Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend
Chapter 190 - 190: Do You Accept Me As A Bondmate?

Rune, standing a few paces away, erupted into hearty laughter, his deep voice booming across the courtyard. ''Oh, Rae, you've done it now!'' he managed between chuckles, slapping his knee. ''You can't just say things like that in front of noble ladies!''

Caspian, ever the voice of reason, shook his head with a smile. "So crass,'' he muttered, chuckling. ''You forget these are refined young women. A little tact wouldn't hurt.''

Raegar blinked, seemingly oblivious to the stir he'd caused, and scratched the back of his neck. ''What? It's the truth, isn't it?'' he said, glancing at the Dark Fairy, who fluttered out of his pocket to hover beside him.

Selene, recovering her composure, let out a theatrical sigh and waved a hand dismissively. ''Honestly, Rae, you're hopeless,'' she said, though the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her fondness for his unpolished honesty. ''But I suppose that's why we keep you around.''

The group dissolved into laughter, the tension melting away as the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting long shadows across the garden. Vienna and Luna were the first to leave after saying their goodbyes.

Raegar noticed the two girls hugged their dark-haired friend, making Rune laugh as he gave them a knowing look. After that, the giant boy waved and made his way toward the Western Tower with a red-faced Caspain.

Zahara, Dominique, and Selene turned to him, their faces lit up with warm, genuine smiles that lit up the moment. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, enveloping each of them in an embrace.

Each hug lingered just long enough to feel personal, a silent acknowledgment of their shared bond. As they stepped back, their eyes sparkled with contentment, the warmth of the moment lingering in the air.

Following that, the group finally parted ways. Drusilla, ever the quiet observer, fluttered back to her familiar perch on his shoulder. Her wings humming softly, that blended with the rustle of the evening breeze.

As Raegar strode toward the tower, the chatter of second and third-year students filled the garden. Yet, as he wove through the lively scene, his gaze snagged on the woman he had helped outside the gate, now standing motionless outside the staffroom.

'Oh shit! Where did she come from?' he mused.

The woman's face, half-shadowed by the moonlight, bore an unsettling expression, her lips pressed into a thin, unnatural smile that didn't reach her eyes. Those eyes, cold and unblinking, locked onto him.

She clutched her broom, its bristles scraping the worn stone pathway in slow strokes, each movement almost ritualistic. Her posture was meek, her shoulders hunched, but there was an intensity in her stillness, like a spider poised at the edge of its web.

Her gaze flickered toward him, not with curiosity but with a chilling, almost otherworldly fixation, as though she saw something in him no one else could. Drusilla went rigid, her tiny claws digging faintly into his cloak.

The Dark Fairy leaned toward his ear, her breath cold against his skin. ''Why is she staring at you, Rae?'' she whispered, her voice a tremulous thread of dread, barely louder than the wind.

Her eyes narrowed, darting to the woman, tracking every subtle shift, the way her head tilted slightly, unnaturally, as if listening to something beyond the garden's hum. The air grew heavy, charged with an unspoken menace.

The rhythmic scratch of the broom against the stone seemed to pulse, each stroke a heartbeat in the thickening tension. ''I don't know, Dru,'' he replied before continuing toward the boy's dorm.

As the unsettling encounter unfolded, a sinister smile crept across the woman's face, her lips curling in a way that sent an icy shiver racing down his spine and made her look like some sort of horrible creature.

The eerie expression lingered in the air like a bad omen, urging him to avert his gaze and quicken his pace, determined to put distance between himself and the unnerving stranger that sent a chill down his spine.

Drusilla kept her eyes trained on the woman, her instincts on high alert as she scanned for any hint of threat. The pair pressed forward, the weight of the moment hanging heavy between them, until at last the tower came into view.

With a shared glance, they stepped across the threshold, the creak of the heavy door echoing behind them as they entered the shadowed interior. He descended the stone steps, the air growing cooler and damper with each step into the tower's depths.

'Sounds like everyone is in bed already,' he thought.

