As Zoey disappeared into the distance, a voice suddenly echoed through the now quiet forest.
"What's with that smile?"
Atticus blinked.
"What smile?" he asked innocently, despite the huge grin stretching across his face.
Ozeroth scoffed.
"That one! Right there! Did her confession give you a concussion or something?! Tsk, tsk. You still have a lot to learn, bond."
Ozeroth shook his head.
"You're actually happy just because some pretty girl confessed? How pitiful! You still need to be taught in the ways of my greatness."
Atticus turned to face him, scoffing.
And then, his smirk widened.
"At least someone confessed to me."
Ozeroth froze. His entire body stiffened.
His mouth opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again. But no words came out.
Atticus's smirk deepened.
"What? Did I lie?" His tone was far too smug.
Ozeroth's face twitched.
For the first time in his entire existence, he had been caught off guard. To think this bastard would use this against him.
His eyes narrowed, and his mouth opened again.
Then, he shut it, unable to utter even a single comeback. Because he knew Atticus could see everything about his life. He had always boasted about the women fawning over him, and yet, he hadn't received even a single confession.
A heavy silence stretched between them.
Atticus folded his arms as he gazed at the quiet Ozeroth, utterly amused.
"Oh? Cat got your tongue?"
He grinned.
"Is the great Ozeroth upset?"
Ozeroth's intense eyes focused on Atticus for a moment before mumbling something incomprehensible, his usual bravado completely gone.
Then—
POOF.
He disappeared into Atticus's chest, retreating into the depths of their bond.
Instantly, Atticus burst into laughter.
He laughed so hard his shoulders shook.
His smug grin only grew wider.
"There's nothing to feel ashamed about, Ozzy." He wiped a fake tear from his eye.
"I'm sure someone of your magnificence could get a confession… someday."
His laughter only grew louder.
Then, he felt it. A surge of pure, seething anger radiating from within him.
Ozeroth's rage. Which, of course, only made Atticus laugh even harder.
After thoroughly enjoying himself making fun of Ozeroth, Atticus finally stopped.
'Serves you right,' he said inwardly, and although he received no response from the still-fuming spirit, he paid it no heed. After everything Ozeroth had put him through these past few months, it was well deserved.
He didn't even feel guilty!
'With that out of the way…'
Now that he had relieved himself, he decided to focus on the matter at hand.
The wide smile on his face returned as he watched the spot where Zoey had stood.
How was Atticus feeling?
Happy.
That was the word that best described his current mood.
Before tonight, anytime Atticus thought about the matter with Zoey, it always sent an ache through his chest.
His inexperience with relationships couldn't have been more evident. He had a bad experience in his past life, and in this one, it had also turned out badly.
It had been something that made Atticus question whether he was the problem. Maybe there was something wrong with him.
But it had been a thought he killed instantly. Regardless, he didn't like the whole ordeal surrounding his love life.
However, now, Atticus had just found out that hadn't been the case.
Zoey felt the same way.
She wanted him.
It sent a wave of happiness through him, and although the dynamics between them were currently very complicated, Atticus believed it would get better with time.
With his wide smile undisturbed, Atticus sat down and continued his meditation, not even bothering with the spirit fuming within him.
And like that, days passed.
After his meeting with Zoey, Atticus hadn't seen her again up close. However, he had caught glimpses of her multiple times whenever he checked on the army's progress.
And in those few times of observing her, Atticus could see that Zoey had been completely serious about her words that night.
Her gaze was different now. Every activity she participated in, every training session, even her interactions with her division members, everything was done with a new sense of purpose.
To Atticus, she seemed like a person who had a goal and was now chasing it with her whole being.
The level of her training had intensified. Even after the long hours of grueling and sometimes useless training sessions Aurora put them through, Zoey hardly ever rested. Instead, she devoted herself entirely to training and advancing her power.
As he observed her, he was reminded of the reason he had been attracted to her in the first place.
Regardless, Atticus hadn't lost track of his duties. Besides Zoey, he also observed the entire army and their progress.
It was safe to say that Aurora was doing an amazing job. It was as though she was born to lead.
Well… to annoy people.
Aurora was utterly shameless. She didn't care about what people said. She didn't care about the feelings of the recruits.
She barked out orders with authority and was sure to reprimand anyone and everyone who disobeyed her in any way.
Her orders ranged from reasonable to completely absurd. She had taken Atticus's advice seriously and tested the patience of the recruits.
Fortunately, while many were dissatisfied, they still followed every order, albeit with gritted teeth.
Aurora seemed to enjoy their grievances, reveling in the fact that she was the cause of their misery.
This made every division, even the other races, fall in line. They didn't question orders and listened, even to the most absurd commands.
Aside from this, Atticus had also observed his friend, Kael.
The boy remained a battle maniac, always searching for a reason to fight. He spent his free time hunting and challenging anyone and everyone to a spar.
With that, Atticus believed his army was more or less ready.
To Atticus, the most important aspect of controlling an army was ensuring they followed his every order.
With that achieved, Atticus only focused on his training, waiting for the military to give them their first challenge.
Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.
As the days passed, it soon came.
Their first challenge.