Lisanna's eyes, wide as saucers, flickered back and forth between Orion's calm smile and Elysia's averted, crimson-flushed face. A realization dawned like a thunderclap.
"Wait..." she breathed, the pieces clicking into place. "Then you... you and Ellie already...?"
Orion simply gave a calm, measured nod. Confirmation.
Lisanna shot a look of pure bewilderment at her best friend. "But, Blazer—he—"
"He is irrelevant to this partnership," Elysia asserted, her voice sharp and glacial, a desperate attempt to regain control. It was an order, final and absolute, though the faint blush still raging at her throat betrayed her fractured composure. "Our circumstances were... extenuating."
A thousand thoughts raced through Lisanna's mind, but before she could voice a single one, Orion slowly stood up. He didn't walk to the center of the room; he walked directly toward them, closing the distance. He held up his right index finger.
Aether coalesced around it. In a heartbeat, without word or wasted effort, a perfectly formed, razor-sharp ice pick materialized from thin air. It wasn't a clumsy imitation. It was a flawless construct of pure Cryokinetic energy, radiating an aura of absolute zero so potent that both Elysia and Lisanna instinctively shivered, the ambient temperature around Orion plummeting.
"That's..." Lisanna breathed, her shock palpable. She could feel it—the unmistakable, foundational signature of Elysia's unique Cryokinesis, radiating from him as if it were his own.
Orion's gaze dismissed the ice construct, letting it sublimate into mist. His focus settled entirely on Lisanna, his smile unwavering.
"I can do the same with your power," he stated, not as a request, but as a fact. "And I can help you grow stronger, faster than you ever imagined possible."
Lisanna's eyes grew wider, a deeper, hotter blush replacing her shock. "Oh my... that's... so sudden," she giggled nervously, her usual playful confidence faltering.
"Orion, you—" Elysia began, a hard glare directed at him, ready to scold him for his audacity.
In that instant, Orion's mind, already supercharged by [Cognitive Acceleration], analyzed the entire scenario.
He wasn't just observing; he was calculating. He knew, with absolute certainty, that if he had tried this yesterday, before his System had fully awakened, he'd have an ice pike through his chest. Lisanna would have met his advance with genuine, laughing disgust.
But something fundamental had changed.
His System was subtly, powerfully enhancing his natural charm, amplifying the resonant power of his words and intent, turning them into a palpable force.
The same Elysia who seemed to loathe any man's touch, the same woman utterly indifferent to her supposed C-Rank boyfriend, now just scowled and blushed when he flirted, her internal fortress besieged.
He hadn't even made direct contact with Lisanna yet, but his proximity and the bond he'd already formed in the room were making his charm devastatingly effective.
He didn't understand the precise mechanics of it, but he didn't need to. His path to power demanded relentless action, not hesitant theory.
Could this be considered manipulative?
Absolutely.
Orion wouldn't bother to deny it and couldn't care less who saw it that way.
What mattered was the result.
And truthfully, a deeper, more genuine impulse was stirring beneath the ambition: these two distinct, powerful women were quickly growing on him. He couldn't deny the rising, sincere desire to see them break their own cages and find genuine happiness.
His confidence never faltered. He gently placed a hand over Elysia's where it rested on the arm of her chair. He leaned in, his gaze magnetic, staring directly into her icy blue eyes. "And if you wish for another kiss afterward, I will gladly oblige. I will never forget your feelings."
Elysia's breath hitched. For one unguarded second, she looked genuinely touched, a deep, profound crimson flooding her face. But her pride was a fortress built over a lifetime.
She quickly, almost violently, brushed his hand off. "Do whatever you want, you savage brute," she grumbled, turning her head completely away to hide an expression she couldn't control, desperately trying to calm the frantic, traitorous beating of her heart.
Lisanna was about to speak, but Orion turned his gaze to her, and the world seemed to fall silent. She found she couldn't look away. His smile was no longer just charming; it was enchanting, magnetic.
He didn't give a single damn if his System was making this too easy. He knew what he wanted. He knew what he desired. And he would take it.
"And you, Lisanna," he said, his voice a silken, intimate whisper that bypassed her ears and seemed to resonate directly in her chest. "If you would grant me that kiss... it would be an honor to form a bond with a woman of such terrifying, brilliant confidence."
Lisanna's blush deepened to a fiery scarlet. "Oh, you... this charmer," she stammered, her usual bubbly, rapid-fire energy replaced by a flustered, breathless warmth. "Well... I... I suppose one peck might satisfy you..."
He struck while the iron was hot. Leaning in, he captured her lips in a soft, sweet kiss. It was an instant, tingling, electric sensation for them both.
Lisanna's eyes fluttered half-closed, her heart thundering in her chest like a war drum. For a rare, fleeting moment, her effervescent, sun-bright personality turned somber, lost in the overwhelming sensation.
Elysia watched from the corner of her eye with a strange, dangerously conflicted gaze. One part of her mind, the logical, aristocratic part, screamed that Orion was nothing more than a perverted, opportunistic playboy. A Sump rat using a silver tongue, just as scummy as any of the prideful heirs who vied for her attention.
But another, stronger, more primal part of her found itself inexplicably, irresistibly drawn to his enchanting, overwhelming charm. This wasn't the clumsy flattery of other men. This felt like a gravitational pull, a man reaching deep past her defenses and connecting directly to her soul.
In the end, she just scoffed and rolled her eyes, her gaze fixed stubbornly on the ice patterns on her wall, though she didn't move a single inch from her spot.
Lyra, sitting on the chaise lounge, merely looked bored. But as she sensed a new, powerful surge of energy emanating from her brother, her eyes narrowed with sharp, analytical interest. A rising tide of heat, like a desert noon, began to ripple almost invisibly across the atmosphere of the freezing room.
