"Thank you for bringing us here, Mrs. Mayer," said Dex as he got out of the lady's magic car, accompanied by Echidna.
As she looked toward the back seat, she smiled. "It's always good to help Ouroboros students, especially when they're such a beautiful and nice couple like you two."
Now already out of the car, Dex added one more, "Thank you very much."
And so the lady went on her way with a smile on her face. As she departed, Echidna waved goodbye.
She then commented, "We were really lucky to find her."
"Yes, but don't forget the mission has only just begun," he said, pointing towards the imposing dormitory where the Boss rested.
Pov Erica:
The afternoon wind gently swayed the curtains, making the window's reflections dance across the floor lit by the pinkish light of a sun already almost hidden by the sea.
On the desk: open books, crumpled notes, and a mug of cold coffee—all silent witnesses to the president's conflicted mind.
She slept slumped over her arms, wearing one of her pajamas with a blanket draped over her shoulders. Her face, usually serene, now looked tired, the soft dark circles betraying that sleep had been only a temporary escape.
Ding-dong.
The sound of the doorbell sliced through the silence like a blade. Erica moved her fingers slowly, frowning, still caught between dream and reality.
Ding-dong.
Her eyes opened suddenly, reflecting her confusion. A second later came irritation.
"But who...?" she muttered, her voice rough and low.
She got up, feeling her body heavy and her mind jumbled. The clock read almost 7 p.m.
"Did I sleep that long?"
Another ring. More insistent.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
"Coming!" she yelled, running a hand through her messy hair.
As she walked to the door, the sound of her steps echoed softly but firmly.
She quickly straightened her shirt collar, wiped her eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure—after all, she was Erica, the president, the woman who would never allow anyone to see her weak.
The bell rang again, and this time, Erica's heart raced.
She turned the handle.
And behind it were Dex and Echidna, holding hands.
For a moment, no one said anything. Erica could only watch them in silence.
She took a deep breath, and just as she was about to break the silence, she was interrupted by Echidna, who took her hand. "First of all, we want to apologize for that..."
Dex, now holding her other hand, continued, "... and we really feel the same way about you..."
Now, together, they hugged her and said in each ear, in unison, "... so would you allow us to be your boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Erica froze completely right there, unable to say the words she truly wanted: "Of course I do!"
But remembering that moment on the beach was enough to make her blood run cold. "You really have the nerve to play with my feelings like this! Am I a joke to you?"
"We would never do that to you!" said Echidna, still holding her.
Irritated, Erica shot back, "Funny, right? On the beach you treated me like trash and ignored me, and now you're all sweet and loving."
Dex tried to explain, "You know that she and I have a special connection..."
"Yes, a very special connection—in the end, you're the same person, so it's easy to love each other," she said, trying to pull away from their embrace.
Echidna, hearing this, replied, "That's not why I love him—even if we are now one soul, that doesn't change the fact that I fell in love with him, just as you did."
"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked, confused, since Echidna had introduced herself as some strange ability.
This time Dex answered, "Let's just say Echidna was always inside my body, alongside my soul, so we've known each other for a long time. And when I awakened my first soul and bloodline, our souls merged and created a new one with two personalities and two bodies."
And Echidna continued, "As a result, the two of us can do a lot of things."
"What strange abilities are you talking about?" asked Erica, still confused.
"One of the abilities we used on the beach was telepathy, but only when our bodies are in contact," she said, stepping away from Erica.
"I'll show you one of the abilities we unlocked," she said, focusing.
Dex, seeing this, could only lament, 'Sacrifices for love.'
"Eternal Duality!"
For anyone watching, nothing seemed to change, including Erica. "So that was your great ability?"
Dex's body said nothing, just hugged the beautiful president tighter and nuzzled her head.
"What are you doing, Dex?"
But Echidna's voice, now more serious than normal, came from the other body, "You're blaming the wrong person, dear."
Echidna began to evaluate her new body—stretching and flexing arms and legs, even touching her own breasts. At last, she said, "Echi, I think you must be more agile and flexible than I am—you should try some martial arts training focused on kicks."
Dex answered, "Boring!" and stayed glued to Erica like a pervert.
Confused, Erica could only say, "What's happening? And let go of me, pervert!"
"We changed bodies, so the one harassing you isn't me," Dex said, as they got into a stance.
Then the gorgeous woman, with those long legs, performed a spinning kick right over Erica's head, stopping by the head of the body now possessed by Echidna.
By instinct, the "pervert" dodged the attack. "What are you doing, Dex?"
Dex then flashed a smile that could make any man swoon. "Just showing you how you can use martial arts focused on kicks."
"And why did you use enough force to take off someone's head?" Erica said, suspicious.
"And it's also a small punishment so you'll learn not to use other people's bodies like a pervert. Eternal Duality!" he said, switching bodies again.
Now back in his real body, he spoke to Erica, ignoring a sulking Echidna. "At that moment, we were arguing mentally, so we didn't say anything. The angry faces were also because of that argument."
"But what could be more important than responding to... my confession?" Erica asked, with a mix of happiness, sadness, and anger.
"We were arguing over who was to blame for making you confess," Echidna said.
Confused, Erica asked, "What?"
Dex replied, "We felt that Lyra's presence and our attention towards her made you feel lonely and left out, so you decided to ask for the piercings and to be our girlfriend."
Echidna continued, "And even though we felt the same as you about love, we felt guilty for making you feel pressured to reveal those feelings so soon."
Erica, now downcast after hearing what they said, turned away and asked, "Follow me and close the door behind you."
They entered, dropped their bags, and followed her to her room.
Inside, they saw that, among the many papers scattered around, there were piles of tissues on her desk.
"You're seeing them, right?" She pointed to the pile. "I spent hours crying thanks to your little argument."
"And that's why I want you to show me you really love me—not with sweet words, but with actions," she said as she undressed from her pajamas.
Her beautiful, sun-kissed body was revealed to them. Her long, golden, wavy hair was lit by a reddish sunset that seemed to match her lovely red eyes.
"If you really want me to be your queen, then treat me as one and satisfy me."