As soon as I settled, she curled against me, her body seeking maximum contact. One leg draped over mine, her arm across my chest, her face nestled against my neck. She'd never been this clingy before—always maintaining some measure of professional distance even in our most intimate moments.
This was different. Vulnerable. Almost childlike in its neediness.
I wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. "Sleep, Ariel. You need to recover."
"Mmm," she hummed, her lips finding my shoulder. She pressed a kiss there, then another to my neck, working her way up to my jaw with lazy, uncoordinated movements.
Her hand found mine, bringing my fingers to her lips. To my surprise, she took my index finger into her mouth, sucking gently. The gesture wasn't sexual—more comforting, like a child with a pacifier.
"What are you doing?" I asked, amused.
She didn't answer, just continued the gentle sucking, her eyes already closed. Her breathing gradually slowed, deepening toward sleep while still holding my finger captive.
I shifted slightly, getting comfortable without disturbing her. As I did, I noticed something unusual—a heightened awareness of the air currents in the room, the subtle heat radiating from Ariel's body. When I focused, I could feel the tiny flames of the candles on the mantelpiece across the room, sense their dance and flicker as if they were extensions of my own body.
Wind and fire magic. Ariel's specialties. Now integrated into my own magical reserves through the Essence Drain.
I closed my eyes, exploring these new sensations. The wind element felt fluid, responsive—eager to be shaped and directed. The fire was more temperamental, pulsing with Ariel's personality even though it now resided within me. Both felt closer, more accessible than they had any right to be. Not just borrowed power, but something fundamentally incorporated into my magical signature.
Ariel's breathing had fully evened out now, her body heavy with exhaustion against mine. She'd finally fallen asleep, though she still held my finger lightly between her lips.
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the clean scent of her freshly washed hair. "Sleep well, my fierce bunny."
Her only response was a soft sigh, her body relaxing further into slumber.
Outside, the Underworld continued its eternal twilight cycle, but in here, time seemed suspended. Just the two of us, connected in ways that transcended the physical.
"We'll need to be more careful next time," I whispered, though I knew she couldn't hear me. "More controlled."
Because there would be a next time. The power enhancement was too significant to ignore, and the bond it created... that was something I hadn't anticipated. I felt closer to Ariel now, more attuned to her essence. Not just physically, but on a deeper level I couldn't quite articulate.
If the effect was this profound with Ariel, what would it be like with Latia? The thought both excited and unnerved me. The Beast had emerged so quickly, so completely. Would I be able to control it with someone who stirred even stronger emotions?
I pushed the thought aside. That was a concern for another day. For now, my priority was ensuring Ariel recovered properly.
===
I woke to the sight unfamiliar windows, momentarily disoriented until I felt Ariel's warm weight against my side. Her breathing came deep and even, face peaceful in sleep. The events of the previous night crashed back in vivid detail—the raw power, the primal connection, the utter destruction we'd left in our wake.
Carefully extracting myself from her grip, I padded to the door and cracked it open. The hallway stood empty, the house quiet. I made my way back to my room, bracing for the devastation that awaited.
The door swung open silently.
"What the hell?" I muttered.
My bedroom appeared immaculate—the bed perfectly made with fresh linens, my desk restored to its original condition with papers neatly arranged, the windows clear of any cracks. Even the floor gleamed as if freshly polished, no sign of our violent passion anywhere.
I shut the door and leaned against it, running a hand through my hair. Someone had cleaned up our mess—completely erased any evidence of what had happened. The question was who? My mother perhaps, with her quiet efficiency? A servant sworn to discretion?
The implications sent a chill down my spine. Someone knew exactly what had occurred, yet had chosen to handle it silently.
I returned to Ariel, who stirred as I slipped back into bed.
"Morning," she mumbled, crimson eyes blinking slowly open.
"Something strange happened," I said, pulling her closer. "Someone fixed my room."
She stiffened against me. "What do you mean 'fixed'?"
"It's like nothing ever happened. Everything's been repaired or replaced."
Ariel pushed herself up, wincing slightly at the movement. "That's... concerning."
"My thoughts exactly."
===
Three days passed with us preparing and Ariel recovering. Ariel regained her strength gradually, the marks on her skin fading to faint shadows. We never discovered who had restored my room, though I caught my mother watching us with knowing eyes on several occasions.
The morning of our departure arrived with clear skies and a sense of expectation hanging in the air. I stood in the grand entrance hall, a single trunk containing my essential belongings at my feet. The rest would follow in the coming days, delivered to the house my father had secured in Karakura Town.
Ariel appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in simple travel clothes rather than her usual maid uniform. The change suited her—black pants and a deep red blouse that complemented her eyes. She'd tied her hair back in a practical ponytail, though a few strands had already escaped to frame her face.
"Ready?" I asked as she descended.
She nodded, her posture relaxed but alert. The past three days had shifted something between us—a new understanding, a deeper connection beyond master and servant. The formal boundaries remained in public, but we both knew they'd been irrevocably altered.
