And then—
Serena closed her eyes.
She tilted her head slightly.
And then, she kissed him.
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
Blaze's entire body froze.
For a second, his mind screamed at him to push her away—to leave, to run, to never look back.
But his heart refused.
His fists unclenched. His grip loosened.
His heart won.
And slowly—almost painfully—he kissed her back.
Time itself seemed to stop.
All the pain, all the misunderstandings, all the unspoken words between them—it melted away in that one moment.
Serena pulled away slightly, her breath shaky. Her crimson eyes locked onto his.
She smiled—a mix of relief and warmth.
"You see?" she whispered. "This is how simple it is to confess your feelings."
Blaze's gaze softened. He exhaled sharply, almost laughing.
"I was going to confess too…" he murmured. "But—"
His fingers slipped from Devolos.
The sword clattered against the stone bench.
Serena took a small step back. Her eyes were still wet, but her expression was calm. Confident.
And then—she reached for her top.
Her fingers began to unbutton it, slowly, her gaze unwavering.
Blaze's eyes widened.
She was about to unbutton it completely when—
Blaze's hands shot forward.
He gripped both of her shoulders, stopping her.
His voice was quiet.
Gentle.
"I'm not that kind of guy, Serena."
She froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Blaze took a slow step forward, his forehead almost touching hers. His fingers lightly traced her shoulders, but it was nothing more than a comforting touch.
His eyes softened as he whispered—
"I just wanted to see your eyes."
His voice was raw. Honest.
"I just love to see your crimson eyes… forever."
Serena's breath hitched.
She had no words.
For the first time, she was truly speechless.
The night sky above Exohorizon City stretched like an endless canvas, dotted with shimmering artificial stars. The neon glow of the skyline flickered in the distance, but here, in this quiet, distant garden, it felt as if time itself had slowed.
Blaze and Serena sat together on the stone bench.
The tension, the misunderstandings, the pain—they had been washed away, leaving only the quiet hum of emotions between them.
Serena leaned against Blaze, resting her head on his shoulder.
For the first time in forever, Blaze wasn't frozen—he simply let her be close, his body relaxed against hers.
Serena sighed softly, staring at the night sky. "Look at those stars… shining so brightly."
Blaze glanced upward, the golden reflections of the artificial constellations dancing in his crimson eyes. "Yeah… they're pretty amazing."
Then, he narrowed his gaze slightly.
"Wait. Who even told you about this place?"
Serena smirked, tilting her head toward him. "Your best friend."
Blaze froze.
Then, his face twisted into pure rage.
"THAT DAMN JASPER!"
Serena chuckled, amused by his reaction. "Yep. He told me everything."
Blaze's expression faltered. "W-what do you mean... everything?"
Serena grinned mischievously, tapping his forehead lightly with her finger. "Everything. From day one. How you panicked every time you saw me. How you tried every dumb plan just to impress me. How you practiced saying 'I love you' like a hundred times but could never say it to my face."
Blaze turned so red that for a second, it looked like he would explode.
"I'M GOING TO MURDER THAT IDIOT!"
Behind the tree, Jasper was already backing away slowly. "Yeah… it's time for me to disappear before he catches me."
Serena, still smiling, nudged Blaze lightly. "Relax, it's actually adorable."
Blaze groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're supposed to say 'cool,' not 'adorable.'"
Serena leaned in closer, her voice dropping into a teasing whisper. "Nah. You're too cute when you're flustered."
Blaze nearly choked on air. "C-cute?! I'm a champion! I'm the strongest blader in Exohorizon!"
Serena raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? But you still can't even say three simple words to me."
Blaze immediately shut up.
Serena giggled at his reaction. "Hopeless."
They sat in silence for a moment, the cool night breeze brushing against them.
Then, Blaze sighed. "You wanna stay here all night under the tree?"
Serena hummed, closing her eyes. "If I wanted to, I'd make time freeze."
Blaze scoffed, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
Serena opened one eye, smirking. "Or maybe you just don't want to admit you like being around me."
Blaze immediately looked away. "Hmph."
Serena stretched her arms lazily. "Well, since you're being all serious now, let me ask you something."
Blaze turned back to her. "What?"
Serena smirked. "Are you a virgin?"
Blaze choked.
"WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?!"His entire face turned crimson.
Serena leaned in, grinning. "Come on, be honest."
Blaze buried his face in his hands. "You're insane."
Serena laughed, thoroughly enjoying his reaction. "Oh, come on, you know those things happen at night."
Blaze stared at her in horror. "Y-you're serious?!"
Serena tilted her head playfully. "What? You're scared?"
Blaze groaned. "I should've just walked away when I had the chance."
Serena smirked, her voice dropping to a more teasing tone. "By the way… why did you stop me when I was unbuttoning my top earlier?"
Blaze froze again.
His brain short-circuited.
Serena leaned in even closer, her warm breath brushing against his ear. "Most guys would enjoy that kind of thing. But you stopped me. Why?"
Blaze swallowed, struggling to find his voice.
Serena's teasing grin softened into something more genuine. "That's why I love you, you know."
Blaze's breath caught in his throat.
Serena sat back, smiling at him softly. "You're not like other guys. You don't just want something meaningless. That's why I fell for you, Blaze."
Blaze blinked, his entire world turning upside down.
"Wait… what? You… liked me? From the start?"
Serena nodded, smirking slightly. "Yep. But I thought you didn't like me."
Blaze was completely speechless.
"WHAT?! YOU LIKED ME?! SERENA, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD I TRIED TO GET YOUR ATTENTION?!"
Serena grinned. "I know. Jasper told me."
Blaze groaned, grabbing his head. "I swear, I'm gonna kill that guy—"
Serena poked his cheek. "Then say it. Say 'I love you, Serena.'"
Blaze froze.
He tried to say it.
His lips parted—
Nothing.
Serena burst out laughing. "YOU STILL CAN'T SAY IT?!"
Blaze groaned. "I—I'M TRYING, OKAY?!"
Serena leaned forward, cupping his face gently.
"Then try again. Look at me, and say it."
Blaze tried.
He really tried.
But all he managed was—
"I… I lo—"
Nothing.
Serena laughed even harder, tears forming in her eyes. "Oh my god, you really are hopeless!"
Blaze crossed his arms, pouting. "I need to work on this."
Serena smiled, then suddenly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.
Her voice was soft. "Just don't disappear like that again, okay?"
Blaze blinked, surprised.
Then, he relaxed into the hug.
"Yeah… I won't."
Behind them—
Jasper finally made his move.
The green haired blader smirked as he deactivated his advanced wristwatch.
He had captured EVERYTHING.
Every cute moment. Every reaction. Every piece of evidence.
And he was planning to use it mercilessly.
Then—he stepped out from behind the tree.
Blaze's eyes immediately locked onto him.
"JASPER. YOU. ARE. DEAD."
Jasper smirked, holding up his wristwatch. "Oh, I'm very much alive. And I have footage of every single moment of your nervous breakdowns."
Blaze lunged at him.
Serena grabbed his jacket. "Blaze, no!"
Jasper laughed. "Alright, alright. We should head back to Flame's room anyway. He's probably waiting for you."
Blaze sighed, rubbing his face. "Fine. Let's go."
Serena smiled. "I'm coming too."
And with that, the three of them walked together into the night.
To be continue...