Chapter 694: Tough Conversation

"Tell me what's going on with you, Neron... and I want the truth."

After Neron had calmed down, had a shower, and used Magic to clean up his sweat-drenched portion of the bed, he was now in a seated position.

Serah was seated on her side of the bad as well.

They were both facing each other, and while Serah's expression still connoted worry, Neron's calm expression showed that he was brooding.

"Your eyes were wide open and they were glowing. I felt your Mana being disturbed, and I could even touch you. You seemed to be in such distress. What's going on, Neron?"

The black-haired man understood the worry of his partner. He would probably have felt the same if their positions were reversed.

It was indeed very troubling—all the signs he showed—but after thinking about them for some time, Neron was slowly coming to a realization.

And he knew he could no longer hide it away from Serah.

>SHWUUSHH<

A card suddenly appeared as Neron stretched out his hand. It had a gleaming, blue and green colo —a complete contrast to the usual grey appearance it usually exuded.

"I-isn't that..."

"Yes. [The Fool] Arcana." Neron sighed calmly. "It's deeply resonating with me."

"Could it be warping your mind? Causing all this distress? Maybe it's a negative effect that makes it dangerous. We should tell Jared, or—"

"No, it's not like that. You wouldn't understa—" Neron's eyes widened as he realized just what he had been about to say.

His tone, his expression, and even his words... they were a striking resemblance to the version of himself that he saw in his dream.

He almost blew Serah off, just like that other Neron.

"Are you alright?" He felt a warm sensation on his shoulder.

It was Serah's touch. Just the sensation of their their skin contact made him calm. His racing heart slowed down, and Neron felt more at ease.

'I'm not him. I'm not that guy!'

To prove that, he was going to tell Serah what troubled him. The things he had been hiding from her for so long.

"I have something to say, Serah. I'll understand if you get upset with me, but... I need to tell you."

Serah shook her head slightly, staring lovingly at Neron. Her eyes glimmered with such affection that he thought they looked magical.

"How could I be angry with you? Just spill the beans already."

Her soothing words provided him with comfort—enough for him to finally reveal what he had been hiding from her.

About his constant nightmares... and the reason behind his confession.

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"WHAAAAAAAATTTTTTT?!"

Serah's eyes widened with shock, and they indicated anger.

"Now, now, calm down. Remember, you said you wouldn't get upset."

"I never promised not to get angry. I simply asked you how I could get upset." Serah's glare pierced Neron's eyes, causing him to gulp a little.

How could he escape this situation?

"Let's not make a fuss. It's night, so everyone is asleep."

"We used Magic to make this room soundproof, remember? After all..." Her eyes narrowed on him.

"Oh, yeah..." Neron suddenly remembered why they had been thoughtful enough to prevent any sounds from leaking out of their abode.

It wouldn't be nice for their companions to be disturbed so late at night by... the sounds they made at night—or practically any time they wanted.

"L-let's just calm down, Serah."

"So, you mean... you confessed to me because you had flashes of me dying and stuff? And the reason you want us to get married so soon is also as a result of that fear?"

"That's not how I said it, though." Neron tried his best to argue—albeit weakly.

"That's what you meant."

"Look, Serah. This doesn't change how I feel about you. I genuinely love you. I always have. It's just... I've always had this inclination to distance myself from you. That's why I refused to confess all these years." Neron's voice was sullen now, his gaze unfocused.

"I... I have always been led by some sort of intuition. It was this intuition that let me attend the Academy instead of going on adventures like I wanted. I became a teacher because of that too..."

Serah silently listened to Neron. She had never heard him talk about any of these things before.

"... My intuition told me to stay away from you. Even with my feelings, I couldn't accept yours. That would mean defying the strong warning within me."

"And you think these dreams are a cause of you defying your intuition?"

"No. I initially started having them as flashes—like memory flashes—and those were before I confessed to you."

Neron didn't know how to explain properly, but these flashes had been what prompted him to confess and get together with Serah.

"I just... I don't want to lose you."

In his nightmares, he usually saw Serah dead—or his life as another person. They were strange events he didn't recognize, yet they seemed so real.

Almost like memories.

"But, what role does [The Fool] have in all this? It has to do with memories, right? So, are you saying I'm supposed to be dead?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm not sure too. It's all too confusing. The 'me' I see in these dreams don't resemble any 'me' that I know of."

"Then... could this be a future incident?"

"Maybe. But... I still have this inclination that it could be something more." Neron felt confused.

It was an emotion he wasn't quite used to.

For most of his life, he had felt certain on what path to take. His intuition never failed him. Perhaps that was why he had become bored at some point.

However, this was too much.

"Perhaps we should tell Jared. If the both of you rub minds together, then—"

"No. I can't..."

Serah's eyes twitched when he said this. Neron's gaze was distracted, but he seemed pretty certain about this one.

He truly didn't want Jared's involvement.

"Your intuition?" She asked, to which he nodded.

"Alright. I trust you."

"I'm sorry for keeping all of this from you, Serah. I understand if you feel hurt, but... like I said... I truly and genuinely care about you. I love yo—"

Before Neron could conclude his statement, he was stopped by a finger on his lips. Serah's finger, to be precise."

"I got it." Serah was smiling at this point.

Her confidence was amazing, and her menacing expression made Neron's heart race in excitement.

"I don't care what dreams you have, and what your visions say. I'm not going to die, and you're not going to go to the dark side."

"But... what if I do?" Neron asked, a worried expression forming on his face.

"Then I'll knock you out of your delusion and drag you back with me!" She laughed, flexing her muscles.

Neron's eyes widened instantly. He was shocked—no, appalled—by the striking resemblance Serah had to the one in his dreams.

Their resemblance was uncanny.

"Don't worry, Neron. We're in this together, alright?"

Serah's voice pulled him out of his daze once again, and her fist was right in front of his face.

He instantly knew what she was going for.

"Yeah. You're right." Neron returned her grin, giving her an instant fist-bump.

"Haha! That's the spirit. You better get some sleep, though. Rough training begins today!"

Neron nodded.

"Will you be fine? I'll watch over you to make sure you're not in a nightmare agai—" Before Serah could finish her statement, she felt Neron's hand on her cheeks, and his soft smile warmed her worried heart.

"Don't worry, Serah. With everything we've discussed tonight... I doubt I'll have any nightmares."

Both of them stared at each other passionately, and a sort of mutual understanding was established.

Their hearts became one at that moment, and they hugged each other, cuddling as they fell asleep once more.

And, what a peaceful night it was.

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[A/N]

What a lovely relationship these two have. I wonder what's going to happen to them. Hehehe.