CHAPTER 225: QUIET MOMENT, LATE NIGHT TRAINING

The night sky stretched wide above them—an endless ocean of shimmering constellations glimmering through the glass ceiling of the rooftop terrace. The lights of Angel’s City twinkled below like fallen stars, and a soft breeze drifted across the open space, carrying with it the faint fragrance of jasmine from the gardens far beneath.

Khione stood near the edge, her white hair gleaming beneath the starlight, the wind teasing a few strands loose from her ponytail. The reflection of the city danced in her blue eyes—calm, distant, yet fragile in a way Nero had never seen before. He approached quietly, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable but his presence grounding.

It was strange, he thought, how natural it felt to be beside her now.

When they first met, Khione had been the embodiment of cold—detached, disciplined, and untouchable. But tonight, under the quiet glow of the stars, that ice had melted just enough for him to glimpse the woman behind it. And the sight, he realized, was breathtaking.

He stopped beside her, his shoulder almost brushing hers.

"You’re quiet," he said softly.

She turned her head slightly, a faint smile touching her lips. "And you talk too much."

Nero chuckled, the sound low and warm.

"You seem... happy," he said after a pause.

Khione looked back at the view. "It’s strange. I don’t usually enjoy crowds or festivals... but today was different. I didn’t feel... alone."

There was a vulnerable note in her voice that caught him off guard. It was small, fleeting, but enough to stir something inside him. He turned to her, his gaze steady.

"Then let’s make sure you never do."

She blinked, slightly taken aback by the simplicity of his words. For a long moment, neither spoke. The wind carried the sounds of the city faintly below—music, laughter, the hum of distant life. Then, quietly, she looked up into his crimson eyes.

"Nero," she whispered, "why do you always say things like that?"

He smiled, leaning a little closer. "Because I mean them."

For a heartbeat, everything slowed. The air between them grew heavy—not uncomfortable, but charged, full of something unspoken. Khione’s gaze lingered on his lips, and before she realized it, her heart had begun to race.

The memory of their last kiss flashed vividly through her mind after those intense passionate moment—the heat, the shock, the intensity. Her pulse quickened, and for the first time in a long while, she felt nervous.

Stop thinking, she told herself. Just... do it.

And then, guided by impulse stronger than reason, Khione closed the distance.

Her hand brushed against his chest, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she tilted her face up, her lips finding his in a soft, deliberate kiss. Nero froze for a heartbeat, surprise flickering across his face—but only for a heartbeat.

Because then he melted into it.

His hand slipped behind her waist, pulling her gently closer, and the kiss deepened. The warmth of his body contrasted beautifully with her natural coolness, the fire and ice meeting again—not in conflict, but in harmony. Her lips were cold, his were hot, and where they met, sparks seemed to bloom in the air around them.

Her heart raced, and her breath hitched when he kissed her back with more force, more certainty. The world fell away; there was no rooftop, no city, no stars—only the sound of their breaths mingling, the faint tremor of her heartbeat pounding against his chest.

When they finally parted, her cheeks were faintly flushed, her normally composed gaze softened by something unfamiliar—tenderness. He really have knack for bypassing her defense so easily.

Nero brushed a strand of her hair back, his thumb lingering near her jaw. "You’re full of surprises tonight."

She looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe...."

He smiled faintly. "I’m looking now."

For a while, they just stood there—hands lightly entwined, watching the lights below, letting the silence say what words could not.

Then, softly, Khione spoke again. "This is my first time... doing something like this."

"I know," he said quietly. "You’re doing fine."

Her eyes lifted to meet his again, a small, genuine smile playing on her lips. "Maybe next time... I’ll plan where we go."

"I’ll look forward to it," Nero replied, his tone warm, teasing.

And so they stood beneath the endless sky—fire and frost, opposites bound by something they didn’t yet fully understand, but both knew was real.

---

Down below, the rest of the group was still awake. Elreth sat at the balcony, gazing up toward the top floor, her face half-hidden in the shadows. Her chest tightened painfully when she saw the faint silhouettes of Nero and Khione together against the glass ceiling.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

’He really kissed her again. As I suspected, something is going on between them. Never I would have thought someone would melt her defense, a man whom I wish to make mine nonetheless, proof of his exceptionality.’

That cold, infuriating woman who barely spoke. And yet... he’d gone all out for her.

Elreth bit her lip hard, her orange eyes trembling. She couldn’t stand it. The thought of Khione taking what she couldn’t claim gnawed at her like fire in her veins.

’I won’t lose to her. I’ll make him mine, no matter what it takes. Their relationship mustn’t be solid yet. I should make moves soon.’

Her resolve hardened, her heart burning with jealousy and something far deeper—something dangerous.

The night breeze was soft against their skin, carrying the scent of flowers from the gardens below and the faint hum of the city far beneath them. The stars above were countless—silver dust scattered across a deep velvet sky. The open glass floor of the rooftop reflected their light, making it feel as though Nero and Khione were standing in the heavens themselves.

Neither spoke for a while. Their earlier kiss still lingered between them, like a quiet echo neither wished to break. The air around them shimmered faintly with residual heat from Nero’s aura, balanced by the faint chill that always seemed to accompany Khione’s presence. Fire and ice—two forces that should have clashed endlessly—rested now in stillness.