What followed next didn't need to be said.
Even now, sitting in class, she couldn't look Ashen in the eyes.
Halfway through the dream, she'd somehow snapped back to her senses, gaining enough control over herself to think logically.
Unfortunately, that realization had come a bit too late.
Because by that point, she had already been made to sit in all kinds of positions alongside Alice, letting Ashen do as he pleased.
What was more mortifying was that even after regaining control… she had still gone along with it.
'Oh, god… What is wrong with me?! The whole thing played out like a bad, low-budget porn plot!'
Seraphine covered her face with her hand.
What she felt wasn't just shame.
No.
It was lust, mixed with deep shame, topped off with an unhealthy dose of cringe.
'Tsk. I can't believe it. What am I? Fifteen?! Guh, I need to pull myself together before this cheeky bastard notices anything…'
She shot a quick glance at Ashen.
He met her eyes.
And then… he smiled.
Just a slight, knowing smile.
As if he sensed something.
She immediately looked away.
'Damn it.'
Now, every time she looked at him, her mind conjured the shameful things he had done to her in her dreams.
'Hmph. Just you wait. No one plays with this lady and gets away with it.'
Determined to reclaim her dignity, she started plotting all kinds of ridiculous pranks to get back at him. She'd make him flustered for a change.
…Even if it had all happened in her dreams, and he didn't have the slightest clue about any of it.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Before she could settle on a truly devious scheme, the bell rang.
As they walked out of the classroom, Seraphine had to admit… despite the mind-melting embarrassment, she did gain something from all this.
That is, aside from the mind-blowing pleasure.
If she closed her eyes now and focused on the concept of Lust, she could see it—an ethereal, blooming white flower floating in the void.
This flower was a manifestation of her understanding of her concept.
And instinctively, she knew if the darkness surrounding it filled up halfway with more of these flowers, she would be qualified to take the next step in her Pathway.
Every system bearer had a similar way of perceiving their progress. A vast, empty darkness where their understanding took shape. But the manifestation itself was unique to each person.
Some saw flames. Others, chains. Some even saw entire landscapes.
For her, it was a flower.
The ability to manifest something in this void or even perceive it meant she had taken her first step toward advancement, something that could take weeks or even months for most.
But she had done it in just three days.
Her rapid progress was mostly due to her high compatibility with Lust.
But the real tipping point was that damn dream…
She only now remembered that her path didn't require her to strictly act as a Desire's Whisperer. She could also simply indulge in her lust and encourage others to do the same.
A slower method, sure… ten times slower than the system's recommendation, even. But it still worked.
In fact, most system bearers advanced by embracing the broader nature of their concept, rather than sticking rigidly to the names of their stages.
But Seraphine didn't even hesitate in her decision.
She would continue whispering her desires to Ashen.
She instinctively knew that this would benefit her more in the long run.
Besides…
She was starting to realize that most of her Lust didn't just come from base instinct.
It came from the fact that she was in love with him.
Otherwise, it would have been nothing but an unpleasant experience.
"You gonna zone out the entire day?"
Ashen's teasing voice yanked her from her thoughts.
"I mean, I do like this new docile Sera… but I gotta say, I kinda miss that bouncy side of yours."
His words were playful, but she caught the real concern hidden behind his smirk.
'I can't make a fuss about this and make him worry… Yosh! Sera, this little shame is nothing to you!'
Hyping herself up like she was about to give a grand speech, she shot him a confident grin.
"I'm fine! Do you like me docile? Well, too bad! No more of that Sera for you—haah~"
Ashen shrugged. "Well, like I said, I'm good with either."
Then, satisfied with her return to normal, he casually went back to his food, more relaxed than before.
*
Their little corner in the cafeteria settled into a comfortable silence, something Ashen appreciated. He took a sip of his orange juice, his gaze drifting lazily across the bustling crowd.
The atmosphere had shifted ever since the awakening ceremony.
People were more restless, their movements charged with an almost manic energy.
With everyone trying to advance in their pathways, it was only a matter of time before corruption and lawlessness ran rampant… after all, everything was tied to the seven sins.
And no matter how glorified they are made to be and how many justifications are given to indulge in them… A sin is still a sin at the end of the day.
On the surface, the academy still functioned as normal. But beneath it, things were unraveling.
Professor Wiseman had warned them against reckless embodiment.
Those who dove too deep, too fast into their sins risked losing themselves entirely, becoming mindless slaves to their desires.
And that wasn't just a metaphor; there were real cases of people who had devolved into something monstrous, their rational minds eroded by their own indulgence.
As Ashen absentmindedly observed the cafeteria, his gaze landed on a couple in the corner, locked in a heated makeout session.
Just as he was about to look away, another man walked up, yanked the woman from her current partner, and seamlessly took his place.
Ashen's brow twitched. 'This is madness…'
It wasn't just this one incident, either. Reports of theft, public brawls, and all sorts of depravity had begun flooding the administration.
The building where rule-breakers were detained, practically empty in the first month, was now almost full.
'And it's only the third day… Jesus.'