Chapter 144: Into Relationship

They sat together at the fountain after that.

Seris had her arm through his holding on with no urgency to let go anytime soon. Her head was against his shoulder and her eyes drifted up to the full moon sitting big and round above the garden.

"It’s late," Alden said after a while.

"It is," Seris agreed without moving.

He glanced down at her. "We should head back. Gramps’ office tomorrow afternoon. No idea what he’s going to say about meeting us after a week."

Seris let out a quiet sigh. She stayed still for another moment and then her lips curved into a small unhurried smirk. "Fine. Since this is the first time my boyfriend has actually worried about me I’ll listen."

The word landed in Alden’s chest before his brain caught up to it.

Boyfriend.

He looked at her resting comfortably against his arm. The moonlight on her silver hair. The ring on her finger. The expression on her face of someone who was genuinely at peace for the first time in a long time.

’She’s mine.’

A helpless smile spread across his face and he patted her head once. "Alright. Let’s head back to our rooms."

Seris’s hand shot up and caught his wrist before he could pull it away. She looked at him sideways with dangerously narrow eyes.

"’Rooms’?" she said. "What exactly do you mean by rooms."

Alden blinked. "Our dorms?"

"Don’t give me that." She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down until their faces were a few inches apart. Her crimson eyes were absolutely sparkling. "You’re coming with me tonight."

"WHAT?!"

"I’m going to suck you dry," she said with complete calm.

Alden’s face turned red so fast it was like someone had flipped a switch. "Wait WAIT what do you mean by—"

She tilted her head and enjoyed every second of his expression. "What? You’re my boyfriend now aren’t you?" She gave his collar a light tug. "That means I don’t have to keep formally asking every time I want your blood."

Alden looked sideways and cleared his throat very hard. "Well... technically you don’t but—"

"Perfect." Her grin got wider. "Then I can suck whenever I like without that formal agreement from before. I’ll try not to drink too much."

"TRY?!"

"I’m a vampire darling," she said very patiently. "You knew what you were agreeing to."

"I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PART!"

"Relax." She laughed and it was bright and warm. "I’m not going to drain my new boyfriend on our first night together."

"THAT IS NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY REASSURING!"

She locked her fingers around his wrist and pulled him off the fountain edge with complete calm. "You’ve survived everything else I’ve thrown at you. A little blood loss won’t hurt."

Alden dug his heels in just a little. "Seris listen can we do this during the day at least? It’s nighttime and it’s dark and you’re a woman and I’m a man and this is already a lot to handle—"

"You’re making excuses."

"I am NOT making excuses!"

"You definitely are," she said pleasantly and kept walking. "Come on boyfriend."

Alden let out the heaviest sigh of his entire life and let himself be pulled along. "Don’t call me that while you’re literally threatening my blood supply."

Seris glanced back with a smile that was honestly not fair to point at someone already this flustered. "Why not? You’re my boyfriend aren’t you?"

"I walked directly into this," Alden said to no one.

"Completely," Seris agreed cheerfully. "Now stop complaining and come with me you absolute idiot."

Alden looked at the back of her head. The silver hair he had just said was beautiful. The ring catching moonlight on her finger. The warm unbothered confidence she moved with.

’What exactly have I gotten myself into?’

He kept walking.

The smile he was fighting off won without much of a fight.

_______________

On the other side of the academy Leon stood alone in his room.

The new Spire coat sat on his table. The crest caught the low light. He stared at it for a long time without moving.

Then he closed his hand into a fist.

’This isn’t a title to show off.’ He kept staring at the emblem. ’People are going to look at me and expect something. I’m going to give it to them.’

He straightened up.

’I’ll prove I deserved this.’

In another wing Nicholas sat quietly looking at his open palm.

He had thought he was the strongest among them for a long time. Not arrogantly but honestly. He had worked harder than almost anyone he knew.

Then Alden had been there the whole time.

And then Adrian had finished him off before he could properly get started.

He slowly closed his hand until his knuckles went white.

’I won’t keep watching everyone move ahead of me.’ His jaw was tight. ’I need to find where my limits actually are. And then go past them.’

He stood up and looked out at the dark academy grounds.

The war was coming. He was not going to meet it where he was standing now.

Roselle sat at her desk with her fingers laced together looking out at the moonlit grounds.

The gap between herself and the things that were coming felt very specific and very measured right now.

’I need to be stronger.’ She pressed her hands flat on the desk. ’Much stronger. The war is coming and I can’t afford to stay where I am.’

’I won’t.’

Claire sat on the edge of her bed with her hands folded on her knees looking at the floor.

’I need to get stronger too.’

And then without permission, Alden appeared in her mind.

Her neck went warm. The warmth climbed.

’Once I’m stronger... maybe I could finally...’

Her brain caught up a second later.

Both hands came up and covered her face immediately. She shook her head fast staring at nothing through her fingers with her face burning completely.

’No! What am I even thinking?! Stop it right now!’

The blush did not stop.

Far across the realm in the training grounds of the Calyndor Kingdom’s academy Adrian was still moving.

Flicker.

Six meters away.

Flicker.

He appeared behind a wooden training dummy and his blade came through the air with a sound like a crack. The post fell in two clean pieces before he was already gone again.

Sweat had soaked through his clothes completely. His lungs were burning. His legs were burning.

He didn’t slow down.

His eyes carried the specific fire of someone who has watched the ceiling move upward and decided to chase it regardless of what that costs.

’Next time Alden.’