"Ugh, my hand! Why can't I move it? Hmm, what is with this strange déjà vu feeling?"
Zack slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the dim pre-dawn light. "Hmm, at least I can see this time!" He turned his head carefully and looked down at the two beautiful women sleeping peacefully beside him, each of them using one of his arms as their personal pillow, their bodies pressed close against his sides.
Sigh! Can I have just ONE NIGHT OF PEACEFUL SLEEP WITHOUT WAKING UP TRAPPED?! Zack roared desperately in his mind, but despite his internal complaints, he still smiled warmly as he looked down at their sleeping faces. He just lay there quietly, not wanting to wake them, gazing up at the ceiling as his thoughts wandered. Sigh. I woke up way too early. Now what should I do to pass the time?
Zack glanced toward his window and saw the sun still hadn't risen yet—the sky was that deep blue-black color that came just before dawn. He tried carefully to get up without disturbing them, but he couldn't free his arms from the ladies' surprisingly tight clutches. They were holding on like they'd never let go. "I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even— GAHH! STOP PINCHING ME!"
Zack suddenly stopped his quiet muttering and shouted, jerking his head to look at Sasha, who was now wide awake and smiling up at him with mischievous eyes, her fingers still pinching his side.
"Hey there, my dear little brother. You woke up early today. How are you feeling after last night?" Sasha asked sweetly, though her voice was a little meek and careful, like she was worried about his answer.
"Hmm, I'm feeling fine, big sister, don't worry about me. And Nat, if you've already woken up too, then just open your eyes already," Zack said with a playful smile, and he reached over with his left hand and pinched Nat's side in retaliation.
"GAAH! STOP PINCHING ME!" Nat also jolted awake with a yelp, but instead of sitting up, she continued to lie down comfortably in his warm embrace, placing one hand possessively on his chest and keeping her eyes half open.
"So, did you sleep well, Zack?" Nat asked softly, still not looking directly at him, shying away from the embarrassing intimacy of their current position—her body pressed against his, his arm wrapped around her.
"Hmm, a little bit. Though it was hard to sleep properly since your combined weights were literal killing me all night— GAHH! NOT AGAIN!" Now both girls pinched him from both sides at the same time and started giggling together at his expense, clearly enjoying torturing him.
As they were laughing, Sasha slowly prepared to get up and start her day. Just as she was beginning to move away from him, Zack suddenly spoke, his voice genuine and warm.
"Hey, big sister, really good work yesterday out there. You were absolutely great. I was genuinely impressed with how my beautiful sister could move like that with such grace and power, heheh. I guess you're still keeping up with your training perfectly. Nicely done!"
Zack praised Sasha sincerely. She was just in the process of sitting up, and because of her position, her head was tilted down and her back was arched slightly, causing her large breasts to dangle in the air, barely contained by her bra. One strap had slipped off her shoulder during the night, revealing even more of her bountiful chest. Hearing his heartfelt praise, her eyes absolutely glowed with happiness and pride. She suddenly pounced at Zack from the right side and said, her face full of genuine excitement, "Hehe! I told you, right? I told you I'm the best! I'm not weak at all anymore! I even executed impossible fighting moves that I've been practicing for months, hehe. Don't you know by now that your sister is literally the best woman in the whole world? I fought so beautifully and powerfully. Of course, it was you who helped guide me with your connection, but I did all of it without even opening my eyes! Even giving support at impossible precision! Aren't I absolutely great, hehe!"
Sasha's face was radiating pure enthusiasm and joy at his recognition. She was so caught up in her excitement that she didn't even notice Nat glaring daggers at her from the other side, because her bra had slipped even further down, exposing more skin.
"Haha, it's completely true. You moved your body so beautifully and efficiently. I was actually really impressed watching you move like that. We haven't done that synchronized fighting technique for such a long time, but still, you executed it perfectly without a single mistake. It looks like my big sister has been secretly practicing hard when I'm not watching. Good, very good!" Zack praised her even more as he casually and naturally reached up to fix her loose bra strap, pulling it back onto her shoulder properly. He gently supported her with his right hand while she kept speaking excitedly, and Zack did his best to follow along and respond enthusiastically to everything she said.
Nat remained quiet for a while, watching their interaction with mixed feelings. She finally decided to leave and give them some private sibling time together, but just as she was about to pull away and get up, the hand on her back suddenly tightened, holding her in place. Her full-sleeved white-and-gold outfit rode up a little from the movement, and she felt the cool air on her upper thigh as it became exposed beneath the blanket. But Zack didn't let her go, keeping her firmly fixed against his other side. Realizing he wanted her to stay, Nat smiled sweetly and relaxed, settling her head back down comfortably on his muscular arm.
