A Night With Lore

After explaining what went down with The Topple, Hyun-Ki excused himself to find his sister and Professor Yuu.

Soul and Lore walked in silence for about five minutes, neither of them saying a word. Lore's mind was still tangled in confusion, haunted by that pervert's words.

The city had grown quiet, with most of its residents indoors. The streets felt almost deserted, It was as if the world was holding its breath.

They reached the Old World Hotel and climbed the stairs. Along the narrow corridors, small groups of people were gathered, sitting on wooden benches or leaning against the walls. Some sipped from steaming cups, their laughter and lively chatter loud. Others were deep in conversation, their voices hushed, as if sharing secrets or gossip. Though the hour was late, people were still awake and milling about.

"Everyone's up," said Lore, slowing her steps. "I think it's because of Esvor."

"The King?" Soul asked.

"Yeah. He's in Redhaven, apparently."

"Hmm…"

"Anyways, we're here… wait, what is that?"

Lore stopped in front of her door, noticing a piece of paper stuck to it. Raising an eyebrow, she pulled it free and read it aloud. 'I'm off to a date. We had groceries. I lied.' A tongue-out smiley face was scribbled next to the message.

"Ugh… stupid brother," she groaned. "He's gone on a date. At a time like this! This is the worst!"

"Hmm. It could be worse," Soul remarked, leaning against the doorframe. "You could've been locked out of your room. That'd be worse."

"Yeah, I... wait, are you locked out?" she asked, looking at Soul with concern.

'I can't just say the Demon Queen got angry and kicked me out of my own room…' he thought, keeping his expression neutral. "Yes. Stupid mistake, I know," he replied, avoiding eye contact.

Lore's eyes lit up with an idea. "Why not just stay the night here?" She took a step closer, almost pleading. "Please?"

"I don't think it'd be appropriate," he replied, shaking his head, "you should go to the Academy. Don't stay here."

"I'm not going out again!" Lore's voice had a desperate edge. "It's dark out there. Please, Soul. Stay with me." Her eyes locked onto his, searching for reassurance. "I… I don't want to admit it, but I'm afraid of that pervert. And – you seem to be able to resist his spell. Even Hyun-Ki couldn't do that."

'She's afraid. I'd be, too, if a maniac was out for me.'

"Okay."

"Yes! Thank you!"

Lore hugged him out of excitement. She felt like she was hugging a rock; Soul didn't move, didn't flinch. He just stood there with a bored expression, waiting for the hug to be over.

"Oh, I'm…" Lore backed away, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm sorry. It's just... Well, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I was never hugged by a girl before other than Ruby. It felt weird."

"W... what?" Her embarrassment vanished in an instant. "You serious?"

"Yeah. No one would have me." He scratched his head. "Let's stop talking about me, please."

"Nuh-uh." She shook her head with a grin. "This is the first time we've talked about you at all!"

"Hmm... But first, how about you open the door, Lore? I need to get cleaned, I'm all bloodied up."

"Oh, right." She fumbled with the key, her focus now on the lock instead of Soul's unusual confession.

She served him a cup of tea and sat across from him. The table was small, so Soul had to shift slightly to the side to avoid bumping legs with Lore.

The rain had started a couple of minutes earlier, smudging the view through the kitchen's single window with a misty blur.

Lore sipped her tea and leaned forward, her ample chest resting lightly on the wooden table as she settled in. Soul kept his eyes averted, intentionally avoiding looking in her direction. He knew that if he looked her way weirdly it might make her uncomfortable, given how jumpy she already was.

"Ugh –" She removed her glasses, rubbed her eyes, and then put them back on. "You should take a bath, Soul."

"Hmm, I smell like blood." He took a sip of his tea. "Do you have any of your brother's clothes? Mine are either ripped or covered in mud."

"Yeah. You go ahead and clean up," she said, "I'll bring the clothes to the bathroom."

"Okay, thanks." He met her eyes. "You really did well against The Topple. You know how to defend yourself, huh?"

"Hey, I might be in Class D, but I'm not a weakling."

"Yeah, you aren't." He took the final sip of his tea. "Where's the bathroom again?"

"Right next to my room. The door's open; you can't miss it."

"Got it."

After a quick bath, he dried himself off and slipped into Key's oversized clothes.

As he dried his hair with a fluffy, white towel, he noticed Lore peering through the door's peephole, checking to see if anyone was outside the corridor. She didn't seem to notice Soul, and he wasn't about to make his presence known. He quietly walked to the kitchen and took a seat. The rain had stopped while he was in the shower, and now snow had started to fall.

