Countdown, day 1 pt.1

Chapter 7 - Countdown, day 1 pt.1

"I've made my decision to provide you with everything you want and everything you deserve."

The morning sun gleamed through the window, casting a gentle glow on the sleeping figure of Elizabeth, giving her an Angelica golden hue. Hi'kim, already wide awake, gently placed his hand on the side of her soft face. Despite the passage of time, it was evident she had been crying, as her face still bore stains of tears.

"I'll make sure to inform Father about my change of heart, deciding to channel my efforts into mastering the intricacies of alteration magic," he whispered, his hand gently rubbing her head. With a contemplative expression, he mused, "In the realm of alteration magic, I firmly believe that regardless of what the future holds, I can always be the source of whatever support you may need." His hand continued its soothing motion, a rhythmic cadence matching the flow of his thoughts.

As he continued to pat the cleric's head, she gradually began to stir in her peaceful slumber. Elizabeth's eyes leisurely opened, a brief moment of disorientation passing before her gaze settled upon him. The room held a tranquil ambiance, disrupted only by the soft whispers of his commitment to the path of alteration magic.

Elizabeth gazed at Hi'kim as if time had suspended, slowly rising with the support of her arms, leaning over him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the night's events replaying in her mind. "I was scared... scared of losing you. What if... what if..." Her words faltered as tears welled up in her eyes.

Hi'kim extended his hand, tenderly placing it on the side of her face. "No, don't cry. I've heard your concerns, and I've decided not to pursue my studies in chaos magic," he confessed softly, glancing away to hide the sadness in his eyes.

Her eyes widened as he continued, but a finger gently pressed against her lips before she could speak. "I'm even thinking about giving up adventuring. If your worries are anything like what you showed last night, I have **** but to do something else. Perhaps focusing on alteration magic, ensuring we'll never want for anything." He avoided her gaze, masking the sadness on his face.

Elizabeth vehemently shook her head. "No, no, no. I didn't want you to do all that! I got emotional. I had already come to terms with the fact that, as an adventurer, you'd face danger. But I need to know you'll always come back to me. Do you think I didn't know about your father? I kept my mouth shut through all the demons, monsters, and elementals. I knew what your training consisted of. I kept quiet because I knew it brought you closer to your goals. But yesterday... it all just came pouring out of me." With a sigh, she let her arms give way, settling onto him, her head finding a resting place on his chest.

As her head lay gently on his chest, Hi'kim wrapped his arms around her, creating a cocoon of comfort in the silence between them. The weight of unspoken emotions hung in the air, and he could feel her breath's rhythmic rise and fall against him.

"I didn't mean to burden you with my decision," Hi'kim admitted, his fingers tracing absent patterns on her back. "But your tears, your fears, they made me reconsider what really matters."

Elizabeth lifted her head, her eyes searching his face. "You matter to me," she whispered, her voice a delicate melody that resonated with sincerity.

He met her gaze; the vulnerability in her eyes was still the same as last night's. "And you matter to me," he replied, with a quiet resolve. "I don't want you to worry about me at the cost of your peace."

She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, a silent reassurance. "I'm here because I choose to be, not because I feel obligated. I can handle the worries, the ups and downs, as long as you always come back to me."

A soft smile played on Hi'kim's lips as he tightened his embrace. "**** couldn't keep me away from you," he replied.

In the quiet intimacy of that shared space, the weight of decisions and uncertainties seemed to dissipate. They lay entwined, finding solace in each other's presence, realizing that the strongest magic was sometimes woven in the simple act of being together.

Elizabeth leaned in, capturing Hi'kim's lips in another tender kiss, a moment suspended in time. The connection lingered for seconds, each heartbeat echoing the depth of their emotions. As she pulled away, she looked into his eyes, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.

Pushing herself back up, Elizabeth settled into his lap, the warmth of their closeness enveloping them. Their gazes remained locked, a language of unspoken promises and shared vulnerability. In that intimate space, the world outside ceased to exist, leaving only the echo of their heartbeats and the unspoken assurance that they were bound together by more than mere words could convey.

The young woman blushed as she was directly sitting on top of direct proof that it was early morning. Her eyes shifted away as if she was contemplating something before slowly pulling herself off of him entirely and standing up on her feet. The dampness between her legs as her womanhood pressed against his manhood with only a wet, thin piece of fabric being all that separated the two was still there, and she could feel it...

Biting her bottom lip, she hiked up her robes, settling onto his lap. Yesterday's events had left Hi'kim's clothes in ruins, and now she was dangerously close to indulging in something she should be waiting another day for. She placed both hands on his chest and could feel the firmness of his muscles, his body resembling a sculpted bronze statue, causing a crimson blush to grace her cheeks.

With a single thrust of her hips, the eager lips of her maidenhood parted hungrily, attempting to engulf the girth of his shaft pressed flat against his body.

"Ah... ah..." escaped her lips. "It's not even penetrating, and I'm struggling to contain it." She continued to grind, leaning forward to press more firmly against her clitoris.

Her panties transitioned from damp to thoroughly soaked, molding to the contours of her maidenhood.

