I wake up in a place I can’t identify. It’s a house inside the city but besides that I can’t identify anything. As I get up I see that I am not in my combat gear so I start to think the worst but as soon as I open the door to the small room I am in they vanish. Arnold, The Boss, even Aria are there sitting at a table along with some other people. As soon as I see Aria I ignore everyone and hug her really tight.

“I thought you died.” I say almost crying.

“Don’t worry sweety, I will not die just from that.” She says while hugging me back.

“Wish I had this reception.” The Boss says half-joking.

“Earn it then.” Arnold says in a serious tone.

I look around and see that the other people there are Dragons in civilian clothes. I kinda remember some of them.

“What happened?” I ask.

“You tell us. What was that?” Arnold replies.

“What was what?”

“That thing you did.” Arnold says to me.

“What?”

“You know, your hair became red, you looked like you were on fire.” He explain to me.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I reply to him.

That probably happened when I got super angry, but I don’t know what exactly happened either.

“Let’s leave things as they are for now, she was sleeping for a long time.” Aria says.

“Wait, how long have I been sleeping?”

“Around a month and a half.” The Boss says it like it is something that happens a lot.

I am in shock. I remember everything like it was yesterday. Even my birthday already went by. I sit down to put my thoughts into place.

“I know it’s a little late but I have to congratulate you for your job well done. The chocolate I bought was consumed a few weeks ago so I will buy you some later as you finally woke up.” The Boss says to me. All this time Arnold is kinda angry at him. Something definitely happened between those two and Arnold is taking this a little too personally. I hope it’s jealousy, I don’t like the Boss as a man anyway, if anything he should be jealous of Aria.

“Can someone explain to me what happened? Also I am hungry.” I say.

“Sure, sit down and we will get you some food.” Aria says.

After that the Dragons there leave the places and milk and bread are given to me. As I eat the Boss starts to explain what happened.

“I think I should first explain the job you two have done. Some random cultist managed to make a contract with Lokir, the god of bets, gambling and lies. He would capture those ten rank-S bounties and put them somewhere they could be killed. If they couldn’t be killed the cultist would lose.”

“This doesn’t explain much. How were we mixed into this?” I ask.

“The guy contracted the Dragons, Informed the Army and the Adventurer’s Guild about it and everyone who heard the entire story became part of his contract. If he lost we would have lost. The good thing is that with us more rules were put in the contract so that's how that entire situation happened.”

“I think I understand. Probably someone said that only people who did something during the monster break could participate in the actual fighting and we just happened to do something worthy of notice.”

“Pretty much.” Arnold says.

“What about after we killed our target?”

“You two probably found Lokir himself. He is a brat and part of the contract was that the combatants would have to fight. But fighting is subjective to the participants. When he did all that after you killed the Doll Maker the first time he broke his own contract.”

“Did anything happen?”

“I don’t know, he stopped appearing so I guess it is a plus. I also got a message saying that he was being punished along with a message about the demon attack.”

“So that was really a demon attack.” I say surprised.

“We weren’t expecting something to appear outside the city, much less for you two to be fighting it.” Aria says.

“Destiny and Fate can be a bitch sometimes.”

“And that is why she had to leave that day.” Arnold says.

Makes sense.

“Anything else you want to know?” The Boss asks.

“How am I alive? Like, I feel like I just slept for one night.”

“You weren’t sleeping normally, that I can guarantee. You were in a state of stasis. I don’t even know what kind of spell can cause that effect.” Aria explains.

I am just as confused. But then something hit me. I stop for a few seconds and try to feel my soul and Lucia’s soul. As I do that I see something. I don’t know if this is me hallucinating or a by product of what is happening but as I feel my soul the way I always did, mine and her souls are now becoming one. We are inside a black void with my astral light body on one side looking right at Lucia and two flames one coming from me and another from her slowly becoming one. This is happening sooner than I thought and I wonder what will happen. I can even feel her most important feelings as they were always mine. She still doesn’t have a conscience but her existence can’t be denied. As of this point we will become one person in due time.

After what looked like and eternity inside of myself I go back to the real world where I am still eating breakfast.

