The wind swayed the flowers in a beautiful grove. Their fragrances mingled, creating a comforting sensation as vibrant colors flooded my senses, growing more vivid with each passing second. Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet began to soften, as if the earth itself had turned to something more pliant—almost like walking on clouds.
Before me, a golden light began to form, hovering in the air like a miniature sun. It pulsed gently, as if alive, and I felt an irresistible pull, as though something deep within me knew this light was important, that it had something to show me.
As I approached, the grove around me began to transform. The trees, once green and full of life, now appeared made of crystal, refracting the golden light into thousands of dancing rays across the ground. The flowers, which had swayed in the breeze, now shimmered with colors I didn't even know existed, as if painted with pigments from another world.
The golden light expanded, enveloping everything, and I felt a profound calm, as if being embraced by something greater than myself.
Then, at the far end of this mysterious place, I saw a wall stretching into the sky. It was made of an unusual crystal, shifting colors every second—white, red, blue, pink, purple, yellow.
I reached out to touch it, but no matter how far I walked, the crystalline wall remained out of reach.
Then, a pulse reverberated through my senses.
"TING..."
My vision whited out with the sensation, and the wall trembled faintly. A divine energy pulsed from within, surpassing anything I had felt in my centuries of life.
I was transported back to the beginning of the grove, far from the wall. Gazing into a crystalline pond, I saw a familiar pair of intense eyes and carmine lips. It was me—another version of me, moving of its own will, wearing an eager expression and a smile.
The space around me began losing light. My eyelids grew heavy, and I closed my eyes, disconnecting from everything.
"BOOOOOOOOOM!"
Explosions echoed across the physical combat training grounds. The clang of metal, the shattering of earth, ragged breathing, and euphoric shouts followed by brutal strikes filled the air.
Theoretically, I was supposed to be on break, no training for three days. But before I knew it, I was already there.
Ever since waking up to those two sun-bright eyes staring into mine, I'd felt electrified, euphoric, restless, but also insecure, confused, and disoriented.
No matter how much I tried to rationalize my actions, they made no sense.
I wasn't particularly close to Selene. In truth, I felt closer to others; Dália, Hera, Elian, Lesley. Yet two words had been enough to shatter all reason and send me tumbling into her arms without question.
The worst part? I'd enjoyed it.
And now, here I was, trying to process facts that refused to align in my head.
A greatsword spun through the air, slamming into a simulation of Lesley, who fought with a spear. My feet accelerated, electricity surging through my body. Empty-handed, I unleashed my power, and lightning enveloped my sword, making it gleam. I struck with a devastating slash.
The simulation nimbly dodged, refusing to take the hit head-on. The ground shattered, dust and debris flying in all directions.
But before the simulation could counter, I extended a hand toward a smaller sword embedded in the arena floor. Obeying my command, the blade flew to my grip, deflecting the spear's thrust.
Now dual-wielding, I lunged forward, exploiting the opening with a spinning slash aimed at my opponent's torso.
She swiftly blocked with the spear's shaft, only for my blade to phase through it as if it weren't there. The simulation's eyes widened before she was cleaved in two.
Blood dripped from my chest, face, arms, and legs. Several fingers were broken, and light armor barely concealed the bruises and cuts littering my body.
"Huff..." I collapsed onto the ground, panting.
Even though it was just a simulation based on my past duels with Lesley, I couldn't afford to hold back. From the moment I'd stepped into the training arena to clear my mind, I'd gone all out, magic, dual blades, all three affinities, and still ended up in terrible shape.
"I feel much better now!"
23:00
My arms strained under the sudden weight of the atmosphere pressing down on me. My teeth clenched as I took a few seconds to steady myself before stepping inside and closing the door behind me.
Moving slowly, I scanned the room for Selene. Everything remained untouched, exactly as I remembered from that morning.
She wasn't on the couches, nor at the table. The bathroom was silent. My footsteps led me to the balcony, where I found her leaning against the railing, bathed in moonlight.
A faint flutter stirred in my chest.
"You're... late!" I teased.
"Hihihi... sorry, unavoidable circumstances!"
She was breathtaking, clad in a black dress embroidered with gold along her torso. Golden balloon-shaped earrings dangled from her ears, matching the ruby necklace resting above a neckline that sent shivers down my spine. Two long slits revealed her sculpted thighs.
Yet her expression was apathetic, disappointed, even. She also looked exhausted and bored.
"Long day?" I joined her at the railing, gazing at the view.
"Yes," she answered after a pause. "Very long."
"I always thought kings and queens could just delegate their problems to subordinates and live however they pleased."
"That would be nice. A dream, really... hihihi."
"I can leave if you want."
Selene slowly straightened, stepping away from the railing. She took a deep breath before locking eyes with me.
"Final lesson, my consort: every great banquet needs a dance to match."
