The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

It was a confusing sight. Duel Domes were supposed to be unbreacheable from both in or out. So how exactly was Faeryn inside?

Luna froze, staring at the Elysium Princess and having the same question in her mind. Though, her silver scythe was still poised above Aeric, ready to deliver the final blow.

Her eyes widened in confusion and fury and they just couldn't look away from the figure of Faeryn, standing just inside the dome's perimeter, having a cold expression like she was threatening to attack her.

"What exactly are you doing, Luna?" Faeryn asked with a sharp and commanding voice.

"What am I doing?" Luna repeated, her voice trembling with rage and confusion. "I'm ending this farce! I'm taking him out of my family, I'm releasing my sister and breaking the chains he's put on all of us in this academy!"

Faeryn's gaze hardened. "By killing him in cold blood? Have you lost your mind? Do you want to anger Mother Guinevere? Do you want a war with the Starlights?"

"Mother Guinevere knows the risks!" Luna snapped, her hands trembling as she tightened her grip on the scythe. "He signed the Divine Contract. Death is expected. It's the only way!"

Her voice grew louder. "This bastard... He's… he's a poison. A parasite. Can't you see what he's been doing since he stepped foot inside the Institution? Can't you see how strange things have been happening. A 200% Affinity for Divinity?" she scoffed. "On what realm is that even possible?"

Her fists tied around the scythe's handle tighter. "If you can't see that, then you're blind like the rest of them!"

Nyx turned to Nyssa. "What is going on?"

Nyssa glanced at Melina, who was watching with diluted, terrified eyes. "Hey, is your sister alright?"

"Blind?" Faeryn's tone grew icy. "No, Luna. I see perfectly well. And what I see is you letting your hatred make a fool of you. You've already won. Killing him now does nothing but prove that you're the one who can't handle defeat — not him."

Faeryn stepped forward. "Stop lying to yourself, Faeryn. Stop putting the blame on him, or your sisters, or your mother! You are the one who is obsessed with him. And this is the very proof! Look at how mad you look. How mad you sound!"

Luna's jaw clenched, her silver eyes squeezing with indecision as she shook her head. "Stop it. Stop it now!"

Faeryn took a step closer, pressing in on the mental advantage. "Stop what? Telling you the truth? Is it only because he's caught the interest of your mother and sisters that you hate him? Or do you despise him for something else?"
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"His power?! His control? His potential!" Faeryn continued. "You watched him in the Mock Dungeon, then in the Beast Battle, the Veiled Maze, you saw him win and win over again, and you hated it! You felt like he didn't deserve it!"

"Stop it!" Luna yelled, spitting out of her mouth.

Aeric watched on from the floor, saying nothing. The other girls looked horrified, staring at Luna like she was an insane person.

"If you hurt him, you'll answer to me." Faeryn said, summoning her Divine Weapon, a staff bladed at both ends. "And believe me, Luna, I won't go easy on you."

For a long moment, silence hung in the air, the tension crackling like the aftermath of a storm.

Luna knew that Faeryn was a stronger fighter and more powerful Player than she, so she knew not to try her. Even though she would never understand why she was defending this boy, she let out a frustrated growl and took a step back.

Her scythe's glow dimmed as she deactivated its divine energy.

"Fine," she hissed through gritted teeth, glaring down at Aeric. "I'll show mercy, but not for him. For you."

"Good," Faeryn said firmly. "Now help him up."

Luna paused, giving Faeryn a question stare. "He can help himself up."

"No," Faeryn refused. "Do it yourself. Offer him a hand and show that you're better than this."

Staring at her for a while, Luna stiffened, clearly reluctant. Her hands tightened around her weapon as if the very idea of offering Aeric assistance was repulsive.

But then she exhaled, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Slowly, she walked closer to him and looked down at his sprawled body.

An irritated scowl was on her face, watching him clutch on to one of the wounds she had exerted on him around his midsection.

Tentatively, she extended her hand toward him, saying nothing else.

Aeric, still on the ground, looked up at her, groaning in pain as he clutched his stomach. He let go of his angry expression and his hand reached out painfully, then grasped hers.

Luna narrowed her eyes. His grip... it was unusually strong. She looked at Aeric's eyes and saw a glint of mischief sparkle in its crimson, and his mouth stretched into a wicked grin.

"Infuse," he whispered.

The word left his lips like a silent curse, but its impact was instant. A sharp, frosty blue light enveloped Luna's armor, creeping across its surface like frost over glass.

Aeric was suddenly infusing the armor with the ice element. This would be a good thing for Luna as Aeric giving objects elemental powers would only be making them stronger, but on the flip side, it also meant he had control over them.

"What?!" Luna's eyes widened in shock as she attempted to pull her hand back. "What are you doing?!"

Aeric let her go, then silently activated his [Heal] Skill, curing himself from the injuries gotten through the cause of battle.

His posture was suddenly stoic, like he had not even strained a single muscle all this while. He picked up his sword, and the moment he touched it, a cold frost danced through it and infused the weapon with the ice element as well.

"I'm simply testing a theory," he said calmly, brushing dust off his clothes. "Seems like it works."