Took him long enough….
“I-Is something wrong?” Stella asked, her voice soft and uncertain as she noticed
Aether staring at her with a frown after their kiss.
She shifted nervously under his gaze.
Aether snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head as a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. He leaned down, his face inches from hers. “So?… Did you like it?”
Stella’s cheeks flushed a deep red, and she quickly averted her eyes, her heart racing. She couldn’t bring herself to respond, not with the way his intense gaze lingered on her.
Aether, sensing her hesitation, chuckled softly. He reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer until their bodies nearly touched, “You’re avoiding my question, Stella.”
“A-Aether…” Her voice trembled, her heart hammering in her chest as if it might
explode at any moment.
“Should I book us a room?” he teased, his voice dripping with playful temptation.
[+10000 AP]
Her heart skipped a beat at the suggestion, her breath hitching in her throat. She
shook her head shyly, her voice barely a
whisper, “W-We can’t… Not yet.”
“Not yet?” Aether leaned in even closer, his lips hovering just above hers. His breath was warm against her skin, sending shivers down her spine, “So, you’re saying there’s still a chance?”
As much as Stella wanted to give in, to lose herself in him, something held her back.
A heavy, suffocating feeling pressed against her chest-something she couldn’t ignore. She had to tell him the truth about her true self, no matter how much it hurt. If she didn’t, things would spiral out of control, becoming messy and filled with regret.
And then, there was the constant, agonizing scream in her head, her Mother God’s voice raging within her, making it impossible to think clearly.
“KILL HIM”
Those words echoed relentlessly, drowning
out everything else. It was becoming harder and harder to focus on Aether’s
warmth, his touch, with that violent
command ringing in her ears.
‘I have to do something about this… before
it’s too late,’ Stella thought, swallowing hard. She gently pushed Aether away, her hands trembling as she spoke, “F-First, I need to get permission… from Mother God and my family. Then, after that… we can
marry, officially. And… and…” Her face turned scarlet, the words catching in her throat.
“And?” Aether’s grin widened, his eyes
gleaming with amusement as he watched
her struggle.
Stella pouted, crossing her arms
defensively, her blush deepening, “Y-You’re
enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Aether laughed softly, nodding in
agreement. “Oh, I am… very much so,” he
admitted, before swooping down and
capturing her lips in another kiss, cutting
off
any retort she might have had.
Stella’s eyes widened in surprise, but soon,
her body responded instinctively. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer as she gave in to the kiss.
With a subtle wave of her hand, she
conjured a barrier around them, ensuring that no one would see what was
happening.
“~hmm~”
It was a gentle kiss at first, but Stella couldn’t suppress her true desires any longer…. She wanted to taste him so… She
parted her lips, pushing her tongue into his mouth.
She wanted to win, to dominate this
moment.
Aether, surprised by her boldness, raised
an eyebrow but quickly met her challenge. He wasn’t about to let her win so easily.
“~Hmm~”
Slurp
“~Hmm~”
Their tongues battled for dominance,
neither willing to give up control. Time
seemed to blur as they lost themselves in the kiss, their bodies pressed tightly together, every inch of them screaming for
more.
After what felt like an eternity, Aether
finally broke the kiss, pulling back just enough for them to catch their breath.
Stella gasped, her chest rising and falling rapidly. A thin string of saliva still connected their lips, and their foreheads pressed against each other,
“I-I… ~ha~… I really need to go, Aether…”
she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She was struggling to control
herself, to rein in the desire that was quickly consuming her. If she stayed any longer, she knew she would lose control…
She might just drag him away with her! Aether smirked, his voice dripping with a
teasing tone. “Really? Are you sure you don’t want to stay… a little longer?” Stella’s heart stuttered again, her lips
trembling as she tried to suppress the smile that tugged at her mouth. “C-Come
on, Aether… M-My sister will kill me if I keep ignoring my responsibilities.” “Hmm.” Aether nodded, though the playful
look on his face shifted to something more serious. His brow furrowed as he looked at her, his voice lowering. “Talking about your sister…. Did your sister tell you everything?… Are you really okay with all of
this?” His concern was evident now, the teasing gone from his tone.
Stella blinked, confused for a moment. “What do you mean?”
Aether sighed, running a hand through his
hair. “I mean… your sister, the way she’s after me, kissing me… And those strange family rules. It’s all a bit… weird, isn’t it?” “Oh…” She lowered her gaze, a sad smile tugging at her lips. “You’ll still love me, right?”
Aether stepped forward, gripping her shoulders gently but firmly. His voice was filled with sincerity, “Of course. I’ll always
love you.” Stella smiled weakly, “Then… I think
everything will be alright,” she said softly.
