Chapter 1010

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He reached his room in a few moments and promptly collapsed onto the mattress.

Since the base had transitioned from a bustling academy to its current military state, his quarters were merely one of the old dormitory rooms from Lunaria’s academic days.

Consequently, the space was largely bare.

Aside from the bed, a wardrobe, and a simple desk and chair tucked into the far corner, there was nothing else.

Not that he cared for luxurious decor; he had specifically chosen this secluded spot as a sanctuary where no one was permitted to disturb his solitude.

Before retreating here, he had checked on Jesse, finding her deep in the process of training her light magic.

She had been incredibly busy since Grey had insisted she begin her instruction a few weeks prior.

Initially, she had been grumpy about the sudden rigorous schedule, as if she couldn’t fathom why the world required such intensity.

However, based on what he had just witnessed, a sudden, sharp determination had taken root in her.

What had caused the shift?

He didn’t know, especially since he hadn’t informed her of the impending conflict.

There was literally no need to burden her; what could an eleven-year-old possibly achieve on a battlefield of this scale?

Besides, he harbored the dark thought that he might not survive the encounter, so it was vital that the Dawn family had someone left to continue the bloodline.

Sighing deeply, he was finally about to drift off when a soft, tentative knock echoed from the door.

Turning toward the sound, he frowned slightly, wondering who it could be. "Come in."

Creak—!

A woman slipped inside the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

She possessed flowing crimson hair, fierce brown eyes, and smooth skin.

Scarlet Trevor!

"Oh! It’s you, prickly queen." Grey smiled softly as he watched her approach with a stoic, unreadable expression.

"Heard you were back from Amir, right after he distributed those strange-looking pills with your initial stamped on them," Scarlet began, walking forward with a calm stride.

Without waiting for any invitation whatsoever, she sat down on the edge of the bed beside the warrior mage.

Grey exhaled through his nose.

"Yeah. Those specific pills have the potential to replenish a mage’s mana core... refilling it to half its normal capacity for five minutes. During that duration, you won’t feel your mana draining as you cast spells. However, once those five minutes expire, one’s mana will be totally depleted."

"Which of the pills does that?" Scarlet lifted a brow.

"The purple one. The blue one, on the other hand, will significantly increase your speed for two minutes."

"Oh. That’s actually amazing," Scarlet uttered, her gaze drifting toward the wall opposite the bed.

Grey remained silent for several seconds until Scarlet finally fractured the stillness.

"Remember the first time we met?"

Grey looked at her with a raised brow, then chuckled. "Of course. How could I forget? I almost incinerated you out of sheer annoyance due to your arrogance."

Scarlet turned to face him with a fleeting frown at his blunt words, but as she reflected on the memory, she realized he wasn’t wrong.

She exhaled and looked away again.

"That day, I never imagined I would ever have anything to do with a commoner or a pauper. Being a noble, we all possessed this ingrained pride that made us look down on those we deemed weaker. But you shifted that perspective for us. You showed us that commoners and nobles can mingle without any issue."

She paused for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"... I never thought I would actually fall for a commoner like you. I can’t believe Arthur and Raze had already predicted this future for us on that very same day. Ha!"

Grey kept staring at her, his chest tightening the more he contemplated what was coming for them.

"That day you took us to your home... do you know what your mother said to me while you boys were outside fighting?"

The Supreme Magus was genuinely intrigued now, his fatigue momentarily forgotten as he stared at her.

"Wh—what did mum say?"

Scarlet smiled softly, a rare warmth touching her features.

"... Before we could even realize how we felt for each other, she had already seen it. She asked me to—to be by your side always and take care of you no matter what. and yet here we are, about to head into something we aren’t even sure we can survive."

Lifting her gaze to look deep into the Supreme Magus’, Grey was taken aback by what he witnessed.

Her eyes were moist, tears glistening at the edges as they threatened to overflow.

"I-I-I’m scared, Grey," she whispered, her voice fracturing.

"I-I act strong on the outside, but I am terrified... Scared of losing my friends, scared of losing my world, and scared of losing the one person I have loved with all my heart. I’m scared that we might not make it out of this alive."

Tears cascaded down her face while Grey sat stunned, momentarily unable to formulate any words.

This was the first time he had ever seen her this way.

To him, she had always been the embodiment of arrogance and stoicism—unmoving and cocky regardless of what came her way.

Yet now, she was laying her raw vulnerability bare for him to see.

Exhaling through his nose, Grey rubbed his temples before letting out a soft, grounding chuckle.

"I am also scared," he admitted quietly.

"Not for my own life, but for the lives of everyone else. I don’t know if I will come out of this alive, but I promise to try my absolute best."

Turning to face her fully, he held her gaze and reached out, cupping her cheeks with his hands.

They stared into each other’s eyes, the weight of the coming war momentarily eclipsed by the intensity of the moment.

"... For my friends, for my world, and for you; I will make sure I survive this and save as many people as I can."

Scarlet sniffled, searching his face.

"Promise?"

Grey smiled tenderly before leaning forward.

Soon, they locked lips in a desperate, lingering kiss.

The door creaked open behind them, but with a sharp swing of his hand, a surge of wind magic lashed out and slammed it shut with a definitive click.

Their embrace deepened as they fell into one another, lost in a flurry of shared breath and years of unspoken tension.

Scarlet fell backward onto the mattress with Grey following her down, their kiss never breaking.

Within a second, they were reclined on the bed, the world outside the room ceasing to exist.

Scarlet’s hands wrapped tightly around the mage’s neck, pulling him closer to her body as if trying to anchor him there forever.

Grey didn’t let up, his hands moving toward her waist and rubbing the fabric of her attire softly.

Her legs coiled around his waist in response, drawing him into her as much as possible as they shared a passionate moment of intimacy.

As the curtains drew shut from the lingering force of Grey’s wind magic—plunging the room into a heavy, mild darkness—the aroma of romance and long-awaited affection wafted through the air.

The two young adults were lost in the embrace and scent of one another, creating lasting memories that could not be erased by the coming storm or the shadows of the Otherworlders.

In that quiet sanctuary, far from the battlefield, love and devotion reigned supreme.