CHAPTER 136: INVITING THE TWO OF THEM

Meanwhile in a cave, a meeting was being held.

The cave was silent except for the soft scrape of cloaks against jagged stone. Shadows pooled across the walls, flickering slightly in the light of a single torch perched precariously in the center of the chamber. Hooded figures gathered in a rough circle, their faces obscured by darkness.

One of them stepped forward, voice low but edged with urgency.

"We’ve failed again," the figure said, tone sharp, almost accusing. "At this rate, we’ll lose everything. Our window is closing."

A ripple of murmurs went through the group. One of the hooded figures, taller than the others, leaned forward, hands pressed against a stone ledge. "Hurry. Every delay is a risk. If we don’t act now, everything we’ve worked for will be wasted. Do you want that? Do you want our plans to crumble before they’ve begun?"

Another figure’s voice, quieter, hesitated at the edge of the conversation. "The target..." they began, but the taller one cut them off sharply, shaking a finger. "Not here. Not yet. No one can know the specifics. We move carefully, or we fail. The power we seek is too great to waste on mistakes."

Their whispered tones and deliberate movements made the air feel thick, a sense of plotting tangible even in the chill of the cave. Outside the tunnel, the wind whistled faintly, but here inside, all that existed was their scheming and the echo of it bouncing off stone walls.

xxxx

A few hours later, the atmosphere shifted entirely for Jae. Sitting in the academy’s sunlit courtyard, he was far removed from shadows and whispered schemes. He shared a simple lunch with Elise and Yuna, their laughter weaving naturally between the clatter of trays and the distant hum of students passing by.

The two girls bantered easily, teasing each other with the kind of familiarity that only came from long, comfortable companionship. Elise rolled her eyes dramatically at something Yuna had said, prompting a teasing jab that left them both laughing.

Jae leaned back on the stone bench, enjoying the ease of it all. He had grown fond of this rhythm, the simple pleasure of unguarded moments.

He noticed the subtle tension in their interactions with Tirel. The other girls exchanged glances when she appeared in the periphery, and Elise and Yuna’s smiles tightened slightly, their humor becoming more cautious.

Jae remembered how Tirel liked to goad them, pushing at boundaries with quick words or playful insults. Yet he also noticed that she always toned it down whenever he intervened, as though she respected, or at least feared, his presence enough to restrain herself.

That small dynamic made him smile inwardly, an almost imperceptible tug of satisfaction warming his chest.

Jae’s attention drifted inward for a moment. Tirel occupied his thoughts in a way that was complicated and layered. He had yet to be intimate with her, despite the tension that often sparked between them.

He noted the way her glances lingered, the faint warmth she radiated when near, and the way her teasing had an almost magnetic pull.

The thought of the Dragon Heart hovered alongside it, a power he had yet to fully awaken. Its bond required both Elise and Yuna, together, a combination he had only begun to imagine.

He felt a flicker of resolve ignite inside him. The hesitation that usually held him back seemed smaller now, more manageable. Tonight, he decided, he would be bolder.

"Tonight," he said, letting the words roll off his tongue smoothly, "would you come to my room. I want us to... do something together."

Elise froze for the briefest moment, her dark eyes widening slightly. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, soft and warm, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Her fingers lingered on her sleeves as if twisting them could somehow steady her racing heart. "Something... together?" she murmured, voice soft and almost hesitant.

She looked down at the ground, then back up at him, curiosity sparkling through the shyness, the small catch in her throat betraying how much she wanted to ask more but didn’t dare.

Yuna, normally blunt and straightforward, reacted differently. Her arms crossed over her chest, but the confident posture wavered slightly as she tilted her head, lips pressing together in a subtle pout.

"You... you really mean that?" she asked, voice clipped but with a soft lilt, betraying the flutter in her chest. Her eyes flicked to Elise for a fraction of a second before returning to Jae, as if she were seeking confirmation in the other girl’s reaction.

She shifted her weight, one foot tapping lightly against the stone, betraying the nervous energy she refused to fully acknowledge.

Jae smirked, brushing a hand casually through his hair, letting the movement appear effortless while his red eyes took in every detail of their reactions. He leaned just slightly toward them, "I do," he said smoothly.

Elise let out a small laugh, almost a breathless sound, still fidgeting with her sleeves. Her blush deepened, spreading over her neck as she raised her gaze to meet his again.

"Alright... we’ll come," she whispered, her voice soft but carrying the tiniest edge of excitement. Her eyes flickered briefly toward Yuna, who met her gaze and smiled faintly, a shared understanding passing between them.

Yuna hesitated a moment longer, the faintest curve of a smirk tugging at her lips despite the pink flush across her cheeks. "Fine... we’ll be there," she said, voice softening, eyes glimmering with curiosity.

Her lips twitched into a shy, almost reluctant smile, betraying the thrill she felt at his words.

Jae’s grin widened, leaning slightly forward, the movement casual but charged with subtle dominance.

His eyes glinted with amusement, and he let the silence stretch just long enough to let the tension settle, palpable between the three of them. "Good," he said smoothly.

xxxx

Evening arrived more quietly than he expected. After completing his lessons and tidying his workspace, Jae wandered back toward his classroom, noting the shift in the golden light filtering through the high windows. Students were packing up, chatting in low tones as teachers gathered their scrolls.