Eliana inhaled and exhaled deeply and then said.
"I am fine. Thanks for the concern."
It sounded sarcastic.
"Hehhe.."
"That's sarcasm."
"Hey we didn't do anything."
"She's now really embarrassed."
"So good."
The moment Eliana thought she might throw her phone away, the lights of the entire amusement park suddenly went out.
"Huh?"
"What happened? Are you alright?"
"What's going on?"
"Hey, check Phoenix Sky Valley's official page."
Eliana quickly glanced at the comments, then checked the official page.
@Phoenix Sky Valley: We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused today at the launch event. There was a sudden issue with the power supply, and we had to cut off the supply temporarily to fix it. It should be restored in about half an hour. We apologize again and ask for your cooperation.
Eliana returned her attention to the comments but then heard the child's voice.
"Uncle, it's dark."
The child sounded a little scared.
"It's alright, Deedee," the man replied softly, his voice comforting. Eliana could hear a faint rustling sound, likely from the man opening his bag. A flashlight was soon turned on and placed in the middle of the cabin, casting a dim glow.
The child visibly relaxed at the sight of the light. Was he afraid of the dark?
The man then removed the child's mask, revealing a very cute face—round and soft, like a little white dumpling.
Not wanting to stay masked for long, Eliana decided to remove her mask as well. They would likely be stuck there for a while, after all. As she did so, she noticed the man also removed his cartoon mask.
The camera, still facing Eliana, captured the moment she took off her own mask. Under the dim light, the audience saw her stunned expression. She sat there frozen, not even blinking, her mouth slightly ajar.
Her cool and tomboy-ish image? Completely shattered.
She looked utterly stunned, almost foolish.
The barrage erupted.
"What did she see?"
"How did she end up looking like this?"
"Hahahaha!"
"Her cool girl image? Gone, just like that."
"Third time's the charm—she's been embarrassed three times today!"
"Huh, I have a bold guess…"
"Did the hot stranger just remove his mask?"
"Did he?!"
"Show us, show us!"
"I'll smash a flower if you show us."
"Me too."
"I'll even smash a lily."
"Come on, show us what made you stunned like that!"
Eliana stared at the man, completely stunned. The man's features were exquisite—each one more striking than the last.
His black eyes almost seemed to glow, like twin stars, radiating an intensity Eliana couldn't tear her gaze away from. His skin was flawless, a perfect shade of pale that seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the cabin. His lips, a rich sunset red, contrasted beautifully with the rest of his face.
The long lashes framed those deep eyes, adding to their enigmatic allure. His jawline was strong, angular, and his cheeks sculpted, as if chiseled by an artist. His eyebrows were perfectly shaped, giving him an air of natural elegance.
But it wasn't just his face.
After removing the mask, his entire presence shifted. There was a nobility to him—like the grace of an emperor or a ruler who had seen and commanded it all. His temperament, effortlessly majestic, seemed to fill the small cabin. The sheer magnitude of it made Eliana's mind blank.
She had never seen anyone like him before.
Well, she couldn't quite find the right words to describe it. There were no adjectives that felt adequate enough for this kind of perfection.
For the first time in a long while, Eliana found herself lost for words.
Eliana snapped out of her daze when she heard the kid's excited voice. "You're Eliana?"
With great difficulty, she shifted her gaze back to the boy and offered a faint smile. "That's me. What's your name?"
The kid beamed, "I'm Diego. I saw your livestream. You're so cool when you play."
Eliana couldn't help but grimace inwardly. Cool? She thought, considering her current state of embarrassment. I've just completely destroyed my image. But on the surface, she kept her calm and composed demeanor, as she always did—after all, she was over six hundred years old. Composure was second nature to her.
"Thank you," she said to the kid, maintaining her cool.
Ignoring the barrage of comments on her phone, Eliana reached into her backpack, retrieving a chocolate box she had purchased earlier. It had stayed cool and was still in perfect condition. She glanced at Diego, then at the man sitting across from her, whose gaze was fixed on her.
"Can I give it to him?" Eliana asked, holding up the box.
The man looked at the box and nodded.
With a smile, Eliana extended the box toward Diego. "This is my favorite chocolate. It's a thank-you gift for being my cutest fan."
Diego's eyes lit up as he eagerly accepted the box. "Thank you!"
Eliana watched him for a moment, a small sense of satisfaction filling her. Well, she must admit, she is not usually this generous with strangers. But seeing the kid a bit scared in the dark, and the man a little worried, she couldn't help herself. It wasn't a bad idea after all.
The man sitting next to the kid glanced at Diego as the boy excitedly opened the chocolate and said softly, "Thank you."
Eliana smiled in return, a bit surprised by the man's voice. "You're welcome..."
"Elysio," the man introduced himself.
Eliana nodded. "You're welcome, Mr. Elysio."