"And isn't Nat the one who walked out of that dangerous situation quite arrogantly and confidently? Tsk, tsk, Princess Natlia is so fierce and powerful. What will happen to our city if she actually becomes Queen someday? Will we all have to bow and scrape?" Zack suddenly shifted the conversation topic toward her, including her in the praise.
Sasha smiled mischievously. "Heehh! But she wasn't nearly as great as me out there. I was definitely better and looked way more beautiful doing it!" Sasha smirked deliberately, instantly provoking Nat's competitive nature.
Nat's eyes snapped open and she practically roared, "Huh! What do you mean I wasn't as great?! I walked through that entire crowd completely alone! You had Zack physically with you the whole time, while I was standing there all by myself facing everyone! My single confident walk can destroy your whole synchronized dance performance in a single second. HMPH!" Nat shot back with her own smirk, not backing down at all.
"Ohh! Such a big attitude and so much pride, yet you still can't afford to buy yourself something different than MY SPECIAL LOCKET THAT ZACK MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR ME!" Sasha teased viciously, deliberately bringing her own locket forward and dangling it in Nat's face.
"GRRR! ZACK! Why didn't you give me something special like that?!" Nat roared in frustration and jealousy, twisting her body to look sideways up at his face with an accusatory expression.
AGH! Why is this topic coming up right now! Zack thought desperately, and he laughed with a little nervous embarrassment. "Well, if I did that and gave everyone custom gifts, then little Princess would immediately ask for something special, and then all the others would want their own unique things too. I just decided to let you guys freely choose what you personally like with the money I gave you instead." Zack explained quickly, then continued before Nat could complain and argue more, deliberately changing the subject, "But did you feel any noticeable change after keeping my energy globe close to you? Does it make you feel lighter and stronger? How much time have you actually kept it near yourself? Is it proving to be worth it? It took me a really long time and effort to fill that globe properly, so I really hope it's at least a little bit useful to you!"
Zack asked multiple rapid-fire questions, successfully making Nat stop her complaints as she processed what he was asking. She said thoughtfully, "Hm, I haven't used it yet, not even once. Why should I waste it now when I'm not in danger? I'm going to use it only when I need it the most! This is an irreplaceable treasure, and I have to save it carefully for the right moment!" Nat gently touched her own locket with one hand and felt the hidden globe beneath the blanket with the other, treating it like something precious.
Hearing this response, Zack's face immediately twisted into a confused frown. "What do you mean you haven't used it at all? Saving it for what exactly?" he asked, genuinely bewildered by her logic. "You can literally use it anytime you want, whenever you feel like it. It doesn't even need to be consciously activated by you. I specially modified the globe's structure with the help of Tool Guy—my power is constantly leaking out from it in a steady stream. So what are you even talking about, saving it for later?"
Zack stared at her with complete confusion written across his face, and Sasha also looked just as puzzled beside him, clearly not understanding Nat's reasoning either.
"Hm? What do you mean by that?" Nat asked, now equally confused. "Doesn't the globe's stored energy disappear and get used up if I actively draw from it? And what's this about your power constantly leaking from it? Why should I use it carelessly when I'm not actually in real danger?" She looked up at Zack with innocent confusion while still lying down against him.
Zack stared back at her, his body propped up slightly as he leaned against the headboard at the end of the bed for support, trying to understand how she'd gotten such a wrong idea.
"Huh, but mine doesn't decrease at all. The energy level doesn't go down even slightly, you know," Zack said casually, like this should be obvious.
Nat was still processing this information, trying to understand what he meant. Then suddenly the implications hit her all at once. She jolted upright and bent eagerly toward Zack, leaning forward in her excitement. Her top buttons were still undone from the night before, and a deep cleavage appeared directly in front of Zack's face as she moved. Agh! Zack felt some blood immediately rushing south to his pants as he heard Nat's shocked voice again, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ZACK, IT DOESN'T VANISH?! Are you seriously saying it doesn't need any refill at all?! And it can be used indefinitely forever? What? How is something like this even possible??"
Nat was so shocked by this revelation that she didn't even realize her current state of exposure. She pushed her face forward even closer to Zack's, asking her questions urgently. Her beautiful medium-sized breasts were taking a very defined, tempting shape in her tight outfit as she leaned forward. Zack desperately tried to look away toward the window and thought frantically, Ah, what a beautiful early morning sky! Look at those clouds! So interesting!
