Ascending the tower with my SSS class

The feeling flooded Uriel; he felt happiness, but somehow he also sensed that the tone Ininise usually used had changed. Something was different, though Uriel couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

But another scene was unfolding before him: in the curtains, the figure of Kaelira kneeling, and Ininise’s right hand resting on her head.

However, it seemed Uriel had arrived at the end, for Kaelira stood up without saying a word, throwing the curtains wide open.

Uriel saw how much she had changed in just a few moments. Her body, once free of any scars, now bore an ugly bite mark on her abdomen—but that wasn’t the worst of it.

Where her arm should have been, there was now only a stump.

Kaelira had lost her left arm, just as Uriel had lost his right eye; however, he felt that Kaelira’s loss was far more significant than his own.

She raised the arm that should have been there and waved at Uriel with a smile; however, she said nothing and simply left, offering him one last smile.

"She finally chose to follow me. It’s the right thing; no matter how close we once were, our relationship was always going to end this way."

Uriel looked at the curtains that now separated them both.

There was the person he had longed for so much. The feeling wouldn’t fade; he didn’t just want to go in—he needed to.

"It’s fine, come closer. You may enter; I won’t make it difficult for you."

Uriel’s heart raced, and his hands had turned cold.

He was so impatient that he couldn’t help but pull the curtains open with too much force.

The incense smoke drifted throughout the room, and within it, the figure of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen appeared before him.

Not many things had changed; however, there were a few subtle differences. Ininise wore far fewer golden ornaments, and her hair was tied in a less ostentatious way—almost too simple by comparison—but her beautiful white hair still cascaded far down.

A tremendous calm filled his heart, as if something most precious had been taken from him, and somehow, he had found a way to meet it again. And he didn’t understand it: they had barely known each other for a few days—why did he long for her like this?

Ininise stood from the seat she had been in and slowly approached Uriel, smiling at him.

"My protector, you have finally returned."

Uriel wanted to say something, but the words simply wouldn’t come out.

What happened next left him stunned.

Ininise stepped even closer and did not stop. Her hands reached up to Uriel’s face, holding it gently as she drew him nearer to her.

Ininise’s red, full lips met Uriel’s, who did not understand what was happening in that moment, but he did not resist the sensation.

After experiencing something so sweet, Uriel wanted more. His lips met Ininise’s again, and a feeling of warmth and electricity coursed through him.

Their lips met again and again, as their saliva mingled.

"mmmhhaa... hahh... hahhh..."

They looked at each other, and Uriel saw Ininise’s crimson eyes gazing at him.

Ininise smiled, satisfied.

"Well, my protector, I hope you liked my gift."

Uriel tried to gather his thoughts as best he could; after all, Ininise could read them.

"No, don’t do that. Just let them flow; you don’t need to hide anything from me, my protector."

Uriel’s cheeks were red, but he made the greatest effort he could to focus.

"What was that?" Uriel wanted to know; out of nowhere, she had kissed him. He was certain it was not something Ininise would normally do.

Ininise smiled mischievously. "What? The kiss? I simply wanted to reward you, so I kissed you. There’s no need to overthink it."

Uriel, however, didn’t trust that answer; he felt there was something slipping past him.

But even as he thought it, Ininise offered no response, which meant she definitely wasn’t going to address the matter again.

"I... I’m glad to see you’re well."

Ininise smiled.

"Of course, and it’s all thanks to you and the others."

Uriel was about to say something else, but Ininise’s next words froze him.

"It was all such a nuisance, you know? Watching everyone struggle because of that pathetic other me, trapped without being able to do anything. Believe me, Uriel, the helplessness of seeing someone else use your body so poorly is unbearable. That’s why I must thank you: if it weren’t for you, the other me would never have let me take control of the body again. HAHAHA."

Uriel frowned; he didn’t like what he was hearing. What did she mean the other Ininise was now trapped?

"Exactly that; but don’t feel bad. In time, you’ll realize this is actually a change for the better. That useless one would have ruined everything somehow; now that I’m here, things will start to flow much more smoothly."

The situation had taken an unpleasant turn. Uriel had been protecting the other Ininise all this time, but now there was a new one claiming she wouldn’t let her other self out.

"Let her go. I want to speak with her."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Ininise’s gaze quickly shifted into one of deep anger.

"If I do that, the other one won’t let me come out again. I was trapped for years, and I learned my lesson; I won’t let that happen to me again."

Uriel clenched his teeth; he wanted to say something, to think of something, but he couldn’t.

"Hahh... I didn’t want our first conversation to be like this, but I suppose this is just how you are," Ininise said, glancing aside, somewhat dejected.

This was not the time to worry about such things. Unfortunately, Uriel knew there were other matters he had to attend to.

He had not forgotten his mission: he still needed three members to venture into the second zone.

Ininise looked at him again, focused on his figure.

"Don’t worry, now you only need two people."

Uriel was surprised. How did she know?

"The eleventh finger told me."

This new Ininise was far more direct and seemed to get straight to the point.

"In fact, everything had already been prepared long before you arrived, Uriel. Look, I know you like the other Ininise and that she told you things about me, but I’m really not as bad as she wants you to believe."

Uriel looked at her; he wanted to sense somehow whether she was lying, but he couldn’t read minds like she could.

Even so, no matter how much it bothered him, at the end of the day he had no one else, so he swallowed his complaints.

"Yes, Ininise, I need you."

The other Ininise smiled.