Elysio gave her a small nod in acknowledgment before turning his attention back to Diego, who was now eagerly unwrapping the chocolate. Again a soft sigh escaped Elysio's lips.
Eliana looked at her phone, though her mind was still buzzing with thoughts about Elysio.
Elysio too couldn't help but find the girl in front of him amusing. Eliana... he had heard that name before, from his nephew. A high school student, a gamer, and a livestreamer.
His gaze drifted back to Eliana, noting her innocent, almost adorable appearance. The girl's face is exceptionally beautiful and her personality... interesting.
Elysio felt a small, almost affectionate urge to ruffle Eliana's hair—something about the girl's flustered expression from earlier, the clumsy fall, and the dazed look when her mask came off was... endearing. He shook the thought away, returning to the present moment.
His phone buzzed with a message from his assistant, and he took it out to check.
Looks like it'll be a while before they leave, he thought, glancing at the time. He had to admit, agreeing to babysit his nephew and bring Diego to the amusement park today was not ideal timing for his evening plans.
With a sigh, Elysio quickly typed a message to his assistant. "Reschedule the flight to midnight."
After sending the message, he tucked his phone away and settled back in his seat, his eyes casually observing the girl in front of him.
Eliana had already closed the livestream and was now gazing out of the window at the stars scattered across the dark sky. Her eyes lingered on one particular star.
The universe she was born in was called Mystara. There, when a child was born, a star would naturally be born alongside them. It was said that souls in Mystara came from the stars themselves.
She too had a star that had accompanied her from the moment of her birth, always sharing the same sky with her. That star's name, and her name, was Elian.
Eliana was lost in thought, her gaze soft, until Diego's curious voice pulled her back.
"Big Sister, do you like stars?"
Big Sister? Eliana blinked. That was new.
She turned to look at Diego and, after thinking for a moment, replied, "Yeah. I like stargazing a lot."
Diego beamed at her answer and put away the chocolate box he had been playing with. Then, as if remembering something, he rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a notebook and a pen. Shyly, he glanced at Eliana.
Eliana raised an eyebrow, a small laugh escaping her. "Let me sign it."
Excitedly, Diego handed her the notebook.
Eliana opened it carefully, wrote a few words, and signed her name. When she handed it back, Diego quickly said, "Sign one for uncle too! He should have one too!"
Eliana looked at Elysio, who met her eyes calmly. Smiling slightly, Eliana bowed her head and signed a second autograph before passing the notebook back.
Diego accepted it with a satisfied grin.
Thinking for a moment, Eliana added warmly, "These are my first and second autographs. Exclusive, just for you."
Diego's eyes lit up, and he said enthusiastically, "Thank you, Big Sister!"
Eliana chuckled. I'm really behaving differently today, she thought. I've never signed an autograph before... Is this what aging feels like?
Just then, as if finally remembering something important, Diego turned to Elysio and asked, "Uncle, why are we still here?"
Elysio gave him an exasperated look and said, "You just now remembered to ask?"
Diego scratched his head sheepishly. It's not my fault, he thought. First the chocolates, then Big Sister—there was too much going on!
Elysio explained, "There's an issue with the power supply. It'll take some time to fix."
Diego smiled brightly at the news—more time to spend with Eliana! He turned back to her with a grin so wide it almost split his face.
Eliana looked at him and couldn't help feeling amused.
After that, the two of them talked to pass the time.
Well, mostly Diego talked. He chatted about the game Battle in Shadows, about strategies, and how much he loved playing it. He proudly shared that he was seven years old and in second grade. He even mentioned how smart he was, and explained that his parents, who were both doctors, had been called away for an urgent surgery, which was why his uncle was accompanying him today.
Eliana listened with a patient smile.
Elysio watched the two of them for a while and, for some reason, felt a little neglected.
He glanced at Eliana, who was listening patiently as Diego excitedly talked about his favorite dishes. Eliana nodded along and offered the right responses at the right times, her expression gentle and attentive. They naturally drifted into talking about school.
Suddenly, Diego piped up, "Uncle goes to the same school as you, Big Sister!"
Eliana looked confused for a moment, her eyes darting to Elysio.
Elysio smiled slightly and clarified, "He means to say, I'm an alumnus of your school."
Eliana's eyes widened in realization. "Ah! Senior!"
The moment the word slipped out, Elysio chuckled, his low voice rumbling pleasantly in the small cabin.
Eliana immediately looked flustered again, her ears faintly red.
This girl, Elysio thought, was really too easy to tease.
Intrigued, Eliana hesitated for a second before asking, "Then… what university are you attending now?"
Elysio raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. He leaned back slightly and said, "I'm flattered you think I'm still a student... but I'm already twenty-nine."
Eliana blinked, stunned.
She hadn't expected that. Honestly, Elysio looked so youthful — like he was in his early twenties at most. That fair skin, those sharp features, and the steady, effortless energy he carried — none of it screamed "almost thirty."
