Kael felt awful, noticing how Syvia's expression sank, disappointed with him after she heard about what he did at the market.
"Kael, why would you…." Before Sylvia could speak, a hard knock echoed through the house.
Sylvia threw Kael a glare. "What did you do this time? Are you trying to get yourself killed? And this time… nobles?"
Not even waiting for his answer, she turned and went to answer the door.
Kael sighed in relief. That knock might've saved him from another lecture. He turned, catching a glimpse of Mira across the room. She was glaring at him, her pretty eyes full of silent judgment.
He was about to say something to her, when they heard Sylvia open the door.
A tall, curvy, and confident woman stepped inside the house the moment the door opened. She walked in like she owned the place. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulder, and her outfit hugged every curve, leaving little to the imagination.
Skin-tight fabric stretched over generous hips and a chest that demanded attention.
Her eyes locked onto Kael the second she stepped inside.
This was Sherry, the neighbor next door, who lived with her two daughters.
What caught Kael's eye first, and made it a little hard to look away, were her full, heavy breasts, perfectly framed by the neckline of her top, impossibly soft and inviting.
Sherry was always flirting with Kael for as long as he could remember, though for what reason, he never quite understood. Whether she actually meant it or it was just her personality, he still didn't know. Either way, he never flirted back. Mostly because he didn't know how.
"Kael," Sherry purred, her voice having a subtle invitation, "I was expecting you. Why didn't you stop by earlier?"
Kael winced inwardly, recalling that he had promised to help Sherry set up a few things in her house earlier that week. But the chaos at the market had derailed everything.
Now he felt like he'd missed out on a prime opportunity to get closer to her, something he couldn't easily brush off.
He wanted to answer her, but fortunately, Sylvia answered for him.
"Sherry," Sylvia sighed. "He'll do it tomorrow. He had a long day."
"Okay," Sherry replied, throwing another playful glance at Kael. "I'll be waiting."
She winked at him, and then she looked at Sylvia and they started a different conversation.
While the two women began talking, mostly Sherry trying to pry into the incident at the market, Kael used the moment to slip away, into his room.
He lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts returned to the chaos at the market. He didn't regret what he did, not for a second. If someone laid a hand on Mira, they deserved worse.
But worry crept in. If those nobles came looking for revenge, they might not just come for him. Sylvia and Mira could be caught in the crossfire.
Later that evening, Kael sat alone in his room, resting a sword across his lap. The blade was dark, and had strange carvings etched into it, mysterious symbols. Kael had no idea what the meaning of those symbols was, or why did the sword have symbols in the first place.
But one of the most baffling question that he never knew how to answer was: why was the sword dark? It was like it was made out of shadow itself, cold, smooth, and darker than iron or steel. Not painted black, but born that way, like the metal had swallowed light before it was ever forged.
Not to mention that the sword was very heavy to everyone else except him. Everyone else would have to use two hands to carry it, while he didn't even feel the weight at all.
And another thing? Maybe it was Kael's imagination, but the sword seemed to move and make noises sometimes.
Like this one time, he left it on the floor, only to find it on his bed in the middle of the night. And then there was this one other time, he felt like it was speaking to him.
Well, it wasn't like a person talking, more like a low, demonic sound that came from the blade itself.
Kael told himself it had to be his imagination. Just stress. Lack of sleep. Too many strange days piling up.
But even so… there was no denying one thing:
That sword was creepy as hell. Maybe even cursed.
Kael had received the sword like this, from Mira's father, almost 3 years ago, on his sixteenth birthday.
The man who had rescued Kael from the ruins of a burned-down house had claimed the sword was found beside him in the fire. He believed it once belonged to one of Kael's deceased family members.
Kael ran his fingers along the worn leather grip, lost in thought about it.
A soft creak broke the silence as the door opened, pulling his eyes toward it.
Sylvia walked in and leaned against the frame, arms crossed. She had changed from the robe, to a dress. But she still looked very attractive, her silhouette glowing in the candlelight.
Her glare was sharp. Teeth clenched, she said, "Kael, what were you thinking…?"
Kael raised a hand before she could say more. "Calm down, Sylvie," he said, then began explaining everything that had happened at the market.
Only then did Sylvia's stern look begin to soften.
"Still," she murmured, "you could've handled it without hurting anyone. Let's hope they don't come after us for revenge." She sighed, then walked over and sat behind him on the bed. "But… I'm proud of how you stood up for Mira," she added softly.
Then she pulled him toward her, wrapping her arms around him. His back rested against her chest, his face closer to hers. She gently curled her legs around him. "You look tense, did you even sleep yesterday?"
"Yeah." Kael answered. Although it was a lie, he did not sleep well the previous day, nor the other days. Strange dreams kept haunting him. Some were pleasant, others… not so much. And also, add the fact that his bed felt like a rock.
If he wasn't having nightmares, he was busy moving around, trying to find a comfortable spot.
As Sylvia held him, Kael felt two soft and big things poking his back.. Realizing it was her tits, his eyes widened slightly. "Sylvia…"
Sylvia noticed how he subtly tried to pull away and she frowned a little.
She didn't understand why he'd been so distant with her lately. In the past, especially when he was younger—he had always been open, relaxed around her. Now, it felt like something had changed.
He could barely look her in the eye. But all she wanted was to offer him a little comfort.
"Shh," she whispered, preventing him from saying anything. She then touched his cheek gently, her breath warm and close.
To Kael, it felt very intimate." Great. First nobles. Then the sword whispered again. Now boobs on my back. Am I cursed, or is this just eighteen?"
He felt strangely torn, uncomfortable, yet more at ease than he'd been in days. He was literally lying against Sylvia, and her busty and soft nipples were poking at his back. Truth be told, he could not help himself from getting a hard-on.
That was the part that made him uncomfortable. And somehow… that was also the part that made him feel very comfortable.
He didn't know why, but ever since he turned eighteen a year ago, Sylvia was more affectionate, and gave him a lot more attention.
It was like she was… Kael sighed internally, and pushed the awkward thought away before it was even fully constructed.
It wasn't just her, either. Most of the women in the village had started acting differently around him. Some stared longer than usual. Too many smiles. and others were just way too friendly. Awkward touches.
It gave him the impression that some of them were interested in him, in a sexual way. He didn't know why.
But deep down, something told him, he wasn't a normal human. And one day, the truth would come out.