Chapter 154: Two Worlds
*A/N: As you may have noticed, this novel has finally gone premium. Unfortunately, there were a few technical issues that arose in the process. One of them was that the system skipped over a Chapter I had scheduled to publish and published "Two Worlds," the next Chapter, instead. I have since corrected this issue and added the Chapter "Hero" in its place. That Chapter explores the rest of Xiviyah’s conversation with Elise and provides some pivotal character moments, so I invite you to check it out. Also, due to word count restrictions on updating Chapters, I added a new scene to the beginning of this Chapter. I apologize for any confusion this might have caused, and I hope you’ll keep enjoying the novel!
The day wore on quickly, much to my regret. Whenever I was with Elise, time vanished like sand between my fingers. What made it worse was that I now knew that time was limited. Another gate would open soon, and we would be called to fight it. Considering how long I spent in the dungeon, that time was likely only days away.
As the evening drew nigh, Elise stood and gathered her things, before turning to me. "Xiviyah, let’s meet up tomorrow, okay? There’s something I want to give you."
I nodded, casually drifting closer to her. I looked at her, feeling a gentle yearning in my heart, and she smiled, embracing me. I was grateful her shoulder hid my blushing face, but then my tail waved and betrayed me.
"You know," she giggled, "If you want a hug, you can just ask."
"S-sorry," I whispered, flushing darker. Strands of her long, silken hair tickled my face, and I breathed deeply, inhaling her familiar scent.
All too soon, she was pulling away. "I’d better get going. We students have a curfew, after all, and I don’t want to risk it."
I glanced out the window, finding it dark already. As she turned to go, my hand moved on its own, catching her wrist.
"Elise..."
She smiled, a sad twinkle in her eye. "Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll see you tomorrow."
"Thank you!" I burst out, tears welling up in my eyes. "Thank you for being there. Thank you for being my friend."