His vision was becoming blurred as he walked. Leon's body wanted to immediately return to where Elara was, but with force he bit his lip, drawing a bit of blood, and calmed himself as much as possible. His body was filled with thoughts about Elara, every moment by her side seemed to be imprinted into him.
'I have to find a way to make this body stop liking her'
[And how are you going to do that? Leon is someone simply too obsessed]
'I have to think'
On the way to one of the rooms offered for him to rest, Leon ended up encountering the crown prince, who looked at him with concern upon sensing that something was wrong. Both in expression and breathing, something that was hard to see in someone like Leon.
"Are you alright?"
"The battle I had yesterday was difficult, so I'm a bit off at the moment"
Leon had quite the nerve to say that lie, he was going to use that excuse a lot that day, especially because this cursed body seemed to be trying to drive his mind insane. Alistair kept his gaze fixed on Leon for a few seconds after hearing the answer. He had seen Leon return from battles before, in worse physical conditions, but rarely like that in terms of behavior. Still, he didn't insist immediately.
"You don't usually get like this after a fight"
Leon maintained his posture, gradually controlling his breathing while the internal discomfort hadn't completely disappeared. The slight pain in his lip helped him stay focused, pushing away part of the confusion in his mind.
"This time was different"
Alistair narrowed his eyes slightly, but ended up accepting it for now, not because he fully trusted the explanation, but because he knew insisting wouldn't lead anywhere, especially since he knew well how his friend was—if you pushed too much, he would get irritated.
"I see"
He took a step closer, observing Leon's bandages and posture more carefully, his eyes scanning each wound before continuing.
"My father mentioned your report, he seems satisfied"
"That was expected, Your Highness"
"You're right, after all, I shouldn't expect less from my best subordinate"
He stepped away from Leon and looked outside. Everything out there was dark, with the only thing in the sky being the moon at the center. His mind went back to the moment Leon saved his life, it was on a night just like that. It wasn't something he revisited often, but in moments like that, seeing Leon in an unusual state, it was inevitable to make the connection.
"It was on a night like this"
Leon remained silent, just listening while maintaining control of his breathing. His state still wasn't completely stable, but at least it didn't seem to be getting worse.
"If you hadn't been there that time… things would have been different"
At that time, his body had been completely bound by ropes tied around him by one of the kingdom's enemies. There were three knights and two mages, all five quite young. At that moment, he was being taken through a dark forest, but in the next moment he remembered seeing a boy with long red hair sleeping in the middle of the forest. He immediately asked that boy for help and was saved quickly.
"You seem like someone quite rich, so since I saved you, do I get something?"
That red-haired boy looked at him on the ground while all five enemies were also on the ground. Of course, Leon hadn't defeated them alone—behind him there were three shadows, one of them small, perhaps the youngest among the four.
"Tell me, Leon, are you enjoying what you're receiving from me so far?"
"Of course, I couldn't have received anything better than serving the kingdom this way"
"And as long as you continue with that mindset, the more you will receive… so stay by my side, my friend"
Alistair placed a hand on Leon's shoulder for a moment with a small smile before leaving. His last words before disappearing were for him to rest in the room at the end of the corridor. Leon remained still for a few seconds after Alistair left, feeling the light weight of the hand that had been on his shoulder.
[I now hate the original Leon even more]
'Anything about him will make you hate him, system'
The conversation hadn't been long, but it was enough to stabilize his mind a bit, at least enough for him to walk again without his vision failing. Still, the problem hadn't disappeared, it was only more controlled for the moment. He resumed the indicated path, following the corridor further back, where movement was minimal and silence prevailed. He wanted as much as possible to avoid his mind returning to the same point as before, so he tried to organize his thoughts. Even so, small images kept appearing—the touch, the scent, the closeness—all coming in fragments, as if the body was trying to pull him back.
'This is getting irritating'
[As you said, we need to find a way to make you forget this feeling for Elara, but the problem is how we're going to do that]
Leon didn't respond, he just opened the door to the room when he finally arrived, entering and closing it carefully behind him. The environment was clean and organized, prepared in advance for his recovery, everything in its exact place, as expected within the castle. He took a few steps toward the bed and stopped, resting his hand on the side before sitting down slowly, avoiding straining his main injury. His body relaxed only as much as necessary, but his mind remained active, searching for a solution that still wasn't clear.
'This body reacts before me… that's a problem'
He brought a hand to his face for a moment, lightly pressing his forehead as he organized his thoughts. Leon remained silent for a few seconds, analyzing the situation more calmly now that there were no external interruptions.
'If I avoid contact… it doesn't solve it. If I face it directly… it gets worse'
[That is definitely true]
He exhaled in a controlled way, leaning slightly back onto the bed while looking at the ceiling. Leon closed his eyes for a few seconds, but as he did, Elara's image appeared clearly again, making him open his eyes immediately.
'Can't even rest properly'
[The only way is for this body to lose interest in her]
"That would be impossible… unless it becomes interested in… someone else"
He stood up quickly as an idea came to him. There was someone who could help him with that, and that person wouldn't complain, because it was something she had sought her entire life.
"She can help me"
[Who? Wait, you're not thinking about her, right?… damn]