Chapter 102: Nightmares

Solomon hadn’t slept so deeply in years now.

He could feel it, even in his dream. This was a peace he hadn’t known for so very long.

It was more euphoric than touching a star. More enticing than the most fragrant wine.

But Solomon was still haunted by demons that he had yet to fully bury.

In his dreams, he could see his ultimate fears and traumas fully realized.

Uriel stood over the body of Yari, not Rena. His hands were wrapped so tightly around her throat that Solomon could clearly hear the sound of bone snapping.

He tried to run to her, to scream, but neither worked.

His legs and lungs felt like they were submerged in tar. And yet, he struggled.

Something hit him hard in the back of the head, and he felt his vision shift.

The cool, firm feeling of the ground greeted him.

As his eyes slowly readjust to his new surroundings, the next scene he sees is just as gruesome.

Gorgon stands over the corpse of Jiaoying. At her side, Rava feasts noisily on her innards.

–

“Solomon!”

Abruptly, Solomon sits up in bed. His skin is sticky from his own sweat.

He breaths hard and fast for the first time in quite a while.

As he takes cool air into his lungs, his eyes dart around the room frantically.

There is no danger. Only quiet, still furniture.

Jiaoying and Yari are on opposing sides of them.

They hold bedsheets around themselves as they stare at him with worried eyes. A feeling of embarrassment overtakes him rather quickly.

“…I’m sorry.”

Solomon gets out of bed before either woman can ask him to explain his behavior.

He leaves Yari’s bedroom quickly and heads to the bathroom.

Once inside, he does not bother to light the candles in the room.

Instead, he holds up his hand, and a singular ball of flame hovers around him like a firefly.

He kneels beside Yari’s tub and begins filling it with boiling water.

As the steam rushes into his face, he silently curses his own mind.

“…Damn it.”

It doesn’t take long before the bath is filled, and Solomon practically jumps inside.

The scalding water brings him clarity rather than pain. He sinks inside the bath until his entire body is covered, and sits at the bottom for a long while.

He knows not how much time has passed since he has been under, but he does know when the room becomes slightly more crowded.

Rising out of the water, he looks toward the bathroom door to find Jiaoying and Yari stepping inside. The looks of concern on their faces are still there.

“Mind if we join you..?” Yari asks.

Solomon does not deny her.

Instead, he holds out his hands to help her and Jiaoying step into the tub with him.

As they embrace each other in the water, he can tell that they are waiting for him to say something.

“…I’ve disturbed your rest.” He says apologetically.

Jiaoying waves her hand dismissively and smiles. “Bah. We’ll sleep when we’re dead.”

Her words are meant as a simple jest, but Solomon flinches all the same.

It is not something that escapes Yari’s notice, as she comes to his side and touches his face.

“…In your dream.. You said the name Uriel. And judging by your reaction just now… is it a loss that weighs heavily on your mind?”

Solomon grips her hand. “…It is what I now stand to lose that haunts me so.”

The water splashes as Jiaoying wraps her arms around him from behind.

“We could all lose anything at any time. That is what makes life, makes our experiences, so precious. Let your mind weigh not on the negative. Enjoy us while we are here, Bear.”

Perhaps ordinarily, Solomon would have listened. Jiaoying’s words, beyond their sentimentality, were full of truth.

But they also terrified him on some level.

Because Solomon remembered that he was immortal. And that meant one day, he would inevitably have to say goodbye.

What would happen to his already fractured mind then?

–

It was already late when the trio woke up. Or rather, early.

Solomon silently got dressed to go and train with his group. Minus Everett.

Jiaoying and Yari had already gotten back into bed. They stare at his back as he pulls his shirt over his head.

“…You know, maybe you could skip the training just for today.” Jiaoying reasons. “You’ve just come back from the savage lands, after all.”

“And I was… hoping we could eat together in the morning.” Yari says quietly.

Solomon pauses and looks back at both women with a smile.

