Utopian System

As the group dispersed, Elio noticed Zara quickly walking away. Determined to clear the air, he followed her, his penguin waddling behind him.

"Zara," he called softly. "Can we talk?"

Zara felt her heart race. She stopped, turning towards him with an expression that blended longing and resignation. "Sure, Elio. What do you want to talk about?"

Elio guided her to a more private spot, away from curious ears. Their summons, sensing the tension, kept a respectful distance.

Elio sat beside her, letting silence stretch for a few moments. The city sprawled beneath them, a tapestry of lights and shadows in the fading daylight.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Elio finally said, gesturing towards the panorama. "All those people down there, trusting us to keep them safe."

Zara sighed. "It's an enormous weight on our shoulders."

"It is," Elio admitted. "But it's a weight we now share."

Finally, Zara turned to look at him, her eyes bright with pent-up emotions. "Do we share it, Elio? Sometimes I feel like you carry it all alone."

Elio looked at her, surprised. "Zara, I..."

"No, let me finish," she interrupted. "I've seen you today, helping everyone, being the leader we need. But I also saw you with Lila."

Elio felt his heart quicken. It was true that he had enjoyed Lila's admiration, the way she looked at him as if he were invincible. It was flattering, yes, but Zara was...

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"Zara, what you saw with Lila..."

"You don't need to explain," Zara said, her voice soft but firm. "I understand that they admire the hero, the leader..."

Elio tried to change the subject. "I-I've noticed you've been... distant today. Is everything okay?"

Zara sighed, looking towards the city sprawling beneath them. "It's just that... seeing you with Lila today. The way you helped her, how she looked at you..." (He failed)

Elio blinked, surprised. "Zara... it's not what you think. Lila is... I don't..."

"I know," Zara admitted. "It's just that seeing how she looks at you reminded me of myself... It made me realize how much I care about you. And how afraid I am of losing you."

Elio took Zara's hands in his, his gaze intense. "Zara, listen to me. You're incredibly important to me. More than a friend. But..."

"But you're not ready for a relationship," Zara completed, a sad smile on her lips.

Elio nodded. "I don't want to repeat my father's mistakes. Not while I'm still constantly risking my life. It wouldn't be fair to you."

Zara felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach, but she remained firm. "What if I told you I don't care? That I'd rather have you, no matter the risks, than live wondering what could have been."

"Zara, I... when we expand the city, when things stabilize... I don't want..."

Elio closed his eyes, clearly struggling with himself.

He took Zara's hand in his, his touch sending sparks through both of them. "I'm afraid, Zara. Afraid of failing, of not being enough. Afraid of losing you or you losing me. I don't want my death to be more painful for you..."

Zara nodded, though in her mind a thought resonated that she didn't dare say aloud: 'You idiot, your death would already be too much for me. Being together or not changes nothing.'

Instead, she said: "I'll wait for you, Elio. But promise me something."

Zara made a silent decision. She would wait, yes, but once everything was fixed, once the city was safe, there would be no force in the world that would prevent her from making Elio hers.

"Anything," he replied without hesitation.

"Promise me you'll live. That no matter what happens down there, you'll find a way to come back. Don't you dare die, do you hear me?"

Elio smiled, his penguin chirping softly as if in agreement. "I don't plan to." Then he looked at her, marveling. "You're incredible, you know that?"

Zara blushed slightly. "Not as incredible as you."

"No," Elio said, his voice firm. "You're stronger than you think. Stronger than me in many ways."

They looked at each other in silence for a moment, their summons watching the exchange with curious eyes.

"Zara, I..." Elio began, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I can't promise you a perfect future. I can't promise you there won't be dangers. But I can promise you this: as long as I breathe, I'll fight for a future where we can be together."

Zara's eyes filled with tears. "That's all I need to hear."

Slowly, as if afraid to break the moment, they drew closer to each other. Their lips met in a soft, shy kiss.

When they parted, Elio rested his forehead against Zara's.

"When all this is over," he whispered, "when we've saved the city and secured our future, we'll talk about us. I promise I won't run away from this..."

Zara nodded, a radiant smile lighting up her face. "I'll hold you to that, Elio Von Elian. And you better keep it."

♢♢♢♢

The following days were a whirlwind of activity. Kriz, Brok, and Micah immersed themselves in learning the corrosive attack, their faces showing unusual concentration as Elio guided them through the precise manipulation of elements.

"Remember," Elio warned them, "the corrosive attack can harm you if you don't control it properly. Use the loaned system's armor for safety."

Meanwhile, Lila, Aria, Mei, and Valeria worked on perfecting their technique. They already had a solid foundation thanks to training with Zara, but under Elio's tutelage, their control and precision improved notably.

"Excellent, Lila," Elio praised after she executed a particularly precise attack. "Your control has improved a lot."

Lila smiled, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "Thank you, Von Elio. We're giving our best."

Zara, for her part, absorbed every detail Elio provided about level 6.

Along with Selene, they listened attentively as he described the icy tunnel, the ice penguins, and the strategies he had used to overcome them.

"The cold will be your greatest enemy," Elio explained. "You must manage your resistance and your mana with extreme care."

Zara nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "Understood. I won't let you down, Elio."

In the free moments between training sessions, Selene met with Lucien to share what she had learned, especially about the nitrogen explosion and extra details about level 6.

When everyone was already proficient in the corrosive attack…

"Alright," Elio announced with a smile, "it's time to learn the art of underground construction. Or as I like to call it: 'How Not to Die Crushed for Dummies'."