He was eleven years older than her.
At least, in this universe, Eliana had just turned eighteen.
Eliana's stunned expression made Elysio chuckle again, a soft, low sound that lingered in the small cabin like a warm breeze.
Diego, who had been watching the two of them curiously, suddenly tilted his head and said, very seriously, "Yes, Uncle is old. Grandma always says he's so old that no one wants to marry him. So old he'll die single."
The cabin went silent for a beat.
Then pfft — Eliana couldn't hold it in anymore.
Elysio, meanwhile, was left completely speechless. He gave Diego a long, unreadable look, the kind adults reserved for children who had no idea how dangerous their words were.
Then looking at Eliana, Elysio thought dryly, if his humiliation could bring someone joy, maybe it wasn't a total loss.
But Diego, sensing that maybe he had thrown his uncle under the bus a bit too hard, scrambled to fix it because his birthday gift depended on it.
His small face turned anxious as he added hurriedly, "But! But my uncle is very good even if he's old! Grandma also says Uncle is a genius! Just… a very pitiful genius who has been single since birth..."
Eliana chuckled more.
Elysio, now wearing the expression of a man who had just been personally betrayed by his blood relative, exhaled slowly and looked at the ceiling.
Meanwhile, Diego, clearly determined to dig the grave even deeper, continued enthusiastically, "Also, also! Uncle is super famous! He works with very important people! He's a very good... pre... pre-manager—wait, no! Manager! Just—Dad said he's a waste of good looks and brain..."
Before the next verbal bomb could be dropped, Elysio swiftly clamped a hand over Diego's mouth, looking like he was performing a public service.
"Spend less time with your grandma and your dad," Elysio said darkly. "They're turning you into a little fool."
Eliana actually wouldn't have shown expression so easily — normally, she was someone who could keep a straight face even if the sky was falling.
But today...
Today was different.
It was like some invisible switch inside her had been flipped. She had absolutely no control over herself and was just being honest with every single feeling that bubbled up.
She finally managed to calm herself down, though she was still smiling uncontrollably.
She glanced at Elysio, who was now seriously scolding the very confused Diego, and thought to herself with an inward chuckle: No wonder his mother and brother are so worried. Truly... what a tragic waste of top-tier looks and brains.
To save Diego from being scolded any further, Eliana deliberately asked, "So Senior works as an artist manager?"
That was the only thing Eliana could think of, recalling Diego's words about Elysio working with famous people and being some kind of manager.
Well, the entertainment industry... hmm... not a bad guess. Something different. She could try that.
Elysio glanced at her and opened his mouth, "Not exactly. I manage—"
But before he could finish, the lights suddenly flickered back on and the Ferris wheel jerked violently.
Eliana, completely unprepared, was thrown forward — and this time, she didn't just fall into Elysio's lap.
She fell straight into the man's arms.
Instinctively, Eliana's hands clutched at Elysio's neck for balance, her entire body pressing against him.
Elysio, steady as ever, caught her with one arm while keeping Diego securely tucked against his side with the other.
He even chuckled lightly, the sound vibrating right against Eliana's ear, causing it to flush bright red.
As the cabin stabilized, Eliana hurriedly scrambled back into her seat, mortified.
Really, she should just find a hole to hide in now.
She glanced at Elysio, a mix of admiration and shame swirling inside her.
Exactly how strong was this man to stay perfectly steady while holding both a grown teenager and a wiggly seven-year-old?
Elysio turned his head toward her and asked gently, "Are you alright?"
Eliana nodded stiffly, then cleared her throat and said, "Thank you... and sorry for…"
Before she could finish, Elysio shook his head, smiling faintly. "It's fine."
Eliana could only nod again, determined to maintain what little dignity she had left.
After the Ferris wheel ride ended, the three of them stepped out into the night air and walked towards the exit.
Diego immediately tugged Eliana's sleeve and said brightly, "Big Sister, come with us! We're going to my favorite restaurant!"
Eliana instinctively glanced at her watch, ready to politely decline.
But before she could say anything, Elysio spoke up. "Please come. I should thank you properly — you really helped me. He wouldn't have stayed this calm being suspended in the air for so long without you."
Eliana hesitated for a moment.
She wasn't usually so quick to trust strangers... but somehow, this man made her feel strangely safe.
In the end, she nodded.
Elysio's lips curved into a light, satisfied smile.
Maybe age was catching up to him, he thought wryly. Otherwise, why would he invite someone he had only met thirty minutes ago out to dinner? When he had never done so before.
He shook off the thought and pulled out his phone to call David, his driver.
Not long after, a sleek black SUV pulled up in front of them.
Eliana's eyes widened slightly.
Limited edition. Custom build. If she wasn't mistaken, there were only five of these in existence.
She cast a glance at Elysio, who had moved to open the car door for both her and Diego.
Looks like this Senior wasn't just successful... he was a ridiculously successful artist manager.