⥠i write female reader inserts, and if i don't have you giggling and kicking your feet, i have failed my mission as a writer! i think my writing style could be considered as shoujo. mostly fluff and smut but i dabble a lil in angst. music is a big part of my writing process so you might see playlists with fics (Ë” âąÌ ᎠâąÌ Ë” ) â§
⥠my current obsession is phainon sandwiches or modern au where phainon and khaslana are twins... i'm also down for phainon triplets... i really can take them all at the same time!!!
⥠mainly honkai star rail content
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⥠yumelatte writes - i write fics!
⥠yumelatte answers - i answer asks!
⥠yumelatte recs - i recommend fics!
⥠yumelatte reblogs - i reblog posts!
⥠yumelatte yappaccino - i yap!
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Of All The Things, I Became A Priestess In Amphoreus 8 - phainon x reader | otome isekai au | 12.1k | romance, fluff
celestial phenomena - khaslana x reader x phainon | modern twins au | 10.1k | angst, smut
aaa not me waiting for black friday deals for keyboards and then getting the keyboard, just to immediately rip the keycaps off for this... this might be one of my most prized possessions...
for the record... i AM working on of all the things, i became a priestess in amphoreus. BUT as i was writing out chapter 9, i figured it would flow better if i write out chapter 10 first... so next update, whenever it will be, will be two chapters together (ïżŁâïżŁ)
i do not know any other comp. i only know phainon.
OK BUT FORREAL... PLAYING HSR TFT MAKES ME MISS PLAYING TFT SO MUCH..... i quit this current set and i'm just waiting for the next one, BUT I WILL FOREVER MISS SET 10.... THAT WAS PEAK SET IDC!!!!
this mode makes me wanna build my other chars tho because the trial chars are so BAD.
there's so many similarities between it and tft, it scratches my tft itch so well LIKE i can even recognize some of the tft augments from the investment strategies HAHA
I need to get on stardew valley RIGHT NOWWWWW, I used to play it but I got bored since I didn't download any mods and I was pretty much focused on hsr at the time. Aside from the phainon one do you have any other mods that you'd recommend?
YOU DO!! YOU NEED TO PLAY IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE SCREENSHOT HASN'T EVEN SCRATCHED THE SURFACE OF THE PHAINON CONTENT!! yeah, i can't go back to vanilla after playing modded and i play HEAVILY modded... i'm such a casual gamer so i put a bunch of qol mods for myself like skipping the fishing minigame and all that. i also have a bunch of cosmetic mods because i like to look good while farming ya know? not sure if you're interested in those but i'll recommend some just in case hehe
anyway, i would recommend these mods:
generic mod config menu by spacechase0 - lets you config mods without being on the title screen
canon friendly dialogue expansion by ben and witchweed - i like when there's more dialogue for the npcs, so they don't repeat the same thing every time
happy birthday by omegasis - i haven't gotten to my birthday in the game yet but apparently it lets the npcs wishes you happy birthday and gives you gifts?
life cycle by nraittanna - i have this one on here cause i'm tryna have the other npcs progress their lives too while i'm already with phainon...
npc map locations by bouhm and pathoschild - lets you see npcs map locations
aimon's fancy greenhouse by aimon111 - more greenhouse space after you unlock it and it looks better
skip fishing minigame by dewmods - if you're casual like me...
timespeed by cantorsdust and pathoschild - lets you enjoy the game at your own pace
elle's cuter animals mods (elle's cuter barn/coop animals) by elle - cosmetic
medieval buildings by gweniaczek - cosmetic
fashion sense by peacefulend - cosmetic and a lot of clothing mods you use this
sugarmaples' cafe clothes for fashion sense by sugarmaples - i'm using these clothes right now!!!
kkunma hair collection by halpyy - cosmetic, a bunch of cute hairs
i have a ton more mods (like 100 in total LMAO) but these are the major ones i guess??? if you do end up playing, let me know how you're enjoying it! i really need to talk to someone about the phainon heart events because they're so so so good...
if you're not playing the phainon mod from nexusmods in stardew valley then WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!
the mod creator did such a good job with incorporating his hsr lore into the game and i just am blown away by the content he has... plus the animations and sprites are INSANE... also the stuff he says sometimes got me giggling and kicking my feet. lowkey had me pausing every time and taking in his words (âžâžá”áŽá”âžâž)
and the heart events are sooooo cute i'm in love
this mod has me in a chokehold rn... living my peaceful farmer life with phainon...
Hi! Greetings! Thank you for always feeding all of us soo good! đ
I always keep coming back for more and more phailings and Snowy! If u don't mind can u try maybe a young mc meeting young phai siblings for the first with a pup Snowy! I just love the childhood friend au for this guy!
As the carâs headlights flashed in your eyes, you thought of one thing: In your next life, you wanted to be rich. You had said that, but you didnât want to be a cat!
In which you wake up in the body of a cat with your past memories and befriend the kingdomâs crown prince, Mydei.
You and Phainon have been together since childhood, being inseparable ever since. People come and go throughout your lives, but you will always have each other.
A telling of your relationship with him through the eyes of your friends.
Phainon always has his sun tattoo out on display, but these strangers donât know the story behind it; they donât know how it represents you. And youâre sick of it.
Five times where you not-so-subtly stake your claim over your boyfriend and the one time Phainon claims you as his.
â âïž tags: smut, fluff, established relationship, possessive behavior
In the beginning, he had been kind, attentive, lovingâall qualities of a perfect man. Then he turned cold and distant, driving you into your imagination. Every time you were with him, you thought of the guy in your headâthe perfect him. Guilt had seeped into your veins, constricting your vessels because it felt like that dreaded word.Â
But was it cheating if you were only loving a better version of him?Â
It wasnâtânot until you met him in person, slowly blurring the lines.
In which you become entangled with Khaslana and Phainon in an unconventional dynamic.
â âïž tags: angst, shameless smut, porn with a little plot, miscommunication, uncommunication, love triangles
In which you wake up to find yourself being a priestess in an otome game, and Phainon is the knight commander at the temple.
Phainonâs the true male lead; youâre not the female lead, but it sure feels like it.
<- Previous Chapter | Chapter Eight | Next Chapter ->
Bright sunlight beamed against your figure as you closed the distance between you and the faraway person, shouting her name against the strong wind, âCyrene!â Â
Her eyes snapped to yours, a fond smile on her face at your approaching form.
With your raised hand lowered, you said, âââââââââ says you told him his future.âÂ
âAh, did he now?â
Your mouth lifted into a pout. âYes.â You shuffled closer to her, eyeing the deck of cards by her side. âMe next!âÂ
Picking up her cards, Cyrene giggled, âAlright⊠All you had to do was ask.â
âIâm here now!âÂ
âYou are.â Cyrene shuffled the deck. âOkay⊠let me seeâŠâÂ
As she focused intensely on the cards while discerning their meaning, you were watching her with the same curious intensity, wondering what your fate will be.Â
ââââââââ told you Cyrene had picked out the Deliverer card for him. She hadnât told him the interpretation, but she said he would be a hero worshiped by all. He would become a protector of the world and a savior to many people. You asked him if he wanted thatâto which he replied that he didnât⊠not really. The people outside of their village werenât good, based on the stories his grandpa and grandma told him. He didnât want to save bad people like them.Â
And when his azure eyes had met yours while he had spoken, your eyes widened.Â
Because he said he would only become a hero if it were for you.Â
Well, not just for you, but for the entire village as well. It wasnât your fault that you lingered on that part more.Â
Your name was said, and you realized Cyrene had presented a card in front of you.Â
The minimalist depiction and its meaning were lost on you.Â
âWhat is it?âÂ
Pulling the card back to her, Cyrene hummed, leaving your question unanswered for a moment.Â
Her silence worried youâscared you⊠because what if you were doomed? â...Is it bad? Cyrene⊠hurry and tell me. Youâre scaring me!âÂ
Suddenly, she laughed, âI just wanted a reaction out of you!âÂ
âHey! Youâre so mean sometimes⊠ââââââââ had told me you pulled the same trick on him too.âÂ
Cyreneâs lips tugged into a mischievous smile. âI did. Both of you are so cute that I canât help it. Of course Iâll tell because you were the one who asked.â Holding the card before you again, she continued, âThis is the Healer.âÂ
âHealer? But Phagousa rarely blesses anyone with their giftâŠâÂ
âThatâs right! Youâre going to be one of the few with it. Helping people overcome physical trauma and saving lives. Isnât that exciting?âÂ
âThat sounds like a lot of work⊠And I donât really want to have that kind of workâŠâÂ
Narrowing her eyes, Cyrene smirked, âWould you take on the responsibility if it was for ââââââââ?âÂ
You froze, cheeks slowly heating up before avoiding her knowing look. âWhat does he have to do with anything?âÂ
âYou know, heâs going to need your help.âÂ
âHe needs help?âÂ
âSometimes, a hero gets hurt. Youâre always there for him, right? Itâll be no different.â
Being blessed with healing and having to use that power for the greater good was a lot of work, effort, and responsibility. All things you could do without, but if it was for himâŠ
âOkay, I guess I can deal with it.âÂ
Slipping the card back into her deck, Cyrene amusedly said your name, âYouâre so obvious⊠I support you wholeheartedly.â
âŠWhat was she talking about?
