Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

The underwater world welcomed them with silent elegance as small fish darted between reeds, and sunlight broke through the surface above in glowing shafts that painted everything in shades of blue and green.

They swam side by side and took in the peaceful lakebed life that flourished far beneath the surface, but peace didn't last long.

Ethan's senses sharpened as he spotted a massive blue crocodile resting further down on the lakebed.

It had beautiful and shiny blue scales all over its body, and its scaly body was partly buried in the sediment, and its eyes were closed, but the sheer pressure it emanated sent prickles crawling down his spine.

It was powerful, too powerful. And yet, it wasn't releasing even a shred of its aura. Looking at it, Ethan's skin prickled, and alarm bells rang quietly in his mind.

Slowly, he halted and reached for Velcy and wrapped a protective arm around her as he began paddling back with deliberate caution.

Velcy had already sensed it as her body stiffened slightly as she followed his lead, while being careful not to disturb the water too much.

They moved like shadows in a silent, precise motion and eventually returned to the shallows without alerting the creature.

Unseen behind them, the crocodile's sickly green eyes opened at last.

Vertical slits regarded the lake around it, but its gaze didn't hold the expected malice or hunger, but only laziness.

A low grunt escaped its throat as it shifted its massive head slightly.

The two intruders were long gone now, and frankly, it didn't care.

The crocodile was obviously sentient, but also ancient and too tired to make any move on the two babies that had dared to intrude on his domain.

It blinked slowly, then sighed, almost human-like, before closing its eyes once more. The lake settled into silence again, the beast drifting back into its long, undisturbed slumber.

When the duo returned to the shore, droplets of water glistened on their skin as they stepped out of the lake.

The sun had dipped lower in the sky and painted the sapphire surface with a golden sheen.

They spotted Lucy seated by the edge with her arms wrapped around her knees and her golden hair slightly tousled with its strands sticking to her damp cheeks.

The moment she saw them, she gave a small, nervous smile that seemed awkward and unsure.

Ethan met her gaze without any hesitation as his crimson eyes locked with her cool, ocean-blue ones.

And then, an unusual thought stirred within him.

A dark glint lit up in his eyes; it was a glimmer of intent that hadn't crossed his mind in either of his two lives before.

He had never deliberately flirted, and never openly pursued a woman, not in such an audacious, full-throttle manner.

Unbeknownst to him, just as this thought occurred to him, deep within his dark magic dimension, a subtle shift occurred.

A tendril of pure blackness slithered and pulsed like mist, and it seemed to be a living thing as it resonated with his sudden wicked impulse.

He didn't feel any indication of the secret change within him as he was busy being driven by that perverted thought.

Acting on it, he started to let his gaze wander shamelessly.

It fell on Lucy's breasts, especially the soft swell of her breast that peeked from behind her folded arms as she hugged her knees.

She was seated in a vulnerable position, unaware of how much skin she was exposing.

When she caught his eyes trained on her, but he didn't look away or hide his stare, not this time.

He didn't even blink, and acted as though he were bewitched by her beauty, though he couldn't help but admit that despite being so young, she was so beautiful and sexy.

Feeling his gaze, her breath hitched, and a second later, she dropped her gaze in a panic, only now realizing the distinct outline of her nipples through the damp fabric of her one-piece dress.

Her face flushed a brilliant crimson, and a blend of embarrassment and irritation bloomed across her expression.

She felt exposed and vulnerable… and mildly annoyed at his blatant, prolonged gaze.

Yet, when she remembered the fact that he had effectively saved her life and also the brutal way he had defended and half avenged her brother's death with such unrelenting ferocity and brutality, her indignation eased.

He had saved her when no one else had.

But that look on his face, the way he saw her, wasn't just carnal.

It was surprised, almost captivated, and that unsettled her even more.

Something stirred inside her chest, which was unfamiliar and confusing to her.

She couldn't help but feel that it was somehow... wrong, but she couldn't help but feel thrilled to her core.

It was a heady, dangerous sensation she couldn't name.

Lost in that swirl of conflicting emotions, she didn't notice Ethan walking up until he extended his hand towards her.

She blinked with a dazed look in her eyes and placed her fingers in his without thinking.

A flicker of amusement crossed Ethan's face, and a wicked thought stirred in the depths of his heart.

Without warning, he tightened his grip on Lucy's hand and gave a gentle yet deliberate tug that was just enough to upset her balance as she stumbled forward with a surprised gasp and crashed directly into his bare chest.

The breath rushed from her lungs, but it was not from the stumble, but from the shock of how close she suddenly was to him.

Her wide, sea-blue eyes looked up, totally startled, while her heart started racing like a fawn as she looked at his face, bathed in the golden hue of the late afternoon sun, hovering mere inches from hers.

His wet violet hair shines in the sun while his dark and brooding crimson eyes seemed to pulse with a quiet darkness that drew her in like a black hole intent on sucking her everything.