Astelion POV
Morning arrived with a cruel, mocking gentleness.
I awoke to filtered sunlight dancing across my eyelids, the faint, sweet scent of lavender wisteria blossoms drifting through the open window. For a single, breathless second, I let myself sink into the memory of the night before the blistering warmth of Kiono's skin, the bruising urgency of his hands at my waist, and the way he had carried me up the spiral stairs as if I were the only thing that mattered in a collapsing world.
Then, the floorboards downstairs creaked.
Reality settled over me like ice. I swallowed the lump in my throat, quickly rushed to the bathroom to clean up myself before dressing in one of his younger sister's soft dress. I padded down the winding steps, my heart hammering against my ribs, half expecting half hoping for the raw intensity that had left us breathless hours ago.
Kiono was already in the kitchen. Fully dressed in his stiff royal guard uniform. Immaculate. Composed.
And completely distant.
He didn't even look up when I entered.
"Morning," I said softly, my voice carrying a fragile weight.
Without meeting my gaze, Kiono slid a wooden cup of water and a plate across the counter. "Eat."
One word. Cold. Severed.
I sat across from him, the food turning to ash in my mouth. The silence stretching between us wasn't awkward it was deliberate, weaponized control. Kiono kept his eyes rigidly fixed on his plate, his posture straight as a blade, every movement terrifyingly efficient. I didn't push him. I didn't ask about the counter, or the stairs, or the desperate way his mouth had consumed mine.
We finished breakfast in total, agonizing silence.
When he finally stood, his chair scraping harshly against the wood, he didn't offer a hand. He didn't offer a glance. He said only, "Outside."
The wisteria forest was cool, a damp mist hanging low over the grass while vibrant purple petals drifted in slow, rhythmic spirals around us. We stood in a wide clearing ringed by a shadow-drenched trees.
Kiono faced me, his arms folded tightly behind his back, the picture of a ruthless military instructor.
"We're working on control today," he said, his voice entirely devoid of emotion. "Remaining an immovable anchor even when your emotions are boiling inside."
I nodded once, bracing myself. I expected a physical spar, a test of my elemental limits.
Instead, Kiono studied me for a long, torturous moment. Then, his blue eyes turning flat and dead, he said:
"I hated kissing you."
The words landed like a physical strike to my chest. My breath caught in my throat.
"It was the worst kiss I've ever had," he added, his tone entirely level. Bored, even.
For a fraction of a second, I thought I had misheard him. But his face remained a mask of flawless, unbothered discipline. Something precious inside my chest cracked right down the middle. Humiliation, sharp and agonizing, flooded my veins. My first kiss. My first real moment of complete, terrifying surrender to another human being... and he had reduced it to an error in judgment.
The air around us shifted instantly. The leaves began to tremble.
I felt the burning sting behind my eyes, the cocktail of confusion and raw shame. He felt it too, my mind screamed. He was lying. But the coldness in his eyes was a wall I couldn't breach.
The ground beneath us suddenly shuddered.
Crack.
Trees bent unnaturally away from me as a massive, telekinetic shockwave rippled outward from my body in a chaotic wave. Branches snapped like twigs.
Kiono didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.
"Calm," he said simply.
The utter dismissal of it stung a thousand times worse than the insult.
I took a step toward him, the wind whipping my dark hair across my face. "Answer me, Kiono!"
"Practice being calm," he repeated, his tone entirely even, retreating into his duty. "Do not leave here until you do."
And then, without another word, he lifted effortlessly into the air. He soared straight up into the sky, disappearing past the canopy of cascading purple wisteria, leaving me entirely behind to drown in the storm he had intentionally provoked.
The exact second his silhouette vanished, my control shattered into a million pieces.
The forest erupted.
Trees were ripped completely from the earth as if uprooted by invisible, raging giants. Boulders split in half and hurled through the air, crashing into the terrain. The nearby pond surged the water spiraling upward into massive, chaotic columns before slamming back down in a torrential deluge. Animals fled in every direction, terrified of the monster in the clearing.
I screamed a raw, furious, heartbroken sound that was entirely swallowed by the deafening roar of the destruction around me.
