"You sure you want the Lightâs help for... romance?" he asked, voice low, uncertain, a trace of arousal still simmering from his thoughts of Olivia, Eva, Nellie, Viora, and Myra in the tub.
Kiaraâs gaze flicked up, intense and vulnerable, a storm brewing behind her eyes.
She nodded once, her jaw tight with determination. "Yes."
Lor crossed his arms, leaning against the wall near the bed, the distance between them small, electric.
"Alright. But why?" he asked, his tone casual, like a shrug, though his pulse quickened at her nearness.
Kiara exhaled, shoulders tensing before she squared her gaze, her voice flat but raw.
"No guy likes me. They get... weird. They run away, act uncomfortable around me."
Lor frowned, leaning forward slightly, his shirt shifting against his damp chest.
"Sounds like a guy problem, not you," he said, his words stumbling, unpracticed in this kind of talk.
Heâd never navigated romance with anyone, let alone someone like Kiara, whose fiery presence filled the room.
She scoffed, her dark bangs swaying.
"If it was one guy, fine, I would have though that it was the guy. But itâs
every
guy. Somethingâs wrong with me, and I donât know what." Her fingers rubbed her thighs, the skirtâs edge riding higher, revealing more of her smooth, toned legs, a glimpse of black lace peeking out.
Silence hung heavy, the lanternâs light flickering over her curves.
Lor tilted his head, his hazel eyes tracing her formâfull breasts, slim waist, thighs that could crush him.
"Youâre... good-looking," he said awkwardly, voice catching. "I donât see anything wrong with you." His words felt clumsy, but honest, his mind flashing to how her legs would look wrapped around him, her lace teasing his fingers.
Kiaraâs throat bobbed, her eyes locking onto his, cool and unyielding. "Thatâs why I want the Lightâs helpânot your opinion. The Lightâll tell me why, even if you canât." Her voice was sharp, a challenge, her gaze piercing through him.
Lor shifted, his grin fading, eyes narrowing.
"Maybe. But only if somethingâs really wrong. I donât want to give you false hope. You are perfect the way you are Kiara" His voice softened, the air between them tightening, her presence like a spell he couldnât shake.
Her jaw tightened, frustration flashing.
"Something
is
definitely wrong. Today... Caelum pushed me away, ran off when I tried to kiss him." Her voice dropped, icy and closed off, her hands clenching in her lap.
Lor blinked, leaning closer, the bed creaking faintly as he rested a knee on its edge. "What happened?" he asked, voice gentle, his curiosity burning hotter, his mind picturing her leaning into Caelum, her lips close, her body pressed forward.
She stared at him, her gaze a wall. "Thatâs personal."
He sighed, inching closer, the heat of her nearness making his skin tingle.
"Kiara, the Light needs context. It canât work blind." His voice was soft, coaxing, his hazel eyes searching hers, the lantern casting shadows that danced across her thighs.
For long seconds, she held his gaze, shoulders rigid, then softening, her armor cracking.
In that charged silence, he felt her power crestingâa pulse of magic, intense enough to set the air tingling around them, a raw, intimidating surge that pressed against his skin like a challenge.
It was tempting to respond, to let his own aura flare and fill the space with shared energy, but he kept it hidden, purposefully.
Not every problemâs solved with power,
he thought.
Love... passion... maybe thatâs what she needs.
Her breasts rose with each breath, the blouse clinging, her thighs parted slightly, the lanternâs glow catching the curve of her hips.
His cock twitched, the heat of her closeness almost too much, his mind racing with thoughts of what the Light might demandâa ritual, her body pressed against his, her lips parting under his touch.
Kiaraâs breath hitched, her voice cutting through.
"Fine," she said again, softer, her eyes locking onto his, a storm of longing and frustration swirling within.
She shifted, her skirt riding higher, black lace fully visible now, her thighs gleaming, her breasts straining as she leaned up slightly, her lips parted, wet and inviting.
Lorâs heart pounded, his hands itching to move, to trace the curve of her waist, to feel the heat of her skin.
The room felt smaller, the lanternâs glow hotter, the air thick with unspoken desire.
He swallowed hard, his voice low, steady despite the fire in his chest.
"Tell me."
Kiaraâs voice poured out like a flash flood, her words tumbling over each other without pause.
"As you know, I was with Caelum today," she began, her tone raw, eyes blazing with a mix of anger and longing.
"Handsome, strong, Class A potential, but stuck in B like Iâm stuck in D. Iâve had my eyes on him for a while. So I asked him outâright in front of everyone, Lor, you must have seen it right? I even scored that perfect thirty in Round 2, for him, just because he asked me to. He seemed impressed, nodded when I asked him out, looked interested. I thought we had something."
Her fingers clenched in her lap, nails digging into her palms, her breasts rising faster with each breath, blouse straining.
Lor leaned forward, hazel eyes locked on hers, his loose shirt clinging to his damp chest.
"After his Round 3 turn, he came back and got snacks," Kiara continued, voice rushing like a river. "I paid for everything, even tried feeding him, you know, like a girlfriend would. But he snatched the food from my handâhurt like hell, but I thought, maybe I didnât wash my hands properly? But you know, my hands are always clean, Lor, I swear. I use fire to burn my palms clean, maybe he didnât like the slight smoky flavor, and walked away."
Her voice cracked, her gaze dropping to her lap, then flicking back up, fierce.
"I still liked that side of himâeverything he does is... magnetic. We ended up on the academy roof at sunset. Perfect moment to kiss, right?"