Sofia breathed in deeply, staring down at the figure of her disciple, her eyes softening as she finally noticed something - he was all grown up.
Considering she had been his sole teacher since he was twelve-years old, it was no wonder that she felt he was still just a kid, especially considering one wasn't even considered an adult of the Divine Race until their 200's.
It had taken her to this very moment, staring into the expectant eyes full of desire from Torus and looking up at his large and imposing figure, that she could only now admit it.
This was the true reason she had been so against admitting her loss to Torus after their first battle, 'There's no way that this little brat could beat me!' was the primary thought running through her head at the time.
And so, now that she could admit to herself the truth, there was really only one thing she could say, "It seems I've lost," She mumbled, feeling a wave of something she couldn't quite describe taking hold of her at the admittance.
After this single sentence, Sofia could feel herself lightened, as if a great weight had finally been removed from her chest.
What she hadn't realized was that, the major reason she pushed Torus as hard as she did, was that she was reluctant to see the young man she had practically helped raise go out into the real world - to face the dangers that surely awaited him out there.
She figured that if she could simply prove to him that he wasn't ready through a show of force, he would continue to remain that young boy she had met all those years ago, the precocious little thing that had proven so amusing, she chose to take him in as a disciple.
Now that she was confronted with the reality of the situation, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief as she realized a truth she had been hiding from all along - that everything was gonna be okay.
That her precious disciple was ready, and in truth, had been for a long time. That maybe her mothering had been the real thing stopping the progress of Torus' training, not a lack of talent or will.
That maybe it was time for her to give up on this pitiful show of resistance, to admit to the truth - she simply didn't want to see Torus grow past her.
As this revelation washed over her, Sofia couldn't help but to think to herself, 'Maybe I knew the truth all along, maybe the reason I refused to change my way of training had less to do with a reluctance to accept the method as wrong and more as a way of keeping him weak - of keeping him safe,' Sofia thought to herself, her current state of reverie allowing her to truly reflect on her previous actions.
Yet, even still, Sofia shook her head at these words, a bitter smile slowly growing on her face. Even now that she was admitting to her mistake, Sofia still noticed the way she talked about it, 'No, that's a lie.
I didn't do this to keep him safe - I did it to keep him here. Even after realizing that I was wrong, it seems I still can't quite rid myself of some of the bad habits that came with my previous way of thinking.' Sofia thought, shaking her head bitterly, realizing that she still had a lot of room for growth.
This was the primary thought running through Sofia's mind as she stared up into the eyes of the young boy, no, young man, who she had been training for such a long time.
As if he could sense the swaying emotions within her, Sofia watched as Torus' gaze seemed to change, taking on a far gentler light. While staring directly into her eyes, Sofia watched as Torus slowly leaned down, a look of anxiety on his face for a moment before it was replaced by false confidence.
She could feel as her heart picked up speed, watching with bated breath as Torus slowly leaned down into her, his lips slowly closing in on her own.
While she was internally panicking, Sofia didn't let that show on the outside, her face remaining stoic as she stood stock-still, not pushing away from Torus but also not moving in to accept the kiss.
Soon, Torus' face was all she could see, his brilliant blue eyes locking with hers and refusing to let go of their grip on her heart, the gentle light contained within them enough to sap away the last vestiges of panic she was feeling.
As the panic fled her, all Sofia was left with was a steeled resolve, her face moving quickly to cover the last remaining centimeters separating the two.
Torus' eyes slightly widened as his Master moved from below him, suddenly taking away the last bit of distance separating the pair.
As their lips smashed into one another in an explosive show of emotion, Torus felt as if a spike of electricity shot through his spine and straight up to his brain, his mind going numb at the new sensation.
He felt as if he was on cloud nine, his hand slowly dropping before rising once more, grabbing the small of her back and pulling the smaller figure of his Master into his embrace as he squeezed her to his chest comfortingly.
Torus could feel as his heart hammered within his chest, burning with both embarrassment and something much more.
Yet, he let none of that show as the kiss deepened, still remaining nothing more than that however. The moment felt too sacred to the pair for anything more than kissing to occur, a feeling seemingly arising between the two as if their souls were truly connecting through the physical contact.
As their eyes locked with one another, the pair could feel it as an electric jolt ran through them. This jolt seemed to bring the two even closer together, sending a jolt of pleasure through the pair, directly from their lips to their spines.
With lips still locked, Torus felt it as Sofia slightly moaned into the kiss, the jolt having a bit stronger of an impact than she expected it to. At the same time, the pair's eyes seemed to widen in unison as they noticed something strange - energy began to well up within the pair directly into their God Seeds.
The moment seemed to last forever, the two remaining within a gentle embrace with the other as they silently looked into one another's eyes, seemingly expressing everything their mouths currently couldn't through them.
This moment, sadly, had to come to an end as the pair felt their oxygen supply deplete, their lips pulling apart as they took in deep breaths of air, eyes remaining locked together.
As their faces pulled away, Torus' mind flashed, remembering back to his first meeting with his Master, his first training session, the first time they had dinner together, when his Master had first protected him from other members of the Training Hall.
As these memories flooded his mind, along with the mood already set between the two, Torus couldn't contain himself as words bubbled from his lips before he could even think through what he was saying, "I love you," he exclaimed.
These three simple words contained far more than seemed possible, the emotion contained within them seeming enough to bring the entire forest surrounding them alight.
For once, the raging and broiling hormones that encapsulated him since he first Awakened his Aspect seemed to remain silent, no longer pushing him to create strong offspring with his Master, the moment feeling almost sacred to him.
As he said the words however, Torus could feel it as his ears began ringing, his chest tightening as he felt out of breath, a certain wave of anxiety overcoming him, the words finally registering.
Suddenly, he turned his head, breaking eye-contact with his Master for the first time since their lips had first touched. As the words registered, Torus' thoughts began to spiral into a panic, 'I can't believe I just said that out loud!' Torus thought, internally berating himself for his rash actions.
Yet, even with the pressure the atmosphere had built up, Torus wouldn't nor could he lie to himself.
The words he had just said represented his true feelings, not sprouting from a sudden burst of emotion brought about by the intimate moment the two had shared - he truly did love her.
How could he not feel this way? He had grown up with his Master since he was nothing more than a boy, going through just about every single up and down of his life with her.
He could remember when she would push him to be better, or when she would comfort him when he was down, even the recent teasing side of her that had emerged.
How could I not be encapsulated with the you I've come to know?