Chapter 14- Dinner
For a moment, Elio looked down and closed his eyes. The question kept echoing in his head again and again like a whisper. He asked himself that question as if doing that would suddenly manifest an answer in his head.
The first choice, to be a normal person and completely continue his life like before… It was the most logical and reasonable choice. After all, Elio wasn't some sort of special person. He was simply a normal kid from a normal family and with a normal future. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he would ever be special, even if he had such special powers.
'I would just be able to live my life normally and forget about everything.' He mused. 'I would never face anything that I don't understand…'
Yet, what Fiona said stuck with him. Endless power and endless riches that will guarantee his grandmother a comfortable and nice life. That was simply his single biggest goal. That was why he was working so hard and why he was hell bent on finishing his studies so he could give her that same exact life.
He was conflicted… Deeply conflicted. Should he really heed this call? Or should he just cower away as he always does and stick to what he knew very well?
The more he weighed each option, the more he felt hesitation.
'I… What should I even do? Should I… Ugh!' Rubbing his hair with frustration, he looked up at Fiona.
"Can I have more time to choose? I'm really conflicted…"
"Of course. Have all the time you need. Nobody will rush you to make this decision. I want you to fully be at peace with what you choose, whether that's what I suggest or what you have been living through. Whenever you decide, just come to me."
The two stood up and stared at each other. "I have called Alfred to bring you home. He is waiting outs-"
"No… I would like to walk back home if you don't mind." Elio said with an awkward smile. "I have a lot to think about…"
"Hm, yeah, of course. I will lead you to the exit." Fiona said with a calm nod. She could see that Elio wasn't feeling well, so she decided not to pressure him any further. After all, this was just too much to accept so quickly.
No person can be introduced to this world and simply take it in as if it's nothing. After all, their whole perception of the world, and their whole idea of everything, shifts drastically, and many pieces get added to the same puzzle.
With that, Fiona and Elio left her room and walked out of the mansion. Reaching the gates, they stopped as the doors opened.
"Don't stress yourself and don't try to overthink it. Whatever choice you make, I will help you make it come true."
"Yeah, I understand. And… I couldn't do it yesterday nor today, but…I want to thank you for saving my life, and for helping me today too. I am really grateful to you." He said with a sincere tone. If Fiona wasn't there last night, he would've definitely been dead.
The same for today, she had helped him understand a lot and learn something about himself he would've never known on his own.
'It's like her presence keeps bringing abnormal situations to my life… Well, that's what comes with an exceptional individual like her.'
"You don't need to thank me," Fiona replied calmly. "I was simply doing my duty. It was nice meeting you, Elio."
"Thank you again. I promise I won't take long to choose what I want to do." He said as he started walking away. "Good night, Fiona."
"Good night, Elio."
***
With that, the boy started walking back home. It was still barely dark, and the city was bustling as usual. However, for Elio, everything felt like an echo to him. He was so deep into his own thoughts that he didn't even notice his surroundings. His instincts guided him back home safely.
Before he even realized it, he was standing at the front gates of the apartment complex. He blinked and stared up before he pulled his keys to walk in.
"Elio? Is that you, darling?"
"Huh?"
At that moment, Elio looked up as he noticed a person approaching him. For a second, he flinched as he felt his heart leap. However, once he saw who it was, he relaxed. It was Melissa, carrying a bag in her hand. She looked as gorgeous as ever.
"You're back earlier than usual from work. Is everything ok?" She asked.
"Yeah… Uuuuh, today was off, so I used the time to get some things done at school haha…" He laughed awkwardly as he quickly came up with a lie. He can't just tell her that he was with Fiona Vaylor of all people.
"Oh…" Melissa raised an eyebrow before she nodded and smiled. "Well, let's get inside. You actually came at the perfect time. I have bought some ingredients. I'm making a hot pot tonight. Mind if you join me?"
"Ummm… Hot pot?"
"Yeah, we haven't had dinner together in ages. Let's do it!" She said. "Come on, let's go."
Then, Melissa grabbed Elio's hand and dragged him inside before he could even say anything. Eventually, he ended up inside Melissa's apartment, sitting at the kitchen table, watching her cook.
'Sigh, I was planning to go home and rest… Well, Melissa's cooking is really nice so this isn't too bad.' He thought to himself as he looked down. Slowly, he lost focus again as his mind wandered back to what had happened earlier.
His mood was really sour, and he could barely even notice Melissa talking to him. For several moments, he was disconnected from reality.
"Elio… Elio… Elio!"
Suddenly, a finger snapped near his ear, making him blink and look up. He saw Melissa's concerned eyes staring back at him.
"Is everything good, sweetheart?"
"Oh? Yeah, yeah… I'm fine…" He said. "Just a bit tired…"
The woman kept staring at him silently for a few seconds. "You've been acting off for a bit now. Is it really just exhaustion, darling?"
"... Yeah, and stress… a bit. Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Elio. What is it?"
"What do you do when you have two choices ahead of you that are very important and yet you don't know which one to take…?"