Agastya stiffened. The taste of alcohol was strong on her lips, but beyond that, there was something raw in the way she kissed him. A desperation, a need to feel something real, even if just for a moment.
Her hands tugged at his shirt, her body pressing against his. She wasn't just seeking pleasure—she was trying to erase a past that haunted her. Trying to replace the memories of betrayal with something new.
For a moment, he let himself go with the flow.
But then... she slumped against him, her breath slowing. The alcohol had finally won.
Agastya sighed. Carefully, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the bed. She mumbled something incoherent, her fingers weakly grasping at his shirt before finally falling limp.
He tucked her in, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She was strong, fierce, and unbreakable in battle. But here, in this moment, she was just a girl who had been hurt one too many times.
Agastya turned away, settling onto the couch instead. As he stared at the ceiling, he thought about everything that had led him here. The betrayal, the fight, the divine bow in his possession, the rebels, Kiara...
His life was changing. And for the first time in a long time, he wasn't sure where it would lead.
Kiara groaned as the morning light filtered through the window, her head pounding like a war drum. She rubbed her temples, trying to recall what happened last night. Drinks. Lots of them. Talking about her ex. And then… her eyes widened as flashes of memory surfaced. A kiss. Clothes being tugged. Heat.
Her breath hitched as she yanked the blanket off, only to realize—she was completely naked.
"Shit." Her face turned red as she scrambled for her clothes, dressing in record time. Panic surged through her veins. Had she really gone all the way with Agastya?
Heart hammering, she turned towards the couch—where the bastard was still sleeping peacefully. His arms were crossed, his breathing steady, completely unaware of the storm raging in her head.
Well, that was about to change.
With a scowl, she lifted her foot and stomped straight onto his stomach.
"ACK—" Agastya jolted awake, coughing as he clutched his midsection. "The hell was that for?!" he groaned, shooting her an annoyed glare.
Kiara folded her arms, eyes sharp as daggers. "You tell me."
Agastya blinked, still half-asleep. "Huh?"
She pointed at herself furiously. "Why the hell was I naked when I woke up?! What the hell happened last night?!"
Agastya yawned, stretching lazily before pointing at the corner of the room. "Why don't you check the CC camera footage and see for yourself?"
Kiara's eyes darted to the small security camera. Her face twisted with suspicion as she stomped over to the console and played back the footage. Her heart pounded as she fast-forwarded through their drinking session—then the kiss, then the way she tried to strip both herself and him. But then, Agastya caught her before she could fully undress and carried her to bed instead.
Kiara froze. So he didn't take advantage of her?
A deep, burning embarrassment crawled up her face as she watched herself literally throwing herself at him like some desperate idiot. She groaned, hiding her face in her hands.
Agastya, still lying down, smirked. "Satisfied?"
Her gaze snapped toward him, her shame quickly morphing into irritation. She stomped over, glaring. "You bastard! Why the hell did you even cooperate when I kissed you?"
Agastya shrugged, unfazed. "Which single man in the world would avoid a kiss from a beauty? Not to mention, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Kiara's mouth opened—then closed. What the hell was she supposed to say to that?
Her heart thumped louder than she'd like to admit. But before she could even process the compliment, Agastya made an exaggerated frown and crossed his arms. "You should be thankful I didn't take advantage of you," he muttered, shaking his head in mock disappointment. Then, with a smirk, he added, "But next time… I might not act so much of a gentleman."
Silence.
Kiara blinked. Did this bastard just—
Her face turned a deeper shade of red. He was teasing her.
Her embarrassment evaporated, replaced instantly by rage. Without thinking, she threw a punch straight at his face.
CRACK!
Agastya staggered back, holding his nose as blood dripped down his lips. "WHAT THE HELL, KIARA?!" he yelled, glaring at her.
Kiara gasped, immediately regretting it. "Oh crap, oh crap—" she stepped forward, panicked, reaching out as if to help, but then hesitated. Damn it! Why did she react like that?!
"I-I'm sorry, okay?!" she stammered, flustered. Her fists clenched as she quickly turned on her heel. "J-Just… go wash up! We have morning training to get to!"
And with that, she stormed out of the room, disappearing before she could embarrass herself further.
Agastya groaned, wiping his nose as he grumbled, "Tch. Violent woman. I really don't like her…"
Liar.
Even as he muttered it, he couldn't help but chuckle.
After freshening up and making sure his nose had stopped bleeding, Agastya followed Kiara to the training field. His body still ached slightly from her earlier punch, but he kept his mouth shut. No way was he giving her another reason to hit him.
The training field was an open space surrounded by towering stone walls, with various weapons and equipment lined up neatly in racks. A few other rebels were already sparring in pairs, some practicing their elemental techniques, while others engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
Kiara stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders as she walked into the center of the field. She looked completely at ease—relaxed, yet radiating danger. Agastya, on the other hand, felt a growing sense of unease.
She turned to him and smirked. "Alright, let's see what you can do without that fancy bow of yours."
Agastya scoffed. "You're underestimating me."
Kiara's smirk deepened. "I hope so."
She didn't give him time to prepare. In a blur, she vanished from his sight. Agastya barely had time to react before something struck him in the ribs—hard.
BAM!