Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 209: Did I say something wrong?

Raegar and the group continued training until the bell rang out, allowing everyone to drop down. He watched the boys drop down while breathing heavily as the girls gave him dirty looks.

This made him laugh as the boys dropped on their backs as they caught their breath. The girls complained, but it was Selene, her bright yellow eyes locked onto him as she moaned. ’’Damn you Rae, one of these days I’ll get you back.’’

’’Stop complaining,’’ he retorted with a knowing smirk. ’’You wanted this, Sel. All I’m doing is pushing you guys to the limit. Now get up and get to class, I want you girls to grow stronger.’’

The three of them smiled just as Rune exclaimed. ’’What about us? You leave us to the wolves!’’

Raegar chuckled alongside the others as he kicked the giant boy’s legs. ’’Shut up, Bigfoot. We need to get you even better, you’ll be blocking powerful Devil attacks.’’

When his brown-haired friend heard this, his eyes glowed with fierce determination. ’’I’ll be your shield, Raegar. I won’t let them hurt you or the girls, and I’ll give you a shot at the Devil Emperor, then maybe their attacks will stop.’’

’’I’ll hold you to that, Rune,’’ he said, offering a hand to one of his first friends.

The boy took it and stood up, chuckling. ’’Do you even need any of us? I heard you’re a one-man army.’’

Raegar smiled before revealing. ’’I may be powerful, but I’m one person. What happens if multiple enemies come? Yes, I have Drusilla, and that makes two.’’

Everyone nodded in agreement as Zahara stood up with a beaming smile. ’’Rae! I’m close to learning a spell that will be able to help your grandmother. The only problem is that I need a lot of Aether for it.’’

’’I’ll supply you with mine,’’ he instantly answered.

The group could see his happiness as Caspian spoke up. ’’Looking forward to getting your face and body fully healed?’’

Raegar’s head snapped toward the black-haired boy, replying. ’’Of course. At least people will stop looking at me like I’m a monster or call me Scarface.’’

Vienna’s eyes flashed with exasperation, her voice sharp yet warm as she countered Raegar’s self-doubt. ’’Stop it! There’s nothing wrong with your face. Those scars? They’re proof you stared down a bloody Devil Lord and lived to tell the tale. Wear them like a badge of honor, not a burden.’’

Her blonde hair caught the sunlight, framing her fierce expression as she planted her hands on her hips, daring him to argue. ’’Thank you,’’ he murmured, his voice soft but genuine.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, their murmurs of support wrapping around him like a shield. Selene gave him a playful nudge, her grin infectious. ’’She’s right, you know. You’re practically a legend now.’’

Emboldened by their encouragement, the group set off toward their lessons, their footsteps echoing with purpose. The day unfolded in a whirlwind of lessons, each moment sharpening Raegar’s skills and resolve.

In Professor Silvershade’s class, he honed his Aether gathering technique, learning to channel energy with precision, pulling strands of raw power from the air with newfound efficiency.

By the time Raegar’s Free Class came along, the others had headed to their classes before he walked back to his dorm room. He was walking through the garden just as the headmistress appeared in front of him.

’’Evening, Blackwood,’’ she greeted him with a warm smile. ’’Not causing trouble, are you?’’

’’No headmistress, just going to check up on Drusilla,’’ he replied while giving her a charming smile. ’’She’s sleeping in my dorm room.’’ freeweɓnovel~cѳm

When the older woman heard this, her eyebrow rose as she asked. ’’You mean that gorgeous blonde who is with your group? Not Zahara?’’

He nodded while remembering the silly Dark Fairy. ’’That’s her. We’re bonded and near enough together, but that happens when we return home,’’ he said.

The headmistress’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, a faint flush coloring her cheeks as she leaned forward, her voice teasing yet gentle. ’’So, you haven’t crossed that line with her, have you?’’

Raegar’s lips curved into a warm, easy chuckle, his demeanor relaxed despite the pointed question. ’’No,’’ he said, shaking his head. ’’I’d never do that to Yuki. She’s waited years for me, through everything, my battles, my scars, my chaos. It’s the least I can do to honor her patience and loyalty.’’

