"I'm glad you're safe."
The words were quiet, genuine, barely above a whisper.
Elion's heart skipped a beat.
Her sincerity… it was disarming.
Before he could respond, Aria's cheeks reddened, and she looked away quickly, grabbing at the hem of her sleeve.
"I—I shouldn't keep you," she said, suddenly flustered. "You'll probably be summoned soon, just like Celeste said."
"…Celeste?"
"Y-yes," Aria muttered. "The second year DC member. She is a Vampire. And apparently, scary."
"Oh? Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. She does look scary."
Aria huffed a small laugh despite herself. "Elion…"
Her voice softened again.
"…please be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."
He wasn't sure what came over him, maybe the leftover adrenaline, maybe her concern, maybe the fact that she was standing there looking at him like he mattered more than he ever expected, but Elion stepped closer.
His hand cups the back of Aria's neck, pulling her closer until their lips are barely a breath apart.
In one swift motion, he closes the distance, his lips crashing against hers in a deep, passionate kiss.
Aria let out a soft gasp, surprised by the intensity, but she doesn't pull away.
Her hands find his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt as if to anchor herself.
His lips move against hers, demanding and possessive, as his tongue seeks entrance into her mouth.
Aria hesitates for just a second before parting her lips, allowing him to explore her mouth thoroughly.
He tastes her, savors her, his other hand moving to her waist, pulling her flush against his body.
She can feel the heat radiating from him, the hardness of his muscles, and it sends a wave of desire through her body.
He kisses her like he's starving, like she's the only thing that can satisfy his hunger.
And she responds in kind, her own desire bubbling to the surface.
Their tongues dance together, tangling and teasing, as the kiss grows deeper, more intense.
When he finally breaks away, they're both breathless, their chests heaving with the effort. Aria's eyes are wide, her pupils dilated.
"I'll be fine," he said quietly. "And I won't let anyone hurt you either."
Aria nods, still dazed by the intensity of the moment.
Her breath hitched.
Then...
"Are you ready for tonight?" Elion asked with a smile. Her breath hitched, and she nodded, and looked away, face crimson.
"Oh, I need to go, "She spun on her heel so fast she nearly tripped.
But as she turned to leave, Elion grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers.
"Aria—"
"I'M FINE, GOODBYE—!"
She practically sprinted away down the path, her blue hair bouncing wildly, ears burning so bright they might have been glowing.
Elion watched her vanish, blinked once, then rubbed the back of his neck.
"…that went better than expected."
...
Back inside his dorm room, Elion locked the door behind him and released a slow breath.
His body still thrummed faintly with the adrenaline of the fight, but his mind was already fixed on something else.
Time to stop holding back.
He sat down on the floor, legs crossed in a lotus position.
"System," he murmured, exhaling, "initiate my breakthrough."
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[CONFIRM: 250 points will be consumed. Proceed?]
"Proceed."
The confirmation barely finished before the pain hit him.
"Ghhh—!" His entire body locked up.
It felt like invisible hands were tearing him apart and sewing him back together in the same breath.
His muscles stretched, condensed, twisted, and knotted over and over, each cycle harsher than the last.
He sucked in sharp, desperate breaths, trying and failing to endure it quietly.
"Aaaagh!"
Sweat poured down his skin in waves.
A foul, oily black fluid began seeping out of his pores, as if his body were expelling years of filth and inefficiency all at once.
His bones vibrated.
His lungs burned.
His heartbeat hammered like a drum against his ribs.
Seconds dragged like hours.
He gritted his teeth until his jaw ached, clutching at the floor to ground himself, but the agony kept crashing over him in punishing waves.
Then, after what felt like an eternity but was, in truth, barely ten minutes...
The pain receded.
Elion slumped forward, panting, drenched, and smelling absolutely horrific.
"A… warning…" he gasped out between breaths, "would've… helped."
[Noted.]
He glared weakly at the air.
But as the lingering ache faded, something else replaced it.
A clarity.
A lightness he could vividly feel.
He pushed himself up to his feet and blinked.
He was taller.
Noticeably taller.
His shoulders broader.
His muscles denser beneath his skin.
And despite the muck coating him, he felt… incredible.
He stepped toward the mirror and recoiled.
"Ugh, what the hell?!"
He looked like he had fallen into a vat of toxic sludge.
Black grime clung to every inch of him, streaked across his face, hair, and even dripped down his neck.
But beneath the filth, he could see the changes clearly.
Subtle definition in his muscles.
A slightly narrower waist.
His posture is straighter.
He flexed experimentally.
Stronger.
He rolled his shoulders.
Faster.
"Status."
What appeared made his jaw drop, and his foot slip.
He actually tripped backward onto the floor.