"I... I'm just glad we're alive and back."
My voice came out somewhat melancholic yet joyful, a mix of feelings — all born from a victory that preceded the war.
Flávia and Selena simply stared at me. Maybe they didn't know how to respond, or maybe they just preferred to stay silent in the face of my words.
And so the thermal bath continued. After the quiet beginning, we started chatting about all sorts of things. Though still a bit stiff, we managed to relax and leave our troubles behind.
The bath flew by quickly.
It was already a new day, and our spirits were lighter. Flávia and Selena had been spending nearly the entire day at my side — almost as if I were about to die. All day long, sweet and clingy.
And me? I was loving it. Sometimes it's good to escape the endless cycle of training and war to just be in love and cuddled up.
Today we were going shopping — me, Flávia, and Selena — in the same elegant district from last time. They had just mentioned yesterday how much they wanted to go shopping with me. So, why not?
At that moment, we were riding in an extremely elegant carriage, with spatial magic inside. From the outside, it looked ordinary, pulled by three black horses and adorned with a paint that shimmered between red and gold. Four metal rods extended from the top, giving it the appearance of a crown.
Inside, however, was a whole other world: spacious, several meters long, decorated with deep red sofas, enchanted chandeliers, and golden walls. The only entrance and exit was a sleek interior door marked with a magical seal.
"Where are we going?" I asked, curious, looking at Flávia and Selena.
"Velvet Magic Street," Flávia replied, absolutely thrilled.
She was so excited, it even caught me off guard.
"You're way too excited, Batgirl," I joked, laughing.
"It's because you have no idea how much I love that place! It's magical! Every item is beautiful — incredible clothes, dazzling jewelry… Some things are so fantastic, they rival Velvet Veil Street!" she said, lively and adorable.
My heart felt lighter just seeing her like that.
Selena, on the other hand, seemed calmer. While she also enjoyed those things, she wasn't as flashy as Flávia, who loved to shop just for the sake of it. Selena liked it more in the way of a normal woman — who loves shopping, but without excess.
We arrived quickly at the street. It was a busy and absurdly beautiful place. The decor was both mystical and refined. Magical cats flew around, witches strolled casually, and various luxurious stalls and stores created an atmosphere worthy of royalty.
As we stepped out of the carriage, I helped Flávia and Selena down like true princesses. Both wrapped themselves around my arms and quickly dragged me toward their favorite stores.
The first stop, chosen by Flávia: a magical tailor shop. When I stepped inside, my eyes nearly sparkled.
Incredible clothing, cloaks that adapted to the wearer's size, weight, emotions, and even personality. Ethereal dresses that floated gently, all white with unique patterns. No two were alike, not even those in the same size.
Clothes enchanted with elemental resistance were also on display — one seemed to be surrounded by water and wind, as if it created its own storm, with a mystical and impressive aura.
Flávia and Selena completely abandoned me, far too excited, talking to the saleswomen about each piece. From time to time, they'd call out to me:
— "Bruno, look at this dress!" — "What do you think of this one?" — "Can you help me choose a color?" — "Do you like this imposing cloak?" — "Look at this blouse — isn't it gorgeous?"
My name echoed dozens of times, and I responded to all with attention, compliments, and laughter. Seeing Selena act like that was especially charming. She used to be so reserved… but in that moment, she seemed relaxed. It brought us even closer.
Among all the items, one cloak caught my attention: black, resistant to both heat and cold, and fit the body perfectly.
My eyes locked on it. Curious, I asked the saleswoman for the price.
When she told me, I was stunned. It was expensive. Fortunately, still within my budget as a brigade commander.
In Tenebris, the currency system is simple — divided into four coins: copper, silver, gold, and diamond.
Copper equals 1 dollar, silver 100, gold 1,000, and diamond 100,000.
Since all races still maintain contact with the human world, the dollar is still used as a conversion base.