She raised an eyebrow, her fingers tapping lightly on her delicate chin. ’’Yuki... she’s your father’s second wife’s daughter, isn’t that right?’’

Her voice carried a mix of intrigue and amusement, as if piecing together the tangled web of Raegar’s family with scholarly fascination. Raegar let out a hearty laugh, the sound filling the room with unexpected warmth.

The notion of his father and Saki together still felt like a twist of fate he hadn’t seen coming, but it was a strangely fitting one. He nodded, his grin broadening. ’’Yes, that’s right. Yuki’s technically my stepsister, but we don’t let that complicate things. Our parents are grown adults, and they’re happy, genuinely happy. Who are we to judge? Life’s too wild to sweat the small stuff, don’t you think?’’

The headmistress nodded with a warm smile, her eyes softening as she regarded him. ’’You’re right, Raegar. But when it’s just us, call me Corrine. You’ve more than earned that privilege after saving the academy and one of my dearest staff members.’’

’Valentina,’ he thought, a quiet smile tugging at his lips.

’’Alright, Corrine,’’ Raegar replied, his voice smooth and unguarded, a charming smile spreading across his face that sent a flutter through the older woman’s chest, her breath catching for a fleeting moment. ’’It’s a beautiful name, by the way, like a song that lingers.’’

When Corrine’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, the compliment caught her off guard. Oblivious to the effect he was having, Raegar’s gaze lingered on her, his eyes bright with an earnest admiration he didn’t fully understand.

’’And your hair,’’ he continued, his tone warm .’’That light blue, like frost kissed by moonlight, it’s mesmerizing. And your eyes... they’re like twin glaciers, so striking, brimming with the strength of your ice magic. It’s no wonder your power feels so alive.’’

Corrine’s blush deepened, her heart racing as Raegar’s words, innocent yet laced with a quiet passion, wove a spell he didn’t even know he was casting. With the older woman’s eyes widened, her composure faltering as his words hung in the air, each one landing like a spark on kindling.

Her lips parted, but no words came. Instead, a nervous laugh escaped her, and she quickly averted her gaze, tucking a strand of her frost-blue hair behind her ear. ’’I—I should check on the staff,’’ she stammered, her voice a touch too high. ’’Thank you, Raegar, for... everything.’’

Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel, her robes swishing as she hurried away, leaving a faint chill in her wake. Raegar stood there, blinking, his brow furrowing in confusion.

’’Did I say something wrong?’’ he muttered to himself, scratching the back of his neck.

His heart, still unknowingly warmed by the exchange, gave a faint tug he couldn’t quite place. Shrugging it off, he turned and made his way out of the headmistress’s office, the heavy oak door creaking shut behind him.

The academy’s stone corridors were bathed in the golden glow of late afternoon, the light filtering through tall, arched windows as he headed toward the boys’ tower. His boots echoed softly against the polished floor, his thoughts a jumble.

’Corrine’s reaction was... odd, he thought, replaying the moment.

Her flushed cheeks, the way her eyes had flickered with something unspoken, had he overstepped? He shook his head, dismissing the notion. ’Nah, she’s just busy. Headmistress stuff, probably.’

Ten minutes later, Raegar pushed open the heavy wooden door to his room in the boys’ tower, his mind still tangled with thoughts of Corrine’s flustered departure. The creak of the hinges faded as he froze in the doorway, his breath catching at the sight before him.

A strange, unfamiliar warmth stirred deep within his chest, like a dormant ember flickering to life. Drusilla lay sprawled across his bed, her form draped carelessly over the rumpled covers.

Her tight, midnight-blue shirt had slipped to one side, revealing the soft curve of her shoulder and the generous swell of her chest, barely contained. The sight of her exposed skin, with delicate pink nipple catching the dim glow of the room’s lantern, sent a jolt through Raegar.

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry, as a primal urge tugged at him, urging him closer. But Raegar’s honor anchored him. ’No,’ he thought, shaking his head to clear the haze. ’She’s vulnerable. This isn’t right.’

Forcing his gaze upward, he focused on the patterns of the ceiling, steadying his racing pulse. He approached the bed and leant over, he reached for the edge of her shirt, intending to tug it back into place to preserve her dignity.

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