Training Grounds – After the Flame
Arin's chest still rose and fell with lingering fire.
His shirt stuck to him with sweat, and the chilly night air suddenly seemed too light.
The sound of the flame still echoed through his bones.
Karo was standing close, arms crossed, though his eyes hadn't strayed from Arin for more than a moment.
"So… this is real," Arin gasped.
Karo nodded slowly. "It's only the beginning."
Arin swallowed hard and scratched the back of his neck.
"You know. at home, when someone kissed you, it usually didn't unlock legendary martial arts."
Karo chuckled deep. "At home, did kisses also have percentage meters?"
Arin glared. "What are you—?"
[DING!]
[Gay Path Progress: 6%]
[System Analysis: Host has established strong physical and emotional contact with a same-sex bonded partner. Triggers found: Eye contact (x3), heart rate acceleration (+15%), in-breath proximity of shared air.]
[New System Message Available. Would you like to open it?]
Arin stared at the blue holographic screen blinking in the air.
He looked at Karo. Then at the screen.
Then at Karo again.
".Are you doing this?" Arin panted.
Karo blinked. "What?"
"Nothing," Arin grumbled in a hurry and brushed the screen aside in frustration.
Village – His Assigned Room
Late that night, after they'd trudged what seemed like forever back into the inner village, Arin was finally alone.
The elders had given him a small guest chamber carved of dark stone, thin silken drapes on the windows, and an unexpectedly soft bed.
It was quiet… too quiet.
He flopped onto the bed and groaned into the pillow.
The mattress smelled faintly of wild herbs and something earthy.
[System Notification – Pending Message.]
"Fine," he muttered, rolling over.
[You have triggered a Secondary Evolution Path: Harem Deviation Detected.]
[Note: Traditional Harem Route requirements have not been met. Adjusting goals.]
[Gay Path → 6% (Active)]
[Harem Route (F): 0%]
[Current Favored Partner(s): Karo]
[Projected Outcomes: Male Harem Route (97% probability)]
[Accept Destiny?] — [Y/N]
Arin sat bolt upright, staring.
".WHAT?"
His eyes were brimming with tears before he could stem them.
"No. No no no. This isn't happening."
"I requested soft thighs! Attractive women! Braids and giggles and jealousy and pillow fights—NOT Karo's dumb abs and emotional maturity!"
His voice cracked.
He wrapped his knees to his chest once more, as he had done by the pond.
But this time, he wasn't courageous.
He felt small.
And appallingly alone.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I just wanted to flirt with girls and gain affection points like a normal Hero," he sobbed softly.
"Not unlock fire powers with guy kisses."
He snuffled immensely and punched the bed half-heartedly.
"Damn system…"
But in the midst of his desperation, Arin had not heard the faint creaking under the bed frame.
A slight shifting of weight.
From the darkness under his bed, two golden eyes sparkled.
And a soft, slow sound followed.
A tongue… scraping over lips.
Midnight Intrusion
Arin eventually slept, his cheeks still damp from tears.
His daydreams were vague—moments of home, of green fields and sunlit skies.
The giggle of a girl.
The stolen kiss in the back of lockers.
The warmth long past.
And then something changed.
Rough, unwanted hands crept up his stomach.
His shirt was pulled up.
A breath tickled his neck.
"You smell like fire…" a voice growled hungrily.
Arin's eyes flew open.
In the dim moonlight filtering through the drapes, he saw a figure — half-shadow, half-lust — a muscular man crouched over him, face inches from his own, eyes fevered.
The stranger grinned. "I've waited so long to meet the outsider…"
Arin's body reacted before his mind did.
He shoved hard, twisting and kicking, blankets tangling as he thrashed.
"GET OFF ME!" he yelled, panic rising.
The man lunged again — but just as his hand reached for Arin's chest—
CRACK!!
The door exploded inward with a deafening BOOM.
A boot collided with the intruder's face, sending him sprawling across the floor.
Eryas stood in the doorway, his leg still extended, a cold fury in his eyes.
"Touch him again," he growled, stepping inside, "and I'll remove every bone in your body one by one."
The intruder spat blood, hissed, but did not stay to defy fate.
In one, smooth motion, he vanished out the window, lost into the night.
Eryas did not pursue.
He went instead to Arin — who was shaking beside the bedpost, gasping for breath, clothes half-tousled and eyes wide.
".You okay?" Eryas asked, softer.
Arin nodded slowly, still trembling.
"I didn't. I didn't even hear him come in."
"Most of them won't knock," Eryas muttered grimly.
"Not when they smell blood. Or power. Or fear."
He helped Arin up gently, guiding him back to the bed and checking for any bruises or injuries.
Despite his gruff nature, Eryas's touch was careful.
Measured.
"You're not safe alone anymore," he said.
Arin gave a weak laugh.
"Apparently, I'm not safe even under my own bed."
"Yeah, well…" Eryas paused. "This world's full of predators. But some of us? We look out for our own."
Their eyes met.
And for a moment—Arin was not the only one in turmoil.
He nodded.
"…Thanks."
Eryas stood up. "Try to rest. I'll keep watch outside the door tonight."
And he did.
Elsewhere – The Depths Stir Again
In the ruins beneath the mountains, the golden-eyed observer snarled.
"The village keeps him safe…"
Behind him, a great beast thrashed in chains of molten metal.
"But not forever."
To Be Continued..