Chapter 362: A Slap

Several Hours Later…

Atlas was lying on a bed inside a room surrounded by white walls, with a few pieces of technological equipment placed around it. His bare body was covered with a white sheet, and his eyes remained closed as he continued to lie unconscious.

Anyone could immediately recognize the room as an infirmary, though it was clearly not an ordinary one, considering the advanced equipment installed within it.

Beside his bed sat a familiar figure, her hand resting on Atlas’s as she tightly wrapped her fingers around his. It was as though she feared that he might slip away from her again if she loosened her grip even slightly.

It was none other than Seraphiel, whose eyes remained fixed on Atlas’s unconscious face, with worry and concern clearly visible in her expression.

Several hours had passed since everyone, including Seraphiel, had been escorted to Asgradron, the Conclave’s Base of Operations, yet Atlas showed no signs of waking up. Although Oriendar himself had reassured her that Atlas was merely unconscious, his words had done little to ease her mind.

She had remained beside Atlas’s bed for seven hours straight, unwilling to leave even for a moment as she waited for him to open his eyes.

Looking at his face, Seraphiel couldn’t help but question herself as her thoughts grew increasingly troubled. ‘Why? Why could I not see the future regarding you this time? I-If I had…this never would have happened.’ She tightened her grip around his hand and lowered her head, unable to stop thinking about what had happened.

‘Why…do you always throw yourself into dangerous situations?’ Her heart ached as she recalled the incident, a feeling she hadn’t experienced so intensely in a long time.

Just as she was lost in those thoughts, Atlas’s hand suddenly twitched. Feeling the movement beneath her fingers, Seraphiel immediately lifted her head and widened her eyes as she stared at him in disbelief.

“Atlas…” she called out softly, and the moment her voice reached him, his eyes snapped open as he abruptly sat up from the bed. Panting heavily, Atlas looked around the unfamiliar room before noticing Seraphiel sitting beside him, staring at him with wide eyes.

“S-Sera?” he questioned, still trying to understand his surroundings. However, before he could say anything else, he noticed Seraphiel’s expression changing from shock to something that resembled a painful cry.

She immediately stood up and threw herself toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him into a tight embrace. “A-Atlas, Y-You are alive.” Her voice broke as she spoke, the words coming out in a manner that was completely different from her usual composed tone.

Atlas’s eyes widened as he immediately understood the reason behind her reaction. Remembering everything that had happened before he lost consciousness, he closed his eyes and began raising his hands to embrace Seraphiel in return.

However, just as his arms were about to wrap around her, she suddenly pulled away from him. Atlas frowned at her unexpected reaction, wondering what she intended to do, but before he could understand the reason behind her actions…

SLAP!

A sharp sound echoed through the infirmary as Seraphiel’s slap turned Atlas’s face to the side. He slowly turned back toward her, staring at her in a daze before noticing her broken expression. Tears continued streaming down her cheeks as she looked at him, her voice trembling when she finally spoke.

“N-Never do anything dangerous like that, you hear me?! Never!” Atlas could only stare at her for a moment, unable to respond as he took in her tearful expression, before she suddenly embraced him once again.

Atlas remained silent as he considered everything that had happened. ‘I guess…I worried her, seems this life is not just mine anymore, Its her as well.’ The realization brought a slight smile to his face, and he slowly wrapped his arms around her, returning her embrace.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes as they remained close to each other, simply feeling the other’s presence after everything they had experienced.

It was only after fifteen whole minutes that Seraphiel finally pulled away, remaining seated on Atlas’s lap. At that moment, her attention finally shifted to his bare body beneath the white sheet, and she immediately blushed as she realized their current position.

However, before she could dwell on that embarrassment for long, Atlas’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “I am Sorry, Sera. For worrying you and throwing my life like it was just mine.” Seraphiel’s eyes widened as she heard his apology, momentarily forgetting about her embarrassment.

‘He realized it that fast??? I thought I would need to make him realize it slowly…’

She paused for a moment before recalling what Oriendar had told her earlier. ‘It must be because he faced such an adversary, now that he knows that I can proceed to the next stages earlier than planned.’

A small blush appeared on her face as she considered the possibility, but she quickly composed herself and spoke up before Atlas could say anything else. “I-Its good that you realized that, your life is not your own now, It is mine as well.”

“The same applies to me, My life is also yours to keep Atlas.” Her smooth voice brought a sense of relief to Atlas, and he nodded slowly as he accepted her words. He then began looking around the unfamiliar room, sensing several powerful presences in the surrounding area.

“Hmm, Are we inside the Conclave’s Base of Operation? I can sense many powerful presences.” He asked, prompting Seraphiel to nod before she began explaining what had happened after he lost consciousness.

She started by telling him about Oriendar’s arrival in their world and how he had escorted them to Asgradron alongside several unfamiliar individuals from different races, all wearing similar clothing. She then explained the events that had taken place afterward, bringing him up to date on their current situation.

Atlas listened quietly until she finished, occasionally nodding as he processed the information, before lowering his head and noticing that Seraphiel was still sitting on his lap while his body remained completely bare beneath the sheet.

“So they treated me here.” He paused as he suddenly noticed Seraphiel’s heartbeat growing faster while she remained so close to him. “But Sera, Why is your heart racing like that? Did something happen-!” Before he could finish his question, Seraphiel leaned forward and sealed his mouth with her lips.

“Mhhm?” A muffled sound escaped Atlas as he was caught off guard by her sudden action, but she soon pushed him back onto the bed before pulling away from the kiss.

“Hmph! How dare you change the subject? You are yet to compensate for the fear I went through.” She paused, looking directly into Atlas’s eyes with an obsessive expression that contrasted with the tears she had shed earlier.

Her lips curved into a small smile as she leaned closer and continued in a softer voice. “As this room is completely isolated and no one can hear us, we should begin the preparations for the final stage we will eventually go through, Hehe~.”

– – –

[A/N: Just to reassure you, no, nothing of the sort you might think is going to happen right now. Their relationship will grow even more and only then I will introduce that sort of ‘Stage’.]