Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

Raegar noticed Selene was silent momentarily, her usual quick wit replaced by a flicker of surprise and deeper, redder cheeks. Then her lips curved into a genuine smile, softer than before but still edged with her signature mischief.

''Well, Rae,'' she said, stepping back just enough to look him up and down, her tone playful but warm. ''Didn't know you were such a sweet-talker under all that Aether and bravado. Careful, you might make me fall in love with you.''

She gave him a light shove, but her gorgeous yellow eyes lingered on his, a spark of something new passing between them as she thought. 'This boy is so cheeky. I love his confidence.'

The crowd's cheers surged back to life, snapping them out of the moment, forgetting they were in the middle of a spar. Selene spun her sword in her hand, regaining her composure, and shot him a challenging grin.

''So, you gonna keep flattering me, or are we finishing this fight?'' she asked, already dropping into a stance, her energy as fierce as ever.

Raegar chuckled, shaking his head as he matched her stance, Aether crackling faintly around his fingers. ''Oh, we're finishing it,'' he said, his tone brimming with excitement. ''But don't think I'm going easy on you just 'cause I like your style.''

Selene lunged forward, her sword slicing through the air with a whistle, her movements as fast as they were ferocious, but it was nothing to him as he could see every action she made, making him smile.

He met her advance with a sidestep, his Aether-charged hands deflecting her blade with a shimmering barrier. The arena rang with the clash of their powers, sparks flying as their energies collided, causing both of them to smile.

Her eyes danced with exhilaration, and she shot him a wicked grin mid-strike. ''Not bad, Rae,'' she purred, twirling her blade in a flourish. ''But you're gonna have to do better than that to keep up with me.''

Reager smirked, quickly ducking under another swing and countering with a burst of Aether that sent a gust of wind rippling through her hair. ''Keep up? I'm already ahead, Sel,'' he teased, his voice light but laced with challenge.

He darted closer, deliberately brushing past her just enough to feel the heat of her presence, then spun away before she could retaliate. ''You're fast, but I'm faster.''

''Oh, you think so?'' Selene laughed, her tone dripping with playful defiance.

She pivoted, her sword arcing low to catch his legs, but Reager leaped over the blade, landing with a roll that brought him dangerously close again. He flicked a spark of Aether at her, not to harm but to graze her cheek like a teasing caress.

She gasped, more in mock outrage than pain, and swatted it away. ''Cheap shot, Rae! You're trying to distract me with those pretty sparks?''

''Pretty, huh?'' he grinned, blocking her next strike with a pulse of energy that made the air hum. ''Guess I'm not the only one noticing things.''

Raegar watched as she blushed so hard that her red cheeks went an even darker color. Their banter flowed as naturally as their fight, each strike and dodge laced with a flirtatious edge that kept the crowd roaring.

Her laughter mingled with the clash of their attacks, and he couldn't help but admire how her confidence lit up the arena. Finally, Selene feinted left, then spun right, aiming a playful tap of her sword's flat edge against his shoulder.

He caught her wrist just in time, pulling her in close for a fleeting moment, their faces inches apart, something sparked as a connection was forming. ''Gotcha,'' he whispered, his breath warm against her cheek.

Selene's yellow eyes sparkled, and she leaned in just enough to murmur, ''Not quite, loverboy,'' before slipping free with a nimble twist, leaving him chuckling.

The fight ended as abruptly as it had begun as he appeared behind her and held his dagger at her throat so fast that she couldn't see or even react. The arena fell into a charged silence, punctuated only by the crowd's wild cheers.

He watched the Demoness with a smile, who stood panting, playful tension still crackling in the air. But as he straightened, ready to toss another quip her way, a sudden chill ran down his spine, a primal instinct, like the gaze of predators locking onto him.

Raegar's smile faltered, and he scanned the sidelines, his senses on edge. There, standing among their friends, were Dominique and Zahara, their eyes fixed on him with unsettling intensity, radiating jealousy.