Then Zack forced himself to look back at her face, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "Well, it looks like I completely forgot to explain that important detail to you. I tried using energy from the globe myself when I first made it, and the stored amount never vanished or decreased. Sasha has also used it many, many times over the months but hasn't been able to make it decrease even a tiny bit. I guess I'm just special like that!" Zack said with proud satisfaction.
"GRR, this sneaky witch!" Sasha noticed Nat's forward-leaning position and the view she was giving Zack, and she glared at her with irritation. But she still spoke up to confirm, "Yes, it's completely true what he's saying. You can use the globe's power as much as you want, as often as you want, and it will never vanish or run out. Zack doesn't need to refill it ever, so feel free to use it as much as you possibly can. That's the real power and value of this gift he's given you." Sasha also said proudly, deliberately hugging Zack's right arm tight and pressing her own large breasts against his arm to compete with Nat's display.
Nat completely ignored Sasha's petty competition and looked down at the locket around her neck with wonder. "Zack, this is truly amazing! I've never heard of anything like this before, ever. You really are special and unique, heheh! My Zack is indeed incredibly special." Nat also smiled happily and hugged his left arm possessively, squeezing it between her breasts.
Oh god, someone please save me from this torture! Zack thought desperately as he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the progressively sky outside the window, trying to ignore the soft pressure on one of his arms.
The ladies talked and bantered for a bit longer, clearly enjoying teasing both him and each other. Then Sasha suddenly stood up decisively, pulled on her black tight track pants and borrowed Zack's shirt from yesterday, and said while fixing her messy hair, "I'm going to go downstairs and do some work around the house. You two just talk and bond and all that. Ah! And please don't make too much noise up here, okay!" Sasha winked suggestively at Nat and walked away, closing the door behind her.
"GAH!" Nat suddenly became fully aware of her exposed state and quickly rolled herself back inside the blanket like a burrito, lying back down but still stubbornly not releasing Zack's arm from her grip.
"Phew!" Zack breathed a deep sigh of relief as he finally freed his right arm and moved it around, getting feeling back into it. He looked at the red-faced Nat hiding partially under the blanket and asked gently, "So, today is your big day, right? Standing up in front of so many people and proving yourself. Are you nervous about it, Princess Nat?" Zack teased her playfully as he reached over with his newly freed hand and gently touched her soft hair, running his fingers through it.
"Hehe, do you really think I feel pressure from just a few people watching me perform?" Nat asked back defensively, though she was clearly enjoying the feeling of his hand stroking her hair.
"Hmm, I absolutely do think you're nervous. I know you well enough to see it. And it's completely okay to be nervous—it's natural. If I was in your position, standing where you'll be standing, I probably couldn't even speak a single sentence without my voice shaking, haha," Zack laughed honestly as he gently poked her flushed cheeks with his finger.
"Hehe, then I guess that means I'm better and braver than Zack in at least this one thing," Nat laughed, her confidence returning.
"Oh, yes, you are definitely better than me in this for sure," Zack agreed easily with a warm smile, now cupping her cheek gently with his palm and patting her back soothingly with his other hand.
Nat didn't say anything for a moment, just enjoying his touch. Then Zack's expression shifted and he asked in a much more serious tone, "We need to figure out why so many people and factions have gathered here specifically to kill you. I'm going to be busy with my part—finding and identifying people who have that weird corrupted energy inside them. I'll report all the names directly to you, and you can coordinate with your guards to take care of those threats. That should reduce the immediate pressure on you significantly. Fia and Maren will work on finding out where this corruption is actually coming from—the source. The city guards and Queen's guards are already stretched thin taking care of general security throughout the city. We can't just keep going like this reactively. Oliver and I already talked extensively about all these things last night. I was thinking we could use your speech event as a mask, a distraction, while we try to find some real clues about what's going on. And don't even try to stop us or argue! We absolutely can't let you get hurt, Nat." Zack said firmly while reaching up and grabbing her ears, pinching them slightly tight to emphasize his point.
"Ouch! Okay, okay, fine! Do whatever you want with your plan! I won't try to stop you at all!" Nat smiled despite the ear pinching, and she grabbed his hand gently and held it close to her chest, treasuring his concern.
She took a deep breath and slowly confessed, her voice becoming quieter and more vulnerable, "Zack, truthfully... I'm really scared of what will happen in the future. I don't really know how much longer I can keep up this strong front I'm showing everyone. I'm constantly afraid, always wondering when something terrible will happen to me or the people I love. I keep obsessing over why I can't properly control the Heart Machine like I'm supposed to. I know I should be grateful for everything I have—my position, my friends, my family—but the road ahead seems so incredibly hard, and everything feels so foggy and unclear. I can't see the path forward." Nat slowly slumped down as she spoke, her shoulders curling inward as she clutched Zack's hand tightly like it was her lifeline.
