, part impressed.

"You make it sound like this is some kind of high-stakes training exercise."

Silas smirked lightly.

"In a way... it is. Hearts are tricky, just like any duel. You approach them wrong, and you could get burned, or worse, leave a permanent scar."

Ren grinned.

"Exactly! So think smart, act precise, and don’t forget, sometimes a little boldness works better than overthinking."

Lyrium let out a slow sigh, rubbing his temple.

"Ugh... why does everything have to be so complicated?"

Lyrium’s eyes suddenly flickered with realization, a memory tugging at the edge of his mind.

"Wait... what about you, Silas?"

He asked, curiosity and mischief mixing in his tone.

Ren, catching the shift immediately, leaned forward, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"Ahhh, wait a minute... you and Lily, huh? Hehe... what’s going on with you two, bud?"

Silas stiffened, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks.

His calm, composed demeanor wavered for a moment.

"W-what do you mean, ’you two’...? I-I... it’s not like I have feelings for her, and neither does she..."

His voice faltered, just slightly, betraying the subtle truth he wasn’t fully ready to admit.

Ren chuckled, nudging Lyrium with his elbow.

"Aha! Did I just see a crack in Mr. Calm-and-Collected’s armor? Come on, you can’t lie to me!"

Lyrium smirked, tilting his head.

"Silas... you really thought you could keep that hidden from us? Please, you’re way too obvious. The slight blush, the hesitation... it’s all there, mate."

Silas groaned softly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I swear, you two are insufferable sometimes. It’s nothing, alright? Just stop poking at it."

Ren laughed, throwing back his head.

"Nothing? Sure, keep telling yourself that, bud. But mark my words, if either of you messes this up, I’m going to make sure it gets way more complicated."

But then, a soft voice came from behind, interrupting their banter.

"Hmmm... what are you guys talking about?"

Lily asked, leaning casually on Ren’s shoulder.

Her sudden presence made all three of them freeze mid-motion.

"A-ah... nothing! Nothing at all!"

Silas stammered, his composure faltering as a faint blush crept across his cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah, nothing at all,"

Ren said quickly, waving his hands like he could physically erase the conversation.

"Just... you know, talking about a girl with black hair whose name starts with... L."

"Hey!!"

Silas snapped, reaching out to grab Ren’s arm, but Ren yanked back with a mischievous grin, making Silas groan.

Lily simply giggled, clearly entertained, and turned her gaze to Lyrium.

Her smile was bright, warm, and slightly teasing.

"Well... Lyrium, what are you going to do about Senior Maya’s confession?"

Margaret, standing quietly behind Lily, kept her expression perfectly composed, but Lyrium could feel her sharp gaze on him.

Her hands were subtly gripping the folds of her clothes, just enough to show that she was interested in his answer, even if she wouldn’t speak.

Lyrium scratched the back of his neck, shifting his weight slightly.

"Umm... I haven’t really thought about it that much, to be honest. I mean... I guess I should go on a date with her. I want to tell her exactly what I want, see where things go... I don’t want to lead her on, but I also don’t want to ignore her feelings."

Lily’s eyes lit up like stars.

"Aha! That’s exactly what I would’ve said! Taking her out on a date, being honest... it’s the right move. You can’t just brush off someone’s feelings, and it shows maturity. Honestly, Lyrium, I think she’d appreciate that more than anything."

Ren, still lounging beside them, grinned widely, shaking his head in amusement.

"Exactly! And if you accept her proposal straight up... well, that’s basically a guaranteed win for you. You get Maya, she’s happy, and everyone’s satisfied. You’re basically playing this perfectly if you do it right."

Silas, arms crossed and leaning slightly against the railing, let out a soft exhale, his usual calm tone tinged with disapproval.

"Ren, you make it sound like she’s just some prize to be collected. That’s... not what this is about. Lyrium, don’t forget she’s a person with feelings, not an object to win or lose. And you... well, you need to consider her emotions too, not just your own."

"Hey!! It’s not like that!"

Ren protested immediately, throwing his hands up in mock offense.

"I’m not saying it like that! I’m just saying... don’t overcomplicate it, Lyrium. Life’s messy enough already, sometimes you just need to take a shot before you overthink it to death."

Lyrium let out a long sigh, leaning back, eyes half-lidded. "

Ugh... you two make it sound so simple, but it’s not. It’s always more complicated than you guys think. What if I mess up? What if she hates it? What if..."

He stopped mid-thought, realizing both Silas and Ren were staring at him like he was about to implode.

Margaret, ever composed, didn’t say a word.

But the faint tightening of her grip on her clothes betrayed her interest.

She was watching, waiting, and her eyes were sharper than ever, making Lyrium suddenly aware of her presence again.

Lily, catching his hesitation, tilted her head slightly and smiled softly.

"Don’t overthink it too much. Sometimes honesty, a little courage, and a tiny bit of planning is all you need. You don’t have to have all the answers right now."

Ren leaned back, smirking.

"Yeah! And if you fail, you fail. At least you tried, mate. You’ll learn. Life’s about learning, and sometimes messing up is the fastest way to figure things out. But seriously, don’t break a young girl’s heart while you’re at it."

"Literally,"

"Hahaha"

They all laugh while Margaret also giggled softly covering her mouth.

Lyrium let his thoughts drift, watching their small gestures, the smiles, and the teasing tones.

’Haaa... it’s not so bad, having these people around. I mean... this timeline is... kind of good. Everyone’s not cold and distant like before, and yeah, Ren’s still ridiculous, but at least people feel alive. Warm. Real.’

He allowed himself a faint, quiet smile, thinking of how different things were now, how strange it felt to actually have people around who cared, argued, teased, and pushed him all at once.

Even Margaret’s subtle, almost-hidden reaction didn’t escape him.

For a moment, he realized that maybe... this timeline, imperfect as it was, might be the one where things could actually feel right.