âThereâs nothing to be obvious about!âÂ
âUh-huh. Sure. On that note, do you want to know about your future with him too?âÂ
âŠYour future with him? There was one? But you didnât want to let her know she was right.
âNoâŠâ
Cyrene tried to bait you into giving in. âAre you sure?â
Not wanting her to see your flustered self, you refused to look at her.Â
Silence stretched out between you and Cyrene before she spoke again.Â
âThis is a one time offer!âÂ
And thatâs when you broke.Â
âOkay fine! I do.âÂ
You hated how smug she could be, so you didnât allow her to see your face because the embarrassment would be too muchâif it was not already.Â
âI knew it! Haha⊠well, letâs seeâŠâ
Listening to the sound of Cyrene flipping through her cards, you played with the golden plants surrounding you.Â
Many possibilities plagued your mind while you waited patiently for her reading.Â
Like⊠in the future, would you still be able to see ââââââââ? Would he still be with you by then? You had met him because of Cyrene. If she wasnât here, would you have gotten close with ââââââââ?Â
After all, she was the one who introduced you to him.Â
And actually, despite his earlier words, he might not like you as much as you thought. On your very first meeting with him, he seemed hesitant with you. It was only after learning you liked catching the field mice too that he had opened up to you.Â
Cyrene wasnât into that kind of activity, so he played with youâand then you started spending way more time together.Â
On one occasion, where it was just you and him, resting after chasing miceâin between a lull of conversation and when you had been focused on something elseâyou turned your attention back to him, only to see his eyes briefly on you before he quickly removed his gaze to somewhere else.Â
âWhy were you looking at me?â you asked, trying to get him to look at you again.Â
âNo reason,â he said, facing away from you.
But his ears would turn a pretty shade of red.Â
And you could never figure out what for.Â
âDestined to end together⊠Meant for each other⊠Hmm⊠Eternally intertwined through time and space?â Wagging a finger and grinning, her eyes shifted from the cards in her hand to you. âYou and him have a promising future, after all.âÂ
Your attention never left the wheat field, afraid of Cyreneâs teasing if she saw the giddy smile on your face.Â
Noticing where your focus was, Cyrene remarked with a slight laugh, âHaha, I know you like the sound of it!âÂ
â...Yeah,â you murmured.
If⊠what she said was true, and more often than not, her words wereâŠÂ
Then ââââââââ was yours.Â
He was yours.Â
Wait.
Who was yours?Â
This all felt wrong.Â
Slowly opening your eyes, your dream ended abruptly as you realized you were in the templeâs library. The hard feeling of wood and the smell of old books grounded you back into reality. With your head in your arms and still on the table, you woke up, disoriented.Â
It was only a dream, but it felt so realâŠÂ
Youâve never met Cyrene before. Why were you talking to her like you were familiar with her?Â
âCyrene.â
[ ? ]
On cue, the pink box appeared from out of thin air, and you stared at it, wondering how you should word your question.
â...Did we know each other?âÂ
[ âŠHuh? Arenât you from another world? It may not seem like it, but Iâm part of Amphoreus too! Our first meeting was in your dream. ]
Well, you knew that.
ButâŠ
âI just had another dream.â Lifting your head, you laced your fingers together, resting them in front of your face. âWe were in the same place as our first meeting⊠and you were telling me about some kind of future?âÂ
[ Future? âŠWhat about?â ]
You tried to remember what was in the dream. âYou predicted my path to becoming a healerâŠâ
And there was something elseâsomeone else.Â
A name kept coming up. Its syllables were on the tip of your tongue, but you couldnât exactly remember it.
âSomeone kept coming up in our conversation, but I canât remember who it was.â Eyeing the translucent screen, you questioned, âYou wouldnât happen to know anything about that, would you?âÂ
[ Haha⊠If you donât know, then how would IâŠ? ]
She was hiding something from you, but youâll let her off the hook for now because you didnât even have a name for the person you were with besides Cyrene.Â
âYouâre right. Once I remember the name, Iâll be bothering you again.âÂ
[ Okay⊠]
The box promptly vanished, and your suspicion increased tremendously.Â
You noticed how she really didnât want to talk about it.Â
Did Cyrene have history with the woman you were occupying? And whatever happened to her, anyway?Â
What happened to the original owner of this body?Â
You had a feeling Cyrene knew the answer to all those questions; however, right now, she seems reluctant. Maybe you can catch her in a better mood later.Â
Stretching out your limbs, you got out of the chair and returned the scattered history books to their original location before deciding to check on how the others are settling into the holy city.Â
That was what you wanted to do, but how did you get yourself into this mess again?
âNo way am I sharing my home with you Kremnoans!âÂ
âThen where else should I go? Have you not heard of the situation? You Okhemans are all the same, unwilling to listen to reason.âÂ
How were you going to solve this?Â
Turning towards you, the Okhema citizen pleaded, âPriestess, tell this Kremnoan that heâs not welcome here.â
Oh KephaleâŠ
âConsidering the state of his homeâŠâ You hesitantly looked at the unamused Kremnoan before returning your attention to the frowning Okheman, carefully saying, âHe has nowhere else to go⊠Surely, Okhema can provide him and everyone else refuge for a little whileâŠ?â
âBut I donât understand. Why does it have to be here?âÂ
He stumped you with that. You had no answer. Did it have to be Okhema? You were leaning towards yes because Tribbie was the one who picked the location, and she must have chosen it for a good reason.Â
âHello, hello~â an upbeat voice sounded from behind you, interrupting the conversation.Â
Speaking of Tribbie⊠the red-haired girl slowly came to a stop by your side, studying the two individuals you had been dealing with.Â
You hadnât been expecting her, but nonetheless, you were grateful for her entrance. âTribbie, hello.âÂ
She gave you a slight knowing smile when you pleadingly looked at her. âI couldnât help but overhear the conversation.â Looking at the Okheman, she said, âTo answer your question⊠yes.âÂ
Suspiciously, the Okheman said, âAnd who are you?âÂ
âWe are Tribios.â
âTri-Tribios? The Holy Maiden? Youâre hereâŠ? But⊠why are you so different?âÂ
You had asked her that same question a while ago; however, there had been more pressing matters to attend to. Giving her your full attention, you listened to what she was about to say.
With an understanding nod towards you and the Okheman, Tribbie explained, âJanus has given us a prophecy about the Black Tide, so we split ourselves to spread the word. As we speak, we are delivering it across Amphoreus.â
The Okheman looked doubtful, but the Kremnoan sternly asked, âBlack Tide? Those monsters⊠It was because of that?âÂ
âYes⊠Janusopolis has also fallen, so we had to flee here as well. We have heard of a priestess,â Tribbieâs eyes flickered to you, âwho could cleanse illnesses we cannot see. We took a chance by coming here because with you here, Okhema would likely remain a safe place.â
It most likely would, but you werenât sure if you could help whatever those creatures were. They were already too far gone. Another thing was⊠how did they come to be?
You turned towards the Kremnoan. âDo you know what happened in Castrum Kremnos?â
Shaking his head, he answered, âI was minding my own business when those strange monsters started appearing out of nowhere, tearing apart the city and injuring everyone. Some of those that became injured had turned into those same⊠things! Afraid, I ran. I had been running for my life, and almost had lost itâif it had not been for the crown prince.âÂ
Mydei?Â
That was right. The red crystallized structure housing the citizens had the same properties as the spear he had thrown at the mysterious, masked individual.Â
Mydei saved some of them, and you wondered what exactly happened because his messenger had mentioned the king was affected⊠but you havenât seen anyone resembling him at all.Â
Could his father have turned into�
Tribbie frowned. âThe starting incident at Janusopolis⊠At the temple, there was a person who attacked one of us. We tried our best to restrain and subdue them, and one of our priestesses even volunteered to help them. She said she had the ability to cure what we came to know now as madness.â
What? There was someone other than you that could do that? Why didnât Cyrene say anything about it? If there was someone else that could⊠then maybeâŠ
âUnfortunately, she wasnât telling the truth because nothing happened when she triedâŠâ
Oh. There goes that ideaâŠ
âAnd without any other options, we had to consult Janus. They told us,â Tribbieâs eyes focused on you, âof another priestessâone of Kephale in Aedes Elysiaeâwho proved herself to be madnessâs cure. Janus explained about the upcoming calamity that this world will have to face⊠the impending madness that is capable of turning humans into monstersâthe Black Tide. Its source comes from corrupted waters, and the person who attacked us at the temple must have come into contact with it. Not long after we returned to that person, they became something unrecognizable⊠managing to turn more people⊠so we had to escape.âÂ
What they had to deal with⊠sounded like what happened at the banquetâexcept there were no monster transformations.