“I think I need to rest a little more.” I say as I stand up from the table.

“Take your time, as soon as you feel better we will go back home.” The Boss says.

I take my leave and go back to the room I was. As I lie down there, time just passes. I can hear people coming and going from the house but I don’t move, I just stay there thinking about what happened but I can’t come up with an explanation.

After who knows how many hours Arnold enters my room and sits on a chair on the side of my bed. He takes my hand and begins to talk with me.

“Lucia, do you still want to be a soldier?” he ask me seriously.

“Yes, it’s the only thing I can be right now.”

“You can do administration, you are really good at it.”

“Are you saying this because you think I am stronger than you now?” I say trying to light the mood a little.

“No! I am serious. You are almost dying too much.”

“You say that like you weren’t with me in the same situation almost every time.”

“I am serious Lucia. I don’t think I will be able to continue living if you die. Everyone says I am just a kid who doesn’t know what love is but I truly love you, I would die for you. For god's sake, you still use the old necklace I gave you years ago everyday. You were there with me when I was at my lowest point. If it weren't for I wouldn’t be alive today.”

“That’s why I will continue being a soldier on the field with you. So I get so strong you don’t need to protect me. So I can be with you anywhere, anytime.” These are now my feelings.

Arnold then pull me up a little and hugs me and begins to cry a little.

“I thought you weren’t going to wake anymore.”

“I’m sorry, I promise to not sleep that much anymore” I say as I hug him back.

After that we kiss for a while before we both calm down. Looks like we were the only ones in the house so that’s why he was able to talk with me like this. It’s a little embarrassing, but it’s ok.

After that I put on some actual clothes and we go out to eat after leaving a message saying we will be back by night. The house we were in is in the central district so it’s really easy to find a bank and a place to eat. After getting some money we eat, drink some juice and even buy some candy. Before we know it’s night and we go back after having just dumb fun walking around and talking. This is a feeling I wish I could feel in my old life.

When we get back Aria, the Boss and David are there. The Boss is with a big black eye.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“So you are back.” He says like nothing happened.

“Hello” We say awkwardly.

“So, did anything happen to you girl?” David asked me.

“Besides sleeping for a month?”

“Yes.”

“No. I feel like I just slept for a night.”

“You are not feeling anything? Pain? Headaches? Something else?”

“No. Why the questions?”

“Since it’s only you four here I guess I can say. But anyone who can change their hair color, independent of the reason, usually are people who will either die really soon if they are feeling sick or their mana is beginning to change its properties. In case you were feeling bad I would have to quarantine as whatever that is, it’s contagious and magic cannot cure.”

I am kinda in shock. I know for a fact I am not dying.

“Care to explain the bit about the hair?”

“This is not really secret information but your elemental affinities can affect the color of your hair. If you have a normal or higher affinity with an element your hair will usually be what shows a part of what you are good at. For example, Aria is good at light magic so her hair is white even though she is not old. You have some affinity with lighting right? That is why your hair is blue, probably. I know you have some incredible affinity with fire but looks like blue was what happened.”

“Well, thanks for the information.” I say showing my gratitude.

“I couldn’t very well let one of the people who fought a demon to defend the city kill the same city and the Magic Institute was on our neck when they heard about what happened to you.”

“So we are done?” Arnold ask.

“Yeah, I will take my leave now. Have a nice day.” David says with a smile on his face while leaving.

“Aria, can you heal me?” The Boss asks.

“Sure, Sure, I think you felt his rage long enough.” She says while healing him.

We just ignore it and sit down. We don’t really talk about much. Arnold is a little less angry at the Boss now so we have some small talk about training, our future, about the food we got delivered to us and go to sleep.

When I wake up the next day the Boss has a message to all the Dragons. We gather near the guild as he addresses all of us.

“Tomorrow we will be leaving this city, so go have your fun now or finish your business.”

As he says that we go our ways. I went around looking for books and candy to bring back to the home base as I heard there are a lot of children there. At some point The Boss, Aria and Arnold joined me around the city helping me with the shopping as well buying some things themselves. I got some cloth so I can make some clothes for myself if necessary as well.

