Ch 123

  Zara, Yumiko, Rose, Apricity, and Emily all exchanged glances as they silently debated the best way to determine the order they would get to date Matt. Although they had all agreed to decide randomly, they couldn’t settle on the exact method. Even Apricity’s sly attempt to secure the third spot was rejected as they argued until only two options remained. One option involved having someone draw names from a pack, with the order determined by the sequence in which their names were drawn. The other was to assign each of them a number from one to five and have Matt call out a number, deciding their fate with his choice.

  For both of these methods, the next person to go would only be chosen when their turn was meant to start, as none of them wanted to know in advance if they were next. Even though the person who went last would eventually know, Matt didn’t care. He refused to believe he would fall for any of them and was motivated to get things over with. This way, he could let them all down gently and not worry about them harboring too many "what ifs." However, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t going to take it seriously. Despite not having the best relationship with his parents, Matt valued a piece of advice his father had given him: “When you find the right woman, don’t let her go, as too many do and never find another.”

  “Alright, I think this has gone on long enough,” commented Eleanor, breaking the tense silence in the room. “Matt, you should pick between using numbers or pulling rocks with names on them from a sack.”

  “Let Greg make the call,” replied Matt, shaking his head. “He can either choose the number or pull a name. I want as much of it out of my hands as possible.”

  “Alright, Greg, it seems you’re up,” stated Eleanor, turning to Greg with a slight smile. “Which one do you prefer?”

  "Numbers, but I want to use dice or something random," Greg replied sheepishly. "So, give me a day to try and make one from some bone or something."

  "No," Matt stated firmly, eager to get things over with. "The five of them can line up, and Eleanor can place a number of pebbles in their hands to represent their number, and we can get this over with."

  "Fine," Greg replied as he turned to face the wall and closed his eyes, retreating into his thoughts. "Tell me when they're ready."

  It took a few minutes to gather the 15 needed pebbles, but once they had them, the five individuals closed their hands around the pebbles and shuffled their order, creating an air of suspense.

  "Alright, go ahead and pick a number," Eleanor stated once everything was set up.

  "Five," Greg declared, opting for the highest number, his voice filled with a mix of anticipation and resignation.

  "That's me," Rose commented, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Um, Matt, what do I do now?"

  "You go over there and cuddle into him while you take a short nap," Eleanor instructed, glancing at the clock. "We've already used half our time here working this out."

  Rose appeared uncertain about what to do next, and Matt didn't want to complicate the situation. So, he pulled out their mattresses and set his up right next to Rose's as she slowly made her way over. Once settled, they both lay down, and Matt offered his chest as a pillow for her, even adjusting his body to make it more comfortable for her to rest on. That pretty much summed up their activities before they managed to take a brief nap. However, that peaceful moment soon ended as they resumed the relentless grind of navigating through the dungeon. Despite Matt's wish for things to be different, the simple fact that they were technically in a relationship subtly altered the dynamics between them.

  In a word, it was frustrating. Matt couldn’t help but constantly think about Rose, and he wasn’t sure whether he liked it or not. After they finished a fight, she would catch his eye, and in the midst of battle, he found himself instinctively moving to help her more than usual. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but when one fought while relying on their instincts, those instincts often dictated more than they probably should. This led to a problem when Matt found himself out of position during a fight, inadvertently exposing Zara to more danger than was typical. If not for Greg and Emily quickly adjusting their focus to support Zara, she would likely have been injured. Understandably, Zara was furious afterward and didn’t hesitate to voice her thoughts on the matter.

  “What the hell is wrong with you!” she exclaimed. “Weren’t you the one who said that outside of safe rooms, nothing would be different?”

  “Yes,” Matt admitted, a hint of frustration in his voice. “I’m not doing any of this deliberately. When I shift to my instinctual fighting to avoid needing to draw on any of my essences, I find myself drifting to a position where I can help Rose.”

  “I think we're seeing that Matt has a very protective nature,” commented Emily, with a slight smile. “Honestly, as annoying as it is for us in a fight like this, it makes me happy to know that he is going to take being with any of us seriously. Whether he wants to or not.”

  “I am not so cruel as to purposely sabotage any of you,” Matt stated firmly, determination etched on his face. “Still, I need to find a way to control this before someone gets hurt because of it.”

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  "I actually believe we should adjust the role of whoever you're currently with to mitigate issues like this," countered Eleanor confidently. "Your instincts are your greatest strength, and we rely on them as a party. So if we need to make adjustments, then we will. Plus, this adds another layer to what it will take for Rose and the others to succeed as your partner."

  "Then we should have Rose take the lead with Matt," suggested Emily decisively. "I think the rest of the party can adjust well enough like that, and—"

  "I think you're missing the point," interrupted Greg before Emily could finish. "Matt's instincts are protective, possibly even possessive of Rose at the moment. The real question is whether he can let her fight on her own or if he'll end up getting in her way the whole time."

  "I don't want to cause issues," Rose responded, looking guilty about the situation, her eyes cast downward. "I am—"

  "Don't finish that thought," cut in Yumiko with a firm tone. "Rose, no matter which one of us is with Matt, this is going to come up. So, unless you can't handle him caring about you, don't let this issue bother you."