To steady his nerves, he reached into his storage ring and pulled out a piece of campfire bread, its familiar, hearty scent a small comfort in the gloom. As he took a bite, Drusilla's playful voice cut through the quiet.

"Still hungry, are you?" she teased, her tone laced with mischief as she floated beside him. ''Keep eating like that, and you'll be waddling instead of walking in no time!''

Raegar shot Drusilla a sidelong glance, his eyes narrowing with mock irritation at her teasing. The look only fueled her amusement, and her laughter bubbled up louder, a chime that echoed off the cold stone walls.

Moments later, he descended the final steps, reaching the lowest level, where the air grew heavy with the damp chill thanks to being deep underwater. The blonde's tiny form began to tremble, her delicate wings quivering.

Without a word, Raegar's hand darted out, gently scooping her up. Before she could protest, he tucked her safely inside his shirt. Drusilla's cheeks a crimson, a mix of embarrassment and warmth flooding her as she nestled against him.

Though she squirmed slightly, she didn't resist, sensing the protective intent behind his actions. He pushed open the door to his dorm room and slumped heavily into a worn wooden chair, his gear clattering as he began to shed his equipment.

The weight of the journey seemed to melt from his shoulders as he exhaled, sinking deeper into the chair. Moments later, Drusilla wriggled free, bursting from his shirt with a flutter of indignant energy.

Her golden hair caught the dim light as she zipped into the air, shaking off the lingering warmth of his shirt. ''A little warning next time!'' she huffed, though the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her amusement.

***

Drusilla hovered in the air as she watched Raegar slump back, relaxing as he ate the campfire bread. She decided to explore the dorm room stretched out before her, a cluttered cave of human chaos that fascinated her.

From her vantage point, she took in the scene with the sharp, curious eyes of a fairy who missed nothing. It was a patchwork of Raegar's life, disordered, yet oddly deliberate. A rickety wooden desk stood against one wall.

'Typical Raegar,' she thought, a smirk tugging at her lips. 'All heart, no organization.'

She flew higher, toward a corner where a pile of Aether Cores and monster parts lay. Nearby, a tattered cloak hung on a peg, still dusted with the grit of their latest journey. The faint scent of campfire smoke clung to it.

She shook her head, refocusing, and zipped toward a small table cluttered with trinkets: a polished river stone, a carved wooden figurine of a wolf, and a cracked compass that probably hadn't worked in years.

'Sentimental fool,' she mused.

Drusilla soared toward the window, captivated by an underwater vista teeming with vibrant schools of fish. In the distance, a shadowy forest loomed, startling her. 'Trees beneath the waves?' She wondered, awestruck.

Her gaze lingered, her mind reeling at the impossible sight of this wonderful world she was witnessing, when a soft rustle behind her broke her trance. She turned, and her breath caught as she saw her boy peeling off his shirt.

The light cast shadows across his chiseled frame, muscles taut and defined. But as her eyes adjusted, she froze. His skin was a map of scars, jagged lines crisscrossing his chest and arms, each one telling a story of battles fought and survived.

Her awe shifted to curiosity, a question forming on her lips as she met his steady, unreadable gaze. Drusilla's heart quickened as she took in his half-naked form, the scars only adding a rugged allure to his powerful frame.

A flush crept up her cheeks, her excitement sparking as she struggled to tear her eyes away. His gaze met hers, steady and intense, and she felt a jolt of nervous energy. Biting her lip, she flew closer.

Drusilla's pulse thundered as she hovered there. Her excitement surged, a reckless spark igniting within her. 'There's a fire within me that he needs to feel as well,' she thought as her heart continued to race.

Without a second thought, she closed the distance between them, wings fluttering softly, and pressed her lips to his in a sudden kiss. His breath hitched, caught off guard as she pulled back, eyes wide with a mix of exhilaration and uncertainty, searching his face for a reaction.

''Do you accept me as a Bondmate? It's the next step, Rae?'' she questioned in a hopeful tone.