Morgaine herself found it hard to believe she had broken through.
She clenched her fingers, and instead of feeling power, she felt nothing, yet also something. Something terrifying with every clench.
"Breakthrough or not," Mrs. Lynia said, grabbing her wrist before pulling her off the bed.
"Now that you’re fine, I’ll be needing your help...in the kitchen!"
She spoke in an unimpressed tone, dragging Morgaine out of bed.
She tried to protest, but soon their voices drowned out in the background.
The door shut, and Ryuk’s smile lingered until he sat at the edge of the bed, his grin fading into a long exhale of relief.
[Good thing she’s awake, huh?]
The system panel bubbled into view, and Ryuk couldn’t help but agree.
From having his girlfriend’s mind replaced by another entity, to getting into a fight that still damaged her body, to her regaining consciousness and even growing stronger from the ordeal—that was the best-case scenario he could have ever hoped for.
[A pity you’ll be leaving them soon...]
_____
"You know, you really have Ryuk to thank for being in good condition," Mrs. Lynia said later at the table.
"He had to sneak into the Dominare main grounds, get a hold of something important while avoiding being seen, and still ended up in trouble with the elders."
"Perhaps we should have been more careful about placing trust in the Dominare family," Mrs. Lynia added, addressing Morgaine, who sat across from her.
Beside her, though, sat Ryuk, eating quietly.
When Ryuk heard Mrs. Lynia’s words, his brows creased.
She didn’t know yet.
Morgaine had chosen to fuse her consciousness with another being of her own will, and it hadn’t been misplaced trust in the Dominare.
Still, he kept silent, not correcting her.
"Make sure to thank him properly, okay?" Mrs. Lynia pressed, and both paused when Morgaine’s cheeks flushed pink once more.
"Awwwwn, someone’s blushing so hard. I wonder why?" Mrs. Lynia teased.
"Moooommm, stop it," Morgaine groaned, shifting uncomfortably.
"Tehehe..." her mother teased even further.
"What plans do you have now, anyway?" Ryuk asked, changing the subject.
"Now that you’re definitely not going back to the Dominare family as their ’Chosen,’ what do you plan to do?"
Morgaine hummed softly, her brows creasing as she thought.
Truthfully, she hadn’t had the time to think about that yet.
"I’m not sure, really. I guess I’ll just stay home, getting fattened up by Mom." She replied with a faint smile, watching Mrs. Lynia roll her eyes.
"And you?" she asked, turning the question back on Ryuk.
Her curiosity piqued Mrs. Lynia’s interest, too.
Ever since Ryuk returned from his mission, he hadn’t spent much time at home.
She assumed he had been preparing for infiltration, as when he finally came back, he had returned with Morgaine.
Now that Morgaine was safe, she was, of course, hoping he would also have less to do and maybe get to witness some young, budding love moments between the two.
"You know how some creatures change over time?" Ryuk began.
Both Morgaine and Mrs. Lynia frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?" Morgaine asked.
"I mean like hydras, for example. When they retreat into slumber and come out as dragons?"
"Like when they evolve?" Morgaine asked, and Ryuk nodded.
"Exactly. I’m close to my evolution, so..."
He trailed off as Morgaine’s cheeks puffed with suppressed laughter.
"What are you, some evolving snake?" she teased.
But Mrs. Lynia cut in. "You don’t know he’s a dragon?"
Morgaine blinked twice in confusion, which left Mrs. Lynia staring at her with raised brows. She turned to Ryuk, who quickly whispered,
"We don’t really get that much time to discuss things like that..." he defended.
Mrs. Lynia’s gaze snapped back to Morgaine, suspicion written across her face.
"What did I do?" Morgaine muttered nervously.
"If I weren’t more aware, I’d think you were friend-zoning him," Mrs. Lynia said flatly. "The least you could do is know your boyfriend’s race. How can you be so clueless as to never even ask?"
Morgaine had no response to that.
But truthfully, it was because she knew, whatever he said he was, she would be fine with it.
That was probably why it had never occurred to her to ask.
"So, about your evolution..." Mrs. Lynia redirected to his original topic.
"How long will it take?"
Ryuk shook his head. "It’s hard to say. It could be three days... or some six months."
"Six months!? Are you kidding!?" Morgaine’s voice cracked as she froze.
She had only just reunited with him after nearly two months of being trapped inside her soul space. And now, he might leave again for half a year!?
"I said I’m not sure. It could be just three days too..." Ryuk replied, but his reply wasn’t really consoling.
"As much as I also think half a year of absence is hard to bear, especially now, when the family has just reunited, I also understand that evolving into your fullest potential isn’t something that should be questioned," Mrs. Lynia said.
"As a family, the least we can do is not hinder your progress. So, six months or a year... it’ll be fine."
She said it to Ryuk, but mostly for Morgaine, who looked on the verge of bursting, but held it back at her mother’s words.
Breakfast continued with less serious conversation until its eventual peaceful end.
Ryuk soon made his way to the top of the mansion to take in some breath of air, but it hadn’t been a couple of minutes when he heard footsteps behind him.
It hadn’t even been a couple of minutes when he heard footsteps.
Turning properly, he saw her images suddenly split into two.
A morgaine whose head bubbled up in the stairway up, and another Morgaine right in his arms.
"That’s fast." he said, watching the image of Morgaine behind him fade after three seconds.
He turned down, only for her to lean forward, her lips gently touching in a soft kiss that lasted for quite a long while.
When it broke, she asked,
"Hey, Ryuk."
_____
A/N:
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In and Out_SnowySmoos