[ARCANE] Would've, Could've, Should've TimeBomb [EN]

Chapter 8

Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I still hope you'll enjoy it! We're getting closer to the end of the story, so please, more than ever, don't hesitate to share your thoughts! Happy reading!

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"Because if you kiss me again, I might never want to leave."

"What?" he asked softly, his eyes half-closed, lost in the moment.

Powder swallowed hard. She had spoken the words weighing on her heart, but maybe it wasn't the right moment. They were sharing an intimate moment, yet the weight of her remorse gnawed at her from within.

Ekko's gaze hardened. He pressed his lips together, searching for something to say before slowly pulling away from her. A cold, icy distance seemed to settle between them.

"I can't..." he began, turning his eyes away. "Make this choice for you. It would be selfish of me to impose my opinion on you." He stepped back a few paces. "I can't."

"Ekko..." Instinctively, she reached out for him, but her hand met only empty air.

"Don't ask me to choose," he said, avoiding her gaze. Then he shut himself in the bathroom, leaving Powder alone with the monotonous, grating sound of the record player spinning in the silence.

She couldn't say she hadn't expected this, but she had hoped for a different reaction from him. Deep down, she felt hurt by the firmness of his rejection.

Slowly, she turned off the machine and closed the door behind her in Ekko's room. An overwhelming unease crept over her. She felt out of place here, and the feeling was more palpable than ever, like a brand seared into her mind.

She sank to the floor, leaning against the door, wrapping her arms around herself. It was strange to be rejected by someone she thought she knew so well. And yet... he wasn't the boy she'd known all those years. She wondered if she could ever have felt something beyond friendship for "her" Ekko. She knew she didn't love him the same way. This Ekko had something different—strength, wisdom, a connection that felt unlike anything she had ever experienced.

She was drawn to the unattainable, to the forbidden.

When she opened her eyes the next morning, her mind was made up. She had to go back to her own world. For Jinx. For Ekko. For all of Powder's friends waiting for her there.

She was resolved, but why did it feel so hard to accept?

She cracked the door open and heard Ekko's familiar footsteps on the wooden floor. Closing the door gently behind her, she walked toward him. He had his back to her, busy sorting through pieces of metal.

"I'm going back," she said softly.

The boy jumped, dropping the golden hammer he had been holding. The tool hit the floor with a heavy thud. Slowly, he turned around, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if analyzing her words.

"You've made up your mind," he replied. From the tone of his voice, she couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement. But he seemed surprised at how quickly she'd reached her decision.

"It's the only thing I can do." She didn't belong here, after all, and he didn't seem deeply affected by the news. Ekko nodded thoughtfully, his gaze wandering everywhere but toward her. "But I want to see Violet one last time. I..." Her voice broke slightly. "I can't leave without saying goodbye, knowing I'll never see her again." Powder fought back tears in front of Ekko. She wanted to appear confident, resolute in her decision. She knew it was the best choice—the only choice, really.