âI⊠I didnât know it was this serious,â the surprised Okheman said.
âYes, we donât blame you. Thanks to Starry Eyes, it never reached that point.â
You were confused about how you had more time to cure the citizens of Okhema. âBut they all turned so fast? For us, we had some time before the madness overtook them?âÂ
Sighing, Tribbie admitted, â...We have no idea how it works, to be honest...â
Did Mydei have the same circumstance? And that was why the place was overran by those creatures?
You needed to get confirmation.Â
âTribbie, do you know where Mydei is?âÂ
âWe saw him high up in the city~âÂ
âThank you, Iâll take my leave now.â
âGoodbye, Starry Eyes~âÂ
As you walked away, Tribbie could be heard saying, â...Now, do you understand why Okhema should be a sanctuary for others?âÂ
Searching for Mydei wasnât too difficult because he stood out like a sore thumb among the people in the city, and not many were on such high ground.Â
He stood there with his back to you, looking beyond the horizons with crossed arms.Â
Slowly walking towards him, you were about to make yourself known when he said, âDonât sneak up on me from behind, Priestess.âÂ
Once you were standing beside him, you apologetically looked up at him. His indicator hadnât changed since then; its yellow â20%â stared back. âI wasnâtâŠâÂ
Mydei didnât look at you, still focusing on the distance. âYou could have fooled me.âÂ
A nervous laugh escaped you. âI wanted to check in on you andâŠâ Ask about what happened.Â
After glimpsing by your feet for a second, his eyes returned to the skies. âWhere are your small companions?âÂ
Oh? Was he worried about them?Â
âAs of right now⊠theyâre probably resting in my room back at the temple.â
â...Is Little Dei well?âÂ
âIt is!â Delighted at his concern for the chimera, you smiled before it faltered slightly. â...But are you okay?âÂ
Last you heardâfrom his own messenger, no lessâhis father had been afflicted with madness⊠and you havenât seen him around⊠and now that you know what Tribbie had told youâŠ
Mydei was fidgeting with a piece of metal between his fingers, and upon closer look, it was a ring. âI will be.â
He became silent, saying nothing else as you looked away.Â
You wanted to know what exactly happened, but didnât want to push him. All you could do was assumeâŠÂ
So without asking any more questions, you observed the people below.Â
It wasnât just Okhemans that lived here now; there were citizens of Janusopolis and Kremnoans who were getting used to their new routines. Other people even started coming from different cities here because their homes had been destroyed. They scuttled about in the holy city, figuring out what their roles were in these trying times.
Then you remembered it was possible for some of them to continue on because of Mydeiâs deed back in his home.Â
âThank you for saving them.â
âThey are my kin. And⊠my mother would have wanted me to.â
You havenât seen her either.
âIf you are curious, she is⊠goneâtaken away by Thanatos. My father as well.âÂ
Suddenly looking back at him, you wanted to give him your condolences. âMydei-â
He cut you off. âIt is fine.â
âThat masked person you stabbed with the spear⊠Did theyâŠ?âÂ
With a hand under his chin, Mydei deeply thought for a moment before saying, âIâm unsureâŠâ
Who were they? Were they the cause of what was happening? You had seen them trying to do something suspicious to the unconscious knightâsomething most likely connected to madness.Â
Mydei was your one lead for them, but it seemed like he wasnât sure either.Â
Besides that, you wanted to let him know that you were here for him. Losing his parents and home like that so suddenlyâŠ
âMydei⊠you know youâre not alone, right?âÂ
âIâm well aware. Leonnius and my other close companions would not leave me alone after we arrived here. I just needed some time to myself⊠for some peace and quiet.â
Oh, shoot. You were bothering himâŠ
âAh, sorry to disturb you! Iâll leave you be now!â Turning around, you were ready to rush off when Mydei spoke.
âHah, no need to worry, Priestess,â Mydei hurriedly said, a hand out to reassure you. âI know you did not mean any harm. Back in Kremnos, you seemed to want to speak with me. It was only a matter of time before you seeked me out.âÂ
âYesâŠâ
âYou are⊠kind and thoughtful. Be careful to not let anyone take advantage of you.â
âŠWho would do that?Â
â...Iâll still go. Thank you again for the information.â
Nodding, Mydei said, âFarewell.âÂ
When you were about to leave the rooftop, you briefly glanced back to see his percentage increasingâ20% to 35%.
And on your way back to the temple, you thought about the mysterious, masked being again.Â
They had Phagousaâs blessing⊠but from what you saw, they tried to bring harm to the unconscious knight. The ability to heal and destroy⊠Who could possibly have the power to do that?
âCyrene⊠do you know them?âÂ
Her usual pink text box didnât appear, making you think she didnât hear you, so you repeated her name, âCyrene?âÂ
It still didnât pop up.Â
You didnât try to get her to respond to you anymore. If she didnât want to talk to you, there was nothing you could do to make her.Â
Did your previous inquiry at the library throw her off that bad?Â
Sighing, you decided to worry about another matter.Â
It was time to get medicine from the clinic and head over to Phainon.Â
After that day where you healed his wound, you started coming over to his room for daily check-ups and medication. The knights had gotten used to your presence and made sure to always be decent during your usual time of visit.
In addition, rumors began circulating around the temple about you and Phainon, becoming the talk of the area. Those knights were a nosy bunch, and when it came to their leader, even more so. No thanks to Lydia and everyone else, assumptions were already had between the both of you. It had been evident with the dinner conversation with Lydia.Â
But you were only taking care of your patient! You were helping him get better! Was that so wrong?Â
And no matter how appealing it sounded, Phainon might not be as open to the idea as you⊠Or was he?Â
âŠMaybe not.Â
Come to think of it, Phainon hadnât been very receptive to your touch.Â
You tried to ignore the subtle jolt Phainon made when your hand came into contact with his skin, and you also tried ignoring how tense he felt underneath.Â
Did your touch repulse him that much?
It was hard to think any differently with his behavior.Â
To be fair, you hadnât gotten a good look at his face because you had wanted to get it over as soon as possible but stillâŠ
Something landed on your head before quickly flying away, startling you out of your thoughts.Â
Turning around out of curiosity, you saw a bright purple butterfly fluttering in the airâheading somewhere with purpose.Â
Such an elegant creature was a sight to behold. You didnât know where its destination was, but you quietly prayed to Janus for its safe passage.Â
When you stepped into the clinic, you were confused because you didnât see Zayne or Hyacine anywhere. Your eyes swept across the room before seeing them near one bed, and it was not until you came closer that you realized what had happened. Your relief dissipated at the solemn sight.Â
Medicine was advanced enough to the point where it could treat various illnesses and diseases; however, sometimes, it was not enough.Â
Hyacine grimaced, staring at the unmoving patient.
â...Is he?â you whispered.Â
Meeting your gaze, Zayne shook his head with a somber expression. âUnrelated to madness. He had been in chronic condition. Couldnât hold on any longer.â
It happensâdeath happens. But even so, it was painful to witness, no matter how natural it was.Â
The knight who had saved you crossed your mind, and a heavy guilt buried its way into your gut.Â
Were you worth his life? You didnât even belong hereâin this world. Did you deserve to live while he didnât?Â
You hoped he had found a way to reach the nether realm with Thanatosâwishing the same for the deceased person in front of you and for Mydeiâs mother and father.Â
After paying respects, you headed towards a cabinet as Zayne prepared the body for a proper burial. While you gathered the medicine, Hyacine said your name from behind you.Â
Facing her, you said, âYes?âÂ
âZayne says you have some chimera friends.âÂ
âI do.âÂ
âDo you want to know what theyâre saying?âÂ
âI can?âÂ
The excitement in your voice made Hyacine laugh. âIf I cast the blessings of Cerces, you should be able to understand them!âÂ
Youâve grown accustomed to their little howls, and despite how cute they sounded, you also wanted to communicate with them. So if Hyacine was offering that ability, you wouldnât refuse.Â
âOh, yes please,â you eagerly said, readjusting the items in your hands.Â
Hyacine smiled, hands reaching out. âClose your eyesâŠâ
Shutting your eyes, you waited for her.Â
As she chanted a verse, a soothing feeling came from the warmth flowing into youâreminding you of the dream where you had first met Cyrene, and your earlier dream with her as well.Â
â...May your reason remain clear. May Cerces guard your thoughts. All done, you can open your eyes now!âÂ
Listening to her, the sight of Hyacine with her hands behind her back greeted you.Â
âNow when they talk, youâll be able to know what they say, Starrie!âÂ
Blinking, you registered the nickname. âStarrie?âÂ
âDoesnât it fit you? One could say youâre Amphoreusâs hope. Stars are a beacon of hope, no?âÂ
The triad of girls were also calling you Starry EyesâŠ
âIâm not that impressiveâŠâ
âAnd that makes you are. Because of your humility.â Giggling, Hyacine glanced at the doorway. âDonât you have a patient to get to?âÂ
âI do!âÂ
Remembering Phainon, you quickly got the remaining items you needed before bidding farewell to Hyacine, rushing off.Â
âThere she goesâŠâ Zayne observed you disappearing behind the door from where he was.
