The Gamer's POV

Cedric’s POV

——

Since when have I loved Aika?

Honestly, I’m not sure.

Somewhere along the line, we grew close, yes. We bonded, but that’s the essence of Bonds, isn’t it?

To bond with the being that stays by your side, that protects you, and fights for you.

Aika has always been by my side, fighting to protect me. So... it was only natural that we bonded.

You know, at first, I was worried anytime we got into danger and Aika had to fight. I kept thinking: "What if something were to happen to her? I’d become powerless."

I have too many goals, and I’ve worked far too hard to afford any setbacks.

But then, when was it? If I remember correctly, even before the battle of the Lords, even before I learned that I could still have power without Aika, my thoughts had already shifted.

Whenever Aika jumped in to fight alongside me, my concern was no longer about my strength. I just worried: "What if something were to happen to her? I can’t live without Aika."

I...

I love Aika too much to lose her.

***

Aika’s POV

——

Since when have I loved Cedric?

Honestly, I’m not sure.

It’s not like I’ve ever relied on him or anything. In fact, there was a time when I didn’t even like him at all.

It was terrifying. Can you imagine how it feels to wake up bound to a complete stranger? To learn that you have to depend on them for everything, including your own survival? To fight for them against your will, forced to be at their beck and call at any moment?

I hated it.

And don’t get me wrong, I still hate the reality of it.

But setting our unfortunate circumstances aside, I grew to like my bearer as a person. He treated me as a friend and kept trying to get me to rely on him. He worried about me, and...

Heh. To think the guy actually managed to get me, Me, Aika Soryu, to depend on him.

It’s laughable, isn’t it?

I miss him when he’s not around. I get down when he’s upset with me. I yearn for him...

Do you know, even when I read, the only characters in my head are Cedric and me.

I saw Cedric for the very first time in the Puppeteer’s Grove.

And now, I want to see him every day.

I...

I love Cedric.

***

Cedric pressed his lips against Aika’s with his eyes closed. For a second, Aika had been stunned, but then, she closed her eyes too.

And for a moment, it felt like the world had come to a halt.

At this moment, it felt like time itself had stopped.

Neither of them could believe that they had actually taken this step toward each other.

Aika couldn’t believe that this was happening. There were so many questions on her mind, but the most pressing was:

He loves me?

Actually, it was not that she had not sensed that there was some sort of romantic connection between them. However, she could not believe that he would actually admit it.

She could not believe that he would actually say that he loved her.

And that he would move first.

So, she was stunned beyond words.

...Cedric, on the other hand, felt his heart beating like a caged bird.

He didn’t care about anyone or anything except her.

The only reason he had been hesitating was because he had been wondering if she would let him in this manner.

Now, however, he had decided to throw all worries out of the fucking window.

He loved her, and he was going to have her!

After a moment, he broke the kiss and opened his eyes. When Aika opened hers, he could see tiny tears glistening at the corners of her eyes.

Seeing her so vulnerable in his arms made his heart ache with fierce affection.

"Is this proof enough for you to believe that I love you more than our Bond?" he asked softly.

Aika lowered her gaze.

For a moment, she didn’t reply, which caused him to frown and worry. His heart began to race even faster.

But then, Aika lifted her head and said something that completely shattered his remaining restraint.

"Take me, Cedric Mortimer."

"...?"

She paused, looking directly into his eyes.

"Take all of me, Cedric."

Hearing that, Cedric didn’t ask anything more. He didn’t say another word. His lips descended on hers even more fiercely.

Cedric’s kiss, which had begun soft and questioning, quickly deepened as Aika responded with equal passion. Her hands came up to clutch his shirt, and her lips parted to receive his tongue.

She arched her body into his, and Cedric responded even more passionately. His hands came down to grab her slender torso, pulling her flush against his chest as if trying to erase any space left between them.

At this point, their kiss grew so intense that as Cedric pushed her a few steps back, Aika reached into his hair, pulling him closer as if she couldn’t get enough of him.

They kissed like two people who had yearned for each other for ages, yet were starved of the very thing they needed most.

Cedric turned Aika and pressed her gently back against the balcony railing. And Aika moaned softly into his mouth as her hands wrapped tightly around his shoulders, clinging to him for support.

She could feel his growing arousal pressing against her, and that made her want him even more.

’Fuck.’ She felt like she was going to go crazy!

Aika reached up and held his face, then broke away from the kiss.

"Cedric..." she pleaded in a breathy and desperate voice.

Of course, he understood what she needed. Because even he was pushed well past his limit.

He felt like he was about to lose his mind!

Without waiting for her to say more, he activated One with the Ravens, and in the next instant, both of them vanished from Count Malakor’s manor!

———-

A/N: Psa. I don’t want anyone to hop onto the next Chapter to meet a jumpscare, so I’ll say it here. The next Chapter contains some mild r-18.

I did ask for a vote on the discord and the majority voted for it. Yes, I know. Many people don’t like that, while many people do. If you don’t, you can just skim over it.

This does not make the book bad, I promise!

Also, I’m not really good at writing this stuff. Just saying. I lack experience in that area, so please forgive me. (T_T)

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!