Chapter 170: 170 Darkness Lurk.
Lucya's eyelids twitched.
A dull throb echoed in her brain, slow and rhythmical like a distant thunder that growled across the blackened sky.
Her breath was shallow; every bit of her muscles was aching as if they were being scorched and frozen at the same time.
She was reluctant to part with the comfort that enveloped her in darkness, and her mind drifted to distant memories of roaring flames and hissing ice.
The world split apart as when her consciousness almost blackened out, Lucya recalled the figure of a boy who came to her side, wrapping her in a gentle squeeze.
'...Jin!?'.
As her consciousness roused, Lucya smelled a faint antiseptic hung in the air, mingling in the calm atmosphere of the place.
A white blanket covered her body up to her neck. Then, a warmth pressed against her right hand.
Lucya's brows furrowed slightly, and with a slight effort, her eyes slowly fluttered open.
White, unfamiliar ceiling greeted her sight; she tensed her hands only to be scowled by the searing that scorched her veins.
"You awake?".
From her side, a soft voice snapped Lucya from her daze.
The haze on her vision cleared, revealing the figure of Jin, his usual calm emerald eyes now trembling with palpable relief.
"Thank god". Jin exhaled and squeezed her right hand.
His warmth and concerned voice seeped into her skin, soothing her ragging head.
"...Jin?".
Lucya's blue eyes settled on him, seeing her pale reflection in his eyes.
"Did I win?".
Jin shook his head sideways, resting his elbows on his knees, and gently interlocked their fingers together.
At first, Lucya's expression sank, but her expression shifted as Jin began to explain what happened.
"You didn't win or lose either". Jin chuckled softly. "Both of you did well in the match, you should be proud of that".
Lucya glanced at her side; a golden light cast a soft glow, revealing the silhouette of a girl behind the thin curtain.
"Is Selka in there?".
"Yes".
She closed her eyes, letting the words of his words settle on her chest.
'I see, so we are equal…'.
A silence hung in the air, but in a heartbeat, Lucya's own thoughts resurfaced.
'No, it was not…'.
Her brows knitted as the memories replicated in her mind.
Pyrion's vicious flame scorched everything in its path, and there was Lucya, who got help from both of her friend's power.
Thanks to the joint training in these months, Lucya could familiarize with the power of Thalassa and Zephyros.
However, no matter how good she was at controlling it.
It was nothing but a borrowed one and not her own original.
That fact bore a void in her chest.
Darkness spread in her chest, slowly engulfing her entire consciousness.
"Lucya?". Jin's voice broke the illusion of darkness in her mind. "Are you alright?".
The shattered illusion fell like a broken glass, showing the world beyond it.
An endless white, with a pulsating Magic Circle, Hexa stood like a reminder of who she was.
'Right, stop this deprecating thought! This isn't like me at all. I just need to do better next time…'.
"...Hm, let's aim for that".
Lucya gently opened her heavy eyelids, prompting the boy who heard her murmur to turn his head sideways.
"For what?".
"Um, nothing".
She squeezed their locked hands tightly and muttered sweetly.
"Darling, I'm a bit sleepy".
Her large blue eyes bore a hole through Jin's skull, making the boy part his lips in amusement.
"Sure, I will accompany you".
"Thanks".
As if waiting for those words to be said, Lucya couldn't stop her heavy eyelids from closing.
"Sleep well, Lucya".
Jin's final words marked as the signal in her brain for her consciousness blackened out, and she fell into a deep sleep while she couldn't keep how happy she was from her grinning lips.
***
After making sure the princess was asleep. Jin reluctantly released their interlocking hands and stood up.
Jin looked at the curtain on the other side of Lucya's bed, noticing that Selka was still refusing to wake up.
The realization tugged a smile on his lips because it was already half an hour since the match, and Lucya was the one who regained her consciousness, albeit briefly.
However, at that point, Lucya's mentality and heart were significantly different from the red-haired girl, who got herself a Heroine title.
He knew that Selka had to summon her trump card, the flame great spirit, but Lucya, who could control two great spirit powers in her hand, was above any other mage he could ever see, except for him.
For the last parting gift, Jin bent his knees as he brought Lucya's palm closer and planted a kiss tenderly. [email protected]* to you by MV6-L-EM.PY6.R%.
"I will leave for a bit, and bring the other later".
Jin tensed upward, turning his back against the sleeping princess, and left the infirmary in silence.
In the long hallway that stretched on both sides. Golden light filtered through the glass, bathing the desolated place with its warmth.
His feet carried the boy outside. He was greeted with a wave of cheers and bustling activity that still buzzed around the academy.
The world fell so vibrant in his emerald eyes, but soon, the light dimmed as he noticed a flickering black miasma.
It was foul and crawled like a bug refusing to surrender within the vibrant light the world had to offer.
'They are here?'.
Jin's eyes narrowed, and he tapped the primal mana in the surrounding atmosphere.
Ripples erupted around him, seeping into his pores and gently settling on his veins.
Each beat from his heart sent the mana across his body, circulating to enhance his abilities to the max.
His body glowed in green.
[Elemental Enhancement activated]
With the surge of power, Jin created a small magic circle beneath his feet, and he soared through the empty skies.
His Jade eyes skill flashed, ensuring the tail wouldn't escape from his observation.
The miasma led him to a distant corner, which, devoid of any eyes and souls, strode around the perimeter.
Jin summoned his katana, and the weight that settled on his left hand sharpened his instinct. He was ready to face any foe ever presented for him.
"Huh!?".
However, the trace was dismissed like a fleeting mist. His expression froze, and Jin gritted his teeth in wary as his feet landed on the ground.
"D*mn!".
The boy closed his eyes and channeled his mana throughout the atmosphere.
His face twisted in anger as he couldn't find a single soul within the area, only the rustling grass that danced in the breeze as if mocking him.
He clicked his tongue and reluctantly canceled his tracking spell.
"They're slippery as eels!". Jin cursed, along with a pair of snickering eyes watching him from a distant building.
***
In a distant building where only shadow reigns, a single figure draped in a black robe stood while her seductive lips parted in joy.
"Hee, he's a sharp one".
Calypso crossed her arms on her chest, watching the figure of a black-haired boy gnash his teeth.
The woman's body snuggled closer, rubbing each other's thighs closely as she let out a moan with the droll she hurriedly licked.
"Aahn, I couldn't wait to see the day he submitted to me".
She stopped, hearing the echoing footsteps that were getting closer to her side.
"Calypso, I'm sorry for making you wait".
A man in his early twenties emerged from the shadows. He had short, blazing hair and blue eyes that struck a resemblance to his father.
"Don't worry, Victor".
Calypso smirked and jumped to the man's chest, pressing her voluptuous chest against him.
Victor gulped, his hands unconsciously wrapped around the girl's soft back.
"Sorry to make you lonely, let's hang out. I will accompany you through the day".
She lifted her head, gently plucking Victor's rough and thin lips with her own.
The woman couldn't hold her grin in her heart. 'Fufu, I obtained my first piece, what should I do next?'.