âI havenât been here long⊠but are Starrie and Phainon perhapsâŠ? I canât fathom checking on him so often, especially when heâs almost certainly better.âÂ
âOnly they know, unfortunately.â
Once inside the barracks, you briefly greeted the knights before making a beeline towards Phainonâs room.Â
Right when you were about to call out his name, the door unexpectedly swung open.
Looking up, your eyes met Phainonâs, and you saw he was in his black, collared shirt and pants, foregoing his white armor.Â
âWhat are you doing?â
âAbout to head out. Iâve stayed here long enoughâŠâ
Placing one of your hands on the middle of his chest, you pushed himâhis feet retracing their steps back into the room. âNo! You need to rest until youâre fully better!âÂ
He paused, a slight smile on his lips. âIâm sure Iâm nearly thereâŠâ
âMaybe⊠but you need to stay here.â Grumbling, you settled the medicine on a table, moving your hands to his shoulders to sit him down on his bed.
You kept him in his room for who knows how long. And as much as he looked forward to your daily visits, he still had responsibilities.Â
Despite that, Phainon obeyed you because he didnât want to cause more stress for you. He knew you were working harder now that there were more people seeking out Okhema and its bordering Aedes Elysiae as sanctuary from madness and monsters.Â
âEnough about me, how are you holding up?âÂ
Averting your eyes, you responded, âIâm fineâŠâÂ
âAre you really?âÂ
You returned your firm and strong gaze to him. âI have to be. No one else can do what I can do, and I need to make sure Iâm good at it.âÂ
Phainon said your name, softening his eyes. âYouâre the only one putting those expectations on yourself.âÂ
You were, but you couldnât help it. Everyone was making you out to be the worldâs savior.Â
â...That knight who saved me⊠Did he have family?âÂ
Recalling him, Phainon thought about lying to save your feelings, but decided against it. âYes.â
Pursing your lips, your eyes wandered his placeâtaking note of the various decorations and little trinkets.Â
âHow did theyâŠâ
âThey took it well, considering the situation and all.âÂ
That was reassuring to hear; however, the guilt wouldnât go away. You needed to distract yourself.Â
âDo you have family?âÂ
Fondly, Phainon replied, âYeah, theyâre on the outskirts of Aedes Elysiae.âÂ
âOh, that close?â
âYou noticed the wheat fields, right? Beyond them is my home⊠which reminds me⊠I should go see how theyâre doing and warn them about the current dangers.â More to himself, Phainon quietly said, â...My parents would like you.â
You didnât hear the whole sentence. âWho would like me?âÂ
Suddenly sitting up straighter, he shook his head, faint coloring appearing on his face. âDonât mind that. How about your family?âÂ
Where was your family in this life? You werenât actually sure. How much does he know about you? What should you say to him?Â
âSorry, I shouldnât have asked when I know youâve been at the temple your whole lifeâŠâ
You have?
âHow do you know that?âÂ
âYou donât remember? We ran into each other once when I came here⊠but we rarely saw each other after that.â
You had no recollection because that wasnât you.Â
But you couldnât just say that.Â
âOh, that was a long time ago, so itâs hard to rememberâŠâÂ
âIt wasâŠâ
â...Itâs okay, though. I donât need to have a family to be happy.âÂ
âWould you want one?âÂ
âHuh?âÂ
âI-I mean in the future! When everythingâs fine againâŠâÂ
What was he getting at?Â
âPhainon, what do you mean?âÂ
He needed to stop digging a deeper hole for himself. Because all he could think of was a peaceful placeâhis quaint villageâwith you, and two smaller figures by your sidesâthey each had a different combination of his and your features. They ran up to him once they spotted him, trying to hang off his armsâwhile you stood on your toes, greeting him with a kiss on his cheek to welcome him back.
When did he start longing for you like this?Â
Hurriedly, he changed the subject. âThe medicine! You brought it for me again?âÂ
Thinking nothing of it, you replied, âOh, yes! Let me get it for you.âÂ
Returning to the table, you were about to grab it when something else caught your attention.Â
A leather sheath with a sleek golden handle laid next to the medication; its delicate, gold stitching stood out on the white tanned material, a symbol was engraved on itâa diamond, surrounded by a perfect near circle with pointy shapes protruding towards the outside. Under the light from the window, the handle intensely gleamed.Â
Noticing your prolonged silence, Phainon looked over to you, seeing your interest in his forgotten dagger. He had been wanting to go to Mr. Theodoros in Okhema to get it appraised, having acquired the weapon from one of the auctions happening a while back. The auctioneer had praised the antique, saying it was one-of-a-kindâthat it had once belonged to the Throne of Worlds, Kephale.Â
âŠReally?Â
Phainon had asked them about it; however, received no response.Â
Out of curiosity, he bought the item anyway.Â
Real or fake, it could still be of use to you. âDo you want it?âÂ
You did; you wanted the weapon to defend yourself in case no one was there to help you but⊠âI donât know how to use it.âÂ
âI can teach you the basics.â
âYou know how to wield one?âÂ
âSometimes, weâknightsâlike to spar with different weapons. You never know when you need to take up arms.âÂ
âOkay! Iâd like that.â Half-smiling at him, you made a note to take the dagger when you leave before reaching for the medicine and coming back to where he was.Â
â...Do I still need these even though Iâm feeling much better?âÂ
âOf course! Itâs important you finish everything Iâve prescribed for efficacy.â
Ever the physician you were.
â...You havenât forgotten about our arrangement after Iâve fully recovered, have you?âÂ
âI havenât.âÂ
How could you? It had been on your mind with every passing dayâyour not date.Â
Breathing a sigh of relief, Phainon stated, âGood.â
Was he looking forward to it that much? Well, you couldnât deny you were eager for it tooâŠ
â...Anyway, you need to get better before we can go.â
As you continued to fuss over him, Phainon thought that he was going to very much miss this side of you.Â
The outing with you would have to suffice for now.
The Month of Freedom ended, and before you knew it, the Month of Reaping beganâstill in the season of creation.Â
During this month, people were busier than usualâharvesting their fall crops, having grown to their ripest. Even with the looming threat, lives went on because it seemed it wasnât going to reach here. The only difference from before was the steadily increased population of Okhema.Â
A special night market was scheduled to take place in the holy city.Â
People who already harvested their crops were ready to reap the benefits of their hard labor.Â
They were busy with setting up stands and displays. You were busy with deciding on your outfit for tonight.Â
And you knew it wasnât a date; however, your mind was thinking anything but that.Â
Whatever, you werenât dressing up for Phainon. You were doing it for yourself. Yes, you didnât need a reason to look good.
Little Dei stood on your bed, grasping a piece of fabric in its mouth before dropping it onto the sheets. âStarrie, this would look great on you.â
âAwoo, Starrie, no!â Also on your bed, Little Phai quickly interrupted its friend, dragging another set of clothes towards you, setting it in front of you. âWear this, instead!âÂ
After learning you could understand them with Hyacineâs blessing, the chimeras always had something to say to you. They also tried to find Hyacine because they wanted to thank her for giving you the ability to discern their howls. That was when they found out about the nickname she had for you, and they started using it, getting along with Hyacine quite well.Â
Looking at the outfits they picked, your eyes flickered between themâcontemplating.Â
Both of them were appealing in their own right, but you didnât want to choose one and hurt the otherâs feelings, so you said, âAh, sorry Phai and Dei. Iâm going to have to go with something elseâŠâ
The two stared at you with their big eyes, a sadness welling within them that you tried to ignore by glancing away.Â
Hurting both of their feelings was better than hurting only one because at least they were in solidarity.Â
But⊠what were you going to wear? Did the priestess before you have nothing but religious robes? Why wasnât there anything casual that was moderately attractive?
