Conscious Awakening

The first thing Arthur felt as he awoke was a comfortable warmth enveloping his body, like a large, warm blanket keeping the cold out. Then, still without opening his eyes, he noticed a gentle pressure on his chest, as if water balloons were floating on top of him.

«Oh... Where am I? What happened yesterday? Hm... wait, Arthur... yesterday... yesterday... Yesterday! » Recent memories began to flash through his mind.

Despite not wearing his glasses, his eyes managed to make out that wild red hair that had been flying uncontrollably last night. His gaze continued until he saw the sensual face of the incandescent Nova. Still deep in sleep, she wore a radiant smile from ear to ear. Even in her sleep, one could sense the immense joy and satisfaction she felt.

It seemed as if, in his dreams, he was reliving what had happened over and over again.

«Wow... What a night I had! » he thought, feeling like the protagonist of an epic adventure.

Part of him was still processing what had happened, while the rest still couldn't believe it. But the evidence was there, inches from his face: her natural warmth against his skin, that unmistakable scent of womanhood, and that beautiful face that smiled at him in his dreams.

Indeed, Nora Antonella, also known as Nova, had been his last night. At this moment, he would buy the bed with that elite girl destined for greatness, the unattainable young woman who had always looked down on him.

«Damn... I wouldn't believe it if I weren't seeing it.»

He didn't dare wake her. Who was he to interrupt the sleep of a goddess? A mere Hollow fortunate enough to sleep beside her. Arthur preferred to turn his head, staring at the ceiling, touching himself with a striking fan whose blades resembled the wings of a swan.

He let out a long, relaxed sigh, clearing his thoughts. He felt like someone who had just been swept away by a wave on a beach. A gigantic wave of passion and lust that prevented him from thinking clearly. As the water receded, his mind found itself in a better place to organize its thoughts.

Little by little, that rational side that had been submerged for much of yesterday began to energize, and with it, several uncertainties that he minimized.

«All this... talking to me kindly, kissing me, asking me out on a date, and having sex... it's simply dizzying.»

Dizzying doesn't even begin to cover it. There was no foreplay, no hints, nothing that even resembled friendship before today. Nova came for him with the sole and clear intention of sleeping together until dawn.

He went over the entire chain of events that led him there four or five times, and no matter how much Arthur racked his brain, he couldn't find the cause of such an abrupt change.

Our protagonist couldn't remember doing anything special or different that would have provoked the redhead's unbridled lust. He felt like he was putting together a puzzle with the main piece missing.

«Damn, Arthur, this is so confusing. I... I was just doing what I always do, and then... God, then THIS happened... wait, but she wasn't the only one.» A hand flashed across his forehead as he realized that last detail.

When he examined his actions more closely, an important revelation came to light: Nova wasn't the only woman who acted particularly kindly around him.

Cameron Fang and Elena Talon seemed quite eager in his presence, and Professors Voltblast and Millennyo were very accommodating, willing to help him with anything. In addition, several other girls also displayed similar attitudes when he was around them.

The young man noticed that all these things were beginning to form a familiar pattern, as if he were suddenly the most popular man in the world.

«Their stares, their smiles, and how they followed me... this only started yesterday. Maybe I gained some fame after... after... THE ACCIDENT! » He grabbed his hair so hard it hurt.

A brightness greater than that seen through the windows struck Arthur. Even if it was just speculation, he couldn't help but think that these strange things had coincided after the accident with those chemicals.

Could that incident be the missing piece of this puzzle? He wasn't sure, but if he was right, he had somehow acquired powers. This fact was not only surprising but unheard of. As far as Arthur could remember, no man had ever possessed the Omega Gene.

«No, no, no... you must be wrong, Arthur. You can't have powers, much less such strange ones... hm... But what else could it be? »

Driven by the profound nature of his theory, he threw off the covers and sat staring blankly into space, his expression bewildered as if he were looking at an abstract painting.

Then he felt slow movements beside him, followed by a soft groan.

"Hmm... oh, Arthur, darling, you're awake."