Chapter 138: Stormlit Shadows
Zeon’s hands moved with a strange elegance as he turned the skewered rabbit over the fire one last time, letting the juices hiss and drip into the embers. The aroma spread warmly through the small clearing, drawing the carriage driver and Fran hunger to the breaking point. Finally, with a satisfied nod, he lifted one of the skewers and leaned toward the carriage driver.
"Here," Zeon said simply, offering the roasted meat.
The driver’s trembling hands accepted it as though it were a gift far too generous. His lips parted, whispering a soft, "...Thank you," before he bowed his head, clutching the food close. His shoulders, tense from fear since the beginning of this night, seemed to loosen just a little as the warmth of the meal seeped into him.
Zeon didn’t linger. He rose again, grabbing another skewer from the fire. His crimson eyes glinted as he walked to Fran, holding it out to her with a faint smirk curving his mouth behind the mask.
"You’re lucky," he said smoothly, his voice low, teasing. "You get this only because you’re the Princess’s pet."
Fran’s cat ears snapped upright, her blue eyes widening in outrage. "E–excuse me?!" she hissed, tail bristling like an angry whip. Her cheeks flushed, part anger, part embarrassment, and she leaned forward, ready to bite back harder.
But Zeon only tilted his head, offering no explanation, no apology. His shoulders shook faintly with restrained laughter as he handed her the skewer anyway, his voice rolling into a sly, almost sing-song chuckle. "Hehehe..."
Fran clutched the food, pouting with puffed cheeks, her tail still lashing, but she didn’t throw it away. Instead, she took a small bite in defiance, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as if every chew was meant to insult him.
Zeon, satisfied, turned his back on her reaction and walked back to his log. He sat down with an easy grace, pulling his own share from the fire, unbothered, humming low as he began to eat.
Through all of this, Dila didn’t even lift her head. She was too far gone in her meal, eyes glowing, ears twitching in rhythm with every bite. The world could have burned around her and she wouldn’t have noticed.... the flavor had stolen her entire focus.
Fran glanced at her sister, watching Dila’s face blissfully lit with joy, then growled under her breath, "Tch... why does she get to ignore him while I have to deal with this creep..."
But still, she didn’t let go of the skewer. And she didn’t stop eating either.
The night air cooled after the fire’s heat, but the small clearing still glowed warmly from the embers. Everyone leaned back a little, their bellies finally full. Dila, wiping her lips with the back of her hand, let out a long, satisfied sigh.
"Hoooowhey... that was really good," she said with a rare smile, raising her right hand lazily as if declaring victory over hunger itself. Her silver hair caught the firelight, gleaming faintly in the night.
Zeon’s crimson eyes softened. He reached for the leather pouch tied to his side, shaking it slightly so the water inside sloshed. Rising with an almost courteous posture, he held it out toward her. "Here, Princess... your water."
Dila froze, blinking once... then leaned back quickly with her hand up. "Ewwww!" Her cheeks flushed as her lips twisted into a grimace. "Your saliva might be mixing in that—no thank you, mister freak Zeon!"
Her blunt rejection hit like a knife, but Zeon only placed a hand on his chest, leaning back dramatically. "Ohhh... you wound me, Princess. Right here..." He tapped his chest where his heart would be, exaggerating the pain with a mock stumble.
The carriage driver, who had been quietly chewing the last bit of his share, stiffened and nodded nervously. "The Princess is right... it’s unhygienic, Hero. She must drink from her own water... something cleaned." His voice trembled, but his tone carried the worry of someone who wanted no scandal, no mistake.
Zeon lowered the pouch slowly, then chuckled, the sound deep and unnervingly amused. His crimson eyes glowed faintly as the flames reflected off them. "I just wanted the Princess to be my future wife though..."
The words dropped like stones in a silent pond.
The carriage driver’s face paled, his mouth falling open. "...What?"
Zeon tilted his head, smirk hidden but felt, his eyes glowing brighter as though teasing in the half-dark. "Ohhh, nothing..." he muttered smoothly, brushing it off, but his stare lingered on Dila, sharp and playful, like a predator keeping his prey in sight.
