***
After finishing with our meal, I carefully lead her towards her dorm room.
While walking towards the dorm, I heard mocking whispers.
After we reached the room, Cassie wanted to change into her night clothes.
"So...can you look away?" She asked shyly. She couldn't know if I looked at her or not, but why should I lie to watch my girlfriend?
"We can't do it, but at least let me watch you change." It is my birth right as her boyfriend.
"B-B-ut...." She stammered, but eventually sighed and went ahead.
I don't know if I should feel bad for forcing her or feel happy for having such a cute amazing girlfriend.
Well, I enjoyed the entire process, not daring to blink even for a second.
I should've brought some snacks on my way.
After she finished wearing her pink silk pajamas with some cartoon-ish art, we lay on the bed, hugging each other.
Oh god! I think this is gonna be my favorite outfit for her.
It's smooth and very light. I can feel her skin and figure very easily, so light that it feel just like as if she's naked.
She snuggled up on my chest, tightly wrapping her arms around me.
The entire room is dark and silent, occasionally footsteps from the hallway leaked inside.
After quite some time, Cassie's body trembled slightly.
Slowly, it escalated to muffled sobs and tears wetting my bare skin.
"What happened?" I asked. Her mental condition is very vulnerable, I already expected her to break down at some point.
It pains me a lot to see her cry, but I can't do anything about this. All I can do is just be there for her.
I tightened my embrace, waiting for her to calm down.
A long time passed as I looked out the window, looking at the beautiful moon, the only thing I liked about this realm.
The last time I came to this realm was when I was more than 100 years old.
The rejection of War wasn't so bad at that time, and there were 2 of these beautiful astral jewels.
I still curse that Spirit who dared to merge the two right in front of me.
Too bad he died by the hands of War, or I would've tried my best to kill him myself.
"You know..." Cassie spoke, finally calming down and her breath even.
After a few moments of silence, She continued.
"It feels so good..."
"Hm?"
"Being with you...feels so good. I feel heard, feel seen, feel like just another normal girl. I knew my time is limited when I finished my first nightmare."
"I had already give up hope, and I was ready to die accepting my fate. But then you came in my life, giving me hope, pleasure and the happiness I never felt before."
"But now, it feels too good, too enjoying and too relieving for me to just give up. I don't want to die, don't want to leave you, don't want to separate from you. I want to live, with you."
"I wish I wasn't infected by the spell, but I know, if I didn't pass my first nightmare trial..." She looked up, her teary eyes blankly matching mine.
"I would never have met you. Now I know, I know what these feelings are, I know why being with you feels so good..."
My breath hitched, in the previous life, we never needed to verbally reveal our feelings. We knew what we felt, we understood what the other felt, no further sentences were needed. So, this will be my first time hearing it...
"I Love You Sunless..."
***
I groggily opened my eyes inside the empty room, cold and alone.
My chest ached with simultaneous pain. The heavy feeling unbearable, it feels lonely, so lonely that its suffocating.
It now feels similar to when my grandmother died in the previous life. like the last trace of my family is gone, leaving me alone in this painfully dying world.
In the cafeteria, I watched from a far away table as Sunless and Cassie fed each other with happy smiles in their faces.
It feels painful, but I kept watching as if I could get used to this, as if the pain would dim at some point.
One was my best friend, the other is the person I love. I guess she was right.
The classes begun, and we went back to the previous routine. I again began to join them for meals.
It's just that, now, the pain is constant. But even then, she endured more than just this, so I can endure as well.
Cassie is my friend, my best friend. I can't interrupt her happiness just cause of my selfishness.
So I endured, for the next two weeks.
At the day of the winter solstice, I spoke softly, congratulating him.
"Happy birthday Sunny."
He froze for a second, giving a reply with a polite smile, "Thank you."
I know the smile is forced, but it still gave me a ray of hope, that we can still....maybe I can't accept being just a friend, but I have to.
At evening, the teachers held one more assembly, telling us to be careful and also revealed that three student have been found dead in their dorms throughout these 2 weeks.
This never happened before, maybe my return changed history, but still, who would dare invade the academy to kill 3 people who barely became awakened in the previous life, then died soon after. They weren't even important.
The day passed in a blur, and night arrived.
I stepped into the sleeping pod, closing my eyes and bracing myself for the upcoming uncertainty.
The clear voice of the spell rang in my ears, welcoming me once again to hell.
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Nephis]
***
To be continued...
/\
I Know it ended too soon. I wanted to try writing some more romance but what can I say? The other elements of romance couldn't be done right inside the Academy. So I just did a Time skip.
So We can move onto Forgotten Shore quickly and enforce the bond and relationships between the TRIO there.