As the magic tore out of me, stripping the forest bare, a wave of profound regret slammed into my chest. How could I have been so stupid? I thought, my hands gripping my hair as the earth split into thin, fractures beneath my bare feet.
I regretted allowing myself to open up to him. I regretted letting my guard down enough to fall in love with him. For a few beautiful, delusional hours last night, I had actually started thinking that maybe I could stay in this timeline. That maybe I could alter history just enough to keep him for myself.
But this morning was the universe waking me up.
I closed my eyes, the tears finally burning hot against my cheeks as the wind howled around me. I don't belong in this era, I reminded myself. And I sure as hell don't get a happy ending.
The grief coiled tightly with my anger until it forged into a cold, unbreakable resolve. The pain stopped leaking outward. My core stilled. The destructive aura around me snapped shut.
I opened my eyes, the tears completely dry, replaced by a ruthless clarity. I knew what I actually came to this timeline to do. I didn't come here to play house or fall in love with a royal guard. I came here to rewrite a tragic future.
I needed to stop my grandparents from ever meeting. And more importantly, I needed to find a definitive way to kill Cion in this timeline before he could ever become the monster who ruined my world.
Love was just a pathetic distraction. A weakness I couldn't afford.
The wild wind softened into nothing. One by one, the massive uprooted trees lifted into the air, cradled by a now-disciplined, telekinetic current. With cold, mechanical precision, I placed them back into the torn ground, guiding the dirt around their roots until they stood tall once more.
When I was entirely finished, the forest looked completely untouched except for me.
Without looking back, I turned my back on Kiono's world and began to walk. I marched past the tree lines, heading straight toward the, forbidden borderlands where the atmosphere choked on static. Toward the Void.
The path grew progressively quieter the farther I marched. The lush purple blossoms thinned out, replaced by scorched gray stone. The air felt heavy, charged with a terrifying power.
This was the Void. The literal scar in reality where the destructive dragons had been sealed away centuries ago. Even from a far I could feel the unstable hum of their trapped fury vibrating through.
Through the clear a man stood directly before the rift in the void, violently striking at the edges of the distortion with a massive sword that glowed with a brilliant blue spiritual energy.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
I stepped forward, entirely with fear. A dry branch snapped sharply beneath my foot.
The man spun around instantly. His blade was raised in a flash, his stance flawlessly defensive, his eyes narrowing. He was tall, lean, and his movements carried a sharp, lethal confidence. His hair was a striking mix of light blonde with dark black woven through it, and his eyes were extraordinarily bright alert and dangerous.
The tip of his glowing sword pointed directly at my chest. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice echoing in the clearing. "And why the hell are you out here?"
I completely relaxed my posture, looking at the glowing markings on his skin. "Hi," I said, my voice entirely calm. "Are you a spirit user?"
The man blinked. He lowered the sword an inch, completely thrown off. That was definitely not the response he was expecting from a girl wandering this close to the Void.
"Yes," he said cautiously, his eyes scanning me up and down. "Now answer my question."
"My name is Astelion. I was... practicing in the woods and got turned around. I'm new here."
The tension instantly melted from his shoulders. A massive, brilliant smile broke across his sharp face warm, easy, and undeniably handsome.
"Well, Astelion who gets lost," he said, sheathing the massive blade onto his back with a fluid motion, "you should absolutely not be wandering nearthe void alone. It's not safe." His smile widened, boyish and utterly disarming. "Follow me. Let's get you back to civilization."
The walk back to the outer town was surprisingly light. The stranger introduced himself as Mell Neum. He talked effortlessly, his voice a pleasant rhythm as he explained how he patrols the outskirts, how the Void has been increasingly unstable lately, and how the fools in the inner palace drastically underestimate the danger of the seals breaking.
I listened quietly, keeping my dark intentions hidden behind a neutral mask. If he was a royal guard patrolling the seals, he was exactly the ally or the target I needed to get closer.
Mell glanced down at me often when he thought I wasn't looking, noting the sharp grace of my stride. "Welcome to the safest town within ten miles," he declared proudly as we finally hit the stones of the streets. "Mostly because I'm the one guarding it."
I let out a faint, strategic laugh. If I was going to navigate this world without getting distracted and find a way to get into the palace I needed to play the part.