Dila’s ears twitched violently. A shiver crawled down her spine as goosebumps rippled over her arms. Her blue eyes widened and she hugged herself tightly. "D-did I just hear something weird... or was it just me imagining things?" she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
Fran, sitting close, leaned in with a deadpan look, her own tail flicking irritably. "No, Sister. You heard right. He’s a true killer creep." Her voice was flat, her gaze unimpressed as she stared Zeon down with narrowed blue eyes.
Zeon only threw his head back, laughing loud and wild, his voice carrying into the trees. "Ahhhh hahahaha!" He suddenly raised both hands, palms outward, as if caught in a crime but enjoying every second of it. "Whoa, whoa! What are you talking about, cat girl Fran? You heard nothing! Hehehe!"
The firelight danced across his mask, making his glowing eyes more unnerving. Dila leaned against Fran, cheeks red, still shaking from a mixture of disgust and confusion, while Fran rolled her eyes, clinging closer to her sister as if shielding her from the madness.
The carriage driver, sweating bullets again, whispered under his breath... "If its true we’re doomed..."
Suddenly....
The first drops fell softly at first, cold pinpricks against their skin and the fire’s warmth. Then, almost without warning, the clouds above split wider, and the night sky drowned in sheets of rain. The once-bright moonlight was swallowed whole, leaving only the flickering campfire struggling to stay alive, its flames hissing under the downpour. The smell of wet earth rose thick in the clearing, mingling with smoke.
Zeon tilted his head back, crimson eyes glimmering as he watched the storm grow heavier. Droplets streaked down his mask, sliding along its sharp lines. "Hmm... the moonlight is gone," he said, his tone strangely calm, almost amused. "It must be raining heavy now..."
As if drawn by some unspoken impulse, he lowered his gaze and fixed it directly on Dila. The firelight reflected faintly in her blue eyes, her silver hair already damp from the rain. Slowly, with deliberate steps, Zeon closed the distance between them.
When he stood before her, he raised his right hand, fingers lifting as if to cup her chin. "Princess..." he murmured, his voice carrying that teasing lilt.
But Dila’s reaction was swift. Her eyes narrowed, her body stiffened, and with a sharp motion she slapped his hand away. The sound of skin against skin cut through the rain. "Keep your creep hand away!" she snapped, her tone cold, firm, though her cheeks were flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Fran, crouched beside her, hissed low like a cat ready to pounce. Her tail bristled as she raised her small hands, claws invisible but her intent crystal clear. "Yeah! Stay away from my sister!" she growled, voice trembling with both fury and fluster.
Zeon blinked once, then threw his head back in laughter again, the storm around them swallowing his voice into the night. "Hahahahaha! I was just teasing!" he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. The droplets ran down his gloves, the rain soaking his light armour and mask. "The rain is getting heavier though..."
The fire sputtered, smoke curling into the wet air, while the three sat under the downpour—Dila glaring, Fran on edge, and Zeon still chuckling as if the storm itself was his companion.
The rain was pounding now, a curtain of water that blurred the trees and turned the clearing into mud. The campfire hissed violently and collapsed into smoke and glowing embers. Thunder rumbled in the distance, shaking the forest floor.
The carriage driver’s voice cracked through the storm, sharp and urgent. "Quickly! We need to hurry now, Princess, Fran! We must get back to the carriage! You too, Sir Hero, before we’re all drowned out here!" His words trembled, part fear, part desperation, his old bones clearly not built for sprinting through a storm.
Before Dila could even rise, Zeon moved. In one fluid motion, he swept her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. The sudden motion made her silver hair whip around, wet strands sticking to her flushed face.
Her blue eyes widened, shock mixing with embarrassment. "W-what are you doing?!" she demanded, her voice almost drowned by the roar of the rain.
Zeon tilted his head down toward her, his crimson eyes gleaming faintly behind the raindrops streaming over his mask. "Returning you to the carriage, of course," he said smoothly, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. His voice carried that irritating calm confidence, even as the storm poured harder.
Dila’s cheeks burned hotter, and she quickly turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, lips pursed in stubborn defiance. "I can walk with my two feet... thank you," she muttered, her tone cold but flustered.
