Chapter 24: Guilt and Blame
Jason read through the new mission and he wondered what the question marks could be. It was a long-term mission without a time limit, so Jason didn't have to worry about it for now. He went to read through his father's message once more. The sentence: Trust no one, believe no one, repeated in his head over and over again. And when Jason saw the next phrase: Keep your cards close to your chest , he knew what he had to do.
His father's warning wasn't to be taken lightly, so Jason decided right then that he wouldn't reveal the fact that he had the system to anyone. If there were people on Earth who made contact with the Primordials, then there was a chance they would already be looking to kill anyone who could threaten their rise to power.
Jason would be seen as a threat and he could be killed before he became strong enough, so he was going to keep his abilities a secret from the public for as long as he needed to.
Jason then looked down at the name outlined at the bottom of the message: Katerina Ford.
Jason didn't know why he recognized that name. It was at the tip of his tongue, and he tried to reconcile a face to the name for a while until he eventually snapped his fingers as he remembered.
Katarina Ford: The Strongest Supporter in the World.
Katarina Ford was hailed as the Strongest Supporter in the world, one of the Five Rulers, and the savior who protected them from the Green Gate when it first opened.
Why would his father want him to meet with her? Did something happen inside the Green Gate? Something related to the Primordial?
"Jason!"
Bang!
The sound of the door being forced open suddenly reached Jason, and he looked up to see Gina standing there. She was breathing heavily and there was a deep frown on her face as she surveyed the room. Jason gave her a small smile, and Gina sighed tiredly. She couldn't even be angry at him for leaving her behind.
Gina entered the room and looked toward Mira with soft eyes.
"How is she? Did the doctor say she would be okay?"
Jason nodded and said she was fine.
"The doctor said she'll wake up soon. She just needs some rest. Thank you for helping her. You were the one that found her and brought her here, right? I... really don't know what I would've done if something happened to her."
Gina came over to sit beside Jason and hugged him softly. Jason put his hand around Gina's waist and tightened the hold, and Gina felt her breath leave her when she felt the power behind Jason's hand! He was strong!
She tapped him on the shoulder and chuckled.
"You're killing me, Jason."
"Oh, right, sorry. I haven't really learned how to control it yet."
Jason looked down at his hand and flexed it into a fist with narrowed eyes. He would need some precision training so he didn't go around breaking everything he touched. He was already able to control his strength to an extent since he had a great understanding of his body, but it wasn't enough. He didn't want to end up hurting someone without meaning to.
Gina rubbed her side gently while glancing at Jason in surprise. It was shocking that he managed to hurt her with a hug! Only this morning, she had been holding back to make sure she didn't hurt him, and now it was the other way around!
"I can't believe you awakened at eighteen. I don't think there's been anyone who awakened this late."
Jason shrugged before smiling. It was unheard of for anyone to awaken this late, and if anyone managed it, then they never possessed so much power. Jason could understand Gina's surprise.
But Jason had a feeling that this awakening wasn't a normal one. A normal awakening would happen without the need for any external element. The interaction you have with mana over time would allow you to awaken one ability or another. Jason, on the other hand, only awakened after the system bonded with him! It was not normal.
Gina chuckled while staring at the ground. There was a strange feeling of relief filling her body at that moment as she saw Jason's nonchalant attitude. Most people would be jumping off the roof because they awakened, but Jason was so calm about it that it made it seem like something small!
Jason turned when he heard Gina sniffle. He saw tears gathering in Gina's eyes and she desperately tried to rub them away with a laugh.
"Sorry, I don't mean to cry. I hate crying. But you know, you could've died in that Gate if you didn't awaken. You would've been killed and it would've all been my fault."
Jason put his hand on Gina's shoulder and turned her to face him while frowning. What the hell was she talking about?
"You really think me falling into a Red Gate was somehow your fault? Are you an idiot?"
Gina's tears were freely falling now as she shook her head. She knew that Jason was just trying to make her feel better, but she couldn't get rid of the guilt! Of course, it was her fault!
"You're wrong. If I didn't force you to come back to your place tonight... If it wasn't so selfish, then you wouldn't have been there. You wouldn't have to go through all this."
Gina's voice came out in a broken, quiet tone that showed just how affected she had been by everything that happened tonight. Jason knew that if he had died, she would have never forgiven herself.
Jason spoke up in a certain tone that left no room for argument.
"It doesn't matter. No one could've predicted what happened tonight. It's not your fault. Look at me. I said look at me, you crazy woman. I'm right here, aren't I?"
Gina finally looked up at Jason. The despair and fear she had been feeling all day had finally caught up to her and she was incapable of stopping the tears anymore. Jason smiled and gently wiped her eyes before speaking.
"You did nothing wrong, Gina. You were there for my mom when she needed you, and you fought for me when I needed you. You're the greatest friend a person could ask for."
Jason smiled and Gina found herself drawn in by the look in his eyes. Jason had never spoken to her this way before. They had both been friends for a long time, but they kept their emotions away from each other and interacted with jabs and sarcasm most of the time. But at this moment, Gina could tell that Jason meant every word he was saying.
Gina and Jason were sitting so close together that she could feel his breath on her skin and Gina's heart began to race as she swallowed. Gina's eyes trailed down to Jason's lips, and before Gina knew what she was doing, she leaned forward and kissed him.
Jason blinked in shock. This was the last thing Jason expected Gina to do at that moment and he was stunned for a few seconds, but he didn't stay that way for long as he slid his hand into Gina's hair and kissed her back.
Gina had been dreaming about this for as long as she could remember. She always wanted to do this, but she always found a way to talk herself out of it. When they were younger, she gave herself the excuse that he was too young and that she would try to make it work when he was older, as they grew older, she told herself that she didn't want to ruin their friendship, so she couldn't do it.
But after everything that happened today, Gina now knew that she had been a fool. She could have lost Jason at any moment during those years, and Gina wasn't going to hold back anymore.
If he rejected her, then she would simply accept that he didn't like her and try her best to move on. Gina was sure she would cry for a few days and lick hundreds of ice cream bowls, but she would eventually be fine.
But she was shocked when she felt Jason pushing into their kiss. Jason tangled a hand into her hair and his other hand went to her waist as he pulled her closer to him. Gina was sitting very close, so when he pulled her in, she was almost sitting on his lap. She wrapped her hands around his neck as she forgot about everything around her and simply enjoyed the moment.