She snapped her fingers, and from inside the room, a gramophone began playing a vibrant, majestic symphony, harps, flutes, violas, and lutes blending into a rhythm perfect for a couple's dance.
"Do you know how to dance, Glenn?" she whispered, now mere inches away.
I could feel her warm breath against my skin, our bodies almost touching.
And here was the question: Did I know how to dance?
Here was the answer: The Glenn of this world was utterly useless and certainly didn't. But the Glenn from Earth had so many private tutors he couldn't even remember all their names. Among them was a dance instructor.
He'd always wondered why his parents had hired a dance teacher for a sickly boy, but his father had insisted: "A man must know how to guide a woman safely in his arms. One day, you'll have the chance."
'Thanks, Dad. You were right.'
"I guess you'll have to find out!"
With perfect posture, firm but not rigid, my right hand settled delicately on Selene's waist while my left clasped hers. With a gentle pull, I drew her against me.
Chest to chest, face to face, breath to breath, eyes to eyes, as a dance should be.
Our first steps were tentative, both of us stiff, stumbling slightly. But soon, like a well-oiled machine, our movements harmonized.
I began anticipating Selene's cues, right, left, forward, back, spin, pause. She, too, relaxed into being led, her limbs yielding to my guidance.
'Dancing is a conversation without words,' my instructor had said. 'But a conversation can only happen if both are willing.'
I guided her with subtle gestures, savoring the harmony in every refined turn, every glide across polished marble. Her eyes sparkled under the moonlight, and at last, her weary expression melted into tranquility.
The music played endlessly, looping its majestic chorus as if time had stopped.
Selene rested her head against my chest. The scent of her skin, the perfume in her hair, overwhelmed my senses, making the moment even more intoxicating, surreal.
We danced for what felt like hours, yet it was the most relaxed I'd ever been.
"I didn't know you could dance like this!" she murmured, still leaning against me. "You keep surprising me."
"A man must keep some secrets to maintain the mystery," I replied with a faint smile.
Our movements lingered even after the music faded. We didn't let go.
Still entwined, our hearts drummed a completely different melody.
Selene lifted her head, and our eyes met. Her arms slid around my neck as mine held her waist.
Our eyes closed.
Our lips touched.
Warm, soft lips, like tasting the gods' forbidden nectar, the Holy Grail's elixir, Eden's fruit.
The moment our lips met, it was as if the universe itself unraveled around us.
A shock raced through my skin, a scorching heat entwined with the electricity of the cosmos, making every cell in my body vibrate with a force that defied creation.
Time bent. Gravity wavered. For an instant, I felt we could split worlds apart with just this touch.
The air thickened, charged with the energy of a thousand storms. My heart hammered like a war drum, unable to contain the fury and immensity of this moment.
If the cosmos had a peak, if destruction and genesis could coexist in a single instant—it was now. In this kiss. In this collision of souls, where infinity would bow and planets tremble under the weight of what we'd awakened.
I lifted her into my arms, our kiss transforming from tender to ravenous. Our tongues clashed, and with every movement, I felt like I might explode from sheer pleasure.
My body convulsed violently, as if every cell were climaxing. My mind short-circuited, seconds from total collapse.
And yet, I ignored it. I surrendered to desire.
No, I wanted to surrender. I wanted to touch her, taste her, drown in her heat as if she were the sole reason for my existence.
Selene clutched me tighter, her hunger mirroring mine.
Then, it happened.
The atmosphere grew hundreds of times heavier. Golden runes flared across the room like emergency lights.
My body cracked. Veins ruptured, blood streaming from my ears and eyes. The sound of snapping bones echoed.
I was being pulverized.
"Ahh...!" Selene gasped in horror as she realized what was happening.
Instantly, the pressure vanished, and my body crumpled into her arms.
"No... No... No... No..." she stammered, voice breaking.
But I was still conscious.
Still alive. And inside me raged an unbearable fire—a primal will tearing me apart, punishing me for my weakness. In that moment, I hated myself.
With the last sparks of my rationality, I spoke words no one else would dare utter:
"How much... can I take?"
"What?" she whispered, stunned, as she dragged me toward her bed.
"How much... do I need... to endure... to have you?"
Shock flashed across Selene's face.
"How much?" I demanded again, voice guttural.
A single tear welled in her eyes.
It shattered my heart.
I felt as if a razor-sharp blade were splitting me in two.
"I... I don't know," she admitted, voice hollow. "I don't know!"
"How much... have I endured... so far?" My vision darkened, consciousness slipping.
"Nineteen percent... was your limit."
'Nineteen.' The word hammered into my skull, dragging me under.
"I'll come back to you... at thirty," I vowed, before everything went black.
Selene trembled, her arms still wrapped around me. A single tear trailed down her cheek, but in the end, a warm smile surfaced.
And deep within her eyes, hidden in their depths, a dangerous light flickered, sharp, lunatic, golden.
A radiance no one in this world possessed.