Morning in Sedona City
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Lucas's steady, rhythmic breathing filled the quiet room, a soft counterpoint to the faint chirping of dawn's first birds outside. His eyelashes fluttered, trembling slightly as consciousness slowly pulled him from the depths of sleep. Gradually, his dark eyes opened, bleary and unfocused, staring at the intricate patterns of the bed's canopy above. The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm, golden glow across the room, bathing everything in a gentle haze.
It was the third day since the daring rescue of Elisa and the other elves. The grueling journey back to Sedona City had stretched into the early hours of the following morning, arriving past ten o'clock. Exhausted, bloodied, and triumphant, the group had shared a quick meal, washed off the grime of battle, and collapsed into their beds. Lucas, drained from the ordeal, had slept straight through to this third morning, his body finally surrendering to the rest it craved.
"Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed," Lucas murmured, his voice thick with the remnants of sleep. He stretched lazily, the soft creak of the mattress beneath him a familiar comfort. Turning his head toward the bedside table, he squinted to check the time on his clock, its hands ticking softly in the stillness.
But his gaze caught on something—or rather, someone—else. Amelia was slumped at his bedside, her silver-white hair cascading like a shimmering waterfall over the edge of the bed. Her delicate, elfin face was serene, her long, feathered ears twitching faintly with each breath. She looked almost ethereal in the morning light, a vision of quiet vulnerability that contrasted sharply with her usual stoic demeanor.
"Really? This early in the morning, and you're already here?" Lucas muttered, rolling his eyes with a wry smile. He could guess why Amelia was here. Her obsession with "going to the sky" was no secret, and her presence at his bedside likely meant she was eager to press him on that promise. The thought amused him, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of fondness for her persistence.
"Mmm~~" Amelia let out a soft, dreamy murmur, her lips twitching as if savoring something delicious in her sleep. Her gentle snores were barely audible, a faint hum that added to the room's tranquil atmosphere.
"She's only this unguarded when she's asleep," Lucas mused, his gaze softening as he watched her. In sleep, Amelia shed the icy facade she wore like armor, revealing a glimpse of the girl beneath—innocent, unburdened, and achingly human. Reaching for the coat draped over a nearby chair, he carefully draped it over her shoulders, mindful not to wake her. The coat's heavy fabric settled around her, enveloping her petite frame in warmth.
"Mmm…" Amelia stirred, her eyelashes fluttering as the coat's weight registered. Her green eyes opened slowly, blinking in the dim light. She glanced at Lucas's retreating hands, then down at the coat now covering her. Her lips pressed together, a flicker of something—gratitude, perhaps—crossing her face before her usual stoicism returned.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Lucas asked, his voice gentle. "Want to climb in and sleep a bit more?" He hadn't expected her to be so sensitive to his movements, and the offer was half-teasing, half-sincere.
Amelia nodded, her expression as impassive as ever. To Lucas's astonishment, she began to undress, peeling off her outer layers until she was left in nothing but a simple belly band—a makeshift undergarment that left her midriff bare. Before he could process, she climbed onto the bed, slipped under the covers, and nestled against him, leaving only the top of her head visible above the blanket.
Lucas blinked, momentarily stunned as he felt the warmth of her body against his. Her presence was both startling and oddly comforting, her small frame fitting perfectly in the curve of his arm. "Who taught you that?" He asked, his voice tinged with amusement as he tried to mask his surprise.
"What?" Amelia's face was half-hidden by the blanket, her green eyes peering up at him with a blank, almost childlike curiosity.
"The bellyband," Lucas clarified, his curiosity piqued. "Who gave it to you?" He hadn't noticed her wearing one before, and more to the point, he hadn't introduced such a garment to this world. The idea that someone else had invented it intrigued him.
"Annie," Amelia replied, her voice flat and matter-of-fact.
"Annie?" Lucas's brow arched, a spark of interest flaring. "Did that fox-eared girl come up with it herself?" The thought of Annie, with her clever mind and innovative spirit, designing a bellyband was both surprising and delightful. It spoke to the growing ingenuity of the beast-eared folk in Sedona City, a development that filled him with pride.
"For the hot springs," Amelia added, her tone as emotionless as ever.
"Oh…" Lucas's enthusiasm deflated slightly, a wry chuckle escaping him. Of course. He'd been overthinking it. Annie, ever conscious of her smaller chest, had likely crafted the bellyband to shield herself from prying eyes at the hot springs. It was practical, not revolutionary. "Never mind, then," He muttered, shaking his head.
"So, why are you up so early?" Lucas asked, glancing at the clock. It was only seven-thirty, far earlier than Amelia's usual routine. "Not sleeping, just sneaking in here—what's the deal?"
Amelia didn't answer immediately. Instead, she threw back the blanket and sat up, turning to reveal her bare back. Lucas's breath caught as his eyes landed on the soft, downy feathers sprouting from the scars where her wings had once been. The sight was both beautiful and miraculous, a sign of healing and rebirth.
