Chapter 395: The Beginning Of The End [LVII]

Half an hour later…

Lunara finally fell asleep.

Aestrea stayed still, listening, until he was certain she had slipped fully into sleep.

Carefully, he slipped his arm from beneath her head.

“Mhmm…”

She shifted only slightly, a tiny sound leaving her lips before settling again.

He smiled, pulling the blanket higher around her shoulders, tucking her in with a tenderness usually reserved for something fragile and precious.

Then, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.

“Sleep well,” he whispered, though she couldn’t hear it anymore.

For a short while, he stayed there, simply looking at her face, memorizing the peaceful and not mechanical expression she only ever wore when she was asleep.

Fwoo…

Then the air shimmered, light bending around him, and Aestrea vanished from the dormitory as silently as he had arrived.

Lunara stirred, instinctively curling toward the empty space he’d left behind. Her hands found his pillow, hugging it close as his lingering warmth and scent wrapped around her.

A happy smile spread across her face, and she slept on, cocooned in comfort, unaware she had been left alone.

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“…A cathedral, this brings me back memories,” Aestrea muttered as his form gradually stabilized from the forced teleport.

Moments ago, he had reappeared at the familiar place where he usually met Olivia, but before he could even take in his surroundings, space folded in on itself.

His vision twisted, and in the next instant, he was no longer there.

He now stood at the entrance of a vast cathedral.

Tall stone pillars lined the walls, reaching so high they vanished into darkness.

Stained glass windows towered on both sides, their colors muted and cracked, letting in only faint, broken light.

Symbols carved into the walls pulsed weakly, old and heavy with traces of weak divinity.

The air smelled of incense and dust, thick and still, like the place itself had been holding its breath for centuries.

Slowly, Aestrea reached out and pushed against the massive doors before him.

Creack…

They even groaned as they opened.

He stepped inside, and to his surprise, the room beyond was completely black.

“…Seriously?”

He took one more step forward.

BAAAAM!

The doors slammed shut behind him with thunderous force, and almost immediately…

Swoosh!

A single candle ignited.

Its flame flickered weakly, casting long, distorted shadows across the chamber. The light barely pushed back the darkness, leaving most of the room swallowed in gloom.

The illuminated area was the altar.

But instead of a traditional altar, a bed stood there.

One that was strangely comfortable-looking…

Lotus petals were scattered across its surface and around its base, their pale glow clashing softly with the oppressive darkness of the cathedral.

“…This…” Aestrea muttered, hesitating as he walked closer. His footsteps echoed faintly, each one sounding far louder than normal.

He stopped beside the bed, and… nothing happened.

Aestrea stared at it for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.

“…Do I need to lie down here?”

No answer.

“Olivia,” he called out calmly, lifting his gaze.

“Can you just come out?”

Silence answered him.

He waited a few seconds longer, then shook his head.

With no better option, Aestrea climbed onto the bed and lay down on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling.

“…This is getting ridiculous.”

“W-what?!”

His breath hitched.

Without any warning, someone was suddenly above him.

Floating.

Right on top of him.

Aestrea hadn’t felt her presence. Hadn’t sensed a fluctuation in space or hadn’t detected even a hint of divine energy.

Olivia hovered inches from his face, her body suspended effortlessly in the air. An eerie, playful smile rested on her lips as she looked down at him.

“Hehe~”

She giggled softly, placing both hands against her cheeks.

Her long golden hair floated gently around her, held in place by magic, not a single strand touching him. Her golden eyes glowed brightly, staring directly into his crimson ones without blinking.

“You didn’t notice me at all,” she exclaimed happily.

Aestrea frowned slightly at her actions.

“…Was that necessary?”

“Of course it was~” Olivia replied, tilting her head.

“I wanted to see your face.”

She leaned a little closer.

The candlelight reflected in her eyes, making them shine unnaturally bright.

“Fuuu…” Aestrea exhaled slowly, resisting the urge to slap her hard.

“You dragged me into a sealed cathedral, locked me inside, and made me lie on a bed.”

“…When you say it like that, it sounds so rude,” Olivia pouted, her lips pushing forward slightly.

She slowly lowered herself until she was lying on top of him, her weight barely there, like a thin feather rather than a body.

Aestrea stared at the ceiling for a moment before speaking again.

“Why did you tell Lunara to warn me about this meeting? We always meet normally. You’ve never done that before.”

Olivia hummed softly, her head tilting as she looked down at him. Her golden eyes shifted, losing a bit of their playful shine.

“Well…” she began slowly.

“Because this time, it’s a little serious.”

She paused, then spoke in a lower tone.

