The absolute microsecond the massive carved portals glided back into their latches, the final echo of departing footsteps dissolved into the quiet ambiance. Absolute solitude enveloped the expansive grand court.
Astria remained seated upon the elevated royal throne. Resting her back against the intricate velvet backrest, she tapped the back of her knuckles against the armrest in a slow, rhythmic pattern. Her sapphire-crimson pupils remained locked strictly onto an invisible coordinate in the open air.
A sequence of calculated thoughts traversed through her cognition.
'Four days...'
She calculated the exact duration within her mind. Four complete days had transpired since Len had crossed the realm's perimeters without leaving a trace of word, departing directly into the uncharted paths of the mortal world.
As that precise calculation deepened within her mind, the composure across her commanding features began to fracture. Her refined eyebrows narrowed sharply, drawing subtle tension lines along her cheekbones.
Sparks of impatience, irritation, and a sharp flare of suppressed anger burned vividly within her sapphire pupils.
Releasing a deep, heavy breath through her nostrils, the bitter edge anchored across her countenance remained absolute and undisturbed.
A low, dissatisfied whisper escaped Astria's lips:
"Yet the initial audacity originated entirely from him..."
Closing her eyelids as those words faded, the precise sequence from four mornings prior materialized vividly across her mental horizon.
On that particular morning, golden sunlight streamed through the high windows, illuminating the sanctuary. Midst their physical altercation, Astria's composure had fractured.
As she forcefully shoved Len backward, the sudden momentum pulled both of them down, causing them to collapse onto the floor together, with Astria landing directly over his frame.
Without relinquishing a microsecond, Astria forced an uninvited, aggressive kiss upon his lips.
Initially, Len remained completely passive, offering zero resistance to her action.
However, as Astria's boundary-pushing grew increasingly overbearing, Len's hands finally mobilized, pressing against her shoulders in an attempt to create distance.
'I merely executed that to vex and rattle him... precisely because he provoked me first! Had he simply tended to his injury properly, matters would never have escalated to this point...' Astria synthesized an internal justification for her actions.
Yet, the mental sequence shifted.
Astria recalled how, shortly after, Len abandoned his effort to push her away.
Rather than warding her off, he allowed her actions to unfold, remaining entirely still beneath her.
Disturbed by his absolute stillness, Astria had hesitated. Retracting her frame, she disengaged and sat upright upon the floor.
The absolute microsecond Astria pulled away, Len adjusted his posture upward. Just as Astria placed her hands against the floor to elevate her feet, Len's hand surged forward, clamping tightly around her wrist.
In a singular microsecond, the dynamic inverted entirely.
Before Astria could register the shift, her back was pinned flat against the floor, with Len hovering directly over her frame.
This time, Len claimed absolute control.
Locking her posture down, he pressed his lips aggressively against hers.
Initially, Astria remained motionless, yielding to the contact. Yet as the microsecond extended, the intensity of his kiss escalated to such an extreme tier that her lungs struggled for oxygen, rendering breathing an absolute exertion.
Astria pressed both her palms continuously against Len's shoulders, yet dislodging his heavier frame proved an extreme exertion.
Throughout the duration, Len had kept his golden eyelashes tightly sealed.
Desperate for composure, Astria opened her sapphire eyes. At that precise microsecond, a sharp, excruciating agony resembling a high-voltage electrical jolt pierced through the depths of Len's brain—as if an intense neural surge fractured his focus.
The sudden intensity of the pain shattered Len's absolute control. Abruptly releasing his hold over Astria, he retracted his frame backward and sat upright upon the floor.
Regulating his ragged breathing, his luminous golden eyes anchored upon Astria, who remained sprawled across the surface.
Her state was visually disarrayed. Her royal attire was deeply creased, and distinct crimson bite marks were clearly visible along the contours of her lips. Raising her trembling fingers, Astria placed a singular hand over her lower lip.
Positioning both palms against his knees, Len elevated his posture to a standing stance. The electric-like agony within his head escalated to such a tier that he raised his injured hand, driving his fingers deep into his golden hair and pulling the strands tightly to suppress the throbbing sensation.
Regaining marginal composure, his golden pupils returned to Astria. She remained positioned on the floor—one hand shielding her lip, the other anchored against the surface for balance.
Extending a singular hand forward toward her, Len offered support.
Without removing her hand from her lips, Astria elevated her sapphire eyes, locking her gaze directly into Len's golden eyes.
Following a brief hesitation, she grasped his extended palm. Applying upward momentum, Len assisted her frame to a standing posture.
The microsecond Astria stabilized upon her feet, Len maintained his grip with one hand while advancing his free hand forward. His fingertips delicately brushed across the crimson mark etched upon her lip.
His shimmering golden eyes reflected absolute oblivion—as if the precise origin of that physical mark was entirely beyond his awareness.
Gently caressing the mark, Len projected in a soft, inquiring tone:
"Does this cause pain?... Yet how did this transpire?"
The absolute microsecond those vocalizations reached Astria's ears, her remaining composure shattered instantly. A terrifying tempest of pure rage ignited within her sapphire eyes.
Before Len could register the shift, a sharp crack resonated through the space—Astria's hand collided with immense velocity across Len's cheek.
The impact forced Len's head to tilt sideways. Placing a palm over his burning cheek, a layer of absolute bewilderment surfaced across his golden pupils as he whispered:
"Why did you strike me?"
Sparks of pure fury erupted within Astria's sapphire eyes. Indicating toward the crimson mark etched upon her lip, she projected in a sharp, thunderous tone:
"This transpires entirely as your direct doing!
Yet you assume this innocent guise, inquiring how it occurred?!"
Len maintained his hand against his burning cheek. His golden pupils reflected zero trace of guilt, displaying purely absolute oblivion and deep perplexity. In a quiet, bewildered whisper, he questioned:
"When did I execute such an action?... How can you project such serious accusations against me with such conviction? Even if... even if this originated due to me, you were still the one who initiated force first."
His vocalization was so transparently detached that it projected as though his cognition genuinely harbored zero memory of the preceding microsecond.
A deep layer of disbelief and irritation solidified across Astria's countenance.
Registering her bitter demeanor, Len offered zero further argument. Rotating his posture toward the massive carved exit doors, he advanced with calm, measured steps across the floor.
The absolute microsecond Len reached to engage the heavy door handle, Astria's fingers surged from behind, clamping firmly around his wrist.
Len's momentum halted instantly. Without rotating his entire frame, he merely angled his head backward over his shoulder. His golden eyes remained entirely icy. In a flat tone, he inquired:
"Does something further remain unresolved?"
Those detached vocalizations and subtle undertone of sarcasm ignited an immediate resurgence of rage within Astria. Her remaining composure fractured entirely. In a fraction of a microsecond, she elevated her free hand into the draft—and struck Len across the cheek for a second time with intense velocity.
Even after the reverberating slap, Len's golden pupils reflected zero agitation.
Placing a palm over his other cheek, he maintained an entirely serene, neutral posture without blinking his golden eyelashes, staring strictly into Astria's crimson-flushed face.
In a quiet, firm, and unyielding voice, he reiterated:
"Does something further truly remain?"
Astria froze in place, stunned by Len's absolute calm and unbothered demeanor.
Using his free hand, Len shoved the massive door portal outward. Then, with a singular swift movement, he disengaged his wrist from Astria's grip, projecting softly:
"If zero remains... I shall take my departure."
Without relinquishing a single microsecond, Len crossed beyond the threshold, allowing the heavy carved portal to slide shut behind him with a low acoustic reverberation.