The True Ascension
Chapter 32: The rivalry continues

Chapter 32: The rivalry continues

Aziz remained under the tree where everything had happened. The wind still carried Sofia’s soft scent, and the warmth of the kiss still burned on his lips.

He let out a long sigh, ran a hand over his face, and finally stood up. With a faint smile, he murmured to himself:

"My... first kiss. In two lives."

He laughed, shaking his head, and brought his thumb to his lips, as if trying to preserve the sensation. The taste, the texture... they were so vivid. Soft, sweet, delicious. Impossible to forget.

As he walked toward the palace, still lost in the memory, his eyes caught a shadow standing beside one of the garden’s trees. He stopped, alert. The silhouette didn’t move, but the presence was unmistakable.

The sky above was already completely dark, and the fireflies in the garden cast small yellow glows among the leaves. The scent of night flowers mingled with the light humidity in the air, creating an almost dreamlike scene.

Aziz sighed again upon recognizing who it was.

"Zia..."

The young woman stepped out from behind the tree in silence. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, her posture firm, her expression unreadable. Her violet eyes — intense, deep — were fixed on him, as if they could pierce through his most hidden thoughts.

Aziz furrowed his brow slightly and asked calmly:

"You saw it, didn’t you?"

Zia didn’t answer. She just stared at him. Her silence spoke louder than any words.

He scratched the back of his neck, uncomfortable. He felt the weight of the moment, as if he were about to step on unstable ground.

"I... I know how this might look. Please don’t be mad at Sofia. If you’re going to be mad at anyone, let it be me."

But before he could continue, Zia stepped forward and raised her hand. Her index finger rested gently on his lips, silencing him.

She looked at his lips for a moment, then, locking eyes with him, asked in a low voice:

"Was it good?"

Aziz swallowed hard.

"Zia..."

"The kiss" — she repeated, even more directly — "was it good? How was it? Did you like it?"

Another step. Now they were so close their bodies almost touched. Her scent was different from Sofia’s: more intense, more spiced, with something provocative hidden in every note.

Zia removed her finger from his lips, but Aziz remained silent. Nervous. He hesitated between answering and running. When he thought about making an excuse — saying he was tired, that he needed to sleep early for the guild — Zia acted first.

Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Aziz reacted purely on instinct. His hands slid to her waist, gripping firmly. Their bodies pressed together. The heat between them exploded. The kiss began intense — Zia sucked and licked his lips as if she wanted to devour him whole.

She was the one in control, guiding the rhythm, and soon she was the one who initiated the tongue kiss. Aziz felt her tongue seeking entrance, and he didn’t hesitate. He allowed it, and the kiss transformed — wild, erotic, consumed by desire. Their tongues intertwined in an arousing dance, with ragged breaths and muffled moans.

Without realizing it, Zia’s eyes began to glow beneath her closed eyelids — a supernatural violet light. A faint purple mist escaped from her body, subtly enveloping Aziz. He felt everything intensify. The touch, the heat, the desire. The sensation was so vivid that, for a moment, he wondered if he was still in control.

On impulse, he lifted Zia into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He carried her to the nearest tree and pressed her against the trunk. Zia clung tightly, her arms around his neck like gentle chains. And then, she felt it.

Something hot, hard, and undeniably masculine brushed against her intimacy. Aziz’s member, pulsing beneath his clothes, pressed against her delicate flower. A moan escaped Zia’s lips — an involuntary, instinctive sound.

"Mmmh..."

She began to move, teasing him. Her hips swayed in bold circular motions, up and down, side to side, provoking his body mercilessly. Aziz, increasingly aroused, brought his hand to the hem of her blouse, ready to remove it.

That was when the system manifested in his mind:

[Alert: Hormonal activity at peak. Pheromone neutralization initiated.]

[Congratulations, user. You almost forgot your mother is waiting for you in your room. Would you like to activate *self-control* mode?]

Aziz, upon hearing the voice of the system in his mind, opened his eyes and blinked, as if being pulled back to reality. The arousal slightly faded, and he realized the state they were in.

Even though he didn’t want to, he pulled his lips away from hers, releasing a wet, soft sound — "pop".

Both were left panting.

"Haaah... haaah..."

"Haa... haa... ahn..."

Zia opened her eyes, still filled with desire to continue, though not glowing as brightly as before. She looked at Aziz and asked, breathless:

"Why... why did you stop? It was so good..."