Lore walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of tea for herself and another for Soul. The steam rising from the cups was faint, suggesting the tea had been sitting for quite a while.

"I'm sorry, all we have is black tea. I understand if that's not your thing," Lore said, handing him a cup.

"No, I like black tea. Thanks, Lore," He took the cup from her hand.

"Good to hear. It's a bit too bitter for me, though, I usually add four sugars."

"Four? Hmm," Soul said as he took a sip. "That's a lot."

"So, change of subject!" She tapped the table with a playful tone. "Never been hugged before, right?"

'She's trying to get her mind off that pervert by asking me questions. I should play along.'

"Your words hurt me." he replied in a deadpan tone, trying to lighten the mood.

"No, that wasn't my intention. I mean – you're not an ugly guy."

"My friend Liana always said I'm so normal that I look like everyone. That when she blinks, she forgets my face."

"That's harsh. I think you're good."

"Okay, hey – enough about me."

"What? We just started talking about you. You're the only person I know who doesn't like to talk about himself."

"Hmm."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Lore said, her eyes lighting up as the memory came back to her. "I visited KCO and asked about your sister, Ruby. They told me she was out with someone named Melissa."

'Crap. I can't just tell you that her curse was removed. You'd be weirded out.'

"Yeah. Turns out she wasn't cursed at all. She had a chronic illness, but they cured her with some remedies."

"That's great news! I'm happy for her," Lore said, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

"Hmm," Soul replied, rubbing his neck. "Will you still be friends with her? She needs new people in her life."

"Of course I will. You didn't have to tell me that, Soul," she said, shaking her head with a small laugh.

"Thank you."

Lore's smile softened as she looked at him. "You care for your sister, huh?"

"I do. She deserves a better life."

She paused for a moment. Even though Soul didn't put any emotion behind his words, she understood that Ruby, his sister, meant so much for him.

"Should we sleep? It's getting late," Lore asked, "we have class tomorrow."

"You're right."

"You can use my brother's bed. He won't be coming home tonight. I know his 'date' nights."

"Hmm. Okay."

"But before that, I'll use a healing spell on your wounds. You can –"

"No," he interrupted, knowing that healing spells had no effect on him. "I'm good."

"But –"

"I'm good. Let's sleep, Lore."

"Okay..."

He crawled onto the bed and put his head on the pillow, which carried the scent of a woman's perfume. He didn't mind as he blew out the candle on the bedside table, letting darkness take over the room. The only light came from between the window curtains, casting a faint glow on the wall.

He shut his eyes, slowly falling asleep. The birds outside had a nest near Key's window, he could hear their chirping and moving around.

Not long after, maybe twenty minutes – half an hour at most, he heard Lore screaming. He jolted awake, and with adrenaline coursing through him, he rushed out of his room, sprinting to Lore's bedroom.

He burst through the door open and opened a small cut on his finger, ready to form a dagger.

"Lore?" He said, with a boring voice.

"Gods… Gods…"

'She must've had a bad nightmare.'

Lore was drenched in sweat, bed's sheets tangled from thrashing in her sleep. Her breath was rapid, and she clutched her pillow as if it were a lifeline.

"I... Sorry, it's... I just had a nightmare," she said, her voice shaky and uneven.

"Hmm."

"I can't even remember what I saw," she murmured, struggling to steady her breathing. "But it was bad, Soul. Really bad."

She was wearing a black nightdress, her cleavage exposed, with one strap slipping off her shoulder. Soul turned his back to her, giving her some privacy.

"You should get back to sleep, Lore."

"Yeah – your're right." She pulled the blanket, covering her upper body. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you – sleep here? It'd be safer! I can make a bed on the floor and…"

"I'm going to be honest, Lore." He turned back and looked her in the eyes. "I've never stayed in the same room with a girl before. And you are... well, you are beautiful. No wonder Dierman blessed you. I'm afraid of looking at you weirdly and making you even more uncomfortable than you are right now. I don't think this is a good idea."

Lore's cheeks flushed red, her eyes darting around the room as she struggled to find words. She bit her lower lip, caught off guard by his blunt honesty. The awkwardness was too much – she fidgeted with the edge of her nightdress, not knowing where to look.

"I don't mind." She said softly, still not looking at Soul. "You can sleep here."

He kept his eyes fixed on a neutral point in the room, avoiding direct eye contact with Lore. There was a pause, as if he was calculating the least awkward way to respond.

"Okay. I'll grab my blanket and pillow."

"Thanks…" She said, looking at him with the corner of her eye. "Please do."

'That's… going to be a weird night.'

And he wasn't wrong.