Eyes closed, then opened.
A frantic, exhausting night often ends just like that—in the blink of an eye.
However, for awkward teenagers, the tranquil beauty of the morning comes with a catch: whoever wakes up first has to deal with the embarrassment.
Sunlight crept across the bed sheets, determined to disturb their slumber.
With the sun warming his back, Ankh groggily opened his eyes.
He muttered indistinctly, "Why is it so hot..."
And why did this massive double bed feel so crowded?
There was a weight draped over his waist.
An arm? A leg?
Lying on his side, Ankh realized he was holding a warm, soft little creature in his arms.
The blanket in front of him was bulging unnaturally.
'Something feels off...'
'Wait... what is my hand squeezing?'
Still half-asleep, Ankh instinctively squeezed his fingers to test the "texture."
"Mmmph..."
A soft, delicate moan drifted from beneath the covers.
Ankh froze.
His breath hitched in his throat.
'A woman? How? Did I sleepwalk into a stranger's room?'
'It couldn't be Mira, right? That shouldn't be possible. She has the Satan Soul—if I tried to grab her in my sleep, she would have punched me through a wall.'
'Calm down. Think rationally. Maybe... maybe it's just a cat?'
'Yeah, that's it! It's a big, soft cat!'
Mentally preparing himself, Ankh used his free hand to slowly lift the edge of the blanket.
He peeked underneath, hoping against hope.
'...Damn.'
It wasn't a cat. It was Mira.
Ankh dropped the blanket immediately, resigning himself to his fate.
He didn't dare move a muscle.
The identity of the "softness" in his hand was now unmistakably clear.
[Well... I did warn you.]
Seram's voice chimed in right on time to break the tension. But judging by his tone, the god was definitely laughing at him.
Ankh racked his brain. How had he managed to overpower Mirajane—a future S-Class mage—while he was fast asleep?
Seram saw through his confusion instantly.
[With your talent, casting Magic in your sleep is second nature. You subconsciously restrained her.]
Ankh was dumbfounded.
'I can use Magic when i'm sleep walking?'
'Okay, that sounds like something I would do.'
This explained why Mirajane couldn't resist his... "assault."
Ankh gazed guiltily at the white stray hair peeking out from the blanket.
He let out a long, heavy sigh.
During that brief glimpse under the covers, Ankh had seen more than just her face. He saw her fair skin... and the messy, reddened kiss marks around her neck and lips.
Thank god his sleepwalking self was apparently satisfied with just making out.
It seemed they had only been intimate from the waist up.
If he had actually taken her innocence while sleepwalking, the guilt would have crushed him.
He would never be able to look her in the eye again.
But even so... he had still taken advantage of her.
"Mira... time to wake up."
Feeling a mountain of debt toward her, Ankh's voice was uncharacteristically tender.
He managed to put his clothes on without waking her, then gently nudged her bare shoulder.
Mirajane smacked her lips lightly.
Half-asleep, her hand pushed weakly against him.
With a subtle twist of her waist, she rolled over, burying her face in the pillow to go back to sleep.
Ankh scratched his head.
'She's still out?'
'I must have really exhausted her last night...'
Burdened with guilt, Ankh didn't have the heart to wake her forcefully.
Instead, he leaned down and tenderly tucked the sheets around her shoulders.
He scribbled a quick note, left it on the table, and tiptoed out of the room like a thief.
The moment the door clicked shut, Mirajane's eyes snapped open.
She had been hiding under the covers like an ostrich, her face flushed a deep, alluring red.
'That wretched guy... finally gone.'
No one knew just how badly Mirajane had slept that night.
She had woken up hours ago, only to realize that Ankh had a firm grip on... a very sensitive part of her chest.
She had wanted to free herself, but she didn't dare move.
The slightest shift might have woken him up while his hand was still there, and the awkwardness would have killed her instantly.
So, she had no choice but to squeeze her eyes shut and play dead.
Thank heavens he left.
Mirajane sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest.
She looked down sorrowfully at the red marks left on her skin.
A wave of shame and anger washed over her.
'That scoundrel...'
If she hadn't been overpowered by his magic last night... if she wasn't afraid of him seeing her face... she would have castrated him right then and there!
She sat blankly on the bed, her heart a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
She felt like crying, but no tears came. She felt like laughing, but didn't know why.
Deep down, Mirajane knew Ankh was a good person.
He had saved her siblings. He took care of them.
She held affection for him—maybe even deep affection.
But the savage, aggressive side of him she met last night terrified and confused her.
She liked Ankh.
She depended on him.
But she was a woman with principles!
Clenching her fists tightly, Mirajane made a silent resolution.
'I will never, ever forgive him!'
'Well... okay. I won't forgive him for three months. No matter how much he begs, I'm not talking to him!'
....
While Mirajane was wrestling with her teenage angst, Ankh had already composed himself in the hallway.
He slipped instantly into work mode.
[Go straight. Turn left. Continue to the end of the hallway. Stop]
With Seram acting as a human Magic Power radar, Ankh navigated the hotel with ease.
He was in the staff dormitory wing.
He had used an invisibility spell to slip past the front desk during the shift change.
He stopped in front of a plain wooden door.
The lock was non-magical and purely mechanical. For someone with Ankh's past life experience, picking this was easier than making instant noodles.
Click.
The lock turned.
Ankh checked the hallway one last time and slipped inside.
He scanned the room quickly.
It was a standard, cramped employee dorm. A bed, a wardrobe, a small desk. It was clean but impersonal.
Following Seram's guidance, Ankh knelt and reached beneath the bed.
He felt around until his fingers brushed a loose floorboard. He pried it open and pulled out a wrapped package.
Inside lay the blueprint, pulsing faintly with the tracking magic.
'Got it.'
He had finally found it. It was well worth the fortune he'd spent on those designer evening gowns to get into the party.
He secured the blueprint inside his jacket and turned to leave.
But just as he reached for the doorknob, his keen hearing picked up footsteps stopping right outside.
"Sir... please, come in..."