The soft chirping of birds accompanied the slow rise of the sun.
Ashen opened the door to his apartment, stepping inside with a tired sigh. A glance at the clock told him it was 6:30 AM, just enough time to make breakfast, eat, and head to class.
But he encountered a pleasant surprise once he reached inside the house.
The sweet scent of toast filled the air as he walked through the corridor.
"Humhum ♪"
Following the sound of quiet humming, he stepped into the kitchen to find Seraphine setting the table.
Two cups of coffee sat ready, and the scrambled eggs on the plates looked surprisingly appetizing.
"Good morning, Sera," he greeted naturally, sliding into a chair.
"...Morning."
Her voice was quieter than usual. That wasn't like her.
Ashen didn't dwell too much on it, though. "Thanks for staying behind and making breakfast. You're a lifesaver."
Seraphine's hands hesitated slightly over the plates. "...I know how hard you train every morning, so I wanted to help with at least this."
"Well, just don't spoil me too much, or I might melt right here."
Lifting his coffee for a sip, he caught her sneaking a glance at him before quickly looking away, as if she'd done something shameful.
His brow arched. Now that was suspicious.
'Is this because of this morning…?'
When he'd woken up at his usual 5 AM, Seraphine had stirred awake alongside him, probably because he'd unconsciously set the skill's duration for her as well.
When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a rather… compromising position.
Her pajama top had ridden up, barely keeping her breasts contained. The whiteness alone had nearly taken his breath away.
Her stomach was exposed, the hem of his oversized shirt pushed up just enough to tease the soft curve of her waist. Her pants had shifted, too, revealing a dangerous amount of thigh.
The worst part… or the best, depending on who you asked, was how tightly she clung to him.
Her chest pressed against his, her nose nestled near his collarbone, warm breath ghosting over his skin. A trail of drool dampened his shirt. And to top it all off, one of her legs had been thrown over him, resting way too close to somewhere she had no business getting near.
Suffice to say, it had been an experience.
Ashen couldn't exactly blame her, considering he was the one who'd fallen asleep next to her in the first place.
But still, it wasn't the first time they'd gotten handsy with each other. Sure, this was probably the closest they'd ever been, but even then…
'Why was she acting so weird now?'
Usually, if she were embarrassed, she'd just shake it off by teasing the hell out of him.
Then it hit him.
She'd had a lucid dream last night. And she still hadn't said a word about it.
A nagging suspicion crept into his mind. 'Was that why she was acting like this?'
Considering the kind of thoughts he'd been having when he used the skill on her… oh boy.
'I really hope it wasn't anything concerning. But judging from her reaction, it was probably something lewd or embarrassing. Better not pry.'
If she'd had a nightmare, she wouldn't have woken up so calmly.
That thought reassured him enough to let go of his worries.
And so, he simply enjoyed his breakfast, savoring the rare sight of a tame Seraphine.
***
Seraphine took her seat beside Ashen just as they arrived in class—right on time.
Professor Wiseman entered right behind them, shutting the door with all the enthusiasm of a man trudging to his own execution.
His usual lazy demeanor was on full display: half-droopy eyes, sluggish steps, and that dawdling, unmotivated tone.
"Good morning, everyone, to yet another one of my classes… I wonder when this will finally end…"
Viktor Wiseman greeted the class before muttering that last part under his breath.
No one reacted. They were all used to his occasional existential crisis.
With the greetings out of the way, he got straight to the lesson.
"Today, we're going to talk about Mana. I know, I know… what a shocker. But it's actually a little more interesting this time. We'll be covering how mana quality increases."
That got their attention.
The class leaned in, suddenly invested.
Seraphine, however, barely heard a word. Her mind was too preoccupied with… unspeakable things.
Yes. Just as Ashen had predicted this morning, her weird behavior stemmed from that lucid dream.
It had started out simple enough—nothing crazy, just her reuniting with her dear friend, Alice.
They had walked through a park, chatting and joking like old times. Seraphine, as lively as ever, led most of the conversation, while Alice, ever the composed lady, countered her antics with amused glances and the occasional smirk.
Even though a part of her knew it was a dream, she didn't care. None of it was real, and yet, she found herself grateful to Ashen for showing her this nostalgic sight… a sight she didn't even realize she missed.
She could feel her stress and tension melting away with every passing moment.
But, of course, that peace didn't last.
And whose fault was that?
Ashen's, surprisingly.
Because, naturally, dream-Ashen had to make a dramatic entrance, stalking toward them with a domineering stride, with his eyes set on her like a predator locking onto prey.
Before Seraphine could react, before Alice could even greet him, he grabbed Seraphine and—
swish.
—kissed her.
A deep, sloppy, mind-numbing kiss.
Her brain short-circuited.
Alice, understandably, was about to protest. But she couldn't even utter a single word since Ashen switched—seamlessly transferring Seraphine to his other side while snatching Alice by the waist.
And then he kissed her too.
Seraphine's already fried mind somehow managed to reboot at the sight of Alice, the calm, composed Alice, melting into the kiss.
'What. The. Hell.'
Regaining some of her wits, Seraphine started struggling, weakly, pathetically, but his hold on her was unyielding.
Perhaps as punishment for resisting, he broke away from Alice, leaving her panting, before turning his attention back to Seraphine.
And he attacked again.
"MM—!"
Not even a minute later, she was in the same dazed, breathless state as her friend.
Ashen took a moment to admire his work, both of them flushed, lips swollen, and half-dazed, before murmuring in a low, smug voice:
"You're mine now. Both of you~"
Then, just like that, he tossed them onto a king-sized bed that hadn't even been there a second ago.
She didn't question it.
It was a dream. Reality had already abandoned her.
What followed next?
…Yeah. That didn't need to be said.