We spend our entire day together. After everything that happened I am so happy. I may have lost my life and my family twice, but I finally found people who truly love and care about me and I will do my best to be happy with them. This is not a feeling I ever thought I would have again.

When night hits The Boss and Aria leave to find the carriages that will take us back home and me and Arnold have to spend the night alone.

As we walk back, we pass in an area on the just south of the central district we never saw. As we go walking around the houses have no lights or people, but are not abandoned, it’s kind of strange. We get lost a little there trying to find a street we know until we finally see a house with lights on so we run towards there but it’s not what we were looking for. As we reach the place one of the windows is open. As we look through it there are lots of people having sex, it’s an orgy.

They can’t see us or are too distracted to be able to. For a few seconds me and Arnold are glued to the scene in front of us. A woman is mounted on a man riding his dick full speed while screaming how much she is loving it. Another woman is being fucked while in all fours by one guy while sucking another one and there are two other women scissoring each other.

I try to avert my gaze but I can’t. Something is making me look at that. When I am finally able to look to my side I see Arnold almost in a trance reaching down to his pants. A feeling of pure lust washes me over. I can’t control myself anymore for some reason. I grab Arnold and pull him towards the first alley I can see where no one will see us.

I start to kiss him passionately as I reach down his pants myself and pull them while grabbing his dick. It’s not big as he is still a teenager but it’s big for me.

As I kiss him I make him touch my boobs from inside my shirt while I stroke his dick. My experience doing it myself paid here but that is besides the point.

He can’t hold much so he cums in my hand while I kiss him. He grasps for air for a moment as that was a little too intense for him. As I look down at his half-limp dick covered in cum with my hand near it I pull my hand to my face while looking him straight in the eyes and begin to lick the cum in my hand sexy as if I was giving my own hand a blowjob. There is something strange happening. It tastes like honey.

Soon enough his dick is hard again, harder but so am I. I change positions with him getting myself in the wall with my back to him as I pull my pants and panties down just enough so my asshole and a little of my pussy appears to him.

“Put it in my ass.” I say without flinching. And he does.

For a second I was ready for a little pain but I am feeling nothing but pleasure. I can feel his dick inside my butt as I wrap it around. Every thrust he does give me a shocking sensation that goes through my entire body filling me with energy for some reason. No words are said between us, just pressure grunts. As he thrusts me with his dick I can feel my dick hardening as well. I begin to stroke myself through my pants, I get this feeling that he would not like to see that so I do it in secret.

After a few moments I feel a jet of liquid inside me and I cum at the same time. I am in ecstasy as I cummed while being fucked in the ass. All that intensity made both of us drop to the ground for a moment. Arnold falls on his but while I just fall on my knees while grabbing the wall.

I still got a this feeling I have to continue and it makes me go to Arnold again. I remove my shirt giving him a clear view of my boobs and start to suck his dick while it’s still limp. I lick and suck every inch of his meat. I feel it growing inside my mouth and take all of it. I can hear him saying something to me.

“Lucia, Lucia, Lucia…”

He tries to say but the pleasure seems to be too much. As I take it all the way to my throat he cums again and a lot. I make sure to suck it a little more just to make sure nothing is left. I can see the pleasure in his face, I am full of energy, I want more, but then my mind finally snaps.

I get back to normal and I am feeling shame like no other. Arnold is looking at me like he had the sex of his life but I am ashamed of myself and in tears. I pick my clothes and run away from there. I can’t look at his face, not right now.

After running I am finally able to find the place I was. I enter and lock everything up and take a bath to clean myself.

I think about what happened. Why did I feel that way? Everything looked right until it didn’t. When that feeling stopped I just felt so much shame I couldn’t even look at anyone. Worse yet all the semen in me just vanished. A few moments after I runned away all of it simply disappeared from both my hands and my insides. I am not even hurt anywhere. I once tried to put my finger inside my vagina and it hurt like hell, but just now I took a dick in the ass like I had done that everyday. I wouldn’t mind doing that in the future but right now I feel like I did something wrong, something that I shouldn’t have. I cry in the tub trying to forget what happened, praying it was all a dream, but the pleasure is imprinted in my mind, it was too good, I want more, but I can’t, It’s wrong. I have to hold myself. Before I know I am in the bed sleeping.

