>>Amber

I woke with a gasp, my chest heaving as I drew in a sharp breath. My eyes flew open, darting around the room. I felt disoriented, my heart racing as I tried to make sense of where I was. The room was getting brighter by the second, but I recognized the luxurious drapes and ornate furniture.

Hael's room.

Oh, whew

Relief washed over me briefly before a new sensation made itself known. There was something beneath me, warm and solid.

I furrowed my brow in confusion, shifting slightly to understand what I was feeling. Thighs? My pulse quickened, panic setting in. Slowly, almost hesitantly, I placed my hand to support my weight as I lifted myself up and looked down.

There they were: strong, meaty thighs beneath me. My eyes followed the line of the legs up to their source, and I froze. A man's lap. My breath hitched as I took in the sight, my mind racing to piece together how I had ended up here.

Archmage Loid was there. Sitting under me?

....

I looked down in confusion and noticed I had my head on his lap

????

Instinct took over, and I scrambled to move away. The bed creaked slightly as I jumped up, my movements frantic and uncoordinated. I nearly tripped in my haste, my heart pounding in my ears.

I tried to balance myself as I stepped back but then I crashed into someone else. confusion, and a hint of embarrassment flooded through me.

"You're finally up," A familiar voice made its way to me.

I shot my head around as I struggled to form words, my voice coming out in a shaky whisper. "What... what happened?" I looked at Hael as I stepped away from him.

"You were in a subliminal state." He answered.

"..." I looked at him with a baffled look. Then nodded, "Yes," I blinked, "I was," I recalled what had happened and it all came to me.

"You seem aware of where you were." Hael wasn't exactly pleased with my words but he wasn't angry either. He looked... Worried?

"Did you bring me back?" I asked.

"No, you sleep walked here." He folded his arms as he answered my question.

"You look mad,"

"You were out for the whole night." Only after he said that, did I realize the sun was up

I stared out the window with my hand on my mouth, "Oh,"

"It can happen." Archmage Loid said and we both looked at him, "Time in a subliminal state is slower than reality."

"Oh..." I turned to look at Hael, "Did you not sleep the whole night?"

"..." He chose not to answer that but Archmage Loid did it in his stead

"No," He said, "He was awake and by your side the whole time." He got off the bed, "And so was I, so I'm going to get some rest." He walked out of the room. Hael watched him go but I turned my head to look at the Tower master

He was worried about me, wasn't he?

I smiled

Why else would he stay awake the entire time? I felt a wave of pure happiness go through my entire body.

Hael let out a sigh, "So? What happened there?" He asked,

"Curious?" I felt like teasing him.

"One doesn't simply end up in a subliminal state for fun," He had his arms folded as he stared at me intensely, "What happened?"

"Hmmm," I turned around, "Should I tell you~ or not~?"

"My Lady," He stepped towards me, "This isn't the time for games," I felt him right behind my back.

'My Lady'

...

He still calls me that

I turned around

!!!

Only to come face to face with his sturdy chest.

Oh!

Nice,

"Ahem," I took a step back and looked at his face, "I'll tell you, but I have a condition."

"A condition?" He blinked at me softly, "What condition?"

"Starting from now, you will call me by my name." I passed him a smile as I brought my index finger up in the air.

He paused, "By your name?"

"Yes," I was confident, "Em-ber," I pronounced it for him slowly, "Not 'My Lady', but Amber." I looked at him with a serious expression.

"..." He didn't say it right away

"Hael!" I folded my arms, "Say my name."

"..." His gaze wandered off for a second, maybe he was thinking about it. He had been calling me 'My Lady' for years now, so this might not be easy. But I want him to say it. After a few seconds, his eyes met mine again, "Em-ber," He pronounced is softly and I smiled

"That's right!" I stepped towards him and held his hands in excitement, "That's how you say it!" I passed him a bright toothy smile, "From now on, call me by my name." I squeezed his hands

He stared at me for a second, then a soft smile spread across his face, "Alright, Amber," It felt like the whole world around us had disappeared.

I couldn't stop smiling, "Yes, Hael?" It was like there was just me and him and the soft rusting of the curtains as a gentle breeze blew past us.

His smile widened at my response and honestly, that whole moment felt so cozy and comfortable, I didn't want it to end.

But obviously, it wasn't going to last forever.

Watching him look at me so softly made my heart skip a beat, and I suddenly felt nervous. I let his hands go and stepped back as I looked away, "Since you said my name, I'll tell you what happened."

