In all of Mort, Azron feels at ease around Sera and her house was the only place that will cover him from the eyes of everyone. A place without expectations for him to be a perfect leader. A place where he could confide. A place he can show his weakness. A place that will uphold his secrets. And now, more than ever, it was the only place his body and mind desperately sought.
He stepped inside the gate and went straight towards the garden. His movements were unsteady, his breath uneven. He knelt down on the ground as the effects of the aphrodisiac worsened, the heat inside him spreading like wildfire, consuming every ounce of control he had left.
With all his might, he walked towards the entrance to the kitchen. Each step felt heavier than the last, his body no longer fully obeying him. He looked for water and gulped a whole jug, the liquid spilling down his chin, soaking into his already damp clothes—but it did nothing to ease the burning coursing through him.
The noise caught Sera's attention.
She went to the kitchen with a dagger in her hand, suspecting she was being robbed. Her steps were cautious, alert—until her eyes widened at the sight of Azron holding the table. His hand shaking and his grip firm, making the table almost fall, as though he was anchoring himself to something just to remain standing.
"Azron?" She called as she put the dagger down the side, her voice shifting instantly from guarded to concerned.
She walked slowly towards him.
"Don't…come near me." Azron ordered, his voice low but firm, strained—as if every word cost him effort, like he was holding himself together by sheer will.
Sera looked at his body bending over, like he was struggling to stay up, his breath ragged, his entire frame tense.
"Are you sick?" She asked as she stopped her footsteps, worry tightening in her chest.
But Azron didn't answer. He searched for more water. His clothes are wet now both from the water and his sweat, clinging to him, outlining the tension in his body.
The scene surprised Sera, it was the first time she saw Azron in such a state. He, who was always composed, always controlled—now looked like he was unraveling right before her eyes. She doesn't understand what was going on with him nor does she know how to help.
Azron was struggling to keep himself in balance. His tall and huge body made the things in the kitchen fall and collapse, the quiet space now filled with the sound of disruption—mirroring the chaos within him.
"What's wrong with you?" Sera asked again as she walked towards him, unable to just stand still.
She held his shoulders and was shocked at his burning skin.
"You're…burning up. Do you have a fever?"
She held Azron's shoulders and made him face her.
She held his face that was red and sweaty. His eyes slightly closed, his vision blurry—but when they met hers, something deeper flickered there. Something raw.
Azron can no longer say a word. Focusing his mind to restrain his body. And having Sera close to him had made everything harder—unbearably so.
"Stay away…from me." He spoke with his weak low voice, almost pleading now.
"What do you mean stay away? You're not well. What happened to you?" She asked as she examined his body for wounds or infections, her hands moving instinctively, her concern overriding everything else.
Her gaze focused on his upper body, checking. Not noticing Azron's gaze fixated on her—intense, heated, like his restraint is almost gone.
Then she noticed a strong metallic scent on his clothes.
"What's that smell?" She asked as she leaned forward to smell the scent coming from him.
She instantly leaned back. The scent of the aphrodisiac covered all of Azron's body and scattered in the air. Almost suffocating—thick, overwhelming.
Then she felt her vision change, her body heated and her heartbeat fast.
It crept into her senses without warning.
She was now feeling what Azron was feeling.
"What's happening? Am I having a heart attack?" She asked as she held Azron's arm firmly, trying to balance herself as well, her grip tightening as her body betrayed her.
Sera let go of Azron and tried to walk towards her room but the reaction of her body intensified making it harder to even walk. Her steps faltered, her breath quickened, her skin flushed. Her body became hotter and she removed her robe, as if desperate for relief, and sat down on the floor.
Meanwhile Azron looked at her, still restraining himself from going after her. His chest rose and fell sharply, his fists clenching, his entire being at war with itself. But Sera's state concerns him and he carefully walks towards her, drawn not just by instinct—but by something deeper.
He also sat on the floor and held Sera's face.
"Are you…okay?" He asked, his voice rough, barely steady.