--//--

Next morning I am woken up by Aria.

“Lucia, we need to go. Go dress up.”

I just blankly follow the orders. I put on my combat gear as we will be on the move for a while. As I am changing myself I see the necklace that Arnold gave my and I feel like something is grabbing my heart. I force myself to pick all my things there and I follow Aria to the north gate of the city where she tells me everyone is waiting.

I ignore everything around me. I can’t look anyone in the face, I know they don’t know but I feel like they know. I don’t want to confront what I did yesterday. Arnold probably felt just as good as I did but in the back of my mind I can’t help but feel that I did something I shouldn’t have.

As we reach the north gate there are a lot of people finishing putting everything in the carriages. All of my things were already being taken care of by Aria and the Boss so I just hop into the one where all my things are along with Aria and we stay there. I see Arnold also entering the carriage but I turn my head so I cannot see him. He gets the message and sits as far as he can from us. A few minutes later we are moving.

I need to think how to fix this situation, I don’t think I can just ignore people forever but this is the first time I've felt like this. I will need some time to think about everything and put my feelings in place.

A few hours later we stop.

“Everyone, there are some monsters in the way, come help.” I hear someone shouting.

Thinking some mindless killing will help me. I also hop off the carriage along with everyone else, but there is nothing here.

As soon as I hit the ground everyone forms a half single some ways always from me and David of all people come forward along with a big army out of nowhere, like they were invisible or something.

“By the decree of the Church and the King himself Lucia of the Purple Dragons you must die along with your brothers in arms!”

I am in shock. I can’t do anything. But he continues.

“But, as you proved that you are not a mindless monster, if you now leave this kingdom we will not pursue you, also your companions will be free of charges.”

I look at the Boss who is near him in tears.

“Boss, I don’t want to go, you all are my family. Please help me.”

“Lucia, go, you are not part of our family, you are a demon who will bring destruction if you stay with us.”

“Why, if it’s because of what I did yesterday, I promise I won’t do anything like that again. Someone please help me.” I say while crying my eyes out but no one moves.

“You are a demon, no one will help you.” The Boss says to me.

I break at this point. I am feeling nothing but sadness, I almost can’t stay standing up. I feel like there is a hole so big that it can’t be fulfilled ever again.

At that moment I see Arnold coming out of nowhere trying to hit both the Boss and David with his spear but the Boss punches him so hard I can hear his skull cracking. Aria goes after Arnold as he falls.

“Lucia, go you are not welcome here, I won’t sacrifice everyone just for you and no one besides that boy you charmed are going to try to help you.” The Boss says.

I didn’t do that. All that talk of family, all that about us being together and him and everybody caring about everyone. All a farce. In the face of overwhelming power they do nothing. I was ready to die for these people and look at them, they are abandoning me.

“Lucia, I love you, please don’t go, I will fight for you!” I hear Arnold shouting behind everyone.

“Shut up you stupid kid. She just put a spell on you.” I hear someone say.

I look at all that, with only Arnold trying to help me I feel a little less pain. Not even Aria is trying to do something. As I look behind me I recognize the trees, we are near the Sure-Death forest that separates the Maka Kingdom from the Cruxadia Kingdom. They want me dead either way.

I drop my Purple Dragon Badge on the ground along with the necklace that Arnold gave me and turn my back. As I do that I begin to cry as I hear Arnold shouting at me while being restrained.

“Lucia, Lucia, I am going with you! Stop, let me go. I am going with her. Lucia, Lucia, I love you, stop, stay here, stop, stop!”

After an eternity I don’t hear anything anymore. All those feelings of happiness, all my aspirations to the future, all my hope, all gone. I am just a husk now. I will walk and walk and walk until I feel nothing again. The gods promised me another life that I could live to the fullest but if this is their idea of living to the fullest it is the worst joke I ever heard. This forest will kill anyone who goes through it right? Maybe this time when I die I will stay dead so I don’t have to feel sadness anymore.