The moment Val pushed open the door to his dorm room, his legs finally gave out.
He collapsed face-first onto the bed, breath trembling.
With this temporary body, it was a miracle he'd managed to perform even half as well as he did today.
His eyelids grew heavy, just a moment of sleep, he told himself, until a sharp knock snapped him back to reality.
Val groaned, forcing his aching muscles to obey as he dragged himself toward the door.
When he opened it, the last person he expected stood there.
"N-Nara? What are you doing here? This is the male dorm!" Val whispered harshly, quickly checking the hallway before pulling her inside.
Nara brushed dust off her skirt. "Relax. I climbed through a window and waited until every boy left for class. No one saw me."
Val let himself fall back onto the bed while Nara sat beside him. Her familiar warmth filled the room.
Her orange hair shimmered under the afternoon light, and her smile, bright and effortlessly radiant, had always been a comfort to him.
But no matter how cheerful she looked, her voluptuous, dangerously alluring figure drew attention wherever she went.
And trouble.
She never asked for that. It was the inheritance of her blood, a child born between a succubus and a human soldier who loved her.
War tore them apart, and baby Nara had been left at the orphanage doorstep… where Val found her. Where they grew up side by side.
As Val drifted in memories, something slipped from his coat and clattered across the floor.
A small ring spun, then stopped at Nara's feet.
"What's this?" she asked softly, picking it up.
Val's eyes widened. "Wait, don't—!"
But before he could finish, she slid the ring onto her finger.
A soft click.
A faint pulse.
Then Nara's eyes gleamed, crimson, swirling faintly like embers awakening.
"Val…" Her voice lowered, smooth and intoxicating. "What exactly is the meaning of this?" She lifted her hand, the ring shimmering on her finger.
"You didn't plan on giving this to another girl, right?"
A chill danced up his spine. This wasn't the Nara who joked and smiled without worry.
Something inside her shifted the moment the ring touched her skin… something old, deep, and powerful.
Her gaze drifted, suddenly catching the letter on his desk, the one where he'd written an invitation to the academy's dance.
Nara's eyes sparkled. "Oh. Oh. So that's how you were planning to court me." She pressed her cheek to her ringed hand, grinning in a dazed, delighted way.
"I should buy a dress… maybe perfume too…" She jumped to her feet with sudden energy. "But first, come on! We need to get to class."
She grabbed his arm and pulled him with her.
His arm vanished between her soft, warm breasts, and Val nearly tripped in embarrassment.
As they walked, Nara glared at any girl who so much as glanced in Val's direction.
Her possessiveness radiated like a heatwave.
"Just what did that ring do to her…?" Val whispered under his breath.
Still… a part of him didn't hate it.
From afar, Zyra watched them with narrowed eyes. "Weird… I don't remember Nara being that close to her childhood friend."
He reached into his coat, pulling out a crumpled note marked by a distinct boot print. "But I don't have time for this. The culprit won't wait."
He headed toward the boys' dorms.
Because the field exam hadn't taken place yet, students were free to choose any seat. Which is why
"Hehe, hey Val," Nara said, squeezing his arm until it went numb. "Remember that creepy merchant who wanted to adopt me because of his weird daughter-fetish? Good times. Thanks to you, he ran off crying."
Val barely heard her.
Because a blue-glowing panel appeared in front of him.
Ding!
Quest: A Hidden Route?
Nara's succubus bloodline is on the verge of awakening. Help her stabilize it before it consumes her.
Time Remaining: 2 days, 14 hours, 27 seconds
Reward:
• Charm +16
• Strength +8
• Agility +6
• ??????
"What the hell…?" Val muttered.
This wasn't supposed to happen. Not in this arc. Not yet.
He forced his expression neutral just as the classroom door opened.
"Ahem." Their professor entered, eyes sweeping across the students. "It's time for your field test. After today, you will receive your permanent seating assignments until graduation."
His gaze lingered on Nara… just a second too long.
A hungry smirk tugged at his lips.
"This year," he murmured, licking his mouth, "will be interesting."