CH 16

Zel was now driving back home with Emilia from their trip to the forest to have a picnic. He was occasionally looking at the passenger seat where Emilia was tapping at her phone every once in a while, as he eyes scanned the contents of her screen. Sometimes she would wonder her thoughts out loud but didn't ask Zel any questions directly. This was because Zel told her that she would get an explanation when they get back home.

By this point in time, Zel and Emilia were living in houses right next to each other. Zel bought the house beside him and told her that it was something he had but no one was living in it so she could stay in it if she wanted. She rejected at first but accepted it when he said that he convinced her parents about it.

Zel was able to meet Emilia's family a week after they started dating. You see, Emilia was always close to her parents. She was an only child so because both of her parents were working together in a Hotel that they owned and had no wish to divide more of their time with more children. That meant that most of her parent's free time was spent of Emilia, they taught her values and gave her the love she needed to grow up strong and responsible.

You could imagine their surprise when she came back from a party and told them that she was now in a relationship with a boy she met just yesterday.

At first they didn't take it well, not being able to handle the fact that their little girl might be scammed by some guy they don't know. So a meeting was scheduled for Zel to meet Emilia's family in a restaurant close to both of their homes.

Zel had already met them before in his dreams, so he was more than capable of impressing them. And impress them he did, with Emilia's parents leaving the restaurant with all smiles.

Zel was really the best boy their little girl had ever introduced them to, owing to the fact that he was the first one she actually liked romantically. He was well into his college years but that didn't mean he was only a student.

Owning three businesses that range from a hardware store, a gym and a taxi cab company was very impressive. Those were also the only businesses that he kept open to the public. His greatest asset was still hidden behind a veil of mysteriousness as he didn't want anyone to find out about who he was. Not yet.

Him being so concerned about their daughter was the most important reason that they allowed her to move closer to him but knowing that their daughter was in good hands really bolstered that decision.

But now, when they were going back to their respective homes, Emilia was going to stay over at Zel's house. Zel prepared a pot of hot water and put them on the coffee table along with some tea leaves and ground coffee so that they could drink them however they like. Emilia prepared a cup of coffee for herself while Zel decided to go for tea.

He picked up his cup while swirling it around with a teaspoon, thinking about where to start. Should he begin with his ability? Or about what it means to have a system? Maybe she wouldn't be able to accept him if did tell her about his 'Clairvoyance' talent, as he never had a reason to tell her in any of the dreams he had.

"Are you in the system too?" Emilia was the first to break the silence in the room. She saw Zel nod his head.

"Since when?"

"I was in the system when the day before my birthday this year?" Zel thought about how he felt like he had the system for years already, even though it was only a few weeks in reality.

"So like, 3 weeks ago?"

"Yeah."

"Why are we in the system though? What is it exactly?" Emilia was still unsure of what to make of the system. It said it was like a tool that makes people with mana able to get a closer look at themselves but that seemed to be a shallow understanding of it. Still, wasn't that too good to be true? Are there no hidden fees to this thing?"

"The system is given to those who have been blessed with the capability of handling mana. I guess it's my fault you got it early. It says in the forums that everyone who's good enough to have it will be able to access the system after the timer ends. Don't worry about the 'why', it's not anything harmful. The important thing to do right now is for you to level up."

"Level up? Like in a game?"

"Exactly, like a game. People who get the system are in danger when they don't get to a certain level but after a threshold, you're better off than everyone else."

Zel had personally seen how normal people would end up in a world after the timer runs out. Even before that, rankers were able to get a great advantage over those who can't even protect themselves.

"Why? What danger is that?"

"If you look at the timer on the top right, it's counting down right?"

"Yeah, it says some numbers there. So, it's a timer?"

"Yes, it's a countdown to the opening of the first portal."

" Sigh. " Emilia couldn't help but not feel that this was all real. What in the word is happening? Did she get a crazy boyfriend? But the fact that it's her who asked him about it is real. The fact that she had knowledge of the things she read on the forums of the system was really not something she could take as proof. Like it was an elaborate joke.

"Haha, Can we stop the joke now?"

"..." But Zel's face didn't let up. Either he was really into this joke or he was telling the truth. Emilia didn't know what to say, or what to ask, or even how to take this all in.

"Tell me Zel. If this was all real, would you have told me before I found out for myself?"

"I've been meaning to tell you, not only you but my family too. It's not really something you can talk about without people thinking you're crazy can you?"

"I guess so..." Emilia thought it was funny for someone to ask her a question like this, wasn't it too perfect?

