Multiversal Ascension-Chapter 69: Her Past (3)

Watching the memories of her family's death had brought her to tears. While it wasn't like reliving those moments directly, she felt an undeniable familiarity with the characters on the screen. Knowing it was her story made it even more emotional.

As the memory sequence concluded, the surrounding darkness began to crack, and she felt a warm embrace envelop her. A gentle hand tenderly stroked her hair. She immediately recognized Mikael and nestled her head against his chest, keeping her face hidden from his view as fresh tears began to fall.

Now that she felt "safe," she allowed herself to let go, something she hadn't been able to do in the void-like space. For her, it was a painful reminder of the seemingly endless time she had spent trapped in the void, doing nothing but enduring the torment of isolation.

Elsewhere, a few moments earlier, Mikael had been silently holding Kiara, a mix of concern and curiosity stirring within him. She had fallen unconscious during the process of him acquiring her, something that wasn't supposed to happen. His worry only deepened after his strange interaction with the Records, which had left him with many unanswered questions.

When she stirred, he noticed immediately and was about to speak. However, she buried her head in his chest—a reaction that wasn't unusual for her, as she seized every opportunity to be as close to him as possible. But when he felt her body trembling silently, his expression darkened, and a deep sense of unease took root in his heart.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back to see her face. When he finally saw it, it felt as though someone had stabbed his heart. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and she looked... fragile.

"Don't look! I'm ugly!" she cried amidst her tears, covering her face with her hands. She didn't want anyone to see her like this—especially not Mikael.

Her reaction broke his heart a little more. Wanting to comfort her, he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. The gesture seemed to soothe her, and she responded in kind.

The kiss ended quickly, and Mikael pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly while gently stroking her back. "I don't know what's happening, but I'm here," he said softly.

"Hmm," she murmured, a quiet sound of acknowledgment, as she rested her head against his chest. Her body occasionally trembled, but Mikael didn't know what else to do. He simply continued to hold her, whispering comforting words. His earlier curiosity had completely taken a back seat to his concern for her well-being.

Time passed, and gradually the tremors subsided. Soon, she was simply lying against his chest, her breathing steadier.

"Do you want to move to the bed so we can cuddle there?" he asked in the gentlest tone he could muster. The floor wasn't exactly comfortable.

"Hmm," she agreed softly. Hearing this, Mikael carefully lifted her into a princess carry and brought her to her room. He lay down on his back with Kiara resting atop him, her head nestled against his chest.

They stayed like this for a while in comforting silence. Mikael noticed her breathing shift, and he whispered, "Kiara?"

When she didn't respond, he realized she had fallen asleep. He let out a small sigh and allowed himself to relax, though sleep didn't come easily. His thoughts were swirling, filled with worry and curiosity about what had happened to her.

Even as exhaustion tugged at him, Mikael struggled to fall asleep, replaying the events of the day in his mind. Eventually, his heavy eyelids closed, and sleep claimed him.

The next morning, Mikael felt movement on his chest. Stirring awake, he looked up to see Kiara smiling at him, her hands tucked under her chin. There was no trace of the turmoil from the night before.

They shared a soft good morning kiss, but Kiara quickly began to move against him, clearly wanting more than just a kiss. Mikael gently stopped her. "Not now. I'm worried about you—what happened yesterday?"

She averted her gaze, feeling a wave of insecurity. 'What if he doesn't want me because I was once human and not originally his AI?'

"Nothing," she mumbled.

Mikael gave her a deadpan look. "Nothing? Kiara, you were crying yesterday. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but please don't lie."

His supportive tone gave her the courage to speak. Taking a deep breath, she launched into her explanation. "You see, yesterday, when I fell unconscious, I appeared in a void..."

Kiara recounted everything that had happened, leaving nothing out. As she spoke, the emotions from the experience resurfaced, evident in her expression. Mikael listened intently, living the story through her words. Normally, he wouldn't care much about someone's life story, but this was Kiara—someone he deeply cared for—and it affected him profoundly.

When she finished, she softly placed a hand on his cheek and whispered, "And then I appeared and saw you. My Mikael." Her eyes glimmered with an intense, all-consuming obsession, dark and unfathomable, like bottomless black holes.

Sharing her story lifted a weight from Kiara's heart, leaving her feeling lighter. Meanwhile, Mikael was overwhelmed with anger—a rare emotion for him. He was usually calm and composed, but the thought of those who had killed Kiara's parents and caused her so much pain ignited a fury within him.

He also felt a pang of helplessness. The perpetrators were likely already being tortured or had perhaps even been killed, leaving him with nothing more to do on that front. His anger extended to the Records for subjecting Kiara to such prolonged isolation in the void, a torment that had clearly scarred her. Yet, he couldn't entirely blame them, as they were also the ones who had ultimately saved her. The conflict between his emotions left him feeling powerless.

Pushing his anger aside, Mikael focused on Kiara. They stayed close, occasionally exchanging a few words. Gradually, her mood improved. The painful memories began to fade into the background, allowing her to start living in the present again.

