Back to the Present...
——
"Were you really going to kill him?"
Cedric, who was lying on the ground, slowly turned his head to his left and asked in a soft voice.
Beside him on the ground, Celeste was lying still with her gaze fixed on the general area’s ceiling. Eventually, she nodded and slowly turned to Cedric. Then she muttered, "I really have nothing but death wishes for those who try to kill you."
Cedric smiled, then teased, "I don’t know why, but that sounds so corny to me."
Celeste pouted and looked away.
"I’m serious."
He chuckled and turned fully on his side, resting his head on his arm to get a better look at her. "I know you are. That’s what makes it so funny. And your swollen face then made it even funnier. You looked like a lopsided puffer-fish."
"Ugh. You..." She covered her face in embarrassment. Then, she turned and kicked his leg with just enough force to be annoying. "Shut up! It was not that bad."
Cedric winced and chuckled again. After a few seconds, he sat upright with crossed legs and asked quietly, "By the way, how’s the demon of resignation?"
Celeste’s eyes widened slightly, but then a weary expression settled on her face. She sighed, then muttered, "Lilith has always been really shy, you know. Even before people saw her for the first time, she struggled to even manifest her active form. She’s been that way since she was born. It took me more than three years to get her to open up and be free with me."
She paused for a moment, her gaze drifting back to the ceiling. "After what happened between me and Levi, she’s retreated again. She won’t even manifest her creature form. It’s been difficult, because I’ve had a lot of people approach the shelter to question me on why my bond looks like that. I’m really grateful for our party members who keep chasing them away whenever they pop up. I’m grateful for Evelyn too. She won’t let me go out on my own now so that she can be there if things go south. And even though she was the only one in our group who saw Lilith, she has not bothered me about it. Not even once."
It was quiet for a moment. Then Cedric exhaled and smiled, "I think your bond is really unique. I hope you do not let the reactions from other people make you see otherwise."
"Never." Celeste said firmly, the word leaving her mouth before she even had to think about it. Then her tone softened. "I know she’s unique and I love that she is."
She smiled, the warmth finally reaching her eyes as she looked at her brother. "Thanks for seeing her that way too. I hope that we reach a time when everyone sees her that way. And I hope that she one day grows confident enough to walk proudly in her active form amongst people."
At that moment, Evelyn who was keeping watch came into the shelter to see Cedric and Celeste still in the general area.
"Oh? You guys are still awake?" She asked.
The siblings turned to look at her, and then a smile stretched across her face. For some reason, this smile really creeped Cedric out.
She began to slowly walk up to him, then dropped to the ground and started crawling into his space.
’What is it with the women in my life lately?’ He thought as he shifted away from her. But then she shifted even closer and begged.
"Please, please, please. Just a little bit. Your blood tastes better than that of the others. You have no idea how much I was waiting for you to get back."
Her fangs began to show as she kept crawling closer to a shifting Cedric. "Come on, just a little bit. Okay, I promise I won’t drain you completely."
’That was an option?’
Cedric’s back hit the wall of the shelter and his eyes darted to Celeste for help. But Celeste just sat there, crossing her arms as she watched him struggle.
Cedric looked back at Evelyn and held her head that was practically almost buried in his collarbone. Then when his eyes saw the tattoo on her hand, he called out. "Hey, Julius. Get your ass out here, now!"
Julius quickly materialized and grabbed Evelyn by the back of her collar and hauled her back. "That’s enough from you, young lady."
"Hey! No, please. Let me go, Julius." She thrashed around in his grip. "I command you, let me go this instant."
But Julius kept on dragging her until they were both back outside. "Behave yourself young lady. You’ve been trying to eat your teammates all week. What’s wrong with you?"
Cedric turned to Celeste and asked, "What’s wrong with her?"
She chuckled and shrugged. "I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with her healing powers, because after she healed me, that’s when her craziness began. Yesterday, it was Dion." She lowered her voice. "You know his weakness is women. Because of that, she approached him when he was alone and nearly sucked the poor boy to skin and bones, if not for Ino’s intervention."
"Ah..." Cedric rubbed the back of his neck. "Note to self: never be alone with Evelyn. She’s crazy. Got it."
***
The next day...
——
Even though Cedric would never, ever, ever admit it to him, Leon was indeed a remarkably handsome fellow. In fact, he was not just classically handsome, but his charm made it so that he could win over almost anyone without even trying.
And so, early the next morning, Cedric sent Leon on an important errand.
...Leon walked into the barracks where he saw a beautiful girl with long black hair practicing her swordsmanship behind her shelter. She moved with a focused grace, the blade cutting through the hot morning air with a steady rhythm.
"Hello beautiful." Leon called out, leaning against a nearby wooden post with a relaxed smile that would have made most girls drop their gear.
When Alicia turned around to see him, she did indeed almost drop her gear. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tried so hard to stop herself from blushing.
"Hey uh... hi. What brings you here, Leon?"
Leon nodded to her hand. "I see you are training. Mind if I join you?"
"Oh! I mean, sure," Alicia stammered, adjusting her grip on her sword.
Leon pushed off the post, but as he began approaching her, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his perfectly defined chest and abs. Then he folded the sleeves of his casual shirt, before finally summoning his sword.
"It’s hot, isn’t it?"
Alicia’s eyes lingered a second too long on his midsection before she snapped her gaze back up to his face, her face turning a deep shade of red.
"Huh? Oh... yes. Hot. You are hot," she stammered. She quickly caught herself and shook her head, her voice tripping over the words. "I mean... it is hot. Out here. The weather."
Seeing that he had her right where he wanted, Leon smiled and asked, "Ready?"
Alicia swallowed and nodded. Then, she managed to squeak out, "Ready."
...Leon stepped into her space, and then, their weapons clashed.