"I... I can't feel them anymore!" she exclaimed, sliding even farther down, concentrating on the top half of his shaft and head. Whether consciously or subconsciously, with each backward slide, the head of his member persistently parted her lips, attempting penetration, only to be denied entrance by the soaked, strained fabric on the verge of tearing. The thin cloth bore the pressure of thrusts from the head, accompanied by the intense friction of sliding all the way down the shaft, stretching along her parted lips.

With one decisive thrust, the young woman's panties finally tore as the head just narrowly missed, pressing into her clit and causing Elizabeth to scream in orgasmic bliss. As she slid down the shaft once again, her lips wrapped around it, clenching down, and she released in ecstasy.

"Ha... ha... I can't wait until tomorrow," Elizabeth said, falling forward onto his chest.

"No more teasing, no more play. I promise we won't leave that chamber until I'm pregnant," she declared, leaning upwards and slamming her lips into his before he could respond.

Breaking the kiss, she sat up, a surprised expression on her face. "You didn't cum?" she inquired.

Hi'kim chuckled, glancing at her. "No, but I don't need to. Just seeing your blissful face is enough for me."

She made an adorable, pouty face. "Just my blissful face? Are you trying to insult my pride as a woman? You're not leaving this bed until I wring every drop of love juice out of you!"

"Insult your womanly pride? I would never, but I am protecting your reputation as an always on-time, hardworking cleric initiate who needs to be at the church in the next fifteen minutes to not be late for her duties," he countered, chuckling, leaving her dumbstruck before she rushed as fast as she could to get up off him and straighten her robes.

After composing herself, she hurried to the bathroom, where she stored spare makeup for overnight stays with Hi'kim or impromptu hangouts. Swiftly applying an assortment of makeup, she concealed the traces of tear-stained sleep and masked the lingering scent from the recent orgasm. Hastily, she darted out of the wizard's home and headed straight to the church.

Hi'kim continued to chuckle, "that's my girlfriend for you," he remarked to himself before pausing. Wait, I think that is literally the first time I've ever actually referred to her as my girlfriend, he thought.

I don't think I've ever said it to her out loud, either... He walked over to a mirror and gazed into it.

His reflection stared back at him before breaking the stare and initiating a conversation. "So much has happened in such a short time, hasn't it? Your childhood friend has become your unspoken girlfriend, or was she always it, and you're just acknowledging it now?" The reflection said before turning, walking over to the bed, and taking a seat.

"Then you dove into chaos magic even before being fully immersed in her," it said, laughing.

"What magic is this?" Hi'kim questioned, looking around to ensure he wasn't caught in an illusion or enchantment spell.

"No, no, this is neither enchantment nor illusion. You already know what this is," the reflection replied, laughing.

Hi'kim made an annoyed face before answering, "Chaos magic..."

The reflection simply nodded and smirked.

"Then who or what are you?" the young wizard asked, not making any sudden movements to avoid inciting an attack but still prepared to cast a spell if needed.

"Me," the reflection said, smiling while staring off into the distance as if seeing something that wasn't there. "I think you know the answer to that, but here, I'm known by many names: The Chaos King, The First Born of Eldralith, The Forsaken Child, The Primal Chaos, The Great Dreamer, The Lord of Disorder... I could keep going, but I can tell you're not impressed." The reflection chuckled.

"Oh!" Hi'kim's face at some point shifted to an expression that just said, 'Really?'.

"For all I know, you're just some wizard or sorcerer, one with some skills obviously, but still just a magic user punching dangerously above their weight class," Hi'kim responded, maintaining his unimpressed facade.

I say that, but the truth is, whoever this is... they are no joke. The abjuration magic safeguarding this house was cast by Dad himself. It's supposed to keep even gods from performing divine miracles within these walls, thwart a demon lord's corruption magic, and outright nullify the spells of any unauthorized magic user. The fact that this person can deliver a message here using divination magic reveals their immense power or a profound understanding of magical theory to bypass such defenses, he thought as the reflection persisted.

The reflection chuckled again, seemingly amused by Hi'kim's attempt to maintain a tough facade.

"Oh? Do you mean you? Am I below your weight class, or are you referring to dear old Daddy? Please, we both know he won't fight your battles, let alone protect that girl," the reflection smiled sinisterly.

Hi'kim squared his shoulders, suppressing the unease that crept through him. "You talk big for someone hidden in shadows. What do you want?"

The reflection's smirk deepened. "What I want, my friend, is simply to introduce myself right now. We will meet; for me, it will be within a blink of an eye, but for you, it will be decades from now."

"What? Coward, stop playing this game and show yourself," Hi'kim growled.

"Are you that eager to be devoured? Do you not want to enjoy that girl's tight, undefiled body a little longer? Maybe become a man and then a father... before she is devoured another," the reflection said.

"What do you mean by that!?" Hi'kim said, shocked.

"There are rules that even the most powerful sorcerer can't break. Rules that all must follow, be it the divine, the chaos lords, the outer gods, the demon lords, and even ancestor gods. We all follow rules, and I'm no different. We will meet soon, but it won't be now. So enjoy the happiness and the betrayal that will soon be coming."

"What nonsense are you spewing!?" The young wizard yelled at the mirror as the reflection burst into laughter before returning to a regular mirror and reflection.

After another minute of anticipation, he averted his gaze from the mirror. He exited the room, mindful that only a day remained to assemble the preparations for their upcoming journey to the capital.