  "I just don't like creating problems for the group," Rose admitted, her voice tinged with sincerity. "It's why I only interject when I feel it's really necessary."

  "Well, right now, it's not," stated Emily, her voice steady and reassuring. "Unless you don't think you can handle fighting alongside Matt."

  "No, I think I can try that," Rose replied, determination creeping into her voice.

  "Alright, then let's see how things go with the next fight," Eleanor stated, her eyes meeting Rose's with encouragement. "Rose, stay with Matt and don't be afraid to tell him off when he causes you issues. If his instincts are as good as we hope, they'll know that annoying your girlfriend is just blatant stupidity."

  In that way, they continued on, with Matt finding an unexpected comfort in having Rose nearby. What surprised him even more was how seamlessly his essences blended for him, as he relied on hope, luck, and determination to make choices whenever they reached a crossroad. Although he couldn't be certain, Matt felt there was a tangible improvement in his abilities with her presence. It was almost as if he had uncovered a missing piece in his life. This realization worried him, as he feared he might feel an emptiness in his life without a relationship. Not that he was about to voice that thought or even admit it to himself, since he never wanted to appear clingy, especially in a relationship.

  In that way, they continued on, with Matt finding an unexpected comfort in having Rose nearby. What surprised him even more was how seamlessly his essences blended for him, as he relied on hope, luck, and determination to make choices whenever they reached a crossroad. Although he couldn't be certain, Matt felt there was a tangible improvement in his abilities with her presence. It was almost as if he had uncovered a missing piece in his life. This realization worried him, as he feared he might feel an emptiness in his life without a relationship. Not that he was about to voice that thought or even admit it to himself, since he never wanted to appear clingy, especially in a relationship.

  Unfortunately, fighting alongside Rose was rapidly turning into a catastrophe for Matt, as he consistently found himself inadvertently obstructing her, leaving them both exasperated after each skirmish. Even when Matt allowed her to take the lead in a battle, he seemed incapable of standing by whenever she was even marginally pushed back. Rationally, he knew Rose was more than capable of handling herself, yet he was unable to resist stepping in. This culminated in their first major argument following a confrontation with two spider-like monsters. The fight ended with Matt getting bitten while shielding Rose from the attack, despite the fact that she could have likely dodged it entirely.

  “What is wrong with you?” Rose shouted, her voice echoing with frustration. “Who knows what kinds of poisons are out there and whether you can survive them all. I had that fight under control.”

  “I know that,” Matt replied, his voice edged with regret. “You know that I do, and yet I can’t seem to rationalize it in the moment.”

  “Well, fix that, or I’m going to keep telling you off for it,” Rose retorted firmly.

  “I don’t think it’s that simple,” Matt said, his frustration mounting as he recalled why he had always found relationships challenging. “Why can’t I just let you do what I know you’re capable of?”

  “I have an idea,” interjected Greg, who had been silently observing the heated exchange. “The two of you should fight. I mean really fight. Rose, your goal needs to be to show Matt that you really are capable. Matt, you need to see if your instincts can even let you fight her.”

  "Seriously?" retorted Zara, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds like a terrible idea. Even if it works, I don't think it's the way Matt wants to handle things."

  "No, there's a logic to it," agreed Matt, nodding slightly. "I'm not sure if it will work, but I see where he's coming from."

  "It's flawed," stated Emily firmly. "Matt fighting her would be a complete rejection of his instincts. Rose, just use him as a punching bag. Matt, she's just trying to prove that she's able to fight alongside you. There's no need to do anything but show her that she can't."

  "Then what?" asked Matt, his voice tinged with frustration. "Am I supposed to do the same with each of you and declare that only after you show me you can fight me, can we be in a relationship?"

  "No," replied Emily, shaking her head. "She'll just keep going until you acknowledge her. If nothing else, resilience should be enough to win you over eventually. Besides, I would have no chance against you in hand-to-hand combat, and I would never create an obstacle I couldn't overcome."

  "What happens if I falter?" asked Rose, looking uncertain and glancing at the others for reassurance.

  "If you do that, then you truly aren't worth Matt's attention," declared Apricity, deciding to contribute her own perspective to the discussion. "Honestly, I don't believe any of you would be so weak as to let your desire to be the one next to Matt waver so easily. Perhaps some of you cling to the agreement you all insisted upon simply because you know you have no chance of holding onto him if you ever got the opportunity."

  "You're out of line," warned Emily, her voice tense. "All of us—"

  "Want something that only one of you can have," Eleanor interjected, her tone calm yet firm. "Apricity has a point, even if her saying it is out of line. So, Rose, what will you do?"

  Rose gazed at Matt for a long, contemplative moment before a look of determination settled over her features. Without uttering a word, she launched herself at him. Suddenly, Matt found himself on the defensive, his instincts thrown into chaos. He felt a mix of betrayal and hurt, yet there was also a sense of caution and concern as he detected the torrent of emotions emanating from Rose. All he could do was block and dodge, struggling to manage his own feelings, as it became clear this wasn't a mere sparring match. No, this was a battle to prove one's worth—a fight to demonstrate to Rose and the others that his resolve wasn't easily swayed by someone else's will.