Sol yawned as he slowly opened his eyes, thankfully he had moved his bed away from the window to prevent sun rays from blinding him each morning. He was going to stretch, but he realized someone else was next to him, causing him to turn, only to see Lyra sleeping soundly.
His eyes widened in shock as he pulled up the sheets and looked underneath, while silently praying he didn't make a mistake. Sol was glad to see he was still wearing his shorts, and she was also dressed.
Sigh!
With a sigh of relief, he shut his eyes to clear his banging head, only then did images of the previous night begin pouring in. Maybe it was because of the effects of the crystal, but he was emotional that night and let himself cry while Lyra held onto him tight. As soon as he was done absorbing the second crystal, he felt dizzy and Lyra supported him to his bed.
He wasn't sure why this happened, but he guessed it had to do something with the fact this was the first time he was using a cultivation resource, and he wasn't used to its effects. As she dropped him on the bed, she was going to walk away, but he grabbed her by the hand, forcing her to stop.
He asked her to spend the night with him, and the next thing he remembered was both of them lying on the bed while looking deep into each other's eyes. Not long after, they began kissing aggressively, and that's what they did until they both fell asleep in each other's arms.
'A perfect beginning of a love story.' Sol couldn't help but comment on his mind.
Unfortunately, he felt like there was more to Lyra than he knew, so he couldn't see himself going any farther. While they had only known each other for a day, she didn't act like a wild animal living outside the wall. She seemed refined to an extent, mischievous and free-spirited.
These qualities led Sol to understand that she was nobility within the shape-shifter race. That's why she quickly turned down the opportunity to return, not because she was scared she may be caught by someone else, but because of some other reason he wasn't sure of.
She was a terrible liar since she had a straightforward personality, so it was easy for Sol to realize she seemed off when giving him that excuse in comparison to the way she normally acts.
Regardless, it was her secret to keep, so Sol did not dwell on it much since he believed her secret wouldn't be able to harm him while they still lived within the walls of Aetheria.
Bam.
Bam.
Knocks could be heard on his door, making Sol let out an exhausted sigh. While he felt slightly tired even though he just woke up, there was something different about him.
"Hak!" Sol said, and the familiar chest-tightening feeling plagued him, but he didn't care since he was focused on his hand.
There were no flames, but visible steam began diffusing from his palm, leaving him shocked and excited. Just a few days ago, he could only create a spark at best, but he had grown to this level by absorbing two of these lunar crystals.
"These things are amazing. Doesn't that mean if I focus on just one finger, I should be able to produce fire?" Sol muttered with a raised eyebrow.
Bam.
Bam.
Bam.
The knock rang loudly again, and Sol sighed as he jumped off the bed and walked toward the door.
Clank.
Opening the door, Old man Chamberlain stood in his usual black tuxedo. His eyes moved past Sol and landed on Lyra lying on the bed. A frown etched on his face as he shifted his gaze back to Sol only to meet a dead serious look in Sol's eyes, shattering whatever anger or frustration he felt earlier.
"What is it?" Sol asked in a cold voice.
"Erm… Instructor Kane has arrived with his family." The old steward said. "I believe it's only appropriate that you meet them before they settle into the castle," he quickly added.
The stern look on Sol's face slowly vanished, and he looked more thoughtful.
"Have them settle in first, meeting me now is not a necessity" He said. "I will all have breakfast together before they leave for the academy,"
Hearing this the old steward wanted to protest but remembering the cold look on Sol's face shattered all the courage he had mustered. Sol shut the door without hesitation and leaned on it with his eyes shut tight.
While the old steward has his best intentions at heart, Sol also believes he is a man who succeeded in his past life and refuses to let the old man police his activities.
In his opinion, even if he decides to enter a sexual relationship with Lyra, it is none of their business. If he doesn't set boundaries now, the old steward will unconsciously keep shrinking his boundaries until he finds himself in a position where all his actions are dictated by the old man.
"Power is not requested, it is taken…" Sol muttered. "If I lose sight of who I am, this power will be taken away from me,"
Opening his eyes, Sol saw Lyra clinging to the sheets cutely while peeping in his direction. Worry could be seen all over her expression and for some reason, Sol felt disturbed by this.
"I caused a lot of trouble for you sleeping here." She said, while her eyes avoided that of Sol. "I'm sorry."
Hearing this, Sol frowned and walked towards her. He sat beside her, but his face carried a look of indifference and a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"You don't have to apologize about anything," Sol said, as he exuded a presence different from what Lyra had been exposed to all this while.
It wasn't a romantic presence but a dangerous one. At this moment, she felt like she was looking at a man who had killed hundreds of people.
"I am King… I can have whoever I want." He continued
That line made Lyra blush aggressively as she hid her face with the sheets.
"Now get up, let's get ready for breakfast," Sol said.