Skybound Throne

Riruru watched him, a hint of amusement dancing in her red eyes, which crinkled at the corners as he tossed a potato chip in his mouth with each treasure he took out.

She didn't get everything he conveyed, but she grasped the general meaning. At least, spending five days with Lorian hadn't been a complete waste. Now, she knew Skyler wasn't a creature but a human, unlike her.

Skyler sighed and slumped back onto the bed when nothing seemed to impress her.

"I need to find better treasures next time."

He muttered, more to himself than to her. A chuckle escaped him as the snake climbed onto his chest, her large eyes fixed on him.

"What? You don't like anything..."

He halted, and instinctively shut his eyes when a brilliant light flashed above him.

One that was brighter than the gold and multiple precious jewels in his room.

Skyler stilled in his place as the weight above him increased suddenly. His heart skipped a beat and quickened its pace as he felt long hair falling over his face.

"Huh...?"

Cold fingers splayed across his chest, and his eyes flew open in shock. The first thing he noticed was long, white hair cascading down from above, falling over him.

Then, a pair of crescent-shaped crimson eyes, that looked very familiar, staring at him. And a pair of small, soft lips.

"You... You...!"

He stuttered, and his face flushed a deep crimson as his gaze accidentally—or not—dropped lower to something he definitely should not have seen. She was naked!

Skyler jolted up, too flustered to think straight, causing Riruru to lose her balance. He instinctively grasped her waist to assist. The touch was so soft that he froze. Due to their position, his eyes went further down.

"Wait...! Wait! I didn't mean it!"

He abruptly let her go and quickly covered his eyes with his arm, before scrambling to pull the blanket over her body. The sounds of the gold and silver falling down the bed due to his movement echoed in the room.

Riruru struggled against the blanket but stopped when he jumped off the bed.

She tilted her head, confused. Did he not like her human appearance? She had fully checked her core in his absence to find a way to change to this human-like form.

Only to discover that she had to use the power of the soul fragment within her.

The fragment was weak, so whenever she changed form, a part of her life force was consumed. That's why she had waited for Skyler to come back to change form. She didn't want to waste her life force in vain.

"Sky...?"

Skyler's eyes widened at the hesitant voice, as if the owner wasn't sure how to speak.

However, he didn't look at her. Instead, he wiped the blood trickling down his nose.

"Cover yourself first, okay?"

Things escalated too quickly for him to understand what happened and why. He lowered his arm slowly but groaned when he saw the red eye staring at him blankly, as if she had no idea what he just said.

He sat on his heels, cursing himself when he noticed that his body had reacted.

"Fuck... why now!? I really don't want to know how healthy I am in this situation!"

He sucked in a deep breath. Even if he was the worst, he needed to calm down. Riruru was surely freaking out more than he was!

"Right..."

Skyler glanced at the bed, but the sight of Riruru standing upon it sent another wave of blood flowing from his nose. Stiffening, he shot to his feet and left his own room. He needed some fresh air to calm down.

He slammed the door shut behind him before raising his head to try and stop the bleeding from his nose. Fortunately, the noise didn't wake any of his neighbors

He paced the hallway for a few minutes. Only when he felt calmer did he turn back.

"Riruru just transformed into a human... I never knew she could do it... I need to help her adjust. Should I call Ms. Lorian?"

He muttered but clenched the door handle when he noticed someone trying to open it from the inside. Sudden dread, discomfort, and maybe even anger washed over him. He couldn't let her come out like that!

Skyler quickly opened the door, stepped in, and closed it behind him. Steeling himself, he looked at the beautiful woman sitting on the floor and let out a faint smile when he saw that she was holding the blanket.

"Not like this."

He quickly bent down and covered her body with the blanket before meeting her gaze.

"Can you walk?"

Riruru stared at him. She understood him, but walking was new to her, so she couldn't do it properly. Skyler waited patiently when he noticed her processing his words. In the end, she slowly shook her head.

"It's okay. You'll learn how to with time."

He thought for a second, and she yelped when he suddenly picked her up. Skyler let out a chuckle as she instinctively reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall..."

He trailed off when he noticed her smiling sweetly. The words 'So beautiful' died down at the tip of his tongue. He couldn't help but wonder what thoughts were swirling in her mind. Or if she could hear the sound of his heart that had decided to betray him.

'Have I always been this fickle? What about my first crush? How can I fall for another so fast? Mom, you didn't teach your son right!'

Skyler wanted to cry and beat himself. How could he be such a jerk? One whose heart changed course so easily? Perhaps it was the red eyes and bright hair that captivated him? The ease with which he accepted his new feelings only amplified his guilt!

He put Riruru on the bed, his heart heavy.

"I am sorry... I am really sorry."

Riruru blinked cutely, and Skyler felt his fickle and shameless heart skip another beat. If only the earth would open up and swallow him. But unfortunately, it didn't.