You continued to search your wardrobe for an outfit when you caught sight of a familiar bag.Â
It was the bag Aglaea had given you on your first meeting.
Peering into it, you saw the extravagant dress neatly folded; however, upon closer look, there was another garment under it.Â
The one that had your attention wasnât the only dress she had gifted you. And it wasnât suited for the night market.Â
But this oneâŠ
Taking the extra dress out of the bag, you gently unraveled it from its neat folding.Â
Its design was impeccable and fit for the occasion, but how did Aglaea slip this in without your notice?Â
Thinking back to your encounter with her, you remembered briefly looking away from her when Mydei had told you to hurry.Â
Did she do it then?
And a better question is why did she do it?
âŠWhatever the reason was, it didnât really matter because now you had something to wear.Â
After changing your current clothes into the dress, you admired yourself in the standing mirror, flaring the skirt with a little twirl.Â
Dare you say⊠you looked good!Â
You didnât get many chances to be out of your priestess robes, so this was a welcoming change.Â
âStarrie, you look very pretty.â Little Dei hopped off the bed, stopping by your feet to stare at you.Â
âYeah!â Following its friend, Little Phai headed towards you as well, coming to a stop on your other side. âIf me and Dei agree then Phainon will also, awoo!âÂ
Phainon? What does he have to do with anythingâŠ?Â
You were doing this for yourselfânot for Phainon!Â
âIâm not doing this for himâŠâ
Tilting its head, Little Phai asked, âWhy not? Arenât you going on a date?âÂ
âItâs not a date!âÂ
Little Phai was taken aback by your immediate answer. âAwoo, oh⊠okayâŠâ It was slightly disappointed because it liked Phainon the second bestâright after you, so it was only natural it would want its two favorite people together.Â
Why did it sound so disappointed? Did it want you to actually be on a date? âPhai⊠donât take it to heart. Phainon didnât say it was one, so itâs not.â
âIf you say soâŠâ Little Phai said, not losing hope.Â
Crouching down, you placed your hands on Little Phai and Little Dei, petting them as they leaned into your touch. âI gotta go meet up with him now, so Iâll see you two later.âÂ
âGoodbye, awoo!âÂ
âBye, Starrie!â
With a smile, you exited your room to head towards the entrance of the temple, having agreed with Phainon to be there.Â
Once you got closer to the meeting place, you could see the familiar figure of the knight commander, but the thing wasâhe wasnât in his usual outfit.Â
Without his armor, he looked less like a knight, and more like a fashion model, with the clothes he was wearing.Â
Instead of his normal boots, dress shoes were in its place. He had on thinly striped dress pants with intricate designs, and the white dress shirt with golden accents matched him very well. Tying the outfit together was a loose black tie, drawing attention to the bright tattoo on his neck.
Ignoring the urge to yank on his tie as you walked towards Phainon, you realized it wasnât just you who dressed up for the occasion.Â
He looked goodâperhaps too good for a friendly trip to Okhema.Â
When you were by his side, Phainonâs eyes quickly lit up at your presence, and then his eyes went wide, breath hitching at the sight of you. Â
He hadnât seen you in anything other than your priestess robes.
As he took in your look, all he could think of was that you were beautifulâin that flattering dress of yours, and you were also cuteâtrying to ignore his intense gaze.Â
Your dress had the tell-tale markings of a certain garmentmaker on it, and Phainon wondered when you had received it from Aglaea. Was it during the investigation of Okhema? He remembered seeing you with a bag that he helped carry for you when you were needed for the chimeras in the garden.Â
His current clothing had also been a gift from Aglaea a long time ago. She had given it to him for his birthday, but he never found use for it. Now, he did. Originally, he was going to show up in his normal clothes; however, decided against it at the last minute because he wanted to look good for youâwanting to impress you.Â
And it wouldnât hurt to relax a little. The night market was the perfect excuse to let loose and enjoy himself, especially when it was with you.Â
Realizing he was staring at you for too long, Phainon quickly said your name, â...Youâre wearing something differentâŠâ He wanted to tell you that you were prettyâbeautiful, but it didnât leave his lips, afraid of being so honest.Â
âI am⊠You are as well,â you responded, resisting the temptation to say what you really thought. Oh Kephale, he was absolutely handsome in that outfit. It should be a crime to be that attractive.Â
âShould we go now?âÂ
âYes.âÂ
This wasnât a date.Â
It wasnât!Â
Even though you both had dressed upâŠ
As you and Phainon walked side-by-side with one another to your destination, you tried to remind yourself that it wasnât a date.Â
Okhemaâs night market was in full swing by the time you and Phainon arrived at the holy city.Â
Bright and colorful lights decorated the skyline and roofs of the buildings, intensifying the lively atmosphere. Crowds of people occupied the various vendors around the area, and noise level was high at all times.Â
Your amazed eyes surveyed the place as you both wandered in the streets. âThereâs so many people!âÂ
âYeah, there is.â Hold my hand, so you donât get lost. Yeah, right. Phainon couldnât say that. âIf thereâs something you want, let me know. Iâll buy it for you.â He bought more than enough money to buy anything. When he went last year, nothing was interesting, so he didnât get anything, but maybe itâll be different with you around.Â
â...Oh. Is it really okay?âÂ
âOf course!â
âWell, thereâs one thing I really wantâŠâÂ
âWhat is it?âÂ
âYou know the dagger you gave me? I want an accessory that could hold it on me. Once you teach me, Iâm going to put it to good use!âÂ
âSure, if you see one you like, just tell me.âÂ
Grinning, you teased, âEven if it costs a lot?âÂ
Phainon nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets, slightly fidgeting with the bag of currency.
Lowering your head, you suddenly backtracked, âI was kidding. I would feel bad having you pay that muchâŠâ
âConsider it a gift for helping me get better.âÂ
âI was just doing my job! And you already gave me the daggerâŠâ
âTwo gifts for helping me get better and helping everyone else.âÂ
âPhainonâŠâ But you didnât say anything else because you had a feeling he wasnât going to back down.
At your loss of words, he flashed a big charming grin at you, appreciating your acceptance.Â
You returned it with a shy smile before looking away, observing the vendors on the side, your eyes searching for the perfect item.Â
In this vicinity, craftsmen stalls were abundant, and you could only imagine how much work they put into creating their displayed products. Each of them had their own appeal, and many people were busy examining them in front of the different stands, making it hard for you to see what you were looking for.Â
âFind anything?âÂ
âNo, I need to get closer. I canât see.âÂ
Phainon followed you over to one of the less crowded booths. It didnât have as many people as the others, but they still lined up around it. He watched your attempt at looking over someoneâs shoulders to see the items before you stopped with a pout on your lipsâunfortunately, unsuccessful.Â
He slightly laughed, amused by your cute behavior. âWant me to describe the stuff for you?âÂ
âItâs not the same. I need to see it myself. Iâll just waitâŠâ
After a moment, the person you had been trying to look over left, and you immediately took their spot.
You studied the products, trying to see if they had what you wanted. When you found it, you pointed at the object. âThis one.â
Standing directly behind you, Phainonâs attention landed on a thick band made of brown leather with a bronze buckle. Its design meant for it to simply hold a dagger on a leg.
Phainon bought it for you, and you and him rested at a nearby wall because you wanted to check something.Â
His eyes roamed and observed the place while you were occupied with putting the newly acquired accessory on.Â
âPhainon, look!â
And when he returned his attention to you, his eyes widened as he choked on his breath, quickly feeling blood rush to his cheeks.Â
Because the skirt of your dress was lifted by your very own hand, flaunting the thigh strap on your bare leg. Its material dug nicely into your skin, and he couldnât remove his eyes from you.Â
Finally getting a hold of himself, his hand swiftly reached out to pull your skirt back down, his head swung from his right side to left side, hoping no one else saw you. Thankfully, everybody was too focused on their activities to pay any attention over here. You⊠you had no business being this unaware⊠âDonât⊠Donât do that for anyone else, okay?âÂ
As you blinked, it was a moment before you realized what you did. And when you did, you couldnât respondâhorrified at the realization.