Ignoring the anger simmering within him, Mikael joked with a wry smile, "We can say that my gift was really bad, huh!"

Kiara didn't share his sentiment and shook her head. "Even if the process was unpleasant and painful in its own way, the gift is wonderful because now I am yours!"

"Speaking of that... Do you want me to release you?" he asked. "The deal you made with the Records says you'd be at my service until my death or until I decide to set you free."

At his words, a horrified expression crossed her beautiful face. "NO!" she exclaimed. Seeing his curious gaze, she coughed awkwardly before continuing, "I want to stay connected to you... for eternity!" she declared, her eyes shining with obsessive love.

'Yeah, I should have expected that,' he thought, berating himself silently before reassuring her. "No worries. If you want to stay as my personal AI, that's fine with me—it actually makes me happy. I only mentioned it in case you wanted more independence, but seeing your reaction, it's clear you don't. So, moving on from that, would you like to join my party?"

She didn't immediately understand the meaning of his words, but in that moment, a system message appeared before her.

[Mikael Angelini has invited you to join his party. Do you accept? Yes/No]

She accepted without hesitation.

[Party:

Mikael Angelini (Leader): Tier 1, Level 50

Kiara Dreyfus (Member): Tier 2, Level 1]

"What's this?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"It's kind of complicated and comes with a lot of features," he explained. "But essentially, it's a system that links us together. It lets me share my system upgrades, my LP, and similar things with you. It also allows me to give you access to my things or even have you accompany me during military missions or when I am exploring a world."

As she heard the part about being able to accompany him, her eyes shone. "Really? You mean I could come with you to the Academy and protect you from all the bitc—women who circle around you?"

A wry smile tugged at his lips as he thought, 'That's so... her,' before answering in a firm tone, "No, sorry. That won't be possible. In Dirarnia, I've already made enemies, and I can't afford to take you there. You'd be in danger."

Disappointment flickered across her face at his words, but at the same time, joy filled her heart because he wanted to protect her. Torn between the two emotions, she simply murmured, "Oh."

Seeing the blunder he'd made, Mikael quickly changed the subject. "On the bright side, you can now live in my apartment with me, instead of us having to squeeze into this small room every time we want to be together!"

'I can live with him... breathe the same air as him all the time! And even his scent will be there! Is this paradise?' she wondered inwardly. Outwardly, she replied eagerly, "Okay, let's go there!"

Mikael was surprised by her enthusiasm but didn't dwell on it. Together, they moved to exit the training room. Or at least, that was the plan—until Mikael glanced at Kiara's clothing and frowned.

"Can't you change your outfit to make it longer and less revealing?" he asked.

Kiara looked down and noticed she was still wearing her usual white dress mixed with armor. While it didn't expose her as if she were naked, it was still quite revealing. The top of her perky breasts was visible, and the dress ended at her thighs.

A faint blush and smile appeared on her face simultaneously as she realized Mikael's possessiveness. She was happy that he didn't want others seeing her like this. With a wave of her hand, her outfit transformed: her dress and armor now covered her completely, including her chest, and the dress extended to just above her feet. She twirled in place to show Mikael the change.

Mikael felt a bit embarrassed by his possessive reaction but thickened his skin and said, "Good."

Afterward, they finally exited the training room and appeared in the Hub. Instantly, they attracted attention. "They attracted gazes" didn't quite describe it—while Mikael was undeniably handsome, handsome men drew less attention than a stunningly beautiful woman like Kiara.

She was breathtaking. Her long white dress, mixed with armor, complemented her short dark blue hair and piercing blue eyes, which carried an obsessive gleam. Combined with her exquisitely beautiful face, she was impossible to ignore.

But neither of them cared. Kiara was thrilled to be with Mikael and outside, while Mikael simply wasn't the kind of person to concern himself with others' opinions.

After a brief walk, they climbed a staircase and were teleported to his apartment. 'Surprisingly,' they weren't interrupted by any braindead, hormone-driven idiots. Not that it was surprising in truth—this wasn't a cultivation world where people had an IQ of six. Moreover, they were in the Records, and anyone who broke the rules, no matter their strength, faced obliteration. It had happened enough times to serve as a warning.

Even some of the top-ranked individuals on the leaderboard, whose fame had gone to their heads, had faced the harsh realities when they defied the Records' authority.

Upon arriving, Kiara discreetly took a deep breath. Mikael noticed but chose to ignore it, used to her antics. Looking around, he frowned. "Yeah, this won't do. I should get a bigger apartment!" he declared.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Kiara's frown matched his. If they moved, the new apartment wouldn't carry his scent—a significant loss for her! But then, an idea struck her like lightning. 'Wait, if we get a new apartment, it could be our love nest—one we choose together!'

With newfound determination, she nodded. "Yeah, we should definitely move as soon as possible."

Mikael, oblivious to her thoughts, wisely chose not to question her sudden agreement. Instead, he asked the Records to show him available apartments.

Author Note:

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