MMORPG: Rebirth of the Shadow Mage

144 Feelings

Leo stumbled into his bedroom, his eyes drooping with fatigue. He carelessly kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto his bed, pulling the soft, warm blanket over his body. Despite his exhaustion, his mind was still active and racing with thoughts, refusing to let him slip into a peaceful slumber just yet. He lay there, wide-awake, lost in his own thoughts.

Leo was now fully aware that he was attracted to Ava and he couldn’t deny it. He could clearly see the difference between how he reacted towards her and other girls.

He couldn’t shake off the flutter of emotions in his chest every time he thought of her, it made him uneasy and uncertain. He knew that he needed to address these feelings as they could potentially have a significant impact on his life. He closed his eyes, trying to find a way to deal with his emotions and find a solution to his inner turmoil.

Leo was torn about his attraction to Ava. On one hand, he couldn’t deny the strong physical attraction he felt towards her, but on the other hand, he knew that pursuing a relationship with her could bring a lot of problems and complications.

He was aware that his attraction was based primarily on her physical appearance, and that he had not yet developed deeper feelings of love or affection for her as a person. He had spent some time with her in hell, and while he knew her character, he had not yet fallen in love with her or begun to appreciate her as a woman.

Leo couldn’t help but be drawn to her beauty, which was undeniable and could make any man’s heart flutter with desire.

“Forget about it...”

He just shrugged his shoulders. He knew that Ava was just out of his league, he felt that the ‘Ice Queen’ could not be taken by a random passerby like him, who just happens to be reincarnated and gets all the loot due to having prior knowledge about the game.

Leo tried to convince himself that he was not good enough for her, and that his interactions with her were a result of him exploiting his advantage of being reincarnated. He felt guilty for wanting to pursue her in this way.

.....

He believed that it was unfair to her and to others who were not in his position...

“Like I care about others’ opinions!”

Leo cursed, catching himself lying through the teeth and frowned. He felt his eyelids slowly closing, covering his sight in darkness.

‘Emotions are complicated...’

***

Ava made her way through the dense forest, her eyes fixed on the map displayed on the transparent screen of her system window.

Her black wings were tightly folded against her back to prevent them from getting caught in the thick branches.

The forest was alive with the calls of birds and the random screeches from monsters.

Despite the beauty and dangers around her, Ava’s mind was preoccupied with something important. Biting her bottom lip in thought, her eyes took on a distant look as she considered her options.

She had acquired a certain item, but was now questioning whether or not she wanted to keep it.

‘Should I delete it?’

She whispered to herself, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty. The item held great value, but it also came with a great shame.

She knew that keeping it would mean having to make a difficult decision. But if she deleted it, she would probably regret this later on. Ava weighed the pros and cons, her mind racing as she tried to make the best decision.

Ava shook her head, attempting to push the thoughts at the back of her mind. She decided that she would keep the item safely protected within her phone’s storage.

Click...

Suddenly she received a new message in her inbox.

Ava quickly checked the sender’s ID and saw that it was from Tia. She opened the mail interested to see what it contained. As far as she knew nobody except Leo, Eli, Eric and... ‘Leonard’ knew how to contact her in game.

As she read the contents, her eyes slightly widened and her expression turned serious. Without hesitation, she accessed her map and quickly changed her target. She was now making her way to retrieve the potions she had bought previously.

Ava extended her massive black wings, the muscles in her back rippling with the effort. With a powerful thrust, she lifted off the ground, her wings beating with a steady rhythm as she soared into the sky. The speed at which she moved was incomparable to walking, and she felt a sense of freedom and exhilaration wash over her. The ground below her became a blur as she flew, her wings slicing through the air with effortless grace.

She knew that some players might see her, but she didn’t care. Her massive angel wings were something that she couldn’t hide, no matter how hard she tried.

Flying through the clouds, Ava felt a sense of pride and freedom...

As Ava reached her destination, she landed gracefully, her wings folding against her back as she looked around. She found herself in a city, as there were many players openly gaping towards her, their eyes drawn to her massive black wings and her beautiful face.

Many of them had horns, and Ava couldn’t help but wonder if they were as sensitive as Leo’s.

The thought was fleeting, however, as her attention was soon drawn to a girl with black hair who emerged from a massive mansion and waved towards her.

“You are probably Ava!”

Ava’s eyes slightly squinted as she examined the woman in front of her. She had transparent wings sprouting from her back, and Ava could tell by her appearance that she was a fairy. Though Ava was already aware of this, she couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback by the woman’s beauty. She had expected fairies to be more cute and delicate, but this woman was stunning.

For some reason, Ava felt something gripping at her stomach, but she chose to ignore it. She approached Tia and greeted her warmly. Tia, in turn, smiled and led her inside the massive structure. The interior was just as grand and opulent as the exterior, and Ava couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe as she looked around.

She was soon led into the kitchen, where a warm and inviting aroma of tea greeted her. On the table, there was a cup of tea, the smoke from the liquid rising gracefully into the air. Tia gestured for Ava to take a seat, and Ava obliged, taking a moment to savor the scent of the tea. Tia then took out a paper document and placed it on the table in front of Ava. The document was filled with small print and had a signature mark at the bottom.

“This is a contract and upon signing it you’ll receive the Intermediate Health potions.”

Ava nodded, her attention fully focused on the document as she carefully read through the fine print. The contract was very detailed and professionally written, outlining the most important points. She was handed a pen, and with a steady hand, she signed her name on the designated line at the bottom of the page. She then handed the contract back to Tia, who gave her a satisfied smile.

A dozen potion bottles with red liquid materialized on the table in front of Ava. Without hesitation, Ava quickly grabbed them and placed them in her inventory. She counted them carefully, making sure the number matched the quantity that she had ordered. Once satisfied that all the bottles were accounted for, she nodded her head in approval.

As they sipped the hot tea, Tia and Ava exchanged a few friendly words. They talked about Ava’s journey and the things they had been doing in the game. But soon, the conversation took a more interesting turn.

Tia twirled a strand of her long black hair around her finger as she gazed out the window, her brown eyes seeming distant and troubled.

“You’re familiar with my boss in real life?”

She asked, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness.

Ava, noticing Tia’s expression, nodded her head in confirmation and took a sip of her drink. She was intrigued by Tia’s question and the emotions it seemed to have stirred up in her.

“Isn’t he a bit cold... He al...”

Tia opened up to Ava, sharing her complaints about Leonard. As she spoke, Ava listened attentively, nodding her head from time to time in understanding. She could relate to Tia’s complaints, as she too had been treated by Leonard in the same way.

Hearing Tia’s experiences with Leonard, Ava realized that she was not alone in her feelings of annoyance and frustration towards him.

Even though she and Leonard had only communicated through work-related matters, the way he carried himself, his speaking habits, and his seemingly robotic character all reminded her of Leo.

Ava couldn’t help, but sigh feeling her brain overheating from the complex thoughts.

‘Emotions are complicated...’

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