"Are you hungry?" Mell asked, leaning in slightly, his bright eyes locked on mine. "I could offer you a proper welcome. And maybe a personal tour so you don't happen to get 'lost' again."
I tightened my jaw, Kiono's cruel training session still a cold weight in my chest. I had a mission to complete, and Mell was my perfect ticket into the palace.
"Yes," I said, looking him dead in the eye. "I'd like that."
For a few hours, I let myself play the part Mell expected. He showed me the local bakeries, the vibrant market and small hidden shops filled with handcrafted items. He even bought me a small, ridiculous stuffed bear from an elderly vendor who insisted it brought luck to couples. Mell teased me endlessly about my naturally serious, intense expression, making terrible, corny jokes about Void monsters having bad table manners just to see me crack a smile.
I forced myself to laugh. I forced myself to look relaxed. But beneath the surface, my mind was mapping every exit, calculating the strength of his spirit energy, and reinforcing the ice around my heart. The memory of Kiono's cold, cruel words—I hated kissing you—flashed in my mind like a brand. I used that pain, hardening it into the fuel I needed to keep going.
Over a table piled with hot food, Mell leaned back in his wooden chair, crossing his arms. "I'm actually the king person healer," he said casually, as if mentioning the weather.
My brows lifted in genuine, unfeigned surprise. "You don't look like a healer."
"That's because I'm far too handsome and mysterious," he winked smoothly.
A royal guard and Castel healer. He was highly placed close to the throne, and close to Castel. Perfect. "How do you like it? Balancing both?" I asked, sipping my drink to hide the sharp focus in my eyes.
Mell looked at me, his playful demeanor softening into something deeper, more observant. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Where are you really from, Astelion?"
"The north," I lied smoothly "there aren't many gift users up there. I came south when I discovered I had... certain abilities."
An intense spark of curiosity flashed in Mell's eyes. "Really? What kind of element?"
I deflected with a small, mysterious shrug. "Still learning."
Mell didn't push. He just smiled, a warmth in his gaze that felt entirely too trusting. It made a faint pang of guilt echo in my chest, but I silenced it instantly. No distractions.
As the sun began to dip low, painting the sky in deep shades of amber and violet, Mell stood up. "I'll walk you back ."
"That's okay," I replied quickly. "Just to the edge of the forest is fine."
He easily agreed.
The walk to the tree line was quiet. When we reached the boundary where the green trees gave way to the purple roots, we stopped. I turned to him, holding the stuffed bear and a small bag of pastries. Mell stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently brush a fallen leaf from my hair. His touch was warm and entirely safe.
And then—
"Astelion."
My name sliced through the evening air like a frozen blade.
I spun around. Kiono stepped out from the dark shadows of the purple wisteria trees.
The entire atmosphere of the clearing shifted instantly. The air became heavy, suffocatingly and pressurized. Kiono stood tall, his presence completely unreadable.
I stood frozen, holding the stuffed bear to my chest.
Mell looked between the two of us, his eyebrows shooting up in recognition. "Oh! You two know each other?"
Kiono's icy blue eyes never left my face. "Mell," he said, his voice terrifyingly even, dropping into a dangerously low. "Why have you not reported your patrol to the palace yet?"
Mell let out a loose, easy laugh, completely unfazed by the commander's suffocating aura. "I wasn't playing around this time, Kiono, I promise. I was making highly strategic plans to steal away a beautiful girl's heart."
I felt a sudden, heat rush to my cheeks part embarrassment, part absolute rage that Kiono was standing there acting like a sentry over a life he had just discarded.
Mell grinned down at me, entirely intentional. "It was wonderful meeting you, Astelion. We are definitely doing this again." He shot a quick, knowing glance at Kiono. "I'll go report to the King now, Commander."
With a fluid, athletic grace, Mell turned and jogged off back toward the town, light on his feet.
A suffocating silence fell over the tree line. Before I could even open my mouth to speak, Kiono lunged forward. His massive hand clamped around my wrist in a vice-like grip. Hard. Cruel.
Without a single word, he violently pulled me forward, dragging me into the dark canopy of the forest.
