The trio ate together.
The atmosphere remained light and casual.
The sound of utensils scraping plates and murmured conversation created a comforting backdrop.
Jack noticed Neo’s crumpled expression a while later.
“Why are you frowning?”
“I am thinking how many dishes I can cook with these same ingredients.”
“You can cook?” Jack was surprised.
It was his first time hearing about this.
“Yes, I can. Think of me as a royal chef,” Neo said with a chuckle.
The corners of his lips rose upward.
He didn’t notice Morrigan’s curious gaze when he spoke.
The trio left the cafeteria after having their fill.
The sun outside cast long shadows across the cafeteria’s courtyard.
Suddenly, Jack spoke up.
“You guys go meet others. I’ll go to Professor Rundel first and have him alter my physical age.”
“I will wait for you—”
“It’s fine. Thank you.”
Neo understood it was Jack’s excuse for being alone.
He clicked his tongue and nodded.
Jack left before he could change his mind.
Instead of going to Professor Rundel, he returned to his room.
The space was dimly lit, with the faint hum of the air conditioning unit filling the silence.
Jack plopped onto his bed.
His body sank into the mattress.
A deep sigh left his lips.
The light in his eyes disappeared, replaced by an empty gaze.
Away from Neo, Jack didn’t need to act any longer.
He didn’t need to act as if he was fine.
“Dammit.”
He covered his face with his hand.
Tears spilled from his eyes, tracing damp trails down his cheeks.
He missed Emma.
She must’ve forgotten him after Neo changed the timeline.
But she was alive.
It was his only relief in despair.
“Dammit, dammit.”
His tears didn’t stop.
He had continued to ignore Emma’s advances for decades.
It wasn’t because he didn’t like her, but because he was worried he would say yes to her.
The reason he left the Awakener Association and joined Titan was the same.
He had been trying to put some distance between him and Emma.
“Dammit.”
If only he hadn’t said his feelings out loud back then. Your next journey awaits at empire
If only he had kept the distance between the two of them.
Maybe he wouldn’t be feeling lost and helpless right now.
“I miss you.”
After drying his tears, Jack stared at the ceiling with an empty gaze.
He raised his hand as if stretching it towards the sky, trying to hold something that wasn’t there.
Power.
If he had been strong, he could’ve protected her.
He wouldn’t have to let Neo carry the burden alone again.
He wouldn’t need to be protected again.
“Haha, I used to think why Neo was so obsessed with strength, but I guess I now know why.”
Power.
It was the only truth.
…
A few hours ago
Neo stood outside the cafeteria with Morrigan.
“Are you going to go after him?” she asked, staring at Jack’s retreating figure.
“No, he needs to overcome this himself.”
Neo trusted Jack.
He wouldn’t succumb to despair.
Shaking his head, he turned to Morrigan.
“I’ll be going back to my house. Are you coming?”
“Going back?”
She looked at him up and down, scanning his body.
Her sharp gaze lingered on his disheveled appearance.
“You are going back looking like this?”
“Like this what?”
“Like a caveman who came out into the civilization after decades.”
“…”
Neo cleared his throat.
“It’s not that bad.”
“It will give them a heart attack.”
Morrigan sighed.
During the time spent with Felix and others, she noticed each of them cared about Neo.
They knew he was a reckless person.
But they couldn’t hate him.
He was the type of person who would give up his life if it could help his friends.
He always helped them without asking anything in return.
Even during the Shadow Window mission where Leonora and Christian died, it was only due to Neo that others survived.
Back then, he stayed behind to help Jack even though it meant putting his life on the line.
Maybe because they understood how much Neo cherished their friendship, they also deeply cared about him—
“Okay, stop right there,” Neo said, being able to read Morrigan’s thoughts.
His face scrunched up.
“Never think like that again. It gave me shivers.”
“You can do mind reading?”
“No, but your face said plenty about what you were thinking.”
Morrigan stared at him.
She felt something was amiss with his explanation.
“What should I do now then?” Neo asked, trying to divert the topic.
“Get a haircut first.”
“Okay.”
Neo took out his device—he bought one before coming to the cafeteria—to look for a shop nearby.
The soft glow of the screen illuminated his face as he scrolled through options.
Before he could book an appointment, Morrigan stopped him.
“I will do it.”
“What?”
“The haircut. I’ll give you one.”
“Are you good at it?”
“Yes.”
Neo looked at her with suspicion.
“Have you done it before?”
“No.”
Neo ignored her and focused on his device.
The quiet determination in Morrigan’s eyes didn’t waver.
She placed her hand over his screen to stop him.
“I won’t mess up. Trust me.”
“No.”
Last time Neo trusted a guy, he fucked his own ancestor and almost created a paradox.
“You won’t cut my —”
Neo noticed Morrigan’s fierce expression.
Her face said she wasn’t going to back down.
“Fine,” he relented. ‘I will just use a hair growth elixir and get another haircut if she messes up.’
“Don’t worry, you won’t need to use a hair growth elixir.”
“….You can read minds?”
“No, but your face said plenty about what you were thinking.”
Morrigan smirked. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her room before he could change his mind.
The corridor echoed with the sound of their footsteps as they moved past rows of closed doors.
Her room was not far.
She made him sit on a chair by the window, where sunlight poured in, casting a warm glow over the room.
The faint scent of lavender lingered in the air.
Morrigan tied a cloth around him to keep his hair from falling on his clothes.