"But if you're going to get it now, it's only going to be a good thing. It's better to get it earlier so that you have more time to accomplish the quests."

"Quests? I still don't get it. How did you get you get chosen then?"

"..." Zel took a sip of the tea before he placed it down on the coffee table and stoop up. He sat beside Emilia while holding her hands with his own.

"I can see the future."

"..." Emilia looked at him like he was an idiot. Zel knew it was a normal reaction, but his heart couldn't help but beat faster. He wondered if this would put a wedge in their relationship and felt his heart wouldn't be able to take it. He was worrying about it when he felt a flick in his forehead that he came back to reality.

" Flick . Ow?" Zel scratched his forehead to ease the pain.

"Did you see that in the future?"

"What?" Emilia watched his indignation filled face carefully while she used her talent to confirm.

"You said you could see the future, did I flick your forehead in your vision?"

"No! That's not the way it works."

"So, you don't know everything I'll do? Or what people say?"

"Yeah, it's more like I can live the rest of my life in a dream that lasts a night."

"Whoa, so you like, lived your whole life already?"

"Well, I mean, I did it a few times."

"A few times? I'm dating an old man?"

"Old man? Haha." Zel laughed at the thought that she wasn't exactly wrong about that, but it's not like he remembered everything he does when he dreams. It's more like he remembers the more important parts well enough that he could act upon them in real life.

"Oh my god! I'm dating an older man?"

"No! Yes? I'm still 22 you know!"

"But you even had more than one life! Did you marry in those dreams?"

Emilia was now wearing a serious look while gripping his hands. He showed her a smile when he remembered how he had lived his life along side her as he was taken back to it by her question.

"Yeah, I married a few times…" Zel thought about the first time he married Emilia. She had always been the one for him, having never felt for a moment that he regrets having her as a wife.

"Cheater! You cheated on me?"

"I mean it was a dream." He didn't feel that it was wrong to marry in the dream world, especially if it was her. Was he cheating on her with herself?

"So you admitted it!"

"And I married you!"

"See, you even married... me?"

A flabbergasted Emilia was looking at Zel and his calm face. His eyes showed no hints of hesitation as if it was the truth, his thoughts also said the same and she can't help but become speechless.

"Yeah, I married you for sixteen lifetimes now. Even before we even met in reality"

"So we were married? Will marry?" Emilia was now more confused than ever. They were married in his dreams? He lived many lives with her as his wife? So, they became a family in his dreams? Does that mean they had kids?

"So, um, how many?"

"I told you, sixteen times. I had more dreams, but I didn't marry people when I lived in those dreams because I realized that they were not real."

"I mean, how many children did we have?"

"..."

"Did we have two kids? Elizabeth and Hanzel?"

"No, we didn't."

"Why not? Did you not want kids?" Emilia was surprised by the new information she received. The idea of not starting a family of her own was a big deal to her. She was wondering whether the comfort of his presence was enough for her to choose that kind of life over the one she had in her dreams.

"We couldn't have kids then, you can't."

"What? Why?"

"You were infertile, we tried for years but we couldn't have children"

"No! That's... impossible!" Emilia held her head in between her legs while covering it with her hands. She cried out in defiance as she didn't believe him.

'But he wouldn't lie to me. His head is also clear, so he didn't lie to me just now.' She wanted to deny what he said but knew that he wouldn't say something like that just to hurt her.

"But that was in the dreams, before I had the system."

"Hmm?"

"In fact, I've already taken care of it earlier."

"What?"

"Remember what you drank a while ago? That was Love Potion # 9, an item that can be bought from the Store Function in the system."

"So that made it possible for us to have children?"

"Yeah, I wanted to make it so that you wouldn't have to..., I mean, I don't want to see you sad."

Emilia saw that Zel's eyes were now going red while tears were dropping to his cheeks. She held out her hand to wipe them away and smiled at him and saw his hand wiping her cheeks as well. She forgot that she had been shedding tears just now as well.

"So you did that for me? What if we didn't end up together after all that?" A warm feeling was welling inside Emilia as she was not sure of what to make of the situation but knew he did it without consideration for himself. Only for her.

"You think I'd let you go after living sixteen lifetimes with you?"

"You might be willing, but what about me, huh?"

"What about it?"

"What if I didn't want you anymore? What if life got in the way and I had to let you go?" Emilia couldn't help but tease him. Her now empowered talent made her realize just how important she was to him, and how much he was to her.

"Well, then I'd follow you and get you back!"

"Oh, and what if I didn't want to come back to you?" Zel took her hand and placed it on his chest, just above his heart.

"Then I'll show you why you won't let me go."