Zack, seeing her genuine fear and vulnerability, gently made her sit up properly as he also shifted to sit up beside her instead of lying down. Nat's head remained down, her eyes fixed on their joined hands. Her legs were still covered by the blanket, but her upper body was exposed in her outfit. Her cleavage came into view again as she hunched forward, and Zack's eyes caught sight of it. He gulped down some saliva nervously, then forced himself to focus and said seriously, "Nat, remember what Tool Guy said to you? Imagine this scenario—what if you completely failed your ceremony tomorrow and you had to run away from here to save your life. Then what would actually happen to you?" Zack asked as he stared straight ahead at the wall, thinking carefully.
"Hmm, if I somehow managed to run away from here and survived... then I honestly don't know what would happen after that. My life would probably be boring and empty without you guys by my side. And I don't really want to leave all the people here suffering in distress and chaos. My entire family line, my generation, has faithfully served this city for so long, and I plan to do exactly the same. That is our destiny, our purpose." Nat spoke a little louder and more firmly this time, conviction entering her voice.
"Hmm, if you know your ultimate goals so clearly, then why are you thinking so much and worrying about which specific road to take to get there? There was one time when I was younger and I really craved eating some specific sweets, and I imagined in my head that I could make the absolute best-looking and the tastiest sweet ever created. But as I actually tried making it in reality, I failed every single time. The sweets came out wrong, burnt, or just disgusting. Then I finally asked for help from my big sisters and mothers, swallowing my pride. Slowly, patiently, I learned the proper skills and techniques, and eventually I made what was probably the worst-looking sweet ever—it was lumpy and ugly and nothing like I imagined. But you know what? It was still really tasty! It still accomplished the goal I wanted." Zack paused, making sure she was listening. "So you see, Nat, we will never know exactly which path life will make us take, or how many unexpected twists and turns will come along the way, or whether what we originally imagined and planned will actually come true or not. But if we know our final goal clearly and keep moving toward it, then surely, slowly but surely, we will eventually reach there! And why are you so afraid of failing anyway? Everyone fails in life at something. Your stakes are admittedly a bit higher than most people's, but we are all here with you to help shoulder that enormous burden! Don't worry about anything when this incredibly handsome man is standing right beside you!" Zack smiled confidently, dramatically flicking his hair back in an exaggerated gesture, perfectly mimicking Oliver's signature move.
Nat nodded at first with complete seriousness, absorbing his words carefully. Then she suddenly burst out laughing, saying, "Haha, don't mock that poor guy like that! You are plenty handsome already just being yourself, but you're definitely not my ideal 'handsome man' yet. Humph! I don't want a constantly whistling, over-confident man by my side!" Nat was laughing genuinely, but then her expression suddenly shifted to mock anger, pouting adorably.
Hearing this, Zack just scratched his chin awkwardly, completely unable to think of any good comeback or response. Nat sighed when she saw his lost expression, and her face became serious again. She asked in a much more serious tone that demanded honesty, "Why are you so hesitant about us, Zack?" Nat looked directly into Zack's eyes, her gaze intense and searching, like she was trying to peer straight through to his soul and read all his hidden thoughts.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
Surely, we will reach our desired destination. I truly believe that. No matter what stage of life you are in right now, I know you will get there. Just don't stop walking. You don't have to see the whole road ahead—only focus on the next step. Keep your destination quietly stored in your mind, but don't let it overwhelm you. Take one step, then another, then another. One day, almost without realizing it, you'll find yourself where you wanted to be.
If it feels like it's taking too long, or if you feel like you've lost everything along the way, maybe that's not a bad thing. Perhaps those things or people were never meant to stay with you in the future you're walking toward. Journeys are not just about reaching a place; they are about what you learn while moving forward. Nothing you do, no effort you make, is ever truly a waste of time.
Try to hold on to positive thinking. Be grateful for what you have, even if it feels small right now. Speak truth to yourself—even if it feels like a lie at first. Say, "I have already achieved it." Imagine it clearly in your mind. Repeat those thoughts. Let them settle in you. Tell yourself, "I am at peace."
Not happiness—because happiness and sadness come and go like seasons. But peace is something deeper. It's something you carry with you. And in the end, that peace is what you truly want in life.
So keep walking. One step at a time.
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