“As much as I would like to stay in bed a little longer.. I’m feeling a bit restless. I need to do something, or I may just combust.”

He comes to the side of the bed and looms over Yari with an adoring gaze.

“But of course, I will be back in time to join you both for breakfast.”

Solomon brings his lips to meet Yari’s, and she melts into the kiss. After their shared picnic, she has become more assertive. More sensual.

She is a trap that he would hopelessly fall into every time without complaint.

Just the same, Jiaoying is also an enticing force not to be ignored.

She grabs Solomon by the face and impatiently brings his lips toward hers.

Her kiss is more aggressive. It is a message.

He is hers. She is his. Their bond, while new, was stronger than most.

Leaving is difficult for Solomon, but necessary.

He takes one last look at the beautiful women he calls his own before closing Yari’s bedroom door.

“If you’re not at breakfast, I’ll drown you!” Yari yells from behind the door.

Solomon chuckles to himself as he leaves the room. Silently, he almost hopes that Yari is crazy enough to try.

’I’m sure she’d look beautiful.’

–

Walking through the hallway, the only sound Solomon hears is that of his own boots thumping against the floor.

At least until he turns onto the first-year hallway. Then, things change quite drastically.

He hears a subtle singing, and his face changes into a grimace.

“Nila The Vanquisher, she killed a bear and wore it’s fur, her blade is oh-so great and large, why I think it cut from here to the stars~! Her face is a vision, her hips are thick, I tried to woo her, and she ripped off my-”

Suddenly, Nila turns the corner and runs right into Solomon.

“My friend! You are still alive! This is most glorious news!”

Solomon smiles wryly as Nila hugs him, grateful that she has at the very least stopped singing.

“You’re very… chipper this morning.” Solomon notes.

“And of course, there is a reason for my joy. Look!”

Nila unslung the large, bone sword from her back and summoned her horse right in the middle of the hallway.

She wraps her arm around her horse’s neck as she raises her blade to the ceiling.

“I have returned from the jaws of death once more! This time, with glorious new trophies to show for it! Why, Skull-Crusher even speaks! I can hear him quite clearly!”

Solomon blinks as he looks into the eyes of Nila’s mount.

He didn’t really need to ask what the horse was thinking about.

Death. Mayhem. Murder. Madness.

Nila slowly puts her sword down, and her expression becomes unusually forlorn. “Although… she says she does not like her name.”

“…You don’t say?”

Solomon thanked the crossroads that Nila didn’t easily catch on to sarcasm.

However, he had to admit to himself that he was surprised that Skull-Crusher was already capable of having such conversations with Nila. Mercy could only parrot words he’d already heard as of right now.

“She says that she would like something a bit more noble and dignified… But I do not believe I am very understanding of why she does not believe her current name echoes these sentiments.”

Solomon reaches out and touches the horse’s muzzle.

She does not seem to be completely comfortable, but she is not biting him at the very least.

“…What about Scorn?” He suddenly says.

Nila’s eyes suddenly widen. Interestingly enough, so do those of her horse.

Slowly, they turn to stare at each other.

“Glorious..!” Nila gasps.

Her horse whinies in agreement.

“Is Raizel awake? I must go and tell him about the new name I have coined for my beast!”

Solomon almost coughed aloud. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one whose romance was going well.

“Actually, I’m not really sure. We can always go and check before training if you-”

“Well now, this is a sight to behold..!”

Solomon suddenly feels his blood run cold.

His muscles tense as he turns around, coming face-to-face with the dean himself.

To make matters even worse, Dakota was standing right beside him, and she looked to be slightly uncomfortable.

“Early bird gets the worm, eh?” Raidis laughs. “I tell you, it does my heart good to see students taking such initiative in their training. But I believe even the zeal of this group may just take the cake for the first years.”

He meets Solomon’s gaze and he turns his thick lips into an even friendlier smile.

“And you, young Squad leader. I believe we are overdue for a chat, are we not?”

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