Kael froze. His pulse slammed.
Mia, catching the direction of his stare, slowly smiled. a dangerous, satisfied curl of lips.
The mystery girl didn't move. Just stood there, her dark hair falling over one shoulder, the streak of green catching the dim light. Her glasses tilted slightly, but instead of fixing them, she tilted her head—her gaze locking straight into his.
Her lips curved. Not sweet. Not kind. A smile that cut.
"Well," she said softly, voice dripping with a mocking lilt, "looks like someone's busy after class."
The words sank like claws, her eyes never leaving his.
Kael's chest tightened. He wanted to speak, to defend himself, but his throat closed up. His palms still burned from where they had pressed into Mia's breasts heat that betrayed him now.
The girl gave a small, deliberate adjustment of her glasses, her smirk lingering just long enough to sear itself into him. Then she turned, hips swaying, skirt teasing higher with each step as she walked away leaving the echo of her voice hanging in the hallway.
Mia chuckled low beside him, leaning close enough for him to feel the edge of her breath.
"See?" she whispered. "Even she's watching you. But don't forget, Kael… you're mine."
Kael stood rigid, his mind torn in two. The heat of Mia's body still clung to him, but all he could see over and over was the sharp glint in the other girl's eyes. And that smile. That damn smile.
...
Kael sat slumped over his desk, chin resting against his knuckles, while the rest of the classroom buzzed with chatter. The laughter, the passing of notes, the scratching of pens—it all blurred. Inside, his chest felt knotted, each thought twisting him tighter.
Mia's words still lingered in his ears.
The mystery girl's mocking smile burned into his mind.
And then Aimee. Soft, shy, a light he didn't dare touch yet.
He rubbed the back of his neck and leaned toward his closest friend, Jaden, who was busy doodling on his notebook.
"Hey," Kael muttered low, "how do you… you know… talk to a girl you actually like?"
Jaden snorted, almost choking on his gum.
"You? Asking me? Man, the guy who girls trip over just to get a smile? You serious?"
Kael gave a weak laugh, but his eyes stayed fixed on his desk.
"I'm not talking about… those girls," he said quietly. "I mean different. Someone you actually wanna… understand. Not just… play around."
Jaden leaned back, smirking. "So the legend Kael finally caught feelings? Damn, I thought you were allergic." He chuckled and nudged him. "Okay, okay—truth? Just don't overthink it. You look her in the eyes, say what's real. Girls can smell fake from a mile away. Just… don't be a coward."
Kael frowned slightly. His friend made it sound simple, but in him it felt like trying to lift a mountain.
Their laughter mixed Jaden still teasing, Kael trying to mask his seriousness. But Kael hadn't noticed…
At the far side of the classroom, near the half-open window, a shadow lingered.
She was leaning casually against the wall outside, hidden by the frame. Her hair fell in loose curls over her chest, the sunlight brushing golden against her skin. Busty, curves sculpted in a way that drew every glance she allowed. Her blouse hugged her chest like a secret waiting to burst, and the sway of her hips was enough to stop the air.
And she was listening.
Every word Kael said. Every laugh. Every hesitation.
Her lips curved, slow, as if savoring it. She didn't move, didn't interrupt just stood there, drinking in his confession, her eyes glinting with interest.
.....
The day's classes drained away with a blur. Kael had barely kept his focus, Jaden's teasing still in his ears, Aimee's shy glances haunting his chest, and Mia's heat pressing in his memory. He needed air.
As he stepped out of the campus gates, the evening breeze brushed his face, carrying the noise of students spilling into the streets. He was halfway down the walk when a figure fell into step beside him.
She was the girl from the window.
"Kael, isn't it?" Her voice was calm, almost melodic.
He blinked, startled. Her curves were even more striking up close, her blouse straining at her chest, the smooth swing of her hips beside him. His throat tightened. Another one? he thought. Why do I keep… noticing them like this?
"You don't know me yet," she continued, a soft smile playing at her lips, "but I heard you. In class. Asking how to confront a girl you truly like."
Kael froze. Heat flushed his cheeks. "You… you were listening?"
She only tilted her head, eyes glinting with something unreadable. "I listen to many things. It's part of what I am. My name is Selira. I serve as a Cathedral priestess… and a counselor. Sometimes… I help young men find the answers they can't shape on their own."
Her words wrapped around him, warm and strangely disarming. But then
"There's always a balance," she added, her gaze narrowing slightly. "An exchange. Nothing is free, Kael."
He frowned. "A fee?"
"Just a token," she said lightly. "Not money. Something more… meaningful."
They walked in silence until Kael, against his better judgment, agreed to meet her the next evening in a quiet garden near the Cathedral.
The next day, under fading twilight, Selira sat across from him, her voice like silk weaving through his restless mind. She asked simple questions at first, soothing him: Why Aimee? Why her smile? Why his hesitation? Her words chipped at his barriers until his heart felt bare on the table between them.
Then she paused.
"Give me your hand," she said softly.
Kael hesitated, but obeyed.
Her fingers traced his palm. And then
A sudden glow flared faintly across his skin. The glimmer, a subtle shimmer like threads of light dancing beneath his veins. Selira's eyes widened.
"…So it's true," she whispered, almost to herself. "The blessing."
Kael pulled back slightly. "What blessing? What do you mean?"
Her lips parted, and for the first time her calm composure cracked into hunger. "Each time you touch me with those glittering hands… I feel my spirit ignite. Like power flooding me." She leaned closer, her breath grazing his cheek. "If you want my help, Kael… then touch me. Cling to me. Let your warmth feed me. That will be your token."
Her chest pressed forward, brushing him deliberately, her scent flooding his head.
Kael's heart pounded.
Confusion. Lust. Guilt.
Another test... ? another woman.
And somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered: How long before you lose yourself in them all?
.....
Kael had been restless since the counseling conversation. His friends' teasing, Aimee's silence, Mia's touch—all of it blended into a knot he couldn't untangle. So when Selira stepped into his path again after school, his heart jumped.
"Kael," she said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, "you left too quickly yesterday. I didn't get to tell you everything."
Her presence was disarming. Her uniform hugged her figure so naturally it was almost unfair, her bust swaying slightly as she leaned closer. Kael looked away, willing his eyes to behave.
"Why me?" he muttered. "Why do you want to help?"
Selira smiled knowingly. "Because I think you're… stuck. You want to be bold, but you keep locking yourself up. I can help. Not as a priestess this time, just… as a girl."
She reached for his hand.
Kael hesitated, then let her fingers lace with his.
The moment their palms touched, the faint shimmer came alive again. Not bright, but soft like fireflies flickering between their skin. Selira gasped, her breath catching.
"Oh… there it is again."
Kael stiffened. "What do you mean again?"
"When you touched me before… it happened too. Kael, when you touch me—it feels like warmth pouring into me. Not draining, not heavy. Just… like I'm alive in a way I wasn't before." Her cheeks flushed pink, her chest rising with a heavier breath. "It makes me feel… good. Stronger. Like I can shine."
Kael swallowed hard. Her bust pressed lightly against his arm as she clung closer, looking up into his eyes.
"Let me help you," she whispered. "Talk to me. Practice with me. If you're afraid to face the girl you really want, then… let me be your start. And maybe… your secret."
Her words wrapped around him like silk, the glow between their hands pulsing as if answering her invitation.
Kael's heart hammered. He could barely breathe.
Aimee…
Mia…
Selira…
The web tightened. And yet, part of him longed to give in if only for the ease of not resisting.