In another part of the world.
An exquisitely beautiful woman with shoulder-length platinum hair and light blue eyes sat in a greenhouse, casually sipping tea.
Beside her was another equally exquisite person. He had ruby colored eyes and his long silver hair hung limply down his back. The dark bags under his eyes did not detract from his handsomeness in the slightest.
"Are you still smoking? I could smell the stink from a mile away." A voice like tinkling bells sounded out.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Argento exhaled harshly as he placed a folder full of pictures on the table.
"If he finds out you've been keeping tabs on him, what will you do?"
Still leisurely sipping her tea, Claire Pryor responded nonchalantly. "I'm his mother. I'm supposed to keep tabs on him. In the off chance that he does find out, I'll think of something then."
Shaking his head in resignation, Argento stood up from his chair and made his way out the door.
As soon as she was alone, Claire's posture slackened as she slumped into her chair, devoid of strength.
“I messed up again! Ahhh!!! Why can't I speak normally to them?! I want to hug them and dote on them… Ahhhhhh!! He didn't even smile once since he got here. I'm really useless…”
As a Valkyrie, she was always expressionless when interacting with others but whenever she was alone, her true feelings would gush forth.
"I really am a failure of a mother. Ahhh, my cute kids, I want to hug and kiss them already!"
Puffing up her cheeks in frustration, Claire opened the folder and her eyes instantly narrowed to slits.
"Since when could such lowlifes openly bully my son?" The air turned stagnant in an instant.
The Beastkin workers outside the greenhouse ran away as they felt the murderous aura emerge from the greenhouse.
'Madam is still as scary as always.'
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
In a room made of white, an intense light emerged and formed a small image. A small blue flame flickered as other different colored flames integrated with it gradually until it was finally completed and turned into a beautiful iridescent roaring flame.
This process, from beginning to end was observed by Faer as he was somehow also in the space.Unable to speak, Faer could only watch wide-eyed as the flame came closer and closer.
The moment the flame entered his body, Faer’s entire disposition was altered. For better or worse, it remained unknown.
Faer’s consciousness was blurry and in disarray. In his haziness, he could hear a door being opened and closed. The next moment the bed dipped and something cold traced the outline of his face.
‘Was this a dream? Why can’t I move?’ were Faer’s last thoughts as he once again lost consciousness.
The next time he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was tresses of long black hair spread across his chest. His body felt heavy and hot, so he tried to move away from whatever was on top of him. Tender white skin glistened as sunlight streamed through the window. The sight of this alone could cause people to be entranced. Snippets from the night before started returning to his mind. There was obviously no memory of what happened while he was passed out but he had made sure to lock the door when he entered the room, so how did this stranger end up on top of him?
His thoughts were clear even if he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation.
‘First off, let’s get this unidentifiable person off me and then figure out what to do.’ In an effort to avoid an awkward situation, Faer slowly and carefully extracted himself from the arms that shackled him.
Faer furrowed his eyebrows as he scanned the room. Now that it was light out, he could see the room more clearly. Though luxurious, the room was without a doubt that of a woman. Did he sleep in someone’s room? Is it the person contentedly snoring away on the bed perhaps? He had hoped it was a guest room. What rotten luck.
If anything, he was the one in the wrong for entering a room that was not his in the first place. Thankfully they both were still fully dressed, and nothing untoward seemed to have happened.
So what he remembered during his short moment of consciousness was real after all?
Faer eyes darkened as he took deep breaths. If he remembered correctly, that person had touched him unrestrainedly.
Faer had never experienced being intimate with anyone, so being in such a situation was strange, to say the least.
Though he was curious as to whom this woman was, the best thing for him right now would be to leave this place. Nothing good would come from remaining here.
‘Right, it was now morning, so Jenna should have already left. I’ll have to apologize to her, but that can wait until later. Let’s call a cab.’
Fifteen minutes later Faer was on his way home. He had texted Jenna saying that he had found a place to rest since he wasn’t feeling well and somehow fell asleep. She had yet to reply so he figured she was still asleep.
Putting that aside, for now, Faer had noticed that from the moment he has woken up until now, his state of mind was unusually calm. His usual naturally enthusiastic self was nowhere to be found. If he had to use one word to describe himself right now, it would be: insouciant. Being free and unfettered was truly a novel feeling.
The Faer now might be different than the previous Faer, but they were still one in the same.