Chapter 350: A Favoring Proposal
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
One explosion followed another, each collision shaking the earth enough to send enormous chunks of debris hurtling into the air, while towering clouds of dust erupted outwards.
The shockwaves they generated continued racing across the terrain, traveling several kilometers before finally reaching one of the highways leading into Gritnia.
A vintage truck was making its way along the lonely road when—
THOOM!
An invisible shockwave slammed into it, causing the entire vehicle to lurch violently as its windows rattled and gained a tiny fracture.
The elderly driver had nearly swerved off the road.
"What in the..." He stared toward the distant horizon where another pillar of dust slowly climbed into the sky.
"...Good heavens."
-
The landscape at where they fought had become almost unrecognizable, with massive craters overlapping one another in every direction.
Several still released thin streams of smoke while loose earth continued collapsing inward from their broken edges.
Even the section of land where Ethan and Hayley currently stood had been hollowed out so deeply that it now resembled the floor of an enormous basin.
They both remained standing for a few more seconds, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
Their clothes had long since gathered dirt and dust.
However, they were both smiling.
Hayley glanced around at the devastated surroundings and let out a tired laugh. "Any more of this and you might lose this entire place."
Ethan followed her gaze before chuckling. "True."
He laughed again, then allowed himself to fall backward, landing on the ground with a dull thud before sitting on it.
Hayley walked over and dropped down beside him as well.
Then almost simultaneously, they leaned backward until their backs rested on the ground.
They stared in the skies, and for a short while no one really said anything.
Then Hayley spoke. "You held back on me, you think I can’t take a few hits?"
Her mind flashed back to several moments during their fight.
There had been one in particular, where she had been absolutely certain Ethan’s fist would connect with her stomach.
She had even braced herself for the impact.
But at the very last instant, his body had blurred backward in a flash of lightning, retracting the punch before it landed.
Ethan smiled. "I could say the same thing about you., you didn’t use Cannon Style even once."
He genuinely found himself wondering just how frightening that technique had become, especially now that she was a Martial King.
Hayley immediately rolled onto her side, propping her head up with one hand as she looked directly at him.
A mischievous glint sparkled within her amber eyes.
"I only use Cannon Style when I intend to ruin something. I’d rather not ruin you..."
She let the words linger before adding with a teasing smile, "...Not like that."
Ethan slowly turned onto his own side to face her. And for a brief second, they simply stared at each other.
There was that playful look dancing in her eyes, and a lingering smile on Ethan’s face.
Hayley’s smile widened in satisfaction. "What?"
Ethan shook his head. "Nothing."
She laughed softly before resting her cheek on her hand. "You know, this is way better than hanging out on the drive."
She was referring to the outing Ethan had suggested the previous day.
Ethan smiled to himself but said nothing. He lay back on the ground, folding both hands behind his head as he looked up at the sky, where the afternoon had begun giving way to the sunset.
Then, without warning...
"Let’s get engaged."
Hayley sat upright so abruptly that she nearly lost her balance. "W-What?"
She stared at him with widened eyes. "What are you saying all of a sudden?"
Ethan laughed, then sat up. "You said you have to be betrothed to someone before you’re allowed to challenge Gaston for Alpha."
Hayley stared at him. "...Ugh, Ethan..."
She rubbed her forehead. "It’s not that..."You just... brought it up so suddenly..."
She looked away. "It’s just...Shit."
Hayley looked so flustered that Ethan couldn’t help laughing.
She immediately shot him a look. "It’s not funny, Ethan. How do you just spring something like that on someone?"
He raised both hands defensively. "Alright, alright. I know I skipped straight to the ending."
He smiled a little. "But it crossed my mind yesterday after you came over. And if that’s the only condition stopping you, I’m willing to do it."
Hayley sighed. She genuinely didn’t know how she was supposed to feel. "Ethan, It’s not really that simple. If you’re only doing this just to fulfill a condition, It won’t work."
Ethan looked puzzled. "How so?"
Hayley looked away. And after a long pause, she pushed herself to her feet and dusted the dirt from the back of her clothes. "I think we should head back."
Ethan immediately stood as well. "Hey."
He reached out and caught her hand before she could walk away. "What did I do now?"
Hayley stopped walking, then slowly turned back toward him.
"An Elder oversees the challenge." She explained. "Before it begins, they perform a ritual. My uncle is already the reigning Alpha, so he isn’t part of it. It’s just for me, the challenger."
"The entire purpose of the ritual is to prove that both hearts are genuine and true to ourselves."
"So if you’re only doing this because you’re trying to help me qualify for the challenge, it won’t work."
She paused before adding, "It would also count as an automatic loss for me. And after that, I wouldn’t be allowed to issue another challenge until three moons have passed."
"Oh..." Ethan murmured, now looking thoughtful.
"Yeah." Hayley replied quietly, looking away again. For some reason, meeting his eyes suddenly felt difficult.
Ethan smiled and stepped closer. He gently placing a hand beneath her cheek, guiding her face back toward him.
Their eyes met once more.
"I told you before that we’d take things slowly, and we will." His thumb lightly brushed her cheek. "But this is how I want to begin."
"And besides, there’s no point pretending I don’t want more of you in my life."
His voice remained calm.
"So whether that engagement happens today, tomorrow or a few months from now...It doesn’t really matter."
He smiled. "But I know I’m ready for this to become something more."
Hayley simply stared at him. The warmth rushed visibly into her face until her cheeks had become flushed.
Unable to endure his gaze any longer, she turned her face away again. "What about Isabella?"
"Oh?" Ethan laughed a bit. "This was actually her idea."
He scratched the side of his head. "Well... not exactly, but she was the one who suggested this approach."
Hayley looked back at him, now looking confused. "I don’t understand."
That was when Ethan told her about the discussion he and Isabella had shared a few months earlier, when they had reached an understanding regarding the future of their union.