“Yes. King Gil has agreed to be a special guest presenter at the academy.”
Orion was the prestigious headmaster of the Lumaris Academic Association of Magic, where humans and otherworldly creatures alike gathered together in the shared pursuit of knowledge and furthering magical prowess. But Akari…
“Why can’t you take him yourself? He’s royalty, isn’t he? That's like VIP status!”
“Well, dear sister,” Orion said, a sly smile tugging at his lips, “a condition of his agreement to come was that he could be introduced to you.”
“Me?” Disbelief flooded Akari’s voice. She knew Orion had connections with powerful and influential people, but she never expected to be involved.
"Do me a favour, Kari. I'm swamped with work these days. Think of it as showing a friend around on vacation. You can do that, surely? I'm counting on you."
---
The next evening, Akari met Gil at the academy. He had pitch black hair and pale white skin befitting of a demon king. He appeared youthful. His red eyes studied her from beneath his wavy bangs.
'She does look similar...' he thought to himself, noting how Akari's appearance reminded him of his late wife. Hundreds of years ago he had a human wife, Estelle, who had long since passed away. He looked at Akari and couldn’t help but notice the resemblance: they both had long lustrous hair tied back with a bow, bright doe eyes and delicate features. Estelle's hair had held a more reddish tone, but besides that, they might have passed as body doubles.
'Who knew Orion had a sister like this?' Gil thought. He composed himself and stepped forward to take Akari's hand to press to his lips.
"I am the demon king, Gil. You must be Miss Akari Bloom."
Akari bowed courteously in return. "I am here to show you around in place of my brother."
The plan was to have dinner together at a local fancy restaurant. Gil commented that Akari and Orion did not look too similar, as siblings often did.
Akari explained that she was adopted by the Bloom family parents from a young age, and that they were not biologically related.
---
Gil leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes never leaving Akari's face even as the waiter poured their wine and took their orders. The soft glow of the crystal lamps cast shadows across his sharp features, giving him an a mysterious aura.
The waiter left them with plates of delicately arranged seafood, the finest the city had to offer. Akari smoothed her napkin over her lap, reminding herself she was here on behalf of the academy. On behalf of Orion. She had to make a good impression.
"So," she began carefully, "I imagine you’ve visited many kingdoms in your time. What drew you to Lumaris, Your Majesty?"
"Gil," he corrected gently. "If I must be titled at every turn, dinner will become tiresome."
Her cheeks warmed. "Gil, then."
"What drew me?" He leaned forward slightly, folding his hands on the table. "The academy’s reputation, yes. But more than that—your brother’s insistence. He spoke of you often, you know."
"Me?" Akari blinked, startled. "I can’t imagine what he would even say."
"That you are sharp-witted, diligent… stubborn, when your heart is set on something. I wanted to see for myself if those words were true. And now, I find he undersold you."
Her throat tightened. It sounded like flattery, but his tone was too steady, too earnest to brush off. She shifted in her seat. "You speak as if we’ve known each other longer than an hour."
"In a way, it feels as though we have," Gil admitted.
"About that," Akari began, her tone polite but curious. "You specifically requested to meet me. May I ask why? My brother is the one with all the influence and status at the academy. I’m… just a student, really."
Gil’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Titles and positions do not always reveal the most important truths about people. Sometimes, it is the ones who believe themselves ordinary who are the most interesting."
Akari blinked. "That’s… a flowery explanation. Do you always talk like that, Your Majesty?"
He chuckled softly. "When one has lived for millennia, words are all one has to sharpen." He paused, swirling the wine in his glass. "But if you must know… you remind me of someone."
Akari tilted her head. "Someone you knew?"
"Yes. A woman I once loved. Long ago."
"Your queen?" Akari asked softly.
He nodded once. "Estelle. She was human. Gentle, and yet strong-willed in ways that surprised me endlessly. It has been… a very long time since she passed. Yet when I look at you…"
Akari stiffened. "Do you see her?"
"Forgive me if it is unsettling. I do not wish to burden you with my memories. But your resemblance is… uncanny."
Akari wasn’t sure what to say. Part of her wanted to laugh off the intensity, but there was something sincere in his voice that made her pause. "So, you wanted to meet me because I look like someone you loved?"
"Not only that," Gil replied, his tone deepening. "Resemblance alone does not hold weight with me. Tell me, Akari Bloom. What do you seek at this academy? What future do you envision for yourself?"
Akari looked down at her plate, her fork idle in her hand. If he was going to probe, then she would probe back. "That depends. What do you want from me, Your Majesty? Are you here to test me… or to court me?"
Gil’s expression flickered—amusement, surprise, something darker. Then his smile returned, faint but deliberate. "Why not both?"
She straightened in her chair, grasping at professionalism like a lifeline. "With all due respect… I’m here as a representative of the academy. My brother entrusted me with your visit. I can’t allow personal matters to cloud that."
He tilted his head, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "And yet, here you are… already flustered."
Her breath caught. "I am not—"
"You are," he interrupted, his voice velvet-smooth and insistent. "That tells me you are not untouched by this connection either."
Akari’s fingers tightened around her glass, her thoughts spinning. She had to be careful. A demon king was not someone to toy with—not someone she could allow herself to be swayed by. And yet, his attention was intoxicating. Dangerous.
She forced a polite smile. "Perhaps, for tonight, we should simply enjoy a meal as acquaintances. Nothing more."
