Chapter 108: Sudden Blunder

​Nyxara stopped dead in her tracks.

​For a moment, she obeyed his command, her violet eyes remaining fixed on him as she carefully examined his condition.

His golden-blond hair had fallen messily across his forehead, his face had lost much of its usual color, and his blue eyes shifted restlessly, struggling to focus on the world around him.

​He was clearly not fine.

​Although Nyxara had only fought beside Cassian for a short time, she already understood that he possessed an almost unreasonable tolerance for pain.

During the preparation phase before the attack on the Kragmar Dominion, while working to increase his skill proficiencies and refine his shadow circles, he had sparred endlessly with the elite commanders.

Back then, he had sustained injuries that would incapacitate ordinary beings, continuing to fight as though nothing had happened. Even when utterly exhausted, he rarely allowed a single trace of weakness to show.

​Seeing him looking so vulnerable was deeply unsettling.

’What happened to you, my Lord?’

​The question remained unspoken. Whatever had transpired, he clearly wasn’t ready to explain it.

​Still, that didn’t mean she was willing to stand by and watch him suffer in silence.

​Nyxara took another step forward.

​Cassian noticed immediately. "Nyxara, I said—"

​He never finished the sentence.

​Her figure dissolved into darkness.

​The shadow beneath her feet spread across the bedroom floor, flowing silently toward him like ink spilling across parchment.

Before Cassian could react, the darkness rose around his body, briefly enveloping him in its cool, soothing embrace.

​Then, Nyxara emerged from the shadow directly in front of him.

​Her arms reached out and wrapped firmly around his torso.

​Cassian stiffened.

​She had used her authority over shadows to bypass the distance between them in an instant. Her movements were so fluid that it almost seemed as though the darkness itself had carried her directly into his space.

​Because of their height difference, Nyxara’s head settled against his chest. Her long, pointed ears rested against his clothing, and her pale fingers gently tightened against his back.

​For a moment, neither of them spoke.

​Cassian remained motionless, caught entirely off guard by the sudden embrace. He had expected questions, perhaps even an argument regarding his physical condition; he certainly hadn’t anticipated his Champion ignoring a direct order just to hold him.

​’What is this elf doing?’

​Before he could voice the thought, Nyxara’s quiet, steady voice reached his ears. "My Lord... I don’t know what happened, and I won’t pretend that I understand what you’re going through."

​Her arms tightened slightly around him, offering a firm, unwavering anchor.

​"But you don’t have to face everything alone."

​Cassian lowered his gaze toward her.

​Nyxara had spent much of her past existence learning to survive through absolute obedience, emotional restraint, and constant vigilance.

Even after becoming his Champion, she had often struggled to understand what it meant to exist for reasons beyond fulfilling her assigned military purpose.

​Yet one thing had become crystal clear to her.

​She wanted to stand beside Cassian.

​Not merely because he was her Lord, or because her very existence was bound to his supreme will, but because she had chosen to place her complete trust in him as a person.

​"Whatever it is, whatever you’re struggling with, I’ll always be here for you, my Lord," her voice remained soft, yet devoid of any hesitation. "You don’t have to tell me anything until you’re ready. You don’t even have to explain yourself. If you need someone to stand beside you, I’ll be there. If you need someone to fight for you, I’ll fight. And if all you need is someone to stay with you for a while..."

​She paused, resting her head more comfortably against his chest.

​"Then I’ll stay."

​Cassian said nothing.

​He had spent the past several minutes spiraling through horrific scenarios where his mother’s mysterious origin threatened everything he held dear.

Every single possibility had led him toward the same dark conclusion: complete eradication.

​Yet at that moment, Cassian realized there was another path, one he had temporarily lost sight of under the crushing weight of the unknown.

​Looking down at his Champion, a faint smile touched Cassian’s lips. She had no idea what cosmic nightmare was troubling him, yet she had offered the one thing he hadn’t realized he needed.

​Comfort.

​Cassian slowly lowered his raised hand. After a moment’s hesitation, he rested it gently against the back of her silver hair.

​"...You’re quite the troublesome Champion, aren’t you?"

​His voice was faint, but a trace of his usual calm composure had finally returned.

​Nyxara closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. "Perhaps. But you summoned me, my Lord. You’ll have to bear the consequences."

Nyxara remained in Cassian’s embrace for a little while longer before finally lifting her head from his chest.

​Her violet eyes met his blue ones.

​And that was when the real trouble began.

​Cassian’s handsome face was right in front of her. His golden-blond hair, sharp features, and piercing eyes were difficult enough to ignore under normal circumstances.

Now, with her arms still wrapped around his waist and her body pressed against his, maintaining her stoic composure had become exponentially more difficult to maintain.

’​...That damned orc.’

​Morghanna’s venomous words suddenly resurfaced in her mind with terrifying clarity.

​When a female is overwhelmed by primal instinct, her body projects certain subtle cues... You’re the first I’ve encountered who seems so utterly desperate to become a breeding sow.

​Nyxara’s lips twitched faintly.

​She wanted to deny it. She wanted to dismiss the orc’s accusations as nothing more than another crude attempt to provoke her into a fight.

​Unfortunately, the reality of her current situation had become rather difficult to explain away.

​Because, at this very moment, she couldn’t deny what she wanted.

​She wanted to be closer to Cassian, far closer than she already was. She wanted to remain wrapped in his embrace, feel his radiating warmth, and perhaps—

’​No. Absolutely not.’

​Her violet eyes widened slightly as panic surged through her chest.

​She was his Champion. Her Lord had a family, including a young daughter who depended on him.

Moreover, he was clearly not in the best state of mind right now. He had summoned her while struggling with something that had left him visibly shaken, and she had promised to stand by him as a pillar of support.

​Yet, despite knowing all of that, her thoughts had wandered somewhere they had absolutely no business going.

’​I want to sleep with my Lord.’

​The blunt realization struck her mind with the raw force of a battlefield explosion.

’​THAT DAMNED ORC! LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE PUT INTO MY HEAD!’

​Nyxara immediately shook her head in rapid desperation, trying to banish the chaotic thought before it could take root.

​Unfortunately, the sudden, frantic movement only drew Cassian’s direct attention.

​He studied her face for a long moment, his expression shifting from deep exhaustion to mild confusion.

​"Nyxara?"

​She froze, completely stiffening in his arms.

​"What’s the matter?" Cassian asked quietly.

​"Oh, I just want to sleep with you."

​Silence.

​Nyxara’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.

’​...I said that out loud.’

​Cassian stared at her, his mind grinding to a complete halt.

​She stared right back, her breath catching in her throat.

​For several long, excruciating seconds, neither of them moved a single muscle.

​Then, Nyxara’s expression slowly morphed into one of absolute, pure horror.

’​I’M GOING TO MURDER THAT ORC.’