“The Primordial Court is planning to start a war.”

Those words hit hard, causing Aestrea’s eyes to widen, and his body tensed as he tried to sit up.

But before he could, Olivia pressed him back down.

“No, no, no~” she pouted lightly, planting herself more firmly on his abs, her hips settling as she leaned forward.

She looked down at him with narrowed eyes, half playful, half commanding.

“You stay still for me.”

Aestrea frowned, but didn’t push her away.

“…They’re planning to start a war,” he repeated, more calmly now.

“Why?”

Olivia relaxed slightly and shifted her position so she could sit more comfortably on him, one knee on each side of his waist.

“Well, conflicts of interest, mostly,” she replied. “There have been signs of Nether Portals appearing in areas controlled by the Celestial Dominion.”

Her fingers traced slow, idle patterns on his chest as she spoke, but her voice stayed serious.

“The Celestial Dominion has one of the strongest battle forces among all factions,” she continued.

“They’re only second to my faction. Naturally, the Primordial Court wants their territory.”

Aestrea listened quietly.

“If they manage to secure those lands,” Olivia went on, “and find a way to invade the Nether Realm properly, they could steal resources directly from it. Nether essence. Ancient materials. Things that would let them strengthen themselves very quickly.”

“…Quite a simple reason,” Aestrea muttered.

“Greed always is,” she nodded lightly, but just as quickly, she confidently smiled at him, as if she was proud of something.

“And of course,” she added casually, “I’m planning to join in as well and take my fair share.”

“Your fair share?” Aestrea glanced at her.

“At least ninety percent should be enough,” she said as if discussing groceries. “I just need to be a little careful with one problem.”

“Who?”

“Timetho,” Olivia replied without hesitation.

“The God of Blood.”

Her tone shifted, the playful edge fading.

“One of the older species. Very old and annoying.”

Aestrea remained silent, listening.

“His authority revolves entirely around blood. Control, corruption, reinforcement, regeneration. His domain is especially troublesome. Almost nothing counters it properly.”

“…Almost?” Aestrea asked.

“The Domain of Frost,” Olivia answered.

“It can freeze blood and disrupt his control over it.”

She smirked faintly.

“But don’t worry. I’m fairly confident I can deal with him.”

She leaned forward again, her face close to his.

“What I need is to make sure you don’t do anything reckless before everything starts.”

Her golden eyes locked onto his crimson ones.

“And knowing you… That’s the hardest part,” she added, smiling thinly.

“…Tsk.”

Aestrea clicked his tongue softly.

Just like she had said, his thoughts had already drifted in that direction. War meant chaos, and chaos meant opportunity.

He would be able to absorb more authorities and maybe even snatch a few treasures along the way.

It would have been the perfect chance to grow stronger.

Olivia felt the shift in him instantly.

Her fingers slid possessively along his chest, then up to his neck, her touch slow and claiming.

Her playful smile warped into something sharper, almost twisted, as she leaned closer, her forehead nearly touching his.

’…Not this shit again,’ Aestrea sighed inwardly.

“…I knew it,” she murmured.

She reached up and caressed his face, her fingers tracing along his jaw with clear ownership, slow and deliberate.

“You were already thinking of going,” she said softly. “Thinking of diving into the mess. Stealing power and taking what doesn’t belong to you.”

Her tone grew darker.

“I don’t want that.”

Her hand slid down to his chest, pressing there firmly, as if to remind him she was real and right on top of him.

“You shouldn’t leave,” Olivia whispered.

“Because the only one who gets to touch you… is me.”

Her fingers tightened.

“The only one who gets to hurt you,” she continued, her smile twisting, “the only one who gets to make you bleed…”

She leaned in closer, her forehead almost touching his.

“…is me.”

Her hot breath pressed against his skin.

“And the only one who can love you properly,” she finished, her voice coming out low and certain.

“Is certainly… only me.”

There was something wrong in her eyes now, as now they were borderline reaching the realms of pure obsession.

Aestrea didn’t react right away as this side of her was nothing new.

After a short moment, he lifted one hand and gently patted her buttocks once, as if tryying calming an overexcited beast.

“That’s enough,” he said quietly.

Olivia froze.

Then slowly, her tense posture softened. The sharpness in her gaze dulled, replaced by something far warmer, far more pleased.

“…Hmph,” she huffed, turning her head slightly.

“You always do that.”

She relaxed against him, resting her body more comfortably, as if nothing unhinged had just been uttered.

As for the only reason she calmed down instantly, as because of the small training Aestrea practically planted onto her.

And the trigger was none other than patting her buttocks.

Quite a strange choice… but it at least works.

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