As they walked, Elias noticed that Imaya had gone quiet again, and she walked behind him. They entered the castle and as they approached their respective room doors, Imaya stopped in her tracks,
"Are you okay?" Elias asked, his voice laced with concern
Imaya looked as if she was building up the courage to say something, "Am I useless?" She finally asked
Elias was taken aback by the question, ' Useless? Where was that coming from?' He thought to himself
"What do you mean 'Useless'," Elias asked, as he took a step to close whatever little gap was between them
Imaya's eyes were glued to her feet, "I wasn't able to protect my village, I wasn't able to save a single soul, and now I am here with the person who saved me and I have nothing to offer. To you, Elias, I am nothing more than a liability," She explained
Elias soaked in what she just said, "Is that how you feel?" Elias asked, to which Imaya replied with silence
For a moment, Elias said nothing, his eyes searching hers as if weighing her words, considering the depth of her feelings. Finally, he spoke, "If you truly feel that way, then you should stop sulking and become useful," He said with a stern tone
Imaya's body shifted and her eyes widened for a moment, as she was caught off guard by the bluntness of Elias' response
"If you truly feel the way you say you do, then you should go to the academy, learn, and become useful. Hone whatever skill you choose to learn to the pinnacle, and become useful not to only me, but to yourself as well,"
His words hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning. Elena's heart ached at the harshness of his suggestion, yet beneath it, she sensed a truth she could not ignore. There was no pity in his voice, no gentle reassurances. Elias spoke as he always did—directly and without pretense.
"Become powerful..." she whispered, more to herself than to him. The idea was daunting, but in Elias's eyes, she saw no room for hesitation. He was giving her a path, a way forward, but it was up to her to take it.
"Yes," Elias affirmed, his voice softening just a fraction
Imaya gulped audibly and nodded her head, "Yes," she said in a low tone
A smile spread across Elias' face, "Then I suppose it is time I stopped leaving you out of the loop," He said
He stood close, so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips, each exhale mingling with her own. The world around them seemed to fade, the sounds of the bustling castle dimming until all Imaya could hear was the thunderous beating of her heart. Elias' eyes, intense and searching, locked onto hers, and for a moment, time itself seemed to hold its breath.
Slowly, deliberately, he cupped her face in his hands, his touch firm yet tender, as if he was holding something both fragile and infinitely precious. The anticipation crackled between them, an electric current that made her pulse quicken and her skin tingle.
Then, with a soft exhale, he leaned in, closing the final, aching distance between them. When their lips met, it was like a spark igniting dry tinder—sudden, fierce, and consuming. The kiss was deep, a blend of longing and unspoken words. Elias' mouth moved over hers with a kind of desperation, as if he were pouring every suppressed emotion into that very moment
At first, there was resistance, but Imaya's lips soon parted and accepted Elias' own fully. She responded in kind, her hands finding their way to the back of his neck, pulling him closer, needing him closer.
The world around them dissolved entirely, leaving only the sensation of his lips on hers, the taste of him, the feel of his hands threading through her hair, grounding her and yet making her feel like she was floating all at once.
It was as if they were both trying to memorize every detail—the warmth, the texture, the way their breath mingled—as if this was the last kiss they would ever share. When they finally parted, just a fraction, their foreheads pressed together, breath mingling in the small space between them, the intensity of the moment lingered.
[+70 000 FWP]
"Shall we begin?" Elias said as he pulled off his shirt, revealing his well-toned and lean physique.
Imaya's eyes were glued on his body, she couldn't look away, it was as if she was charmed.
Elias didn't stop there, he went further and unlaced his pants, he let them drop to the floor with a light thud. At this point Imaya's mind had gone into overload, she couldn't process it all at once.