My father emerged from his study, keys in hand. "The car is prepared."
He wore his usual formal attire, his long black hair pulled back severely from his face. Yet something in his expression seemed lighter, almost approving as he looked between Ariel and me.
"Mother isn't coming?" I asked, glancing toward the east wing.
"She's overseeing the packing of additional items for your new residence," he replied. "She did, however, leave specific instructions."
I raised an eyebrow. "Instructions?"
"You're to call weekly and visit monthly, at minimum." His lips twitched in what might have been amusement. "She was quite explicit about the consequences of failing to comply."
"I can imagine."
The drive to our meeting point passed in comfortable silence. My father kept his eyes on the road, occasionally glancing at me in the rearview mirror. Ariel sat beside me in the back seat, her knee occasionally brushing mine as the car navigated the winding roads that led away from Valac territory.
"Your mother is proud of you," my father said suddenly as we approached the outskirts of the Astaroth domain. "As am I."
I studied his profile, the rigid line of his jaw, the perfect posture even while driving. "For what, exactly?"
"For creating your own path." He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. "It takes courage to step away from the established order."
Before I could respond, he continued. "I made many mistakes in my youth. Allowed pride and resentment to dictate my choices." His eyes met mine briefly in the mirror. "Perhaps if I'd had the courage to forge my own way earlier, things would have been different."
The unexpected candor left me momentarily speechless. My father rarely spoke of regrets or mistakes.
"It's not too late," I said finally. "To make different choices."
A small smile crossed his face—there and gone in an instant. "Perhaps not."
We turned onto a narrow road that led to a small clearing—the designated meeting point Latia and I had agreed upon. As the trees thinned, I caught sight of a slender figure waiting beside a modest carriage, her blonde hair with its distinctive blue tips visible even at a distance.
My father brought the car to a stop several yards away. "Your companion appears punctual."
"She usually is," I replied, already reaching for the door.
"Dante." He turned in his seat to face me directly. "Be careful in the human world. It can be... unpredictable."
I nodded. "I'll call Mother every week."
"See that you do." He paused, then added, "And take care of them both."
His eyes flicked briefly to Ariel, then back to me. The implication was clear—he knew about my relationship with Ariel, and suspected my intentions toward Latia.
"I will," I promised.
He extended his hand, and after a moment's hesitation, I shook it.
Ariel and I exited the car, retrieving our luggage from the trunk. My father remained inside, offering a single nod before driving away, the black vehicle disappearing back into the forest.
I turned toward the clearing where Latia waited. She stood perfectly poised, her folding fan open and moving in slow, deliberate arcs. As we approached, she snapped it closed and smiled—a genuine expression that transformed her scholarly features into something radiant.
"You're late," she said, though her tone held no reproach.
"Fashionably so," I countered, stopping before her.
Her eyes shifted to Ariel, assessing but not unkind. "I see you've recovered well."
Ariel inclined her head slightly. "Lady Astaroth."
"Please, it's Latia." She gestured to the carriage behind her. "I've arranged transportation to the gate. From there, we'll need to complete the transition spell to enter the human realm."
I glanced at the modest vehicle—nothing like the ornate carriages typically used by noble houses. "Traveling incognito?"
"It seemed prudent." She tapped her closed fan against her palm. "My cousin believes I'm attending a research symposium in the Eastern territories."
"And your uncle?"
A mischievous gleam entered her eyes. "Knows exactly where I'm going, but has chosen not to interfere. For now."
The warning in Ajuka's words echoed in my memory. I'd been entrusted with something precious to him—a responsibility I didn't take lightly.
"Then we shouldn't keep the human world waiting," I said, lifting my trunk.
As we loaded our belongings, I caught Latia watching me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher—something between excitement and apprehension.
"Having second thoughts?" I asked quietly.
She shook her head, blue-tipped hair catching the light. "Not at all. Just contemplating the variables."
"Of which there are many."
"Precisely what makes it interesting." Her fan opened with a decisive snap. "New environment, new rules, new possibilities."
"New possibilities," I agreed, offering my hand to help her into the carriage.
As her fingers closed around mine, I caught the faintest whiff of her scent—parchment and lilac and something uniquely her. The three concentric circles of Void Sight flickered briefly in my vision, unbidden, revealing the complex patterns of her magical signature.
Ariel climbed in after us, taking the seat opposite. Her crimson eyes met mine briefly, a silent understanding passing between us. She knew my intentions toward Latia, had accepted them even as she carved out her own place in my life.
As the carriage began to move, carrying us toward the gate, I leaned back and closed my eyes. Ahead lay Kuoh Academy with its political entanglements, Rias Gremory with her crimson hair and knowing smile, Sona Sitri with her wounded pride and strategic mind.
Challenges, all of them. But for the first time in this life or my previous one, I felt truly ready to face them. Not as my father's son or the heir to House Valac, but as myself—Dante, with my own ambitions and methods.
And I couldn't wait to see what happens next.
End of Volume 1