"Alexa~" Pyris gave her a reassuring smile. She looked up at him again, wondering to herself if she could ever get enough of that smile. Even if from afar, unable to be held by him like right now, as long as he smiled, that would be all she could ever ask for.
After all, he was the first person in so long to show her this kind of care.
Before she could muster the courage to confront her own thoughts about why she hadn't pulled away when he touched her, Pyris did something that shocked the entire hall of students.
"Come here~" he said softly, pulling her gently into his chest. He turned his back to the students, blocking their view as they snapped pictures of him and Alexandra.
"P-P-" Alexa tried to speak, but no words would come out.
She remained still, her head nestled against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body. His chin rested gently on the top of her head—thanks to her height, she wasn't much shorter than him.
"Don't say anything, Alexa. Don't think about anything. Don't worry about anything. Just, for once, be selfish. Focus on this moment, whether you're happy or angry at me for daring to hug you like this," Pyris whispered, his voice soft and soothing.
"Take this time to decide how you'll punish me for my shameless action. After all, I hugged you without your consent! Whatever you decide, I'll accept it—make it big, something that's worth your while. But if you like this moment, if it brings you any comfort, forget all your worries.
Stay here, and I will protect you for as long as you are with me!" Pyris didn't fully understand why he felt such sympathy for her.
Maybe because I've been in her place before? He didn't know the details of what was going on in her life, but her melancholy was something he recognized, as well as her forced bravado and how easily she laughed at even the smallest things. He did the math and could guess what she might be going through.
His actions might have seemed inappropriate to others, but he didn't care about their opinions. Her feelings were all that mattered.
What Pyris didn't realize was that the world was already passing judgment. His position was both a blessing and a curse, and he knew his life would never be fully private.
"Pyris..." Alexa whispered, trying to say something. But Pyris silenced her with a gentle finger to her lips.
"Don't say anything," he said softly. "Keep the punishment to yourself. Are you trying to scare me? If you do, my embrace might not be as warm as you'd like!"
She smiled softly, her heart fluttering with warmth. Finally, her timid arms found the courage to creep around his back, hugging him in return.
As the two complete strangers embraced, some students began to grow increasingly angry the longer it lasted. They were waiting for Pyris, but instead, he was busy being affectionate with her—the so-called disgrace.
The club president, watching the scene unfold, was livid.
"Student Pyris!" he shouted, commanding everyone's attention—everyone except Pyris and Alexa, who completely ignored him. He called again and again, but the results were the same.
____
While holding Alexa close, Pyris was mentally conversing with Lia. Both were astonished by Alexa's status, and it answered the question of why the system was being "sensitive" about her.
____
Name: Alexa Eloise
Race: High Human
Bloodline: ??? (Sealed)
Race Trait: Fate Dreamer! (Unknown—Sealed), Divine Eyes! (Unknown—Sealed), Child of the World
Titles: The One Who Sees (Sealed)
Rank: Rank 5/20
Elements: Light, Divinity (Unknown—Sealed)
Age Limit: 18/200
Strength: 70/90
Agility: 70/90
Vitality: 70/90
Stamina: 70/90
INT: 80/90
____
'Alexa is a princess of the human empire, and being a High Human should come with benefits like a powerful bloodline and traits, but they're all sealed, except for her third trait, Child of the World. I assume that's not very powerful—at least not yet, enough to grant her significant abilities.'
Sealed bloodlines were unheard of after someone awakened. Alexa's situation was even stranger. Pyris assumed that only he, with the system, could see her hidden powers. That explained why she was viewed as a disgrace rather than a treasure.
In a world ruled by power, a royal or noble without potential was nothing short of a disgrace to their family, just like Alexa now, and Esmeralda.
[The strangest part is, not even the system knows the name of her bloodline. But, Pyris, her element... Divinity? Does that ring a bell?] Lia asked, intrigued.
As far as Lia knew, this was the first time she had encountered divinity as an element. Usually, people with divinity-related gifts were simply light element users, and divine power was an ability, not an element. These people were exceedingly rare.
Even in the God Realm, only a handful possessed the gift of divine power. Among all the realms, only a few individuals, if any, were capable of it. But Alexa was different in every possible way—her sealed element, her unique traits.
'Yeah, the system said I have all elements except one. Apparently, only a favored child of the Godly Realm can awaken it! The system mentioned that no one has awakened that element in billions of years. So, what does that make Alexa?' Pyris mused.
'If word got out about her, forget the Immortal Realm— even the gods would come swarming, wanting her immediately!' Pyris hypothesized.
[I agree with you, and I think the Goddess could help!] Lia suggested.
'No!' Pyris refused immediately. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Goddess, but it would be dangerous for both of them! We have to figure this out ourselves!
[How can you be sure it's dangerous? You do remember she's a Goddess, right?] Lia countered.
'And you know better than anyone that compared to other gods, she's... absurdly weak!' It hurt him to say that, but it was the truth. 'If others found out what she knew but hadn't shared, it could put her in danger.'
Pyris was determined to play it safe. He was confident he'd find a way—he never failed. And this time would be no different.