Lotus slowly touched her lips, eyes softening with something rather tender.
"The gods chose well when they sent you to us, Benjamin Mark. But… my time for that has passed. Go back to Sara. She guards you jealously, and rightly so."
I just nodded, respecting her choice.
But as I stood, a quiet notification flickered in my vision:
[New Insight Gained: Elder Wisdom – Minor longevity echo from proximity.]
Longevity? Did my lifespan increase?
*
The hunt had changed something in all of us. I think my bond with them felt deeper now.
And my magic felt stronger, my connection to the forest more alive.
As we made our way back to the Spire at dark, the chimera trophy in hand, I felt the weight of love and belonging settle around me like a blanket.
Welp, my training had only just begun.
***
Three more days after the chimera hunt, my magic had settled into something steadier, but not yet pacified.
The power did rise when I called it, but sometimes it surged ridiculously, leaving scorch marks on the training grove or vines twisting too wildly.
Sara only watched with silent concern.
"Your gift certainly is vast," she said one morning, brushing ash from my tunic after a particularly unruly burst. "But vast things need anchors. I believe Lady Lotus understands things like this better than any of us. Her guidance could steady you. Shall we go to her?"
The suggestion made sense.
Lotus's presence during the hunt, her words by the stream, the brief kiss I'd given her—they all lingered like a half-remembered dream to me. There was this wisdom in her I hadn't found anywhere else.
Sara led me higher into the Spire the next day, to a secluded platform where the ancient oaks grew widest.
Lotus's home was woven into the crown of the greatest tree, branches forming open balconies that looked out over an endless sea of green. Glowing vines curtained the entrance, and the air carried the scent of old herbs and polished wood.
Sara knocked. The curtain parted, and Lotus stood there. Her grey hair braided with silver vines, and her golden eyes calm and deep.
This time, she wore a simple robe of deep forest green that hugged the full curves of her body, timeless strength evident in every line.
"Sara. Benjamin." Her voice was warm and measured. "I felt you both might appear to me soon. Come."
Inside, the space was serene: shelves of scrolls and crystal vials, a living hearth flickering with soft blue flame, small gardens of luminous flowers tucked into corners.
Then three women rose from a low table where they'd been sharing tea.
Lotus introduced them with tranquil pride. "These are my daughters. Aria, commander of the border patrols." The tallest, with short silver-streaked hair and a scar along her jaw, nodded respectfully.
"Elowen, keeper of the sacred groves." Softer-eyed, with flowing grey hair and crystal necklaces, she offered a gentle smile.
"And Vesper, my youngest here." Slimmer, with mischievous eyes and rune-embroidered tunic, she winked openly.
"The god-touched himself," Vesper said. "Mother's been talking about you."
Lotus's golden eyes flickered at me with amusement, as Sara's hand tightened briefly on my arm.
We then moved to sit around the table.
The tea was rich and very grounding. And the conversation flowed easily at first; border reports from Aria, grove news from Elowen. Then it suddenly turned to time.
"Humans beyond the Wilds live short lives, you know," Aria said, refilling my cup. "Two hundred years at most, if they're lucky. Illness, war, age, they really burn out fast."
Elowen nodded. "We Amazons endure longer. Centuries become millennia and It lets us grow deep roots… though mother is simply remarkable in her age."
Vesper leaned in. "But it costs. Many of Mother's daughters fell in old battles. And others followed mortal lovers beyond the Spire, chasing lives that ended far too soon. We were once dozens. Now… just us three are close by."
Lotus's gaze grew distant.
"Four thousand years," she said quietly. "I've buried queens, watched forests rise and fall. So I've learned that time is both a gift and a burden."
I looked at her eyes again.
The lines on her face told stories, yes, but her body was still strong, beautiful…
I mean, look at those full breasts and hips beneath the robe.
Her skin was looking so smooth with the glow of enduring life.
"How do you carry it?" I asked.
"How?" She met my eyes. "By choosing what to hold, and what to release."
Sara shifted beside me. "We… came for guidance. Benjamin's magic surges too wildly."
"…I understand. It's inevitable." Lotus rose. "But words alone won't suffice. Come to the inner balcony, Benjamin. The view will help center your soul."