The sudden force caught me off guard. The lucky stuffed bear slipped from my fingers, tumbling into the dirt. The bag of pastries fell, spilling across the roots. I said nothing at first, my teeth grinding as he marched forward, his grip bruising my skin. He didn't slow down. He didn't look back.
The tight knot in my chest snapped.
"Let. Me. Go," I hissed.
He ignored me.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
A massive, invisible wave of raw telekinetic force snapped outward from my body. It struck Kiono squarely in the chest.
The sheer impact forced him to loose his grip. He was thrown backward several feet, his heavy boots digging into the forest floor, tearing up dirt and moss as he caught his balance.
A wide, tense distance opened between them in the dimming light.
We stared at each other. Hurt. Burning jealousy. Unspoken, accusations. The entire forest held its absolute breath, the purple petals freezing in mid-air. And neither of us looked away.
Kiono slowly straightened his massive frame. His jaw flexed so hard the bone showed through his skin. I could still feel the burning, ghostly imprint of his fingers wrapped around my wrist. He could still feel the echo of my power rattling his ribs.
Neither of us spoke. The air wasn't just thick with anger it was choking on memory.
"You let him touch you," Kiono said finally. His voice was a dangerous, low snarl. It wasn't a question.
I lifted my chin high, my eyes flashing with absolute defiance. "And what if I did? You explicitly told me this morning that you hated kissing me."
A flicker of pure agony passed through his eyes before he locked it down. "That doesn't mean—"
"Doesn't mean what?" I challenged softly, stepping closer into the arena.
Kiono stalked forward, his massive frame closing the distance. I didn't step back this time. I stood my ground as the space between us tightened, charging with static electricity. His immense presence pressed against my senses pure, radiating body heat colliding with the cool forest wind.
"You think he understands you are?" Kiono asked quietly, his eyes dark. "You think he can handle you?"
"You didn't even try to," I shot back, my voice cracking.
That landed. A physical blow.
Kiono's large hand flexed at his side, his fingers twitching as if he were fighting every primal, hardwired instinct to reach out, grab me by the waist, and pull me back against his chest. The . He swallowed hard, his chest heaving.
"You are highly dangerous when you're angry," he whispered.
"And you are incredibly cruel when you're afraid," I countered, my voice a dangerous whisper.
Silence descended again, but we were closer now. Infinitely closer. Kiono closed the remaining inches slowly, deliberately, stopping just a hair's breadth short of actually touching my skin. He was close enough that I could feel the scorching warmth radiating off his chest.
My pulse pounded frantically in my ears. Kiono's gaze lowered again—not subtly, not hidden behind a commander's mask. He stared directly at my mouth, then tracked the dark, pulsing vein along my pale neck.
"You shouldn't look at me like that," he murmured, his breath brushing my lips.
"Like what?" I whispered back, my heart in my throat.
"Like you want me to kiss you right now."
The tension coiled terrifyingly tight, a wire stretched to its absolute breaking point. I could feel his restraint rigid, fractured, barely holding the beast inside. I could taste the suffocating jealousy simmering just beneath his skin, the way his body angled instinctively toward mine despite every cold word he had hurled at me at dawn.
"You don't get to be jealous, Kiono," I said quietly, my eyes locking onto his. "Not after what you did this morning."
His eyes darkened into a dangerous, midnight blue. "I'm not jealous."
I took the final step forward, completely testing his limits, my chest almost brushing his polished silver buttons. "Then stop looking toward the town path like you want to track him down and break his bare hands."
That did it.
Kiono's breath left him in a sharp, controlled growl. The entire forest seemed to shrink until there was nothing left but the two of them. For a breathless moment, neither of us moved. Then, his large hand lifted slowly, hovering just an inch away from my bare waist not touching me yet, but asking. Demanding without a single word. My power stirred at the mere proximity of the contact that hadn't even happened.
"You push me away," I whispered, my eyes shining in the dark, "and then you hunt me down through the trees like I belong to you."
Kiono leaned down, his voice possessive whisper that vibrated straight through my core. "You don't belong to anyone, Astelion."
But his body completely betrayed his words. He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
My fingers curled tightly into the crisp fabric of his shirt, pulling him down, testing that fatal boundary. It felt like absolute electricity. Our lips burned with a desperation to be on each other.
It was a dangerous, unresolved choice, waiting to explode.