*Click*
A soft mechanical sound echoed as the door to William’s dorm room opened.
He stepped inside with a long, tired sigh that seemed to come from deep within his chest.
It was past midnight, and the room was dark and quiet, most of the students were asleep, and the whole campus felt deserted and barren under the full moonlight.
The moment the door closed behind him, the tension he had been holding finally loosened.
His shoulders sagged as he felt at home, and without even taking off his coat properly, he stumbled toward the small kitchen area with a tired posture.
He grabbed the nearest container of water and began drinking without pause, swallowing greedily until the entire gallon was gone.
The cold liquid burned its way down his throat, but he did not stop until the container was empty and his breathing had steadied slightly.
He had arrived back at the academy just past midnight.
The first thought that had struck him the moment he stepped onto academy grounds had not been exhaustion, hunger, or relief.
It had been Seraphine.
Almost immediately, he had turned toward her dorm, ignoring everything else, and had walked in a quick and restless manner.
When he reached her room and found it empty, panic had flared so sharply that his vision had narrowed.
For a brief, terrifying moment, his mind had gone blank. System tracking had informed him again that Sera was in the Academy and had not gone missing again, as he had thought.
After forcing himself to breathe, he had gone to Galeion’s dorm to ask him. Galeion was woken up midsleep, and all he asked was, "You finally wanna spar?"
From Galeion, Will had learned that Seraphine was staying in the guest suite with her mother.
The information had hit him like a wave of relief, draining the panic from his body all at once. He had thanked Galeion briefly, turned around, and walked back without another word.
Now, standing alone in his room again, he sighed and started preparing his dinner.
As William worked, his focus shifted to the Mark of Destiny.
"Master, are you there?" he asked quietly
He had placed the same mark on Seraphine, but even now, he avoided touching it.
Part of him feared that if he did, the natural romantic tension between them, the longing and anticipation of seeing each other in person every day, would disappear.
So he made the decision that he would only use it in an emergency.
There was a brief pause before a familiar voice filled his mind.
"William. Thank god you returned to the academy."
Tamasya’s voice carried clear, unguarded, and genuine relief.
William frowned slightly. "What? How do you know that?" he asked, surprise slipping into his tone.
There was a moment of hesitation on the other end.
"Um... no... I...," Tamasya fumbled, and her words tangled awkwardly.
William’s eyes narrowed. He turned slowly, scanning the room, until his gaze landed on the small black cat sitting quietly near the corner, its bright eyes fixed directly on him.
"So it’s this," he muttered under his breath.
He walked over and picked up the kitten gently, lifting it to eye level. The cat did not resist and merely blinked once, its tail flicked lazily.
"What?" Tamasya’s voice turned alert.
William laughed softly. "Haha, I have caught you, Master. You thought you could spy on me with this kitten?"
There was a brief pause before Tamasya responded with an awkward laugh. "Oh... hahaha. You really caught me."
She let the misunderstanding settle without correction. It was better this way.
If William knew the truth, that it was not the cat but Shadow who could truly observe him, he would panic. She did not want that.
In truth, Tamasya had been uneasy for days.
Shadow had been unable to locate William across Aris. No matter where she searched, his presence slipped past Shadow’s perception.
Only when he entered an area she was already monitoring did she catch glimpses of him.
Shadow had explained to her that William had been able to resist her tracking somehow for unknown reasons.
But the shadow informed her another fact elating her mood.
Once Will’s shadow affinity reached the tenet level, Shadow would be able to track him with absolute precision because she would be consciously present with Will at all times
As for how William would reach tenet affinity, she had no doubt.
The talent that she had shared with him, Ruler of Eternal Darkness, would naturally push him there. And she would help him along the way.
"Master," William’s voice cut into her thoughts, pulling her back.
"Yes?" she replied quickly.
"That’s called invasion of privacy, you know," he said calmly.
Tamasya’s mind raced, gears turning as she searched for a suitable excuse. "Brat, you’re too careless. I left that cat there to ensure your safety at all times."
As her words echoed in William’s mind, something warm settled in his chest.
"I’m lucky to have such a caring master," he said honestly.
"Tsk. Keep your flattery to yourself," Tamasya snapped, but beneath the sharp response, the compliment lingered. She liked it more than she would ever admit.
There was a brief silence before William spoke again. "Master, when are you coming back?"
"Why?" she teased lightly. "Do you miss me?"
"Yes," William replied quietly with all seriousness.
The word hit her harder than Tamasya had expected.
For a moment, Tamasya could not speak.
Her heart started to beat wildly, fast and uneven, as if trying to escape her chest.
"soon" she said.
"When you return, I’ll cook something delicious for you," William added with a soft chuckle.
"...Sure, " she managed to say.
"And I need to introduce someone to you as well," William continued.
"Oh?" she asked, forcing her tone to steady while she blushed inwardly. "Who is that?"
"Her name is Seraphine. I think you’ve already seen her," William said, then began explaining.
He spoke about how they met, how things had developed between them, careful in his wording.
He twisted and omitted certain details, hiding anything critical without lying outright.
He talked about the bond forming between them, about shared moments and unspoken understanding.
"Master," he said finally, his voice firm, "I’m going to propose."
On the other side of the connection, silence lingered, and no reply came.
"Master?" William called again.
"Uh... yes. What were you saying?" Tamasya replied in a distant tone as if she had lost focus mid-conversation.
"I’m going to propose," William repeated, without hesitation.
"Why are you telling me?" Tamasya asked.
Her voice had turned empty and hollow now.
"I’m your master, not someone with a conflicting interest.
Why are you telling me all this?"
"I wanted to...." William began, but she cut him off.
"I’m busy. We’ll talk later," Tamasya said, and the mental connection severed abruptly.
The sudden silence was deafening.
William stood still, staring at the steaming pot of soup he had prepared earlier, forgotten until now.
The steam and hot liquid curled upward, drifting past the lid in slow waves before spilling out of the pot.
[Are you really clueless, or just pretending?]
Badump!! Badump!!
His heart slammed against his ribs.
"Stop!!" William muttered as anxiety and panic rose in his heart.
"Don’t say it again. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you."
The steam continued to rise and spill.
A cold chill was running down his spine, and dread tightened around his chest like a vice.
He turned away from the kitchen and walked into the bathroom; his movements were rushed.
Without hesitation, he filled the tub with ice, forming it himself with mana, and plunged into the freezing water.
The shock stole his breath.
He sank deeper, forcing himself to stay submerged, hoping the cold would slow his racing heart.
The icy water burned against his skin, numbing his head, but it did little to calm his thoughts.
A forbidden feeling stirred in his chest, one he refused to acknowledge.
[I told you the moment you met her. She was into you, whether you like it or not.]
"I told you to STOP!!!," William shouted aloud. "I won’t betray Sera."
[I never said you had to betray anyone. I only stated your situation. What you do with it is none of my concern.]
BAMM!!
William grabbed a chunk of ice floating in the tub and hurled it against the wall.
It shattered on impact, and the icicles splintered, spraying across the bathroom.
His breathing was ragged and uneven, as sanity and desire collided inside him.
He lowered himself back into the freezing water, submerging his shoulders, then his neck he welcomed the cold, icy water.
Slowly, the noise and anxiety inside his head dulled, and sleep overtook all the exhaustion
His living space fell quietas William slept submerged and relaxed.
He woke up only after a few hours, the academy staff had woken him up, and he found the emergency alarms of his dorm ringing.
He had forgotten to turn off the stove, the pot, the walls around, and other things, appliances around had burnt and blackened until the safety formations had activated.
What had greeted him was a penalty of academy points rather than a good night’s sleep.