Fran’s eyes went wide at the sight. Her tail bristled under the rain, and she hissed like an angry cat, her voice cracking. "Put her down! She can walk by herself, you creep!" But Zeon only smirked, unfazed, tightening his hold slightly as if to tease her more.
"Here we go!" he shouted over the thunder, and then he was gone, dashing through the forest floor with a speed that blurred his outline. His movements were fluid and sharp, like a ninja slicing through the storm itself. Mud splashed with every powerful step, but he never faltered, carrying Dila as though she weighed nothing.
"Wait for me!" Fran cried, sprinting after him, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks as her sandals dug into the soft, rain-soaked earth. Her small figure moved fast despite the storm, her stock knowledge assassin skill pushing her forward.
Behind them, the carriage driver grit his teeth, his breath already ragged. "O-old bones... don’t fail me now!" he wheezed, forcing his legs to move. His joints screamed in protest, yet determination filled his face as he stumbled and pushed himself to keep up, the storm soaking his uniform until it clung heavily to him.
The rain came harder, drumming against the carriage roof just ahead like a war drum, the faint outline of the horses and wooden frame finally breaking through the curtain of water. Their destination was in sight, but the forest between was slick, shadowed, and alive with the storm’s chaos.
The storm did not let up, sheets of rain hammering down as if the heavens themselves were furious. By the time they reached the carriage, everyone was drenched, their breaths visible in the cold night air except for Dila and Zeon.
Zeon slowed only when he reached the carriage door, his movements fluid even in the chaos of the storm. With a single hand, he opened the door and lowered Dila carefully onto the step. She clutched her skirt, her silver hair plastered to her cheeks, her uniform dripping with water. Her blue eyes, though still sharp with pride, betrayed the faintest flicker of embarrassment at being carried.
Fran came dashing in right after, panting slightly, her cat ears flat against her head and her tail weighed down by the rain. She leapt into the carriage after Dila, shaking water from her hair like a soaked kitten. Her eyes, however, lingered outside... on Zeon.
The carriage driver stumbled in last, his breaths ragged, his face pale with exhaustion. His old eyes scanned frantically for the horses, who were stamping anxiously in the mud, their bodies slick with rain. "Where... where will I tether them... they’ll be ruined like this!" he cried out, his voice nearly drowned by thunder.
Before he could act, Zeon’s figure blurred. One instant he was standing near the carriage, the next he was up the tree, his movements almost inhuman. He tore down long branches in clean, precise motions, vanishing and reappearing as if the shadows themselves carried him. Within moments, he had woven together a makeshift shelter, branches angled and braced in such a way that the rain broke around it, leaving the horses shielded from the worst of the storm.
Fran, sitting at the edge of the carriage doorway, gasped softly. Her wide blue eyes sparkled despite the rain. "Incredible..." she whispered. "Such agility... and power..." Her voice carried awe, though it was mixed with frustration at herself for admitting it aloud.
Zeon dropped from the last branch, landing lightly on the soaked ground. The carriage driver’s mouth hung open for a heartbeat before he snapped it shut and bowed deeply, his old hands trembling. "Thank you, hero... you’ve saved us again."
Zeon tilted his head, the faint smirk behind his mask audible in his tone. "No problem." His crimson eyes glinted faintly through the curtain of rain.
The driver hesitated, then spoke over the storm, "So, Hero... will you come along with us? Travel together until we reach the Academy?"
For a moment, silence. Only the sound of rain striking the shelter and thunder rolling above. Then Zeon shook his head slowly, voice low but resolute. "No... thank you. I’ll guard you... from the shadows."
The driver’s old eyes softened with respect. He gave a small, formal bow despite his drenched state, droplets falling from his chin. "Then... I shall trust in your decision."
He turned back to climb onto the driver’s seat. Meanwhile, Fran and Dila sat shivering inside the carriage, their soaked uniforms clinging uncomfortably to them. Fran’s eyes darted to the forest where Zeon stood just moments before.
But when she blinked, he was gone. His presence melted into the rain and night, as if the darkness itself had swallowed him whole.