Noah of the Loopers and Summer of the Bastian—we are a match forged in heaven's darkest corner. Let them agree or not, it changes nothing.
He was born to die, and I was destined to kill. So why did they all whisper that I wasn't qualified to be his Royal?
Resting my head on his shoulder, I inhaled his unique fragrance. It was the scent of death itself, a fragrance I had always loved.
It was the only thing that could quell the gnawing urge to murder every pitiful human crawling across these wasted lands.
A low hum vibrated in my throat as I bit into his shoulder, knowing full well he would feel nothing. His body was far too resilient for my teeth to even leave a mark.
But there were other ways to affect him, ways I was certain would pierce his composure. Sneaking a glance at his stoic profile, I let my hand trail down the hard planes of his abdomen.
"Noah," I purred, my voice dropping low, "why does this part of you grow so hard whenever you tear the fabric of space?"
"Your dinner is cancelled," he stated flatly.
"I can live without it," I whispered back, "so long as you plan to be my main course instead."
A genuine laugh escaped me as the speed of his spatial jumps intensified, the world outside blurring into streaks of fractured light.
It was the first skill he acquired after his first death. I still remember the chilling fear that seized me when he died that time.
It was the first time I had ever hated watching something die.
When we finally materialized within my palace, the evening sky was ablaze with color. Considering the thousand-mile distance between the capital and my domain, the speed of his travel could only be called monstrous.
Yet, I felt no trace of fatigue.
He dropped me directly into my chambers, bypassing all the tedious formalities that awaited outside.
Before he could tear open the space to leave, I launched myself onto his back, using our momentum to pull him down onto the bed with me.
"Summer—"
"I'm an adult now."
"No—"
"Just sleep. You don't have to do anything else."
"It's not that—"
"Then what is it?" I snapped, my tone turning venomous. "Do you prefer that coquettish bitch? Oh, I understand now. That's why you stopped me from killing her."
The image of that unknown sister of mine, with her doe-eyes fixed on Noah, flashed in my mind. A hot flare of anger surged through me.
An oblivious man like Noah might not have understood the meaning behind that gaze, but I did.
It was the same look I wore when I spied on him during his baths. Noah stopped struggling, turning over to lock his eyes with mine.
Our faces were so close I could feel his warm breath ghosting across my skin. The murderous rage inside me cooled as he reached up, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
"Do you want to kill her?" His question was deadly serious. Any other woman would have been satisfied by his focus, melting at his implicit dismissal of the other girl.
They would have given him a kiss, content with his loyalty.
But I, Summer, am no ordinary woman. If she is a bitch, then I am the arch-bitchess of the Bastian domain.
"Yes."
"Okay."
His form wavered like glass shattering before dissolving completely, leaving my room empty.
I hated the sudden absence of his presence, but a wave of satisfaction washed over me as I recalled the reason for his abrupt departure.
"That bitch deserved it…"
*
* *
The Bastian palace was a spectacular monument of ice and stone, a frozen crown upon the snow-filled domain of Bastian.
It stood sentinel on the highest peak of the Rivermire, a sprawling complex of towers and halls that seemed to consume the entire mountain range with its multitude of buildings.
Deep within the palace throne room, Emperor Lasargad Bastian suddenly raised his head from the documents before him.
The four wraith-like shadows flanking his throne stirred, their forms elongating as if to strike. A single, sharp gesture from the emperor froze them in place.
"Stop," he commanded, his voice low but absolute.
"Noah of Looper."
As the name was spoken, the air before the grand obsidian table warped. A young man materialized from nothing, settling casually into the seat opposite the emperor.
Noah leaned back into the chair, tapping his fingers on its armrest as the emperor and the Looper assessed each other in silence.
"Is this about my daughter?" Lasargad finally asked, breaking the tension.
"No," Noah corrected, a hint of possessiveness in his tone. "This is about my Royal."
The corner of Lasargad's mouth twitched.
"Do not forget who I am, Dormant Noah."
"If I had forgotten your identity, I would not have come here," Noah replied, his posture unflinching.
"That title, 'Looper,' will not shield you forever, boy," the emperor's voice hardened, each word laced with frigid authority.
"Then consider me nothing more than Noah," the young man countered, his eyes glinting with a challenge. "Kill me, if you dare."
The two of them reached another stalemate.
The four shadows rippled, their unseen heads seeming to glance at one another before their focus returned to their Paragon Emperor and the Dormant boy.
They could only shake their heads at the familiar impasse.
"Enough of these cheap tricks to bait me into killing you," Lasargad scoffed, leaning back with an air of weary resignation.
"I will not fall into that trap again. Now, tell me, boy. What has that hellion daughter of mine asked of you this time?"
"She asked me to kill your other daughter."
"Which one?"
"The talkative bitch from earlier today."
"Agreed."
"Good for you."
Noah's silhouette dissolved into nothingness, his departure as abrupt as his arrival. The four shadows twitched before merging seamlessly into the form of a single man who knelt silently on the ground.
"Sha," the emperor said without looking up. "What is it?"
"Your Majesty, I know you spoil the princess. But, isn't her current demand a bit… overbearing?"
Lasargad paused his reading, his gaze turning sharp as a shard of ice. "Do you know what her bonded element is?"
"That would be… blood, Your Majesty. What of it?"
"Then do you know what her blood has always craved?"
Sha remained silent, his face a mask of confusion.
"She craves the blood of demons," Lasargad explained, his voice grim.
"When a demon draws near, she is overwhelmed by bloodlust. It seems one of those disgusting creatures has already reached Bastian."
"How is that possible? Is General Odin not guarding the borders?"
"The Bastian border is protected by Loopers. The other domains do not share that luxury. Sha, order the imperial army to intensify their patrols.
Kill any demon on sight. The Winter Call is nearly upon us, and we cannot afford any mistakes. At least, not until Atticus and Morgana return."
At the mention of those two names, Sha's face brightened with hope.
Atticus Looper and Morgana Bastian. The most famous couple in the Seven Domains. And, more importantly, the parents of Noah Looper.
They were two of the most powerful people alive.
"Majesty, are you certain they are returning this time?"
It had been ten long years since they ventured into the Abyss, searching for the second spirit required for both Noah and the princess.
For the first time in years, Lasgard let out a genuine smile.
"Yes. Atticus has already sent word. And it seems they have finally succeeded in their goal."