They both breathe fast, the air between them thick with something neither of them could fully name.
Sera looked at him and felt a change in her body. It was like her buried feelings towards Azron had resurfaced all at once—strong, undeniable, overwhelming. A feeling she didn't know existed…or perhaps one she had never allowed herself to acknowledge.
The sensation was new to her, intoxicating and frightening at the same time, that her control gave in—completely, willingly.
She leaned closer to Azron, grabbed his neck and kissed him.
Azron's eyes slightly widened.
And then—
His restraint shattered.
He grabbed Sera's body closer to him and kissed her back, deeply, intensely—like something long denied had finally broken free. His hands tightened around her as if afraid she might disappear.
The hidden desire for each other that they both felt exploded, no longer restrained, no longer hidden—and they both let go.
Sera hastily removed his robe, her hands trembling, urgent, while Azron kissed her with a hunger that felt almost desperate. The effects of the aphrodisiac made them crave each other more, their movements driven by something raw and consuming.
Azron pulled her closer, his hands roaming over her as if memorizing her, grounding himself in her presence. Every touch sent a wave through both of them, intensifying everything they felt.
Azron's feelings intensified and he removed all his clothing and felt the heat from Sera's body—real, overwhelming, answering the fire inside him.
He kissed her neck intensely while Sera clung to him tightly, her fingers gripping him as if she needed him to steady herself, to anchor her in the storm they were both caught in.
They were both on the floor. Azron placed his hand on her head, protecting it from the hard floor as he made his advances, even in this state still mindful of her, still careful in the midst of chaos.
Sera gasped at the unfamiliar sensation, her body reacting, her emotions tangled between intensity and vulnerability. She buried her face against him, holding onto him as everything became too much, too fast, too overwhelming.
Azron's breath grew heavier, his movements driven by both desire and something deeper—something that made him stay close, made him hold her tighter with every reaction she gave.
They are both lost in the moment, in the overwhelming pull between them, the world outside completely fading away.
The aphrodisiac was so strong that it didn't go off immediately. Azron was not satisfied that he carried Sera toward her room for another round, his arms firm around her, unwilling to let go. And Sera's body also hasn't relaxed and she lets Azron hold her, respond to him, drawn just as deeply into the moment.
He went on, deep and intense, his restraint completely gone—but not his awareness of her. He stayed close, their movements slower at times, then urgent again, like waves that refused to settle. The night stretched on, heavy with emotion and unspoken connection.
He did the deed all night without rest. Like years of not being able to release everything now pouring out in a single night—raw, unfiltered, and overwhelming.
Though the aphrodisiac made them lose their control, they recognized each other.
And somewhere beneath the intensity, beneath the fire and the chaos—
There was something real.
Something neither of them would be able to forget.
…
The light from the sun touched Sera's eyes, making her wake up slowly, unwillingly—as if even her body hesitated to return to reality. She groaned softly, her body weak and aching in ways she had never felt before, every movement reminding her of the night she could not yet bring herself to fully face. She attempted to sit up but was stopped by a weight surrounding her stomach—warm, firm, and undeniably real.
She looked down and saw an arm hugging her, possessive yet gentle even in sleep. She turned her head and saw Azron sleeping soundly beside her. His face slightly covered by his hair, his upper body exposed. The blanket just covered a portion of his waist, revealing the toned muscles carved across his body. His image screamed perfection and handsomeness, despite the scars painted on his skin—marks of war that somehow only made him feel more real…more human…more dangerous.
And more hers, if only for a fleeting night.
Sera's eyes widened as everything came rushing back.
Fragments turned into memories. Memories into vivid flashes.
Her heated moments with Azron.
The intensity. The closeness. The way he held her like she was something he could not let go of.
She held her chest as her breathing fastened, her heart pounding uncontrollably as if trying to escape her ribs. She shook her head with disbelief of what just happened, her thoughts spiraling.
What have I done? …no…no…no.
