Reborn with a Necromancer System
Chapter 133: First Date

Chapter 133: First Date

Kai’s morning began with the crushing sensation of a mountain pressing against his chest.

His eyes flew open. He gasped, unable to move, limbs pinned to the bed by an invisible force. Panic sparked, then dulled when he heard a familiar giggle.

"Oh, good," Naia said cheerfully. "You’re finally awake."

Kai groaned. "What... what the hell?"

She stood near the doorway, fingers lazily twirling as a shimmering distortion shimmered in the air around him. "I was curious just how heavy a sleeper you are. I started small. Then increased the pressure in increments. You’re up to... let’s see... two and a half elephants? Maybe three? How do you even manage not to die?"

"Naia!" he barked.

The pressure vanished all at once, and he sat up coughing, rubbing his ribs.

"That could’ve killed me," he grumbled.

"Pfft. You’re fine. You’re strong. And awake. Mission accomplished."

"You’re insane."

"Mm-hmm. Get dressed. We’ve got a date."

Kai blinked. "A... what? Oh, yeah."

She only winked before disappearing down the narrow stairs, her laughter echoing behind her.

Kai took his time getting ready, partly to recover, partly to remember where he’d put anything remotely "nice".

He owned little in the way of fashion, and even his academy robes leaned toward the utilitarian. But after rifling through his shadow storage, something caught his eye, a sleek, tailored tunic of deep navy, embroidered with subtle silver threading along the collar and cuffs. A matching mantle and leather armour plates made for a regal but grounded look.

He’d taken it from Orlin’s manor so long ago that it barely registered until now. He hadn’t thought about that place in weeks. Maybe months. The whole escape, the flames, the secrets... and Firra.

He exhaled slowly. He should’ve remembered this set sooner when entering the Citadel. Another oversight.

Still, it fit well. Wore better than anything else he owned. He traced a few quick sigils onto the fabric, runes to reinforce the weave, a soft shimmer of warding magic woven through every thread.

Naia caught him finishing the last rune as she stepped into the room again, this time in a flowing crimson and charcoal dress, cinched with silver clasps and short boots for walking. She tilted her head. "Those... enchantments?"

"Protection runes," he said, standing. "Should stop a non-enchanted blade. Maybe a weak spell, too."

She extended her arm like a queen awaiting a knight. "Then you’re putting them on me, too."

He chuckled. "Of course."

Minutes later, their clothing subtly reinforced, they stepped out into the wide walkways of the palace district. The air was crisp with the late spring chill.

As they passed through the gates into the city proper, Naia hooked her arm around his.

"Don’t make it weird," she warned him without looking.

"I wasn’t going to."

"You were thinking about making it weird."

"No, I was thinking about-"

He stopped.

A flicker at the edge of his senses, a tight, coiled presence of mana. Suppressed but deadly. There. Across the street. A middle-aged woman walked casually behind them, her eyes scanning every rooftop, every alley. A professional.

Carter hadn’t lied. A bodyguard from the Eldridge estate.

’She could kill us both in five seconds if she wanted to. Well, if she went up against my undead, I’d outnumber and overwhelm her. But it’s good to know.’

He kept walking, adjusting his stride so Naia wouldn’t notice the tension.

They wandered through the city markets, and slowly, despite himself, Kai relaxed. For a while, the scent of cinnamon, grilled meats, and freshly baked tarts chased away the thoughts of curses and corpses. Naia dragged him from stall to stall, insisting he try everything that looked even remotely edible.

He bit into a glazed peach tart and let out a surprised grunt.

"You like it?" Naia grinned.

"It’s... criminally good."

Next came skewered meat, Kai didn’t ask what kind. He figured if it was delicious, it didn’t matter. Then sweet puffs of spun sugar, iced berry drinks, and a slice of something she called arcane milk custard, which he was pretty sure had actual glitter in it.

’This world has more in the way of snacks and cuisine than I thought. So much for wanting to make money out of that sort of thing. I haven’t seen crepes, yet. And I did talk about trying to make a car for Kleo and me.’

They stopped at a stall selling handmade trinkets: wood-carved figurines, silver-threaded necklaces, small crystal baubles. Naia picked one up and held it out to him.

It was a polished obsidian pendant shaped like a raven, wings mid-beat, its eyes tiny sapphire gems.

"This reminded me of you."

Kai blinked. "Because I’m... black and ominous?"

"No," she said with a smile. "Because you pretend not to care, but you always fly back to the people you’re trying to protect."

He didn’t know what to say. She pressed the pendant into his hand before he could refuse it.

"I’m keeping your half of the skewers, then," she added casually.

---

As it grew later, and the security member from the Eldridge estate released heavier waves of mana, they strolled back toward the palace. The city shimmered with lamplight. Bells rang softly in distant towers.

Once outside the Eldridge estate, they sat by a bench overlooking the water feature.

Naia leaned her head against his shoulder. "Today was nice."

"It was."

But his mind was somewhere else.

The joy hadn’t erased anything, just dulled the edges for a little while.

Firra, still trapped inside the palace somewhere, doing who knows what to survive. Mari, still oblivious to what he’d become or what he needed from her. Vepice, still alone. His parents... he still didn’t know if he could bring them back to life. And the Church. And the Devourer. That thing knew him now. It had marked him.

And here he was. Eating sweets. Laughing with a girl.

So many things left undone.

Yet, for a moment, he let her weight rest against his arm. He let himself feel the warmth of a day spent without blood or schemes or spells. It was the kind of peace that scared him more than war.

Because he knew it wouldn’t last.

And still, he didn’t want to let go of it.

Not yet.

As if to break his thoughts, Naia kissed him on the cheek before retiring inside.

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