You just basically flashed Phainon, and you didnât notice until he had said something. Youâve always wanted to wear one of these, so this was an opportunity you couldnât miss. In your excitement, you ignored how revealing it would have been to show off your new accessory.Â
Maybe you had grown too comfortable around himâŠ
âI-I didnât mean to.â
â...No, itâs okay. Just⊠Now I know where your weapon will be secured, and that gives me peace of mind⊠that you have something to protect yourself with.â
You really didnât mean to⊠but what was done was done⊠How do you stop the embarrassment from this situation?Â
âUm, yeahâŠâ Laughing nervously and avoiding his eyes, you noticed there were many food stalls further into the market. âLetâs get something to eat!â you quickly said, pointing in its direction.Â
Phainon looked in the direction of your finger before nodding. âSounds like a good idea. We havenât eaten dinner yet.â
You were about to walk deeper into the area; however, a shiny item on the ground drew your attention. Getting closer, you crouched down to pick it up, inspecting it in your hand.Â
The circular object had two pointed shapes sticking out of it, resembling cat ears, and there was a blue and yellow eye staring at you. Lines came out of the eye, creating triangular formations, making it seem like it was grinning.Â
âThat isâŠâ Recognition appeared on Phainonâs face as he examined the object with you.Â
Before Phainon could say any more, a voice rang outâone who didnât belong to you or him. âHeeey, you have something of mine.âÂ
Looking up from the object, you met the eyes of similar color as the one on it.Â
A hooded silver-haired woman donning black and gold clothing, accented with blue was in your sight. Her pair of cat ears twitched, a single tail slightly swinging behind her. Around her neck was an accessory that seemed like it was missing a piece.Â
Offering her what was in your hand, you asked, âThis is yours?âÂ
With a nod, she took it from you, fastening it to her necklace.Â
Once done, the unfamiliar womanâs eyes switched to the man beside you, lips spreading into a sly smile. âSo⊠the Deliverer boy has a secret lover.âÂ
Bowing your head, you became flustered.Â
Lover?!
No⊠you werenâtâŠ
But⊠Deliverer boy? The dream from before briefly invaded your mind.
âMiss Cipher!â Phainon suddenly said, the blood from earlier returning to his face. âSheâs⊠sheâs notâŠâ
âIs that so?â Cipher studied you and Phainonâboth looking away from each other and also unmeeting her eyesâbefore her smile transformed into a big grin, addressing you. âSure. Iâm Cifera, but call me Cipher.âÂ
âHi, CipherâŠâ you greeted, slowly lifting your head, introducing yourself with your name and trying to change the subject. âWas that thing I found important to you?âÂ
Fiddling with it, Cipher admitted, âYeah, itâs a big part of me.â Easily taking it off, she hovered it over one of her eyes. âCoin of whimsy. Being Zagreusâs Chrysos Heir has its perks, and unbelievable speed when I throw and catch the coinâis one of them.âÂ
Zagreusâs Chrysos Heir, huh? You werenât one to judge by looks, but she did look like it⊠Cats were cunning and unpredictable, after all.Â
Attaching the coin back on her pendant, Cipher smirked, âWell, now that I found what I was looking for, I have to go because you both look like youâre having a nice time, soâŠâ She said your name, âSee you and Deliverer boy another time!âÂ
Cipher quickly disappeared behind a building, leaving you and Phainon together again.Â
âUm⊠so food, right?â
âRight. Letâs go.âÂ
Most of the food stalls were selling made-to-order or ready-to-eat foods, but there was a decent amount with fresh fruits and or vegetables.Â
Time passed by as you walked around to the different vendors, with you and Phainon buying several savory foods, immediately consuming them and letting each other know the thoughts of each.Â
All this food had been enjoyable, but you could go for some sweets right about nowâŠ
It was at that moment a stand specializing in desserts caught your interest. On their displayed menu was an image of one of their pastriesâit was in the shape of a creature youâve never seen before.
The purple treat had a long neck with a big body and a thick tail, white cream decorated the head, forming soft plumes.Â
The stall owner noticed you were scanning his menu. âAre you interested in our special Dromas pastry? Itâs a new recipe weâre trying out.â
âWeâll take two.â Phainon gave him enough money for the pastries.Â
In return, he handed one to you and another to Phainon.Â
Moving away from the stand, you held up the pastry before you, taking in the details. âDromas?âÂ
âTheyâre Georiosâs creations.âÂ
âAre they seen here in Okhema?âÂ
Phainon nodded, chewing before he said, âSome dromases are used for meat, but around here, theyâre mostly used for travel. Thereâs a workshop for them in Okhema, and you can even see them roaming the city sometimes. Iâm surprised you havenât seen one yet.â
âMaybe one of these days! This pastry makes them look so majestic.âÂ
âMy professor would agree with you.âÂ
âProfessor?âÂ
âWe were required to spend some time at the Grove of Epiphany, and you must be thinking why would a knight need to be there? Well, the archbishop deemed it important for us to be educatedâin addition to being physically capable. I had a professor there that I learned from. He loves dromases. But I wonder how the Grove is doing under these conditions⊠Maybe we should pay a visit soon.â
In the game, there had been a love interest advertised as being a scholar, and the Grove of Epiphany was where he spent most of his time, so you wondered if he was still there.
Finally done with asking questions, you bit into the dessert and instantly devoured it.Â
The stall owner mentioned it being a new recipe, and you could tell it was going to be a hit with the people because it was absolutely delectableâthe vanilla sugar and cream flavor complimented the blueberry base.Â
Turning towards Phainon, you were about to say so when he slightly laughed, upon meeting your eyes.Â
âWhat?âÂ
His finger came up to the side of his mouth, pointing. âYou haveâŠâÂ
You swiped a thumb across the corner of your lips, but it must have been unsuccessful because Phainon chuckled again when you looked at him.Â
â...Here.â Coming closer, he lightly swiped a finger at the spot just underneath your lips before moving away, a little dollop of cream was on his fingertip. Â
Your heart started racing when he drew nearer, but it felt like it had almost stopped at his brief touch.Â
Mindlessly, Phainon popped the finger he had lifted the cream off you into his mouth.Â
And you combusted, heat quickly flaring up your neck to your cheeksâwide eyes incapable of looking away from him as he savored the taste with a lick of his lips.Â
Returning his gaze to you, Phainon wondered why you were staring at him, and then realization hit him. He had made the same mistake you did earlier: Being so comfortable around you that he didnât think before acting. âI-âÂ
âYouâŠâ Dodging his eyes, your focus drifted to the side, speechless.Â
Phainon also looked to the sideâaway from you, trying to come up with an explanation.Â
Silence lingered between the two of you while continuing to walk across the market.Â
Opening his mouth, Phainon was about to explain himself when someone bumped into himâhis weight throwing them off-balance, so with his quick reflexes, grabbed their hand and dragged them into his chest, preventing them from meeting the ground.Â
The person met his eyes before a surprised expression crossed her face. Looking away from him, she saw you and held your gaze.
For a moment, she stared at youâsomething uncertain flickered in her eyes before they went back to Phainon, quickly letting go of his hand and stepping back.Â
âSorry!â She apologized.Â
Phainon reassured, âItâs okay. Thereâs a lot of people here.â
âThank you for not letting me fall, but I have somewhere to be, so bye!â Without waiting for a response, she blended back into the crowd.
In confusion, Phainon watched her leave, wondering why she was so quick to abscond; however, she probably had her reasons. Like she said, she had somewhere to be, so he dismissed it, head turning towards you.
You looked like you had seen a ghost.
With concern, Phainon asked, âAre you okay?âÂ
No, you werenât. You were screwed.Â
Everything had been going so well that you had forgotten who you really were.Â
You werenât the main character.Â
The woman who disappeared into the crowd was.Â
Attempting to calm yourself down, you took deep breaths, ignoring Phainonâs worrying glance.Â
âYou look like you just saw a ghost.âÂ
âIâmâŠâ Sharp inhale. Deep exhale. âIâm fine.âÂ
You werenât. You werenât fine, but you didnât want Phainon to be concerned. The reason why you were freaking outâit was out of his controlâout of your control.Â
Now that the main heroine appeared, where does that leave you?Â
Phainon had brushed her off easily now, but later⊠he might not.Â
But you donât want to give him up. The moment you locked eyes with her when she was near him, those thoughts came up, and you agreed with them, having briefly lost yourself. All she did was hold his hand because he didnât want her to fall, and you wanted to kill her for it. Why?Â
It wasnât okay to be like this, but you were done being in denial.Â
This date was making you more aware of the feelings you held for Phainon, and it seemed like he was into you tooâŠÂ
What if she decided to pursue him? Can you compete with her? Can you actually make Phainon yours?Â
You were going to find out, but for now⊠You needed some time to yourself. You canât be around Phainon like this; you were afraid you were going to do something you might regret.
