Utopian System

Lila noticed the small details immediately.

The collar of Elio's armor slightly misaligned, a deactivated clasp, his hair more disheveled than usual. Her eyes, trained by months of quiet watching, caught every signal, each one felt like tiny daggers to her heart.

"Diana needs to speak with you too," she kept her voice professional while guiding him, ignoring the slight flush that still colored Elio's cheeks and the way her own heart constricted at the sight. "It's about Zahyla."

Elio nodded, running a hand through his hair in an unconscious attempt to fix it. The gesture only served to confirm Lila's suspicions and deepen the ache in her chest.

"Did she say anything specific?" Elio asked, adjusting his collar.

'Her mark is there,' Lila thought, forcing herself to look away from the telltale signs of what she'd interrupted.

"I'll tell you everything when we arrive with Diana," she responded, grateful that her voice didn't betray the knot in her throat or the trembling of her hands.

♢♢♢♢

Diana waited in another office, the brilliant crystals on a desk contrasting sharply with her serious expression.

"Zahyla is bribing soldiers," she went straight to the point. "Offers crystallized mana. One million points each."

Elio tensed under the weight of this new information, his shoulders squaring as another burden settled upon them.

"How many have received the offer?"

"So far, we know of three," Diana pushed the crystals toward him. "These are the ones reported to us, five because two are from Lila and me, but..."

"But there could be more who haven't said anything," Elio completed, his voice heavy with understanding.

Lila observed how his shoulders tensed under the weight of this new concern. She wanted to approach, offer comfort, to be the one he turned to in moments of stress. But that wasn't her place. It had never been.

"The mana is real," Diana continued. "And the amount... could tempt anyone."

Elio studied the crystals for a moment before pushing two back toward Diana. "Keep yours."

"What?" Diana blinked in surprise.

"You were honest in reporting it," Elio explained, his inherent nobility shining through in a way that made Lila's heart ache anew. "That loyalty deserves reward. I'll give these to the other soldiers who reported as well."

Lila felt her heart constrict. It was always like this, every decision, every gesture, only served to make her love him more, even as it reminded her of the distance between them.

"Thank you for informing me," Elio headed toward the door. "Keep me updated if there are more reports."

Diana nodded, but her eyes fell on Lila, noting her pained expression. Of course Diana would understand; she too knew what it was to desire something she couldn't have.

♢♢♢♢

Diana and Lila found Ren in his office, reviewing resource distribution records, his desk covered with meticulously organized charts and figures.

"We need a favor," Diana was direct, placing almost half a million of Zahyla's crystals on the desk. "And I have enough here to pay off my pending debt as well."

Ren examined the crystal, its glow betraying the amount of mana it contained. "Where did..."

"It's better if you don't ask," Diana interrupted. "What matters is that we need some potions. The ones I mentioned before."

Ren's eyes moved between Diana and Lila, slowly understanding. "The shared pain ones."

"We don't have direct access to the main statue," Lila explained, her voice soft but determined. "But you do."

"This is... a lot of mana," Ren held the crystal. "Are you sure?"

Diana nodded. "More than sure. Can you get them like that day?"

"I can," Ren stored the crystal in his book. "How many do you need?"

Diana glanced at Lila for a moment before responding. "Two each. And keep the rest as payment for my debt."

Ren observed the two women for a long moment before nodding. "You'll have them tomorrow."

♢♢♢♢

Lila's hands trembled slightly as she poured the drink. She had rehearsed this moment so many times in her mind, but now that she was here, every prepared word seemed inadequate, insufficient to convey the depth of her feelings.

"Zara isn't with you?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound casual while her heart thundered in her chest.

"She went to check a report at the second barrier," Elio responded, accepting the drink with a smile that made Lila's heart flip. "Something about unusual artromus movements."

Lila nodded, her fingers playing nervously with the edge of her own cup. The silence stretched for a moment before she gathered the courage to speak, each heartbeat feeling like a countdown to either salvation or disaster.

"You know, I've been watching you," she began, and seeing his confused expression quickly added, "as a leader, I mean. The way you handle everything."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I just do what I can," Elio shrugged, that humble gesture that made Lila want to scream in frustration at his inability to see his own worth.

"No, it's more than that," she insisted, taking a step closer, drawn like a moth to flame. "Every decision you make... the way you consider everyone, how you carry all the weight alone..."

Their eyes met for a moment and Lila felt her heart stop. "I admire you so much," she whispered. "The way you care for everyone, how you always put others first..."

"I just try to do what's right, you would do the same," Elio responded, completely oblivious to the true meaning behind her words, to the years of longing they carried. Find adventures on empire

"It's more than that," Lila continued, her voice softening. "It's like... like you illuminate everything around you. As if your presence makes everything better, brighter."

Elio smiled, interpreting her words as simple admiration for his leadership. "I have a good team. All of you make it possible for us to keep going."

"But you don't understand," Lila took another step toward him, her heart hammering in her chest. "When you're near, everything seems possible. Even in the darkest moments, you..."

She stopped, aware she was revealing too much. But she couldn't stop now, not when she'd finally found the courage to speak.

"Sometimes I think I would give anything to..." her voice cracked slightly, "to be important to you. To be someone you truly lean on."

"You are important," Elio responded with that kind smile that shattered her. "Everyone is. I couldn't do this without each of you supporting me."

Lila contained a frustrated sigh, the weight of his misunderstanding crushing her.

"What I mean is..." she tried one last time, "that for me, you are... you're..."

The words caught in her throat. How could she explain that each of his smiles lit up her day? That every moment near him was simultaneously heaven and hell? That she died a little each time she saw him with Zara?

"You're someone very special," she finished weakly, hating herself for her cowardice.

"You're special too, Lila," Elio responded, placing a hand on her shoulder in a gesture meant to be comforting but that only served to break her heart a little more. "You're a great friend."

Friend. The word fell like lead between them.

Lila forced a smile while feeling her heart shatter once again. "Yes," she whispered, "friends."