For Orion, beyond the sweet aroma and the intoxicating softness of Lisanna's lips, he felt his Aether Core ignite. A new stream of energy, warm, brilliant, and radiant as the sun itself, flooded his being, instantly familiar and utterly new.
[System Notification: Intimate Contact Established.]
[Analyzing Target: Lisanna Vance.]
[Talent Detected: Photokinesis (High-Tier)]
[Symbiotic Fusion Initiated...]
[Partial Bond Formed.]
[Talent: [Photokinesis (Tier 1)] Acquired.]
[Host Aether Core Growth Rate Increased by 200%.]
[Aether Purity Enhancement Initiated for Host and Target.]
He pulled back slowly, a deeply satisfied smile on his face. "How do you feel?"
Lisanna stared at him for a long moment, her expression dazed, her pupils wide. Then, a brilliant, explosive smile bloomed on her face, her bubbly energy returning tenfold, a hundredfold. "I feel... amazing! I have so much energy! It's such a rush, I feel like I could fly through the sky right now!"
Orion simply raised his other hand, the one that had held the ice pick. He snapped his fingers. A needle-thin stream of pure, golden light erupted from his fingertip. It was intensely bright, exuding a raw, solar power that made both Elysia and Lisanna's eyes widen in absolute shock.
"The pervert can actually do it," Elysia muttered, her voice a cocktail of disbelief and something else she couldn't name.
Lisanna looked at the beam of pure light, then back at Orion, her eyes sparkling with a new, dangerous level of excitement. "Well," she chirped, "who knew a charming playboy could actually back up his words."
"So," Lyra cut in, her tone sharp and businesslike, shattering the romantic tension. She pushed herself off the lounge. "Do you princesses believe our qualifications now? Or do we need to break more of your expensive toys?"
Lisanna's eyes brightened. She turned and grabbed Elysia's arm, shaking her with unrestrained excitement. "This is it, Ellie! This is our lucky break! You always complained about being stuck in this small cage, well, our golden door just arrived!"
Elysia let out a long, weary sigh and placed a hand on her friend's head, stopping her shaking. "Calm down, Lisa, before you start bouncing off the ceilings."
She turned back to the siblings, a grudging, undeniable respect finally breaking through her frosty gaze. She snorted. "Even I would be a fool not to see this potential. But... this partnership must be fair. And before any of that, we need to deal with the immediate, glaring problem: our fathers, mothers, and every other noble who will demand to know why two unregistered strays from the Sump are staying in the Wintercroft Estate."
"Right, right," Lisanna said, nodding rapidly, her strategic mind kicking back in. "We have to be smart about this. I'm through with just going through the motions. Our change starts now!"
Lyra just blinked. "All you're really saying is a bunch of arrogant pricks with sticks up their asses won't be convinced unless we smash their faces in. Right?"
Lisanna's smile turned wry as she scratched her cheek. "Well, it's not quite that simple..."
"Pure power is useful, but it is limited," Elysia added, her aristocratic composure flowing back. "It isn't the end-all, be-all. If we truly want to enact change, we must consider generations of entrenched politics, rival factions, and the complex thoughts of—"
Lyra waved a dismissive hand, interrupting her again. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Having skills and playing politics is all well and good for the long game. But power is the foundation. This guy and I," she jabbed her thumb at Orion, then herself, "need to build that foundation so we can expand our abilities and integrate smoothly. Once we use our power to shut up the annoying loudmouths, then you two can play your boring mind games from a position of strength."
Elysia clicked her tongue, wanting to argue, but no words came. Even Lisanna was scratching her head, unable to find a single flaw in the brutal, simple logic.
Lyra's words held the fundamental truth of their entire world. The truth the Apex tried to wrap in etiquette and law. While power wasn't always the final answer, it was the one and only argument that nobody could ignore. Only through crushing, undeniable, absolute strength could major changes be forced. Only with overwhelming power could one be valued enough to be given a future.
"There's no time like the present," Orion declared, his voice cutting through the moment of contemplation. "Where are your training facilities?"
Elysia and Lisanna shared a questioning look.
"Now?" Lisanna asked, glancing at a chrono on the wall. "It's practically the middle of the night."
Lyra shrugged, stretching her shoulders. "We have a foothold. We can't waste a single second consolidating it."
"You two can rest if you want," Orion added calmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "But we need to refine our power. I doubt avoiding your fathers will be a viable option come tomorrow morning."
"Just send the food to whatever training room you have," Lyra finished.
Lisanna and Elysia shared another long look. This time, Lisanna just shrugged and smiled. "They have a point."
Elysia sighed, looking over at the siblings. She found her lips were unable to stop from curling into a slight, utterly exasperated smile. Lisanna was a headache. Lyra was a constant migraine. And Orion... she didn't even want to think about that Pandora's box of a man.
And yet, for the first time in a very long time, she felt a spark of something visceral, something exciting, something real. She couldn't find it in her to refuse.
She rubbed her temples. "Fine. I'll take you. We'll see just what kind of brutal training you savages have in mind."
A mocking smile touched Lyra's lips. "It's good to see you following the leader's orders already."
"Shut up!" Elysia snapped, her cheeks flushing again.
Lisanna laughed, snapping a crisp, mock salute. "Come along then, our little leaders."
Lyra merely curled a brow. Orion, however, smiled. He felt a tingle of raw, untamed potential coursing through him. He now held the seeds for both absolute zero and stellar light.
He had an assurance, a bone-deep certainty that resonated from his very core, that in this one night, he and Lyra would grow to a point where those Bronze Guards, the unseen Silver Guards, and any so-called C-Rank villain, could be crushed beneath their heel without a second thought.