âCan we head back now? Iâm not feeling well anymore.âÂ
âLetâs go then.âÂ
Walking among the crowd, your mind had been too preoccupied with your new worries to notice the growing distance between you and Phainon. His voice repeatedly calling out your name was lost on you as you hurriedly tried to get back to Okhemaâs entrance, going against the wave of people.Â
All of a sudden, you felt your hand being taken, turning your head to look behind you. Who would dare do such an act? Only one person would, and when you caught himâor in this case, he caught you, you could only stare at him.
Phainon had your hand in his own, in a tight gripâuneasy, azure eyes met yours, a deep frown imprinted on his face.
Your eyes drifted to your joined hands, remembering the way you had been stuck on whether he was adverse to your touch. It seemed like he wasnât.
Saying your name, Phainon hesitated before slowly saying, â...It feels like youâre running away from me. I thought I was going to lose you.â
You briefly glanced at the top of his head before looking straight ahead, continuing towards your destination, your hand still connected with Phainonâs.Â
He obediently followed you, trusting that youâll answer him when you got to where you needed to go.Â
Even when you were outside Okhema, you didnât let go of his hand, remaining silent, standing with your back to him.Â
The moon was bright against the night sky. Oronyxâs authority over the skies scattered numerous stars across the vast, black canvas with their shining, little dots, and you didnât realize how late it had gottenâhaving been too wrapped up with Phainon.
âPhainon, was thisâŠâ You didnât turn around. âWas this a date?âÂ
A brief pause, as if he was thinking about what to say. âDo you want it to be?âÂ
Did you? Of course, you did. But if you said yes, what would happen?Â
You needed to know if he felt the same way as you did, then it would be okay. Everything pointed to yes, but you were unsure, especially with the heroineâs appearance. If Phainon has feelings for youâand even if he didâwould they be erased if she goes after him? Cyrene had said the opposite; however, you just werenât sure how much the gameâs influence extended.Â
Was this still a game?Â
It wasnâtânot to you.Â
There were still so many things you were unsure about, but you were already in too deep, ready to fight for him, so you finally turned to look at Phainon. âYes.âÂ
A short silence before a soft smile appeared on his face, and he answered, âThen it was.âÂ
Your heart felt like it was going to burst out of your chest, and the slight squeeze he gave of your hand had your stomach twisting into knots.Â
It was a date. He said it was.Â
So what does this mean?
â...We need to head back.âÂ
Unopposed, Phainon said, âOkay.âÂ
On the walk back to the temple and to your room, his hand never left yours. After he escorted you back to your door, you eventually let him goâreluctantly. And you had been here beforeâwhen he had taken you back after the second banquetâexcept he didnât leave immediately, currently standing before you.Â
You didnât know what to do. Why was he still here? What did he want from you? What did you want from him?Â
Himâyou wanted him.Â
You may not be the main character, but that doesnât mean you were going to sit back and let him be taken away from you. You refuse to let your fears become reality. If there was a way to keep him by your side, you would take it. And if Phainon doesnât feel the same way⊠well⊠It was a risk you were willing to make.
Before you could stop yourself, you came closer to him, slowly leaning up towards his face, steadying yourself with both hands on him. He stood there with knitted brows, allowing you to gently place your lips on the underside of his chinâlingering, his skin warm against you, and then coming back down, heels meeting the ground again, keeping your hands where they were as you waited for his reaction.Â
Your fleeting kiss made Phainon freeze, going rigid at the unexpected contactâbut the meaning of it was unmistakable, especially after what he said earlier. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest.
You could feel itâcould feel his heart beating strongly against him. Whether it was because of excitement or anxiety, you didnât know. But he wasnât pushing you away, and that was more than enough to gauge on how he was feeling.Â
Phainon wanted more. He wanted so much more, but it was too soon, unknowing if you were willing. What he did know was that he didnât just want a brush of your lips over his neck; he wanted your lips on his.Â
Cupping a hand behind your head and settling another on your back, he closed his eyes and lowered his head to meet you halfway, capturing your lips with his.Â
You didnât resist. Shutting your eyes, you moved your hands from his chest to behind his neck, wrapping your arms around him and enjoying the way he felt against you. Immediate relief washed over you at the realization that he does feel the same way as you do.
Pulling away from him, you gazed into his eyes. There was a hint of longing in them that you hadnât seen before. âPhainonâŠâÂ
His pupils flickered between yours, searching for some kind of sign. âDo you want this too?âÂ
Too.
âYes.âÂ
Slowly, a smile spread across his lips, and he leaned down to kiss you again, and you welcomed it.Â
You should really get into your room, but you didnât want to part from Phainon so soon. Now that you have him, you don't want to let him goâthat voice in your head was clinging onto him.Â
Phainon moved away, removing his hands from you. âItâs pretty late, Priestess. You should head in. Itâs a little chilly out here.âÂ
No longer near his warm body, your arms went around yourself, emphasizing his point. âThank you for everything⊠today.âÂ
âOf course. See you tomorrow.â His smile never left as he fondly looked at you, soft eyes crinkling at the corner.Â
And the urge was too much. You needed to do it because he was basically asking for it.Â
Surging forward, you gave him one last kiss on the cheek before quickly going inside your room, not waiting for him to react. Once inside, you leaned against the door, fingertips pressed against your lips, trying to will the heat away from your cheeks. But curiosity got the better of you, so you quietly opened the door, peering outside and trying to get a glimpse of Phainon. You managed to catch him before he was about to round the corner. The deep red heart burned brightly above him, and the value inside the indicator stood out against the dark of the night: 83%.Â
Shutting the door again and turning around, your gaze met Lydiaâsâshe was very much awake on her bed, which was surprising.Â
âYouâre still awakeâŠâ
âI am. Actually, you woke me upâŠâ
âIâm sorry!âÂ
âItâs fine. Iâm just happy the rumors arenât rumors anymore.âÂ
â...You heard?âÂ
âMaybeâŠâ
Covering your face with your hands, you stammered, âD-donât tell the othersâŠâÂ
âThey already all think youâre together anyway!âÂ
You said nothingâstill a little flustered, but you got ready for bed.Â
Lydia closed her eyes to return to sleep, but not before letting a giggle escape at your behavior as she nestled back into her sheets.
A little while later, you were laying on your mattress with your chimeras peacefully sleeping on each side, splaying out one of your handsâthe one Phainon had heldâtowards the ceiling of your room.Â
There was a thought that was keeping you up:
Where was the heroine now?Â
To your relief, she was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she never appeared in the first place, but you knew better.Â
The days continued, and you kept your guard upâjust in case. When you were with him, Phainon remained unaware of your wandering glances, making sure the main heroine wasnât there. But you were growing exhausted from always being on high alert, so it was one day where you decided to stop. It seemed like everything was going to stay the same.Â
Under the templeâs archways, you were walking closely beside Phainon. âIf you keep meeting me like this, Iâm going to start thinking youâre not very busy as you say.â Despite your chide, you couldnât hide your grin.
âWhat? I canât see you when Iâm free?â Noticing your toothy grin, Phainon continued, âYou donât seem to mind, though.â
â...I donât, but youâre going to see your family soon before the expedition to the Grove, right? Youâll be away for that.â
âActually⊠I was going to ask if you wanted to come with meâŠâ
He wanted you to meet his family? Isnât it a little soon for that?!Â
âIs it really okay for me to tag along?â
âYeah, I can show you how to use your dagger there too.â
âYou donât wanna teach me here?â
âMy knights would want to watch.â
âWhatâs wrong with that? Afraid once I learn, Iâm gonna take you down in front of them?âÂ
Phainon laughed, âNah, you still have a long way to go after.â Suddenly turning his head away from you, he said, âMight do something I donât want them to see.âÂ
You looked at him, wondering what he meant, seeing the tip of his ear reddening. Confused on why he was avoiding your eyes, you asked, âWhy? Do what?âÂ
âSometimes, you can be irresistible, so I want to⊠you know⊠kiss you.â
Warmth swept over you, making your heart beat harder and youâflustered.Â
After the night of the date, you and Phainon werenât any different than before. The only difference was the affectionate behavior, and you were getting used to it; however, the warm feeling you got every time never failed to appear. You didnât dislike it, though.Â
âOh, yeah⊠Wouldnât want them to see thatâŠâÂ
âIs it just me, or is everyone very interested in us?âÂ
âItâs not just you. They really are.âÂ
âI wonder why.â A laugh left Phainon as you both continued to walk.Â
You joined in his amusement with your own laughter, but it was short-lived as someone familiar came into your line of sight.Â
And there she wasâthe actual heroine of the game, heading straight towards you and Phainon.Â
What should you do? There was no way she would initiate a conversation with him right now, would she?Â
She was coming closer, and you returned to being on high alert, anticipating the worst.Â
But when she passed by, she didnât even spare a single glance.Â
âIs something wrong?â Phainon worryingly asked, unaware of anyone but you.Â
Realizing you had paused in your tracks to stare at her back, your attention snapped back to Phainon. âNo. Itâs almost the end of my break, so I was just thinking about that. Iâve been a little tired latelyâŠâÂ
âYou should tell the archbishop and Zayne. And hey, visiting my family is like a little vacation for you.âÂ
âOh, youâre right. But is it really okay for me to go away like that? Something might happen while Iâm goneâŠâ
âWe wonât be gone that long. You deserve an actual break.âÂ
You hummed and agreed, âWeâll see what the archbishop says.âÂ
With a nod, Phainon headed back to the clinic with you, chatting about the current events and upcoming plans before he left you alone. When he was gone, your mind came back to her.Â
Did the heroine really have no interest in Phainon?Â
If it was the truth, then it would be one less problem to worry about, but how can you know for sure?Â
Why was she here anyway?
