Chapter 117: Aurora Awakens
Inside
Elian was sitting on her bed, wearing glasses, quietly reading.
Rowan knocked lightly on the window.
Tap. Tap.
She turned
Then her face lit up instantly.
"Master!"
She rushed over and opened the window.
"Come in!"
Rowan flew inside and landed smoothly.
He looked at her for a moment.
"When did you start reading?" he asked. "I didn’t expect you to be this serious."
Elian smiled.
"Don’t forget, I’m still a teacher."
She adjusted her glasses slightly.
"I enjoy reading. It’s calming."
She paused, then added
"Even if I’ve agreed to what you said, I’ll still be teaching for now. I’ll resign tomorrow and return home."
She looked at him with a small smile.
"But I’ll still visit you whenever I want."
"And you’ll still be eating my handmade meals. That part hasn’t changed."
Rowan waved it off casually and sat on her bed.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure."
Elian crossed her arms slightly.
"So, are you going to tell me why you came here this late?"
Rowan froze for a split second.
How do I explain this?
He forced a smile.
"Well, can you lend me some of your clothes?"
He said it with his eyes closed and a wide grin.
Silence.
Elian’s expression changed instantly.
"My clothes?"
She blinked.
"Why?"
Rowan’s thoughts started racing.
Damn it, I can’t tell her about Fenrir.
She won’t like that at all, even if I explain it.
Think, think
Before he could come up with an excuse
Elian stepped forward.
"Alright," she said.
Rowan’s eyes snapped open.
"Wait, what?"
"You’ll give them to me just like that?" he asked.
Elian nodded simply.
"Yes."
She turned toward her wardrobe.
Could this be one of those things boys his age like?
I’ve heard about it
Maybe he wants it for something embarrassing
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Well, it’s fine."
She opened her wardrobe and picked out a set of clothes
A short gown.
She handed it to him.
Rowan took it quickly.
"Thank you."
She didn’t smile at Rowan.
Rowan stood up.
"I’ll take my leave," he said.
"Wait," she called out.
He paused, then sat back down.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
"No, nothing. You may take your leave," she replied.
Rowan nodded and flew out the window.
As he entered the area beyond, he closed his eyes briefly, letting the motion settle. He tossed his clothes toward Fenrir.
"Hey, wait," he called. "It may be a bit bigger than you. But, you’ve seen humans wear clothes, right? Just follow that same logic."
After a moment, Fenrir replied.
"Master, I’m done," she said.
"Good," Rowan said, glancing at her. "Why do you feel different?"
"You noticed, master?" she asked. "Not only that I’m now human, but I’m the great fairy Fenrir. By forming a contract with you, my power has instantly boosted, maybe four or five times."
Rowan blinked. "Well, that’s good. So, you’re leaving now? Haven’t you done your work?"
"Leaving?" Fenrir echoed.
Rowan nodded. "I’ve even got dressed. I’m still in my bedrobe."
She didn’t look at him. She just hesitated.
"But where do I go?" she asked quietly.
"Now that you’re human, you could stay by my side. But no, no, no. We can’t stay here. You’re used to nature. Maybe you should return to it for now. We’ll talk about this later," Rowan said firmly.
Fenrir shook her head. "I refuse. Even if I wait, it will only be for today. My body, now human, I feel comfortable here."
Rowan exhaled. "So, what else do you want? Tell me."
"Well, master," she said, tilting her head slightly, "you still haven’t given me a name."
Rowan paused, frowning. "A name, right."
Rowan walked toward the window and looked up at the moon. He turned back toward her, meeting her gaze.
"Let me think," Rowan murmured. Her eyes, so distant, calm, yet endless, like the moon itself. "Aurora. Your name is Aurora."
A soft blue energy shimmered around her as she paused, absorbing the name. She nodded.
"My purpose is to grow stronger," she said, lowering herself to her knees. "Master, I will serve you with my life."
Rowan remained silent, watching her. Slowly, Aurora stood.
"I’ll stay on the roof, master, but only for today," she said. With that, she flew out the window.
Rowan closed the window behind her and exhaled, feeling the weight of the day. He slipped off his bedrobe and white pajamas, yawning.
"So much has happened today. These days are something else," he murmured, climbing into bed. He didn’t even bother to slip under the covers before drifting off.
As Rowan slowly woke up, his vision was blurred. Something heavy pressed against his chest. He blinked and looked down—Aurora.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Aurora slowly sat up. "Good morning, master. How was your sleep?"
"It was fine, until I woke up," Rowan muttered, slowly getting out of bed.
"You can stay here for now," he thought. "I’ll need to find a proper place for you, not like I have money or anything. Maybe I could ask my grandfather, but only if I tell him the truth. He’d do something about it, but he wouldn’t just let me bring some odd lady under my care. I could teleport to my parents, but I don’t want to trouble them. For now, let them be."
Rowan cleaned up, changed into his uniform, and got ready for the day.
"Oh, Elian is leaving today," he reminded himself. "I love you," he muttered quietly. "Hey, don’t come out yet, stay here." He shut the door, grabbed his bag, and walked out.
Outside, Elian was waiting with her luggage. Rowan wanted to hold her, but he didn’t. "Thank you for always being by my side," he said softly.
Elian smiled, though she seemed a little shy. "Master, I’m going to miss you. Take this," she said, handing him a lunchbox. Rowan collected it carefully.
"Whenever you miss me," she continued, "come with me in your thoughts. And if I miss you too much, I’ll come, without a doubt."