He took a deep breath.

"We need to stop. It’s getting late. My mother could show up here any moment."

Zia giggled softly, still holding on to him, and asked, already knowing the answer:

"You liked the kiss, didn’t you?"

Aziz averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed.

"I... yes..."

"Hehe, I figured" — she whispered with a mischievous smile, then discreetly looked downward.

Aziz followed her gaze and realized. His member, still hard, was pressed against Zia’s delicate flower. Instinct betrayed him — he pushed harder, drawing another moan from the girl, now more erotic, louder.

"Aaahh...! A-Aziz..."

Zia blushed. So did Aziz. The embarrassment between them was palpable.

"Want to keep going?" — she teased with a bold look.

Aziz coughed and tried to compose himself.

"N-no. I... need to go to my room."

"Are you sure?" — Zia asked, raising an eyebrow. — "Because you’re still holding me... and still pressing me against the tree."

Aziz widened his eyes, realizing he was indeed doing just that. Immediately, he released Zia and set her back on the ground. But even with her feet firmly on the ground, she didn’t let go. Her arms remained around his neck.

She leaned in once more. Aziz thought she was going to kiss him again and was already trying to say something to stop her — but Zia swerved at the last second, bringing her lips to his ear.

And whispered, with a soft, dangerous voice full of intent:

"Which kiss do you prefer? Mine... or hers?"

Aziz froze. Even with little experience in this kind of thing, he knew: that question... was a trap.

A very, very dangerous one.

His mind started working at full speed, as if facing a complex combat strategy — only this time, the enemy was the delicacy of feelings, and the battlefield... was the heart.

He swallowed hard, feeling the words get stuck in his throat.

’If I say Sofia’s kiss was sweeter and more sincere, Zia will think hers was just physical, like it meant less... But if I say Zia’s was more intense, more wild, wouldn’t that diminish what I felt with Sofia? No... that would only make it worse.’

Sweat started to form on his forehead. His thumb trembled slightly, and his eyes darted from side to side, as if searching for an invisible escape route.

’I need a neutral answer, balanced, respectful. Something like "you can’t compare them", or "both were special". But that might also sound cowardly...’

And the more he tried to rationalize, the more lost he became.

Then he heard the laugh.

"Pff... Pffff... HAHAHAHA!" — Zia started to laugh, first trying to contain herself, but soon letting out a loud, light, and completely unexpected giggle.

Aziz blinked a few times, confused, not understanding.

He looked at her, frowning, and asked:

"Hey... what was that?"

Zia took a few seconds to compose herself. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with her fingertip and then looked at him with a genuine smile — one she rarely showed.

"You were really trying to answer that?" — she asked, laughter still dancing on her lips.

Aziz opened his mouth to respond but couldn’t say anything. He just sighed, embarrassed, looking away.

Zia then slowly approached. Her violet eyes were glowing, no longer with desire, but with determination.

"Listen, dummy... you don’t have to answer who was better."

She shrugged, with a slightly mischievous smile.

"I just wanted to see your face trying to decide. And seriously... it was worth it."

Aziz let out a long sigh. A mix of relief and frustration ran through him from head to toe. But before he could say anything, Zia locked eyes with him. Her smile softened, and her voice came out firm and clear.

"But just so you know... I’m not going to lose to her."

The impact of that sentence hit Aziz hard. He widened his eyes, stunned. He didn’t know if she was talking about love, competition, or something more subtle. But Zia didn’t seem to be joking.

She leaned gently forward and, before he could react, gave him a quick kiss — light, but full of meaning.

"I like you too, idiot."

And then, as if following a rehearsed script with Sofia, Zia turned around, giggling softly, and ran off through the garden. Her black hair swayed behind her. Without looking back, she disappeared into the palace’s silent corridors — leaving Aziz alone once more.

He stood there, motionless, trying to process everything.

"She... she also... kisses me, confesses... and runs off?"

He ran both hands through his hair, messing it up, and let out a groan of frustration.

"This is a joke, right? It has to be."

He sat down again under the tree, taking a deep breath, his heart still racing. First Sofia. Now Zia. Two kisses, two confessions... and no chance to respond.

"Is this normal for women?"

He remained there for a few more seconds, looking at the night sky. And despite the confusion, a faint smile escaped his lips.

Because even without knowing what to do...

...he knew he would never forget that night.