Is this really a Game?!

Chapter 972: Whispers of the Heart

"Y'know?"

"Hey, just because I seem like a posh lady doesn't mean I have to act like that at all times," Mia said as she puffed her cheeks, which made Reign chuckle.

"I agree, I just didn't expect to hear that from you."

"When I think of it, we don't really know much about each other, don't we?" Reign suddenly asked as Mia nodded her head.

"Yeah, we haven't really spoken about our pasts, after all, with how the world is now, just being able to sleep in a nice bed and relax can be said to be a luxury, and even though we are amongst the most powerful in the world, that just means that we are the ones that have to go out and face the more powerful monsters in order to finally reach the peak and Transcend."

"Talking about our pasts … I guess I haven't even thought about it thanks to everything that has been going on."

"Yeah." Reign said before smiling at her.

"My dad was an MMA fighter, an ex-champion, and so was Shadow's dad, Uncle Jin."

"They were both in the same weight class, fighting under the same organization, and they fought multiple times in 2 different weight classes, both of them managing to win against the other and become champions."

Reign started narrating his life, he started talking about the dojo his dad ran with Shadow's father how their two families had always been close, and how he and Shadow had been friends forever.

Shadow was not just his friend, but a brother in his eyes, and nothing would change that, nor would the fact that he regarded Shadow's parents as his uncle and aunt.

He told her about what he and Shadow used to do when they were young, and how they even joined a gang during their teenage years since they wanted to be more like their fathers.

He told her of what they did back then, and how it changed them, as well as how their parents found out.

He talked about his loss, how his parents died, and how it broke him for a while, as well as the fact that their parents were leaders of an Order and knew how to use mana before the system arrived, and how his parents's death was not an accident.

He told her everything, every single thing about him, opening up completely.

The only other people who knew all of that were Shadow, Shadow's parents, as well as Aethion and Jared, nobody else.

And now Mia was the sixth person to know about it, and for some reason, he didn't feel a need to hide anything from her.

Mia stayed quiet and only listened to Reign's voice, not responding till he finished talking, which was when she just hugged him.

"I grew up in London, my dad's family was wealthy, an old family that had a title, a villa with a large garden, all the things one would imagine when thinking of British Nobility from movies and shows, you know?"

"My mom wasn't like that though, she was a regular Cali girl, born and raised there until she met my dad, fell in love, and then got married to him."

"Contrary to what one might think, my dad's family really liked her, even though she was completely different than them, they didn't discriminate at all, which is quite different from the other families that we were friendly with."

Mia paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing her story.

"But despite the outward appearance of wealth and privilege, my childhood wasn't as glamorous as it might seem."

"My parents weren't exactly distant, but they did get preoccupied with their own affairs and responsibilities plenty of times, which I did understand later on."

"I spent most of my time alone or with my older sister, who was sick since an early age before passing when I was only 10, after that, I was usually found wandering the halls of our mansion or exploring the vast gardens surrounding our home."

"My education was of course of great importance to them all, my manners, my hobbies, behavior, it all had to fit the life we were living."

Mia continued talking, telling Reign that since she was 13, she had always felt like an outsider in her own family, never quite fitting into the mold of the proper, aristocratic young lady her parents wanted her to be.

Her mother had grown enamored with the lifestyle and wished it for her, her father and his family expected it out of her, and even her mother's side of the family believed that was the best thing for her.

"Most of my friends in school were similar to me, posh ladies that didn't really like that kind of life, but we had to go on with it until finally it was time for university.'

"I decided that I would rebel against their expectations"

"I went to study in the States, giving them an excuse of how the universities there were truly amazing and many, many more lies that finally gave me the freedom I wanted."

"It lasted for very little, but I liked it."

"Until the system arrived and I found myself being responsible for so many people thanks to my ability."

"I tried getting in touch with my family, but … none of them responded."

"I cried for days because of that, in my room, alone."

"I'm used to being alone, I had grown accustomed to it, in fact, I even prefer it most of the time."

"Leading the angels, being responsible for so many people, it was exhausting, I was forced to change, and because of that, I went back to how I acted back home, I turned myself into the posh lady my family always wanted me to be."

"Until you guys arrive."

"Back on that mountain, I was surprised to find an entire group of people who were as powerful, if not even more powerful than me."

"We fought alongside each other later, which was when I started thinking how nice it would be to just be a part of a group, not to be the leader who has to worry about those that follow her."

"And then you saved me, and those I cared for," Mia said as she stared at Reign with a smile.

"That's why I don't want you to act like that, I don't want you to take a risk like you did two days ago."

Reign's voice was soft, filled with concern as he reached out to gently caress Mia's cheek. She leaned into his touch, her eyes meeting his as she searched for reassurance in his gaze.

"I know that."

"But … I can't promise that it won't happen again, it's not something I can really control, no matter how dangerous the situation is, seeing any of the people I care about is enough to make me mad, especially you."

"Can't Aethion teach you a spell or something that will make you more calm during a battle?"

"Wait … Aethion." Mia's eyes suddenly widened as she pulled away from Reign, prompting him to start laughing.

"Don't worry, he can't see or hear us, neither can Jared, I can block them from doing so."

Mia sighed before placing her head on the bed again, her cheeks a bit flushed.

"Good, because I don't think I would feel comfortable knowing that they can see and hear us at any moment, it's just … weird, especially with what we just talked about."

"I know, that's why I don't let them." Reign said as he once again caressed Mia's cheek with his hand before she pulled herself closer to him and leaned her face against his chest.

Reign moved, lying down on his back as Mia got closer to him and placed her head on his chest while his right arm went around her waist and embraced her.

"This is the reason you didn't want anything to happen between us, I know it is … and now I feel guilty for pushing so much."

"Don't be, you didn't force me to do anything, everything I have done was of my own volition."

"Choosing to pull myself away from you at first, doing my best to ignore you, and then finally deciding not to do so any longer, nobody forced any of that upon me, I choose it, and I will stand by it."

Reign's voice was calm and reassuring as he spoke, his hand gently stroking Mia's hair. She listened quietly, comforted by his presence and his words.

Mia lifted her head slightly, looking up at Reign with a soft smile. Reign smiled back, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, finding comfort and solace in their closeness. Eventually, exhaustion caught up with them, and they drifted off to sleep, the quiet of the jungle surrounding them.

The next morning, they woke to the sounds of the jungle coming to life around them. They got up and prepared for the day ahead, knowing that they had important work to do.

As they stepped outside, they were greeted by Gabriel, who was waiting for them with a serious expression on his face.