The Vampire girl's arms were crossed, her sharp gaze cutting through the crowd like a blade, while the blonde's lips curved in a knowing smirk, her stare glinting with something between amusement and warning.

Their attention slammed into Raegar like a tidal wave, pinning him in place, heart racing as if he were prey cornered by predators. 'Why are those two looking at me like that?' he thought, confused.

Selene caught his unease, her eyes flicking to her two friends, her grin turned sharp and mischievous. ''Well, well, Rae,'' she purred, leaning closer, her voice a low as she brushed her fingers lightly down his arm. ''Seems like they see what I do, maybe we can be sister wives one day.''

Raegar went rigid when hearing Selene's words, and she only made it worse as her hand lingered on his shoulder, her playful shake sending a jolt through him. Her lips curled into a wicked, knowing smirk, emboldened by his reaction.

''Oh, Rae, getting all tense on me?'' she murmured, a sultry whisper as she slid closer, her fingers trailing teasingly down his chest. ''Relax, handsome. Or do I need to work a little harder to loosen you up?''

Her yellow eyes sparkled with mischief, daring him to respond as she leaned in, her breath grazing his neck, making his pulse race. Raegar's face flushed as Selene's fingers lingered on his chest, her teasing smirk burning into him.

''Don't get too cozy, Rae. I'm not down with you yet,'' she teased.

With a final, deliberate graze of her hand along his arm, she spun away, her hips swaying as she sauntered off. The two girls watching from afar shifted their gaze to Selene, their eyes narrowing with a mix of curiosity and judgment.

''Hey, you two,'' she said while joining them. ''Did you see how flustered our Tetraarch was? His cheeks are still red.''

Vienna's sharp laugh erupted behind him, joined by Luna's softer giggle. Rune's booming chuckle followed, and Caspians' sly snicker capped it off, their laughter ringing out, leaving Raegar caught in the crossfire of their amusement and the girls' lingering gazes.

Following that, they left the training ground under the shocked gazes of the older students and professors. Drusilla quickly flew over to him and slipped into his pocket to rest as the girls decided to go to the nurse's office to try to get Nurse Kitsunia to help them.

Raegar looked at the Demoness and the Vampire curiously. ''Why are you two going? You aren't healers or even have Light Aether.''

Dominique shrugged. ''They are our friends and I don't have any classes,'' she explained.

''I may not be able to use it, but Nurse Kitsunia knows how to fight,'' Selene reasoned. ''I want to see if she can teach me anything from the Far East, they have some amazing fighting styles.''

He nodded before saying his goodbyes to the five girls as they started heading toward the healing building, leaving him with Rune and Caspian. He turned to the two boys, asking. ''What lessons do you both have?''

''Aether Engineering,'' his dark-haired friend answered with a spark of enthusiasm. ''We're just starting with the basics, but it's already fascinating, especially since it's becoming a cornerstone of the empire.''

Rune answered next. ''Potion Brewing, maybe I can make some healing ones for you? Considering you're always getting injured.''

Raegar let out a hearty laugh, his eyes sparkling with amusement. ''Sounds good to me, my friend, but I've got Drusilla for healing now," he said, giving the fairy on his shoulder a playful nudge.

The Dark Fairy poked her head out, questioning with a curious spark in her big blue eyes. ''You called? Are you hurt after the fight, Rae?''

He shook his head, explaining. ''No, I'm fine, Rune here offered to make me some health potions.''

When Drusilla heard this, she flew out and appeared in front of the giant, speaking. ''Sorry for hitting you, I didn't know you were a friend.''

The brown-haired boy waved her away, smiling. ''Don't worry about it, we're all friends here and misunderstandings happen.''

Following that, Caspian turned to him with a curious expression as he asked. ''Would you like to come to Willowbank after school? We're going to get some Brightshakes, I heard the bakery has even more flavors now.''

He was confused, but Rune explained. ''It's a student favourite. The woman who owns the place created a drink from milk and Aether Fruit; somehow, she blends it and creates Brightshakes.''