"Wings," Amelia said simply, a faint note of joy threading through her otherwise monotone voice. She lay back down, pulling the blanket over herself and settling into Lucas's embrace once more.
"Your wings are growing back," Lucas said, a warm smile spreading across his face. "That's wonderful." He understood now why she'd come so early, slipping into his room before the sun had fully risen. This wasn't just about her promise to "go to the sky." She was sharing her joy, her quiet triumph, in the only way she knew how.
"Mm," Amelia nodded, her green eyes fixed on him with an intensity that belied her expressionless face. To anyone else, she might've seemed detached, but Lucas saw the spark of happiness buried in her gaze.
"This is something to celebrate," He said, propping himself up on one elbow, his lips curling into a playful grin. "Come on, can't you smile? Just a little? Smiling helps your wings grow faster, you know."
"Smile?" Amelia tilted her head, her brow furrowing as if the concept were a foreign language. She seemed to mull it over, her mind turning the idea like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.
"Yeah, like this—" Lucas's eyes glinted with mischief. His hand darted toward her armpit, fingers wiggling in an attempt to tickle her. He expected a giggle, a squirm, anything to break her stoic shell.
Amelia didn't flinch. She stared at him, her face as blank as a marble statue, utterly unaffected by his efforts. The tickling might as well have been directed at a stone wall.
"Uh…" Lucas withdrew his hand, defeated. His attempt to coax a laugh from the stoic girl had crashed spectacularly. "Okay, never mind."
"Smile?" Amelia raised her hands, using her index fingers to pull the corners of her mouth upward. The result was a grimace so unnatural, so eerily forced, that it sent a shiver down Lucas's spine. It was less a smile and more a parody of one, like something out of a nightmare.
"Stop! No more smiling!" Lucas said quickly, pressing his hand over her mouth to halt the unsettling expression. "That's… that's enough of that."
Amelia tilted her head, slipping free of his hand. Undeterred, she turned her back to him and resumed tugging at her mouth with her fingers, as if determined to master the elusive "smile."
Lucas groaned, covering his face with his hand. "What even is this?" He muttered. If Amelia spent the whole day yanking at her lips like that, she'd terrify half the city. The image was both hilarious and horrifying.
Reaching out, he gently pulled her back into his arms, his fingers brushing the soft feathers on her back. "A smile comes from the heart," He said softly, his voice warm with patience. "Think of how you feel when you eat something delicious—your heart feels light, right? That's when you smile. It's how you show you're happy."
Amelia paused, her fingers stilling as she turned to face him. "Don't understand," She said, her green eyes searching his face for answers.
"You don't need to understand it now," Lucas said, his tone reassuring. He reached up, playfully flicking the feathered tip of her ear. "One day, something will make you smile, and then you'll get it."
Amelia's emotional walls were formidable, built from pain and loss Lucas could only guess at. He suspected her sister was at the heart of it, a wound she carried silently. He'd tried asking before, but Amelia's answers were always vague, her memories shrouded in reticence. Breaking through would take time, patience, and a key he hadn't yet found.
"Oh," Amelia said, nodding faintly. Her gaze drifted to her fingers, still damp with saliva from her earlier efforts. Without warning, she reached out, her index fingers hooking the corners of Lucas's mouth and tugging them upward, then downward, molding his face into a series of comical expressions.
"Hey, what's this about?" Lucas asked, caught off guard by her sudden playfulness. He stared into her impassive face, baffled by the contrast between her deadpan expression and the mischief in her actions.
Amelia didn't respond, her fingers continuing their game with surprising enthusiasm. She pulled his lips into a lopsided grin, then a dramatic frown, her green eyes glinting with a rare spark of amusement. For her, this was entertainment, a fleeting moment of connection.
Lucas blinked, catching the subtle shift in her gaze. With an exaggerated sigh, he leaned forward and gently bit her fingers, his voice muffled as he grumbled, "Alright, enough. Stop playing with my face."
"Oh," Amelia said, withdrawing her fingers with the same calm indifference. She wiped the saliva on his shirt, then tilted her head back to meet his eyes. "When do we go to the sky?"
"The sky?" Lucas's mind flashed to the promise he'd made before their trip to Pentos City, a half-serious vow to take her flying. He raised an eyebrow, a teasing lilt in his voice. "We'll head to the research department later. If they've finished what I asked for, I'll take you up."
"Now," Amelia said, sitting up abruptly. She reached for her clothes, pulling them on with a speed that left no room for argument. Her decisiveness was as unwavering as ever, her focus locked on the prospect of flight.
"You're relentless, you little gremlin," Lucas said with a helpless laugh. Her determination was infectious, pulling him out of his lingering desire to stay in bed. There were other matters to attend to as well—Elisa and the elves needed to be settled, and Sedona City's defenses required his attention. With a groan, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, ready to face the day.
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
300 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.