Chapter 59: Mission location
The darkness of the night passed, giving way to the soft light of a new dawn.
The shadow of Astrid, motionless like a statue beside the bed, watched attentively the eyelids of Aziz, which trembled slightly — a sign that he would soon awaken from his deep sleep.
Without waiting another second, and with the same subtlety and mastery with which she had appeared there, she slowly merged back into his shadow, projected on the floor by the gentle magical light coming from an enchanted crystal placed near the bed.
Soon after, Aziz opened his eyes.
His awakening was slow, as if reality itself was still trying to break through the fog of sleep enveloping his mind. His blurry vision blinked softly while he yawned. Lazily, he leaned back against the headboard, still feeling the residual warmth of the blankets, although the room was empty and silent.
Instinctively, his eyes turned to the sides — right, left, as he always did upon waking. Only then did the memory strike him with a slight discomfort: it was the first time he had slept alone since he reincarnated into this world.
The absence of the soft, warm bodies of his mother and Isis, always cuddled close to him like guardians of an eternal dream, was strangely painful. Those delicate arms, those full breasts pressing against him naturally, the mature fragrance they exuded... all of this was part of his daily awakening. It was such an intimate comfort, so deeply rooted in his new being, that their absence made him feel incomplete.
And indeed he was.
"Haaaam..." — a long, lazy yawn escaped his lips. His eyes wandered over the bed, as if searching for traces of that familiar warmth that used to envelop him.
"Now that I’m awake, I won’t stay in bed like before..." — he murmured to himself, recognizing that if he remained there lying down, he would only increase his longing for his family.
With a resigned sigh, he got up.
Using a basic cleansing magic — one of the first his mother had taught him — he removed sweat, oiliness, and the weight of the night with a simple wave of his hand. Then, he carefully put on his armor, adjusting each piece with a familiarity that only time and training could bring.