CHAPTER 46: TWO IN A DAY?!

Edward opened the door to see Seraphine standing before him.

She was still clad in her battle robes—if one could call them that. The fabric was torn in places, scorched along the edges from lightning strikes and fire, and dirt smeared across the hems. Her black hair had slipped loose from its ties, strands falling across her cheeks, her eyes wide and bright even in the dim lamplight of the hall.

"Seraphine?" Edward asked, confusion threading his tone.

"Hii," she said, a little too lightly for the hour, and stepped into his room without waiting for an answer.

Edward blinked, then slowly shut the door behind her, the faint click of the latch sounding louder than it should have.

He turned, brows knit. "What’s going—"

Before he could finish the question, her lips pressed against his.

The world fell into silence.

For a long moment, Edward didn’t move, his body rigid as shock rattled through him. Her lips were soft and warm, trembling faintly against his own. She lingered there, unhurried, as if the weight of the day had never happened, as if the blood on their clothes and the exhaustion in their bones didn’t exist.

When she pulled away, Edward still hadn’t found his breath.

"I wanted to say thank you..." she whispered, eyes downcast. Then she raised her gaze, and there was something unguarded in it. "For keeping your promise."

"Oh," Edward muttered, at a loss. Words tumbled to the edge of his tongue but refused to form.

Seraphine smiled, wide and bright, though her cheeks carried the faintest shade of red. "Anyways... I’m gonna clean up and rest. Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight," he managed a response.

She slipped past him and out the door. Edward closed it behind her, leaning lightly against the wood, listening as her footsteps padded down the hall and faded into silence.

He stood there for a moment, stunned. His mind tangled around what had just happened, trying to unravel its meaning.

Then—another knock.

This one was softer, almost hesitant, as though the visitor wasn’t sure they should be there at all.

Edward frowned, confusion deepening.

"Did she forget something?" he wondered as he pulled the door halfway open.

Aeris stood before him.

Her hair, usually tied back with precision, fell loose over her shoulders, still damp—indicating she had just showered.

Her pale nightgown clung lightly to her frame. Candlelight spilled across the hall, softening her normally sharp features. Her expression was unreadable, caught between steel and something more fragile.

"Aeris...?" he asked, confused to see her.

She lingered in the doorway, eyes flicking past him as though weighing whether to step inside.

Then, she spoke.

Her voice was low, almost delicate.

"Can I come in?"

"Huh? Oh—yeah." Edward replied as he stepped to the side to let her in.

Aeris entered slowly, her bare feet barely making a sound against the wooden floor. The smell of lavender followed her inside. She stopped just past the threshold, her hands twisting faintly at her sides.

Silence stretched between them for a moment, until she finally spoke.

"...I met you first, you know," she murmured, her gaze dropping to the floor.

Edward blinked, unsure that he had heard her right.

"What?" His voice caught, confusion bleeding through.

The Aeris he knew was sharp, methodical, and composed even in the face of danger. But here, in the quiet of his room, she looked different—hesitant, shy in a way he had never seen.

Then, she suddenly turned, catching him off guard.

Their eyes met.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a single word—

She leaned in.

Her lips pressed against his with a suddenness that made his mind go numb for a moment. They felt soft, softer than anything he had ever experienced and fleeting, as if the girl feared the moment would not last.

The kiss lingered for a moment, then two.

It continued for a couple of heartbeats more before she pulled back, almost violently.

She bit her lip, breathing unevenly.

Before Edward could utter a word, she darted past him.

The door opened, then slammed shut behind her as she vanished into the hall.

"Wh—" Edward stumbled over the half-formed word and opened the door behind her, staring blankly at the empty corridor.

He could still feel the touch of her lips on his. Down the hall, the sound of another door closing reached his ears—hers.

Heavy silence followed.

Edward stood there, unmoving, his mind a storm of questions he couldn’t voice.

"...What just happened?" he whispered at last.

He lingered in the doorway far longer than he realised, until finally his body remembered its exhaustion. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, pressing a hand to his face.

The room was quiet, filled only with the soft hum of the night outside. He moved sluggishly, stripping off his bloodied clothes, the dried crimson stains tugging at the fabric. He tossed them aside and put on a clean shirt—a faint scent of soap lingered on the cloth.

With a tired groan, Edward collapsed onto the bed.

His body screamed for rest, but his mind refused to yield.

Memories of the day flashed in his mind—flames on the battlefield, the clash of steel, the shadows of his summons breaking against armoured foes. The Chief’s stolen envelope. The missing leader. The nagging feeling that they had walked straight into something far larger.

Then, Seraphine—her lips against his, her bright smile.

And Aeris—her trembling words and hurried kiss.

With a deep sigh, he pressed his hand against his temple.

"Today sure was eventful..."

The words sounded hollow in the stillness of the room.

His thoughts tangled further, looping endlessly, but exhaustion began to take hold of him.

His eyes closed, the chaos of the day pulling him down into the depths of sleep.

The last thing he remembered was the warmth of their lips, the uncertainty of their hearts, and the faint echo of battle still ringing in his ears.

Then, exhaustion had claimed him.