Chapter 106: But you owe me a kiss for it

Chapter 106: But you owe me a kiss for it Unable to relax, Eva opened her eyes after a moment and looked toward the living room door. "Are they going to be alright in there? It’s painful..." Her soft, worried voice echoed down the hallway. Eva’s words brought back memories for all three of them, and they shivered instinctively—the pain had been excruciating. "They will survive," Ethan muttered. Julian said nothing, instead walking around the cloud with a curious gaze as he assessed it. "Can’t you control your powers yet?" Julian asked. Since the cloud hadn’t appeared again after that first time, he had assumed she was controlling it to stay hidden—but today proved otherwise. "How can I control something that comes and goes on its own?!" She threw her hands in the air, frustration clear in her voice—though the real truth was hidden beneath her raised tone: she had forgotten about her power, let alone how to control it. Ethan noticed the tremor in her voice and the way she avoided his gaze. Suspicion grew—he sensed she wasn’t telling the whole truth. Eva’s skin prickled under Ethan’s stare, and she quickly changed the subject, unwilling to be laughed at again—especially by Julian. "You both drank the rain—did it have any other special effects besides removing impurities?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope as she looked at them. ’My power can’t be limited to just that, like the spring water in those space novels,’ she thought, wishing her abilities were far stronger than Ethan’s and Julian’s. A wild grin spread across her face as she imagined that future. Ethan and Julian exchanged questioning glances. ’What’s going through her head this time?’ "Hmm...?" Eva urged, getting no quick response. She fixed them with gleaming eyes, making them feel slightly uncomfortable and pressured to give a satisfactory answer. Ethan thought back to that day and only recalled how his old wounds healed and his body felt lighter once the impurities left—nothing more. "It healed my old wounds," Ethan replied honestly, assuming she wanted to know how her powers affected others. Eva quickly looked away from him and turned to Julian—her last hope. Julian caught her hopeful gaze, and the pressure he’d felt earlier doubled. Clearing his throat, he rubbed his hair nervously before answering, "What Ethan said." He muttered, stepping back slightly, instinctively sensing she might lose her temper. The bright gleam in Eva’s eyes instantly dimmed, her shock and disbelief clear for all to see. At that moment, Ethan subtly scooted to the other end of the couch. "Umm...that’s all...?’’ Eva asked with a smile, which was worse than crying, leaving both men speechless and unsure how to react. Eva clutched her chest as if an arrow had pierced her heart, and then anger surged through her. In response, the quiet cloud began to churn violently, rapidly enveloping the room—a clear sign that a fierce storm was brewing. Ethan and Julian looked up simultaneously and nearly swore. "Eva, dear, calm down! You’re going to flood your parents’ home!" Julian called out over the loud rumble of thunder, but Eva was too consumed by her anger to hear him clearly. She rose to her feet, pacing angrily around the room. "What kind of shitty power is this?! After all that bone-crushing pain, this is what I get—becoming some rain woman?!" As she shouted, the rain poured down harder than before, but it only fueled her fury. To her, the clouds felt like they were mocking her. She wiped the wet strands of hair harshly from her face, huffing as she pointed at the cloud. "I dare you—turn into solid form! I promise I’ll keep your body intact! Do I look like some fairy going around handing out rain to heal people and cleanse impurities, huh?!" Her hoarse, shrill voice echoed over the pattering rain like a ghostly wail, making Julian shiver. "Sigh... we should let her vent. It’s better than bottling it up," Ethan said, noticing Julian stepping forward. He sank onto the soaked couch, ignoring the rain dripping down his skin and soaking his clothes. "Hmm... it might not be long before she runs out of power," Julian muttered to himself as he dropped onto the couch. His gaze swept over the soaked, waterlogged floor, and a mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lips. After a few minutes, Eva—unaware of what was running through Julian’s mind—panted heavily, her throat raw from all the shouting. She pulled a bottle of water from her space ring and drank in deep gulps. She didn’t dare swallow the raindrops, still haunted by the lingering pain they brought. Her mind cleared slightly, and she bit her tongue in shock at the sight before her. A pained hiss escaped her lips. ’I messed up, Eva. Oh, Eva... what have you done?’ she thought regretfully, covering her face with both palms as the water crept up to her ankles, soaking the walls, rugs, and couches. She moved manically to a chair away from the living room door and sat down, her expression blank and pale. But then, a sudden thought flashed through her mind, and her eyes lit up. She suddenly jumped up from the chair and crouched down, spreading her hands over the water’s surface. Ethan and Julian watched her curiously, but a second later, they understood— the water vanished, leaving only a slightly damp floor behind. "Tsk! You got rid of the water, but the chairs..." Julian clicked his tongue and shook his head, watching as the smile that had just begun to bloom on her face slowly faded. Ethan watched her stiff expression with interest, curious to see how she would handle the soaked chairs and walls. Eva was left speechless by Julian’s words, silently wondering how the hell she was supposed to fix that—she didn’t have fire powers or anything. Julian stepped closer and leaned in, his lips near her ear. "A kiss, and everything goes back to normal... dry. Deal?" His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine as her ears flushed red. She quickly covered her ears and stepped back from Julian. "Speak normally! My ears almost got pregnant—I can’t be moved," she muttered, the rest trailing off under her breath. But as his words clicked in her mind, her eyes widened. "You can return them to their dry form?" Eva asked, pointing at the soaked couches and walls, her expression filled with hope. "Yup. But you owe me a kiss for it," Julian replied smugly, his tone making Ethan frown. He hadn’t expected Julian to take advantage of the situation and couldn’t help but flick an ice stone at his forehead. But before it could reach its target, Julian dodged—like he had eyes in the back of his head. "Ha! Thank you, thank you!" Eva shouted happily, jumping onto Julian. He caught her by the waist as she excitedly peppered kisses all over his face. Julian fully enjoyed her affection, but it was short-lived. "Do it now, before my parents wake up," she urged, untangling his hands from her waist. Before he could protest or stall for more time, Ethan wrapped her small frame in a large coat and carried her away. He scoffed at Ethan’s possessive gesture and turned his attention back to the task. With a finger rotating clockwise, a hazy black clock materialized. Its ticking echoed through the room as the long and short hands spun wildly, accelerating time. In seconds, the room began to dry, as if it had aged through centuries in mere moments. Eva watched with awe, her eyes sparkling like stars. ’If only I had such power, my life would be complete,’ she thought, wistfully dreaming.