But of course, we're not talking about ordinary metals — these are unique minerals from Tenebris.
🟤 Copper – Cuprum Fuscus: tough and brown, rare, used for weapons, coins, and reinforced wall construction.
⚪ Silver – Argentum Canus: a rare mineral, essential for runes, coins, and magical barriers.
🟡 Gold – Aurum Aureos: valuable and malleable, used for enchanted armor and noble currency.
💎 Diamond – Metallum Adamas: an almost divine mineral. The best weapons are forged from it. Diamond coins are symbolic only, made from leftover scraps of the mineral. No one in their right mind would waste it on minting coins instead of crafting semi-divine weapons.
Coming out of my thoughts, I turned back to the saleswoman. The cloak cost 50 silver coins — exactly a quarter of my monthly salary.
Painfully, I paid and stored it in my dimensional ring.
I returned to Flávia and Selena. They handed me several shopping bags and pulled me along to the next destination.
Selena's choice: Step Beautiful, a magical footwear store.
It was beautiful, but definitely not my thing. Just being among so many women's shoes already made me feel out of place. Flávia ran toward a luxury display, while Selena's eyes locked onto a breathtaking white flat.
I sat on a bench, watching as they came over with questions and smiles:
— "So?" — "Extremely beautiful." — "Does it suit me?" — "Absolutely. As gorgeous as a flower. If it were up to me, I'd take it home."
— "Take what home?" Flávia asked, raising an eyebrow.
— "Obviously, the mannequin…" I replied with a smile, drawing laughter and playful glances.
And so it continued: sneakers, compliments, questions, flirting… A light and cheerful mood.
Minutes later, already outside the store, I carried even more bags — with both of them hanging off my arms. And despite the weight, I couldn't describe how happy it made me to see them like that: smiling.
I was never a fan of shopping. But seeing the ones I love happy? That's priceless.
We passed by various magical stalls. They bought several accessories. I gave in too — bought a silver bracelet with Roman numerals, a small wolf decoration, and a magical expansion enchantment.
Might be useful.
Flávia dragged me toward a magical cosmetics store… and that was just too much for me.
— "Hmm… Flávia, is there a potion shop nearby? I wanted to drop by while you guys… hmm… test magical lipsticks?"
She raised an eyebrow, clearly reading my intent to escape.
— "To the right, behind that sign. It's an old potion shop, part of a huge franchise. Should have everything." — she said, already pulling Selena away excitedly.
Relieved, I walked slowly in that direction. I released Ignis, who climbed up onto my shoulder cheerfully.
— "What is this? Where are we? Are you going to buy me something to eat?" he asked nonstop. A new habit of his… annoying, but adorable. I answered every question with a smile.
But when I arrived, something was wrong.
There was no luxurious shop. Only an old, broken-down structure. A facade forgotten by time.
— "This was the grand, ancient franchise?" I murmured, confused.
A chill ran down my spine.
I felt… something.
A strange instinct told me that if I missed this opportunity, I'd never get it again.
And so I entered.
The moment I crossed the threshold, something completely unexpected greeted me.
— "What… is this?"
📜 Thank You for 20K Views! 🩸🔥
Today, on Sunday the 27th, the novel reached 20,000 views!
Honestly, I don't even know how to thank you all properly… but I truly want to give something back for this amazing support. ❤️
So let me ask you:
👉 Would you like something special?
A bonus chapter? An alternate scene? Or maybe extra chapters throughout the week? Let me know what you'd like in the comments!
🌑 I'm also planning something called the "Crimson Week", a special event that will be triggered if we hit two goals:
🎯 50 collections + 10 comments
If we reach that, I promise to:
📌 Release 3 chapters per day for an entire week
📌 And on one day of your choice, drop 5 chapters at once!
Let's keep building this dark, magical, and intense world together.
Thank you so much for every read, vote, comment, and for being here.
— With gratitude (and blood in my eyes),
Bruno_O_Opinador