He softly closed his hands while keeping an eye on them, "Okay,"

***

I was able to create a golden blob in front of me while I stood in Hael's room. It was the size of a baby mattress. I told Hael the whole thing that had happened and he decided that I needed to start using my powers for defense.

Unfortunately, Holy Power has no offensive use, but it can be used as a shield against all kinds of things.

"Only a handful of people can perform a feat like that," Hael sat on a chair next to the open balcony while he read a book or a diary, I wasn't sure what it was.

"Are you talking about rewinding time?" I tried to focus on making my shield bigger and better shaped, but it was a little harder than learning how to purify people.

"Yes," He flipped the page of the book, "And one person alone can't do it. It works with a pact. One person needs to put in the request for it while the other performs it. Well, that's one way of doing it."

???

I let my shield go and turned to the side to look at him. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, the gentle breeze was swaying his hair and I watched him sit where the sun kissed him softly, I couldn't help but admire his beauty.

"Why is a request necessary?" I asked.

"Because it comes with a payment." He looked at me

!!!

I couldn't look away in time and our gazes locked. I hope he didn't notice that I was staring.

"The requestor needs to pay with something." He answered.

"What?" I was a little confused, "Why?"

He shrugged, "I am not sure. I know the performer pays with their life, the requestor though has to pay with something that is individual to them."

"I see,"

I looked at him and recalled he had also gone through a traumatic event just a day ago, but he looked fine at the moment. I wonder if he's actually alright though?

"Hael... About your mother." I asked softly, "Are you-?"

"It's fine." He passed me a smile, "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? How?"

He looked at the book he was reading, "I'll tell you later "

"What are you even doing?" I tried to look at the cover of the book but there wasn't one. It was a hardcover book with filigree on the front and back.

"I'll tell you that later too." His smile widened but for some reason he looked happy.

Like genuinely happy.

I don't know what he did that he got over that death but I'm glad he's okay. But I'm super curious now. He seemed to relax when he read something in there. By that, I mean, I saw him smile when he read something in there.

"What's that book you're reading?" I stepped towards him but as soon as I got close enough he closed the book.

?!

The action didn't sit well with me. I felt like he didn't want me to see what he was reading.

"This is the Tower Master's journal." He showed me the cover, "It has the records of the previous Tower Masters here."

"Oh," Seems like an important thing. But that didn't make my curiosty go away.

"Did The Saint tell you who rewinded time?" He asked and I shook my head

"No," I folded my arms, "She would have if you didn't force me to wake up."

"I had to make sure you were alright," He stood up suddenly and I flinched. Then I subtly stepped aside while he walked by me. I looked away, pretending I wasn't staring at him like some creep a few seconds ago but out of the blue he suddenly stopped.

???

Why is he stopping in the middle of the room?

I was about to turn my face to look at him when suddenly he began to move towards me.

"How is your training going?" And then he was suddenly behind me

"Ah, yea," I couldn't turn my body around now, "I think I'm getting a hang of it." I spread my hands out in the front to show him. I concentrated my mana, visualizing a shield and surely enough, a golden translucent

!!!

My body flinched violently when I felt Hael's hand on my waist

"You're doing good," He whispered next to my ear, making my eyes go wide. I panicked so bad, my shield broke right then and there.

"Oh shit!" I realized what I had done, "Sorry," I brought my hands to my chest as I balled my fists in nervousness.

"It's alright," This time I felt his lips graze my ear as he whispered those words, making a shiver go down my spine, "Keep practicing," I gulped, "You'll get there," I bit my lower lip hard

But that wasn't the end of it.

Before Hael pulled away, he caught a whiff of my scent. He drew his face closer to my neck. I felt his breath in the crook. I had to bring my hands down and clench them tighter.

"You smell nice," His hot breath made me curl my toes. I bit my lip so hard I thought I was going to cut it.

But thankfully he pulled away and turned around to walk towards the shelf.

OH MY GOOODDD!!!!

????

WHAT THE HAAAEEEEELLLLL!?!??!

I turned to sneak at him. He went and put the Tower Master's journal in the book along with the rest of the books, and then walked out of the room, to his lab.

Once he closed the door behind him, I turned towards the door and cursed at him

HOLY HELL HAEL!!!!

WHAT THE F WAS THAT!?!??!?

I stomped my way to the bookshelf while my eyes were glued to the bedroom door

Gosh!

I feel like he did that on purpose!!!

Once I was at the book shelf, I turned my attention to it. My eyes scanned the books to look for the journal, and once I spotted it, I took it out.

Hmph!

I'll see for myself what he keeps reading in this stupid thing.

I opened it