She couldn't believe she had lost her virginity to Azron—to this warlord she once feared, the very man she had been trying so hard to escape from. And yet…there was no fear in what she remembered. Only heat. Only intensity. Only something that felt dangerously close to longing.
She looked at herself and discovered she wasn't wearing anything. Both of them were completely naked, the evidence of their night laid bare without mercy.
Shit…shit…shit.
She cursed under her breath as she slowly stood up, her legs trembling slightly, both from soreness and from everything she was trying to process. She quickly took a robe and covered herself, as if that alone could shield her from the weight of what had happened.
She looked down at Azron who was still sleeping soundly. Their night had drained him completely, his usual guarded presence replaced by something almost peaceful…unguarded…vulnerable.
For a moment, she just stared.
Then she looked away.
She took the blanket and covered Azron's body fully, almost hurriedly—as though the mere sight of him, of what they had shared, was too much for her mind to handle.
Then she stepped out of her room.
The moment she did, she froze.
The view outside had made her even more speechless.
Azron's clothes scattered on the floor. Her clothes torn apart, carelessly discarded. The things removed from their usual arrangements—chairs slightly moved, objects displaced—like silent witnesses to everything that had happened.
Then it hit her.
Not just flashes anymore—but clarity.
She remembered the details of last night.
How intense they were.
How neither of them held back.
Her gaze slowly moved across the room, and with every corner she looked at, memories surfaced—of being held, of being pulled closer, of losing herself completely. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her cheeks flushing deeply.
That she just did that…on her first time.
Having to be taken by the moment so completely…in places she never imagined…in ways she never thought she would allow.
The realization made her entire body respond—every ache, every soreness now speaking loudly of the passion they had shared. Her whole body was sore, not just from the physical intensity, but from the overwhelming experience of it all.
She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself.
She went to the bathroom, put on some fresh clothes, her movements slightly stiff, still adjusting. She gathered her things and left her house, almost as if staying any longer would suffocate her.
She couldn't wait for Azron to wake up.
She couldn't face him.
Not after that.
It was already noon when Sera arrived at the military grounds. The sun was high, but her thoughts remained clouded, tangled, restless. Her mind replayed everything again and again, refusing to settle.
What happened between her and Azron will make things even harder for her.
Much harder.
And she doesn't have time to be in such a state…to be entangled with him deeply. Not when she still has plans to leave Mort City. Not when she had promised herself she wouldn't get tied down to anyone—especially not him.
She clenched her fists slightly.
She thought of a way to avoid Azron. To escape the inevitable conversation. To run—not just physically, but also emotionally—from what had already begun.
She needs to go somewhere he was not.
Somewhere she could think.
Meanwhile, Azron woke up a little later than Sera.
The first thing he noticed was the emptiness beside him.
He looked around the room, his brows slightly furrowing, noticing Sera wasn't there anymore. He lifted a hand and touched his head. The effects of the aphrodisiac have totally worn off. His body felt lighter…clearer.
But not empty.
He was feeling better…much better.
And then—
He remembered.
Everything.
The memories of their intense night came back not as confusion, but as something vivid and grounding. A slow smile formed on his face, unguarded and genuine—something rarely seen from him.
Though it wasn't what he expected his first time to be, having to do it with Sera…joyed him.
More than he could explain.
He realized how different it felt—how real it was—to be with someone he truly desired. Not just physically, but deeply. And in that realization came another truth:
Just how much he had been missing all those years.
Not just the act.
But the connection.
He sat up, his gaze softening slightly as he looked around the room once more, as if expecting her to appear.
He stood up and stepped out of the room. Noticing he was all naked, he casually picked up his clothes from the floor and put them on, his movements steady now—but his thoughts still lingering on her.
"Sera?" He called for her.
His voice is warm and soft.
Not commanding.
Not distant.
But searching.
But Sera wasn't around.
The silence answered him.
Realizing it must have shocked her, Azron's expression shifted slightly—understanding, concern, and something else…something deeper.
Without hesitation, he immediately took off to find her.