As I moved, Sara started to follow, but Lotus touched her shoulder gently. "Let him come alone this time. You trust him, yes?"
Sara hesitated and looked at me, but then nodded. "I do."
Said inner balcony was private, curtained by hanging vines, open to the vast forest below.
The wind hissed through leaves… And Lotus stood at the railing, hands resting on smooth wood.
"Close your eyes," she whispered. "Feel the rhythm of the trees. Not the rush of youth, but the slow breath of ages."
I obeyed.
Then she stepped behind me, hands settling on my shoulders.
It was so warm and steady. Her voice began to murmur strange words, guiding the magic inside me. And It responded, unraveling gently and flowing in harmony rather than full force.
Weirdly comforting.
Some minutes passed, or maybe even hours. I couldn't tell since I was just enjoying myself. Maybe a nice spa would feel like this?
When I opened my eyes, the power felt more anchored and peaceful.
But Lotus's hands still lingered. "Better?"
"Much better," I said, turning to face her.
Ah, we were very close to each other as I turned.
Up close, in the soft light, she truly was breathtaking.
Not young, but very dazzling with depth.
"You… meant what you said by the stream," she murmured, looking away. "That you would lie with me, if I so wished. But not out of pity or obligation?"
"I did. And I still do." I slowly reached out, brushing a stray strand of silver hair from her face. "You're really beautiful, Lotus. Time hasn't taken that from you. I don't think it can. Instead, It's made you even more magnificent."
Her golden eyes widened, searching mine. Something pure shifted behind them… longing, perhaps, buried under centuries of restraint. It's how I see it.
She stepped closer. "It… It has been a very long time since I last allowed this," she whispered, embracing me. "But you… you see me, Benjamin Mark."
"When you're shining so bright? How can't I?"
I kissed her then—slow and reverent. Mhm. She tasted of tea and timeless earth.
Her lips parted, returning the kiss with growing warmth. Hands that had known millennia slid into my hair, pulling me deeper.
We quickly moved inside, to a private chamber off the balcony. Furs on a wide bed grown from living wood and soft light from glowing flowers.
Our clothes fell away slowly. And her robe slipped from her shoulders, revealing full, heavy breasts with dusky nipples, waist curving to wide hips, skin smooth and warm.
I made sure to trace every line, every scar, with lips and fingers, worshipping the stories written there.
Lotus gasped softly as I kissed down her neck, lavishing attention on her breasts until she arched, fingers tightening in my hair.
Going lower still, I parted her thighs and tasted her nectar—sweet and rich, like aged wine. She moaned, low and deep, hips rolling against my tongue until she came with a shudder that seemed to echo through centuries.
Heh. I'm glad she's enjoying herself.
She instantly pulled me up, eyes dark with need. "Inside me," she breathed.
I nodded and set my shaft for take-off.
I entered her slowly, savoring the heat, the tight embrace of her body.
She wrapped legs around me, guiding the rhythm. It was deep and unhurried, as if we had all the time in the world. Because for her, we nearly did.
We moved together, sweat-filled, breaths mingling.
She began to ride me at some point, grey hair cascading, huge breasts bouncing with each roll of her hips, golden eyes locked on mine unblinking.
When she came again, clenching around me, it urged my own release; I spilled my seed deep inside Lotus with a groan that nearly felt like total surrender.
After, we lay tangled for a while, her head on my chest.
"Thank you, Benjamin," she whispered. "For noticing me. For reminding me I'm still a woman."
I kissed her forehead. "Always. Anytime."
The System flickered quietly.
[Bond Formed: Lotus (Ancient Devotion – Level 1)]
[New Skill: Temporal Anchor – Magic surges stabilized; minor longevity boost.]
Longevity again? If I keep sleeping with Lotus, I might become immortal!
*
When I returned to the main room, Sara waited, eyes thorough yet soft. She took my hand without a word.
Was she so worried?
Lotus eventually saw us out with a serene smile.
As we descended, Sara leaned close. "Did she… help?"
"More than I can say," I answered honestly.
Sara squeezed my hand, but with that familiar subtle edge.
The bonds with them were growing, and so was the complexity of this paradise.
Now, I wonder who else I'll meet in this new world?