343 Cleansing
The next morning, Kaze and Fey found themselves standing before the sunrise at Clevedon Beach, just a half-hour drive from Liberation, the Maltian megacity that had engulfed Old Bristol.
Clevedon Beach was nothing like the idyllic sandy shores often portrayed in Hollywood films. Instead, the beach was a stark contrast of dark, rocky terrain with gray, turbulent waters that were chilling to the touch. It was a place people visited solely to witness the majesty of the ocean, and on this particular day, it didn't disappoint, as a stunning tapestry of golds and oranges danced across the seemingly infinite horizon.
Though lacking in romantic appeal, their surroundings provided an apt backdrop for the pair's conversation, as both were lackluster yet distinctly charming.
"Is this really it?" Fey inquired, studying the small bottle emanating a captivating golden-purple aura. To an unsuspecting observer, it might have appeared radioactive and untouchable. However, Fey was mesmerized, knowing its true nature. "There's no need to store it in alcohol?"
"No, molecular separation isolates the active compound, while refined soul Qi eliminates any bacteria and viruses," Kaze clarified. "So, there's no real need for alcohol. It can't even get you tipsy," he added with a smirk.
Although their discussion was technical and may have sounded dry to an eavesdropper, the professor's eyes glittered as she looked at the mysterious bottle. "It's so strange hearing you talk, Kaze," she admitted. "It's not just that you're well-versed in science; it's more that... you sound like a professor."
"Is that a bad thing?" he chuckled, casting her an amused glance.
Fey blushed and averted her gaze. "I'm not sure," she replied. "Usually, I'd imagine myself feeling envious of a student with such an exceptional intellect.
However, you don't seem like a typical student or even a child. That's what leaves me troubled."
"What are you worried about, Fey?" Kaze asked gently, sensing her need to unburden herself and share her true feelings.
"Our relationship...." Fey swallowed, crossing her arms and gripping her forearms. "It makes me feel limitless guilt as if I've broken a taboo. I understand our position and that Malta's laws no longer bind me, but it seems unethical and wrong. Yet..."
"Yet, what?" he asked, his tone calm and melodic.
"I can't help but constantly think about our time together and how much I enjoy your playful teasing," she confessed, blushing and shivering slightly in the cool breeze. "It feels torturous, so I try to put it out of my mind. But even when I manage to stop thinking about you, my attention turns to some treasure and the fascinating science of cultivation, and the cycle begins anew. It's a relentless loop that haunts me."
"Would you be more at ease if I were actually much older than I appear?" Kaze inquired. "If such a fantastical notion could truly exist?"
Everyone in Immortal Skye had theories about Kaze's enigmatic nature. He was an eighteen-year-old with knowledge beyond his years, skills that seemed innate, and a surprising lack of immaturity. So she wondered if he would reveal the truth.
"Before I confirm or deny anything, you must first answer my question," he said with a sly smile. "It's far more important."
Her eyes widened as she considered his words. "Is it really more important?"
she questioned. "Regardless of whether you're young or old at heart, l assumed you were eighteen when..." She blushed intensely, quickly looking away.
Fey pursed her lips, visibly frustrated. "That's just an excuse, Mr. Lexicon!" she admonished. "You're legally eighteen; I've seen your birth records. I also taught you in multiple classes before your — change. So if I accept that, it would open the floodgates, allowing in younger ages!"
"Is that so?" he teased. "Well, can't rescue you from unwarranted, introspective guilt. So, I suppose I'll just tease you the next time your inner struggle boils over."
The professor puffed out her cheeks in irritation, fixing him with her piercing hazel eyes. However, seeing his disarming smile, she softened and turned away.
"How do you manage to do this?"
"Might you elucidate upon your cryptic statement?" Kaze chuckled. "At the moment, I'm not sure if you're referring to my ability to annoy you, make you blush, or something else entirely more personal."
"BOTH!" Fey blushed, turning away hurriedly. "No, I actually mean living with your actions. While I don't think you're wrong, some of your actions are arguably genocidal by Maltian standards, just as mine are arguably criminal. So how do you deal with them?"
"Do you want to take solace in the charming answer?" he mused, flashing her a devilish smile. "Or would you rather know the distilled truth?"
"Both..." she whispered hesitantly, apprehensive about the distinction.
"To protect beautiful women like you, that's why I do what I do," Kaze responded, his voice alluring. "What kind of man would I be if I regretted such a thing?"
Fey closed her eyes, feeling embarrassed and fascinated at how easily he had charmed her. Despite anticipating being wooed, she was still purring inside like a contented kitten — It was mortifying. "What's the truth?"
"The truth is that certain actions, though necessary, will haunt you," he asserted, his tone growing solemn. "But with time and repetition, they become normalized, eventually numbing you. In matters of emotion like this, that numbness can lead to joy rather than detachment."
"So, if I have the opportunity to sleep with you again, should I embrace it repeatedly?" she inquired. "Do you realize how self-serving that sounds?"
"Nothing is more satisfying than when the truth unabashedly supports one's desires," Kaze replied with a devilish smile.
Fey blushed furiously as her body responded to his words, an urge to escape his irresistible charm surging through her. "If that's the case, then...."
"Emperor Lexicon, it's time," Jake called out. "Are you almost done?"
Kaze glanced at his former professor, who swallowed hard and nodded, feeling both relieved and disappointed by the interruption. "Yes, we'll be right there," he answered, turning back to Fey. "Let's go; we have an eternity to discuss this."
Fey's eyes quivered, and her heart swelled with emotion. "O-Okay."
***
Three thousand individuals gathered on the rugged shores of Clevedon Beach, gazing at the sun as it ascended above the horizon. Ordinarily, it would be a breathtaking sight; however, the immense blood vortex in the sky — evidence of Kaze's brutal elimination of a thousand one-ton creatures to supply a new storage facility near Lainwright military base — cast a sinister shadow over the scene.
The blood vortex only served to heighten the unsettling sight of the monstrous creatures in the ocean. If not for Kaze's aura of golden light, which lent him a divine appearance, the scene would have been utterly traumatizing, especially considering that everyone was to enter the ocean in just thirty minutes.
But then, something remarkable occurred. The blood and fish carcasses vanished, leaving only three floating on the ocean's surface. Kaze swept his hand through the air, creating a warping dome barrier that encompassed the first 300 feet of the cove. In an instant, the fish shimmered with brilliant golden light, and as the emperor gestured once more, a gust of the same luminous energy surged toward the shore. Upon contact with the barrier, it transformed into a resplendent golden hue, and runes etched themselves into its surface.
"That's what happened during the rapture!" Sammy exclaimed, turning to Whitney, Brad, and the other elites.
"Yeah, it is," Brad murmured, observing the mesmerizing barrier writing runes in real-time.
Excited conversations erupted throughout the crowd. However, one person wasn't dazzled by the display. Evalyn frowned, her heart pounding and a crippling sense of foreboding as she analyzed the technique. While it protected her people, it also chilled the marrow of her bones.
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