Getting back to your work, you shelved that thought for later.
You didnât have to put it off much longer because in the evening, while heading out after dinner from the cafeteria, you heard a light shout of your name. Waiting by the entrance was the heroine, an innocent smile visible on her face.Â
She knew your name. How? And why was she looking for you?
âYou know me?âÂ
âHow could I not? Youâre the famous healer everyoneâs always talking about!â
âRight⊠Do you need me for something?â
âCan I talk to you?â
âSure.â
âSomewhere besides here.â
âAh,â you hesitated. Was that a good idea? âOkay. Where?â
âLetâs go to the library.â
âYouâve been there before?âÂ
âI did some exploring when I came here.â
You did briefly seen her earlier, so her answer didnât alarm you. That being said, not many people would be there at this time, so it was suspicious; however, this was your chance to ask questions. She might not respond, but there has to be a reason why she wanted to speak with you.Â
You gave her a nod, leading her into the quiet place.
Once there, she sat across from you at a table, an intense gaze, with narrowed eyes, set upon you. âYouâre close with the knight commander, right?â
âYes.â
âIâve heard the rumors about you and him. Are they true?â
âYes.â
Shouldnât you be the one asking her questions? Why was she the one grilling into you?
âYour attitude at the market and the way you looked at me when I was walking past youâŠâ Lowering her voice, she muttered, âThe Embrace of Amphoreus.â
The Embrace of Amphoreus.Â
It was the name of the game you had been playing.Â
Surprised, you suddenly scooted out of your seat with your hands smacking the wooden table. âYou⊠You know about it?â
âHuh⊠so I was right.â Saying your name, she cooly said, âYouâre not actually her.â
Who was she? Words tangled together in your throat, unsure if you should admit the truth. Cyrene was the only one who was supposed to know your true identity. But it was already too late. You had given away too much.
âLet me start. Iâm Elena, the heroine of the game⊠or was supposed to be. But I donât have the cure to madness anymore, and nobody even looks twice at me. So, who are you?â
âIâmâŠâ you said your name. âIt really is my name, butâŠâ Hesitation stopped you from saying any more.
âWell, Iâm not actually Elena.â Seeing your confused expression, Elena-but-not-really-Elena quietly admitted, âIâm just a big fan of the gameâŠâ She sounded like she was ashamed of it.
Was she also from where you were? â...Are you not from here?â
âYouâre not either.â
â...Iâm not.â
âWhat a waste.â Deeply sighing into her arms with her head down on the table, she complained, âIâm in my favorite game, and I canât even enjoy it because Iâm a side character now!âÂ
That wasnât what you were expecting, but you tried comforting her. âHey, you know⊠itâs kind of stressful being theâŠâ The words had a hard time leaving you, but it was impossible to deny. â...main characterâŠâ
âWho cares? The important part is being surrounded by hot men!âÂ
So that was what she was playing the game for⊠Very valid.
âDonât you deny it! I saw you with Phainon. He must keep you so satisfiedâŠâ
âWeâre not⊠We donâtâŠâ
Elenaâs eyes glinted with suspicion, her head peeked out from her arms. âYouâre not there yet?âÂ
There? Where is there? What is there? âI think youâre misunderstanding something hereâŠâ
âSo you and him arenât together?âÂ
âWe are⊠just recently, but itâs⊠itâs too soon!âÂ
âHeâs your favorite then?âÂ
âI only played his route! I didnât play much!â At the risk of her answer, you asked, âIs he⊠yours?â You knew it was a bad idea to ask that, but you needed to clear the air. But what if she says yes? Did that mean you would have to fight over him?
â...You have it bad for him, huh?â
The heat across your cheeks was hard to ignore.
âItâs written all over your face,â she laughed loudly before grinning. âYouâre in luck. Heâs not my favorite.â
A relieved sigh left your lips, glad of her response.Â
âBut itâs a shame you didnât play much because his route was the spiciestâŠâ
What? Spiciest�
âI guess it doesnât matter if youâre just gonna experience it yourselfâŠâ
You were�
âThink about it. Before you is the most loyal guy youâve ever laid eyes on. What do you think happens when you max out his love? He wants to show you his true devotion. Will you let him?â
Ah, it wasnât even a question of what you would let him do.Â
But now is not the time to think about that! There was something more important to mull over: the effects of madness on you. You didnât know being the main character would mean healing others at the expense of yourself! Was the original heroine the same way?Â
âElena⊠Do I call you Elena?â
âElena is fine with me. Who I was before I got here doesnât matter.â
âThen, Elena.â You nodded. âIâm getting the feeling you played more than me.â
âProbably.â
âCan you tell me something?âÂ
Her curious gaze met yours, waiting.
âDo you know if thereâs a cure to my madness?â
âYou have it? You shouldnât because you have golden blood, right?âÂ
âGolden blood?âÂ
âYikes.âÂ
Her answer wasnât promising. âHow would you know if you do?â
âYou canât see it?â
âShould I be able to?âÂ
âIf you have the ability to cure madness, you should⊠because the black wisps disintegrate when they touch golden blood.âÂ
Was that the missing piece to the puzzle of madness? Then that was how there were unturned Kremnoans and how Phainon was unscathed by it. They had golden blood, but you canât see itâand neither can anyone else. Does that mean only Elena could? Did Cyrene know about that?
â...But if youâre asking me that, then you donât have it. That means youâve been helping people while unhelping yourself. But you donât seem like you have symptoms?âÂ
âI do. Just not as obvious. That night⊠when Phainon had helped you stop your fall, I had dark thoughts. And they only appear around him⊠But I never know when theyâll show up!â
âSo youâre insane!â
âIâm not!â
âWell, one thingâs for sure. You havenât lost yourself yet, so chin up. Thereâs a reason why you havenât, right?âÂ
âYeahâŠâÂ
âMaybe the Grove has answers.âÂ
âYou know about the trip soon?âÂ
âI heard talk about it. And I know Iâm asking for a lot, but can you somehow convince Phainon to let me come with?âÂ
âWhy?â
âThereâs someone I wanna see over thereâŠâ
Who was over there that garnered her interest? Thinking deeply, your mind wandered back to the night of the special market. When you were conversing with Phainon about dromases, he talked about the Grove of Epiphany, and you remembered there was supposed to be a love interest over there. What was his name again? It started with an âa.â
âAnaxa. You want to see him?âÂ
âBusted. But heâs actually called Anaxagoras!âÂ
âWhat? His introduction on the cover of the game was AnaxaâŠâÂ
âHe likes being called Anaxagoras.âÂ
âOh.â
âPlease! If Phainon is yours, canât Anaxagoras be mine?âÂ
So Anaxa was her favorite. The reviews of the game complained about him though.Â
âIsnât his route the hardest?â
âAnd the most rewarding! Donât worry, I know all of his likes and dislikes. Iâm going to approach this carefully and slowly because if I donât⊠it could end really badlyâŠâÂ
âWellâŠâ It would be unfair to keep her away from him, especially since she was such a huge fan of him⊠âIâll put in a word for you with Phainon.âÂ
Elena said your name and happily thanked you, âThanks, I knew I could count on you!â
âDonât get your hopes up yet⊠Phainon might say no.âÂ
âHe could never say no to you!âÂ
âThatâs not true.â
She let you have the last words, but her smug smirk said everything.Â
You didnât bother arguing with her. You were just glad you had someone else to relate with.Â
Because you know what they say: Birds of a feather flock together.
Thinking about how Phainon uses Snowy, the cutest white fluffy dog, to send courting gifts to you because he feels so shy, and whenever he is around you, he becomes a flustered mess.... (he also knows Snowy is ur greatest weakness)