Chapter 76: The Interlude Comes to an End

The return was just as swift as the journey there. The city once again unfolded behind them in a blur of still-warm lights, as if the outside world were nothing more than a secondary set unable to compete with what had just taken place behind glass and stone walls. Blanche remained silent, but this silence no longer had quite the same texture as before.

For the first time, she noticed just how much her car was a masterpiece of engineering, a deep blue typical of drakion craftsmanship.

Up close, even in this moment of calm, the vehicle seemed almost alive. The midnight-blue bodywork captured the last traces of dawn with an uncanny depth, as if the color had not been painted on but woven into the material itself. Every line, every curve, every detail radiated an almost arrogant perfection—yet a controlled one. The kind of perfection that does not try to impress... because it already knows it does.

The interior remained hushed, wrapped in a muted comfort that completely shut out the rest of the world. The engine purred faintly beneath them like a restrained presence—discreet, controlled... only on the surface.

Much like its owner...

He stopped a little before the Academy, in silence.

The vehicle slid to a halt with an almost unreal smoothness—no jolt, no unnecessary noise. Around them, the still-sleeping streets seemed frozen in a temporal bubble. In the distance, the Academy stood out in the pale morning light, massive and familiar, like a brutal reminder of reality.

But inside the car, nothing moved.

Only that silence.

A different kind of silence from the road—denser, heavier.

He did not look at her immediately.

And perhaps that was the most dangerous part.

She surprised herself by wanting him to look at her...

He was not ready to leave her yet. They still had a little time.

He took her hand, about to speak.

"For starters, we chose each other. Back then, it was said that the dragon chose its rider... but for us, that isn't true. It was you, consciously, who joined me. I am one of the first drakions, one of the first dragons capable of taking human form."

He lifted his gaze to the sky.

"At that time, we could not speak in our draconic form. We were mostly mounts for other races, mainly elves. From childhood, we were taught to obey. That's how you found me. And since then, I've never left you."

He placed a sensual hand on her thigh.

"Then one day, you disappeared. I knew you would come back. You had told me so. You brought me to your manor and told me the truth. So I decided to make myself useful to you: I gained wealth, power... I climbed the ranks. But in truth, you only ever needed me—and my alpha nature."

Blanche flushed at the implication.

"You were always clear with me. It never bothered me. You spent one evening a week with me, plus full moon nights. That suited me. It still suits me. I don't need constant presence or children. Our life together was enough."

He looked at her, sincere, complete.

"I'm messy, stubborn, I love water and flying, I'm not complicated, and I've never been with anyone but you. I like fighting, I'm reliable. I get bored sometimes, but it's fine—I read, and now I even put up with Glen as a familiar... which is not easy."

Blanche smiled despite herself. A brief, almost involuntary smile, as if something in the situation had cracked her restraint before she could stop it. He opened the glove compartment casually, then pulled out a key, spinning it between his fingers before offering it to her.

A silver dragon keychain hung from it, finely crafted, catching the pale morning light in small metallic flashes.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second.

Then took it easily.

The cold metal against her fingers felt strangely symbolic—heavier than its appearance suggested. As if the object were not just a key, but a silent permission, a boundary crossed without any real way of going back.

The one to his home on the first date...

The thought struck her with disarming clarity.

And immediately, she realized how absurd the situation was.

Or dangerously obvious.

She looked up at him slightly, unsure what to say. He had not moved, still relaxed, as if he had just shared something perfectly normal. Yet the intent behind the gesture was anything but neutral.

This was not a key.

It was an invitation.

And perhaps, worse still, a certainty that she would end up using it.

"Why did you become Kyst's familiar?"

"For inter-world teleportation, useful to stay close to you. And the ability to transform into something other than a drakion or a human."

"So you just... applied?"

He gave a charming smile.

"In a way."

Blanche sighed. It was time to go back to the manor.

"Will you be at the Gala?" she asked.

"Yes. Save me a dance."

She groaned for form's sake. He left, leaving her lost in thought.

She returned to her bed by flying with her invisibility spell—she had already used her time stop for the day. And anyway, she didn't need it thanks to her window trick.

Phénix was lounging on the sheets, with no trace of her best friend. Her shower items were gone. The familiar regained awareness thanks to her presence.

"Thanks for warning Saphir," she murmured, slipping beside him.

No problem, little mouse.

An idea crossed her mind.

"Do you happen to know what poison I used to increase my resistance?"

Alcohol.

Blanche froze, speechless. She had not expected that. She could not wait to see Kiyan's face when she poured herself a drink. For once, she would have a very good excuse.