Aether frowned slightly at her hesitation,
but before he could press further, she quickly changed the subject.
With a nervous hesitation, Stella asked, love her?”
“D-Do you…
She needed to know.
She had to know if Aether’s feelings for the Archpriestess were genuine. If they were not, it would complicate everything. If they were, perhaps there was still hope to
salvage things.
But if Aether ever discovered the truth-that both the Archpriestess and Stella were one and the same… She knew
she’d already messed up, and badly. Aether wore a thoughtful expression as he spoke, “To be honest… I used to hate her.”
Stella felt like a sharp arrow had pierced her heart.
But it wasn’t over. One by one, with each
word Aether said, it was as if another arrow stabbed her even deeper.
“She’s really pushy.” “She’s dangerous.”
“She’d do anything to get what she wants.”
“And… she doesn’t care about anyone else’s feelings.”
Every word cut deeper than she expected.
Stella could barely muster the strength to respond. “I-It’s fine, st-” she began, but
Aether interrupted her before she could finish.
“Yet… she’s annoyingly sexy.”
”
Stella blinked in surprise. “She’s cute when she gets that concerned
look on her face.”
His words took an unexpected turn, and she felt her heart skip a beat. “And… as much as I hate to admit it, she
has a good heart. She takes care of others
in her own way. I used to hate her, but now… I’m not so sure anymore.”
Hearing this, Stella’s heart seemed to stop
for a moment, before it exploded in pure joy. Her lips curled into the brightest, happiest smile she had ever worn, her entire body trembling with excitement. For a moment, she thought she might scream in joy, but she barely held it back.
“W-Well, if you’re okay with that, then… I-I don’t mind. As long as you’re happy, Aether,” she managed to say, her voice
tinged with both nervousness and hope. Aether stared at her blankly for a moment before a small smile crossed his lips, “It
seems I’ve got myself a very understanding girlfriend.”
Stella grinned, her confidence returning. “Yes, you do! But you’d better treat her
right… or else…” Her voice dropped to a dark, almost sinister tone, her eyes gleaming as her yandere side slipped out, “I
can’t promise what might happen to Helena and othe~Hmmm~”
Before she could finish her threat, Aether
quickly leaned in and sealed her lips with a kiss, silencing her playful menace. Stella’s mind swirled as the kiss melted her
darker thoughts away. She pulled back, her face now flushed and her tone shy.
“A-Anyway, I really have to go…” She
separated from his lips, reluctantly of course, before turning to walk away, her feet feeling light and happy. As she disappeared from sight, Aether
stood still, watching her retreat. His fingers
instinctively brushed against his lips as he whispered, “Archpriestess…”
A kiss was never just a kiss. There was something unique to each one… how their
lips moved, the pressure, the subtle
emotional connection, and most of all… the
taste!!
Aether sighed and facepalmed, “To think she was just playing with me the whole
time… and I believed her story like an idiot.” He muttered softly to himself before
a dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.
“Seraphina Ashwood…” Without another word, he turned and
headed back to the Academy, his mind swirling with thoughts.
Meanwhile…
In a certain restaurant, the atmosphere
was tense.
Thunder!!
The thunder sound makes the windows
shudder.
“Raven, I’m sure he’ll understand if you explain everything to him,” Thalia said in a gentle yet serious tone, her eyes fixed on
her troubled friend.
“B-But I’m not so sure,” Raven mumbled,
her voice shaky. She hadn’t been able to since that fateful night. The guilt
sleep
gnawed at her, and Aether’s painful voice
still echoed in her mind, making it impossible to find peace. Raven had been through so much in her
life, constantly moving forward with a determined spirit. But now, something was different-
something felt off.
But now, something was different-
something felt off.
Why couldn’t she just forget about Aether
and focus on her mission?
Why was this affecting her so much?
She
didn’t have the answers, but there was
one thing she knew for sure: she needed to
clear her name. She wasn’t the type of woman who would give herself to someone just because they were a Phoenix.
She’d only agreed beca–
“Hey, it’s him!” Thalia’s voice suddenly cut
through her thoughts, snapping her back
to reality. Raven turned to the window and
saw Aether, drenched from head to toe,
standing in the pouring rain.
Raven
shook her head, trying to dismiss the sight. “Must be another illusion…” she muttered under her breath, her mind still clouded by guilt and confusion. “I don’t think so,” Thalia mumbled, her eyes
wide as she watched Aether walking toward the restaurant.
Raven’s heart skipped a beat..