Gil leaned back, but his eyes never left hers. "If that is your wish, Akari Bloom. But understand this—" He raised his glass in a quiet toast. "I am patient, and I pursue what I desire."
The clink of crystal rang between them, a sharper sound than it should have been.
Gil’s wine glass caught the light as he studied her over the rim. “Tell me, Akari,” he began smoothly, “what discipline of magic calls to you most? You carry yourself with the composure of a scholar, but I wonder where your heart lies.”
Akari hesitated. “I prefer healing magic. Defensive magic as well. I… I’d rather protect than strike. I don't have the thirst for combat as some others do.”
“A noble sentiment. Many gravitate to power for its flash and awe, but you… you wish to defend.” He leaned forward slightly. “Why?”
“Probably... because people are fragile. Even those who think themselves strong. Magic is supposed to lift others, inspire, and create a better quality of life. At least, that’s what I believe.”
He tilted his head, considering. “You would make an excellent queen.”
Akari forced herself to breathe, to steady her voice. “I’m no queen. Just a student. And… a guide for tonight.”
“Forgive me. A slip of thought." Gil smiled, almost mischievously. “And what of those without magic? Humans who live their lives untouched by spell or rune. How do you view their lives?”
“They’re no less valuable. Magic doesn’t make someone worthy. If anything, it means we who have it should use it to help those who don’t.”
“Many would disagree. Many do disagree. Power divides, Akari. It always has.”
“And yet,” she countered, “power doesn’t always corrupt. It depends on the one who holds it. Like my brother, for instance. Or even yourself, being here in the human realm as an ambassador.”
His eyes flickered—approval, and something darker beneath. He shifted the conversation again, “And demonkind? What do you make of us? Do you believe humans and demons can coexist… even love?”
The question unsettled her. Akari toyed with the stem of her glass. “That’s… complicated. History tells us one thing. Reality another. But I think… yes. If both sides are willing to see each other as allies and equals first, not enemies. Love shouldn’t be bound by race or realm.”
Gil’s gaze deepened, almost predatory in its focus. “You speak as if you have considered it personally.”
Heat rose to her cheeks. “N-no. Only as a principle. As someone at the academy, I can’t ignore the question. We all learn side by side—humans, demons, and others. It forces you to think differently.”
Gil reclined in his chair, satisfied. “Your answers reveal more than you realize, Akari Bloom. You are far from ordinary.”
She shifted uncomfortably, her heart fluttering against her will. Why did every word from him feel like a test she couldn’t afford to fail?
---
The plates were cleared, leaving only the glow of candlelight between them. Gil’s posture remained deceptively relaxed, yet Akari couldn’t shake the feeling that every word she spoke was being weighed, every detail committed to memory.
“You’ve given me thoughtful answers,” he said at last. “But tell me… what of you, Akari Bloom? Beyond duty, beyond your brother’s academy. What do you long for?”
The directness of the question made her pause. She lowered her gaze to her glass, tracing the rim with her fingertip. “I… haven’t thought about it much. To protect, to help, to do something that matters—that’s enough for me.”
“Enough?” Gil’s tone was silken, coaxing. “Surely a heart as lively as yours does not beat only for duty.”
“Well… I suppose I’ve dreamed of seeing more of the world. I’ve never even set foot in the demon kingdom.”
“Vilheim would welcome you,” he said. “But I must warn you—it is no place for the faint-hearted.” His gaze lingered. “But I suspect you are not faint-hearted.”
Akari quickly changed direction. “The only time I've visited another realm was… with an angel from the Celestial Realm. He studied at the academy for a time.”
“An angel,” Gil repeated, his tone unreadable.
She nodded, eyes softening with memory. “He had skin like sunlit bronze… and the kindest eyes. He took me for a visit once.” She caught herself, realizing how wistful she sounded. “But he’s since returned to his realm. And… well, we spoke less as the days passed.”
Gil’s expression was unreadable, though a faint shadow crossed his features. “You were smitten with him.”
Akari stiffened. “I—”
“There is no shame in it,” he interrupted, his voice low, almost indulgent. “To be moved by another, even if only for a time, is a mark of the heart. Did he know how you felt?”
She hesitated, then shook her head. “No. I never said anything. It seemed foolish. He… belonged to another world. One that was never mine.”
Gil leaned forward slightly, his crimson eyes catching the light like embers. “And yet, you still think of him.”
Akari blushed. “Not in the way you make it sound. It’s just… the memory of something sweet. A reminder that I can feel that way, I suppose.”
He studied her in silence for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was tinged with something dangerous. “Then perhaps you only need someone willing to stay. Someone who does not vanish into another sky.”
What was he playing at? Akari tried to stifle the flurry in her heart. Across from her, a demon king was flirting with her. Was it working? Seemingly so, judging by the warmth in her cheeks and the quickened beat of her pulse. Unbelievable.
She cleared her throat. “So—your area of expertise is fire magic, isn’t it? Hellfire, specifically. That much is… well, obvious.”
Gil arched a brow, amused. “Obvious?”
“You have the aura of it,” Akari replied, trying to sound clinical. “Your presence feels… scorching. Dangerous. Like standing too close to a flame.”
His lips curved. “And yet, you don’t move away.”
“That’s not what I—” She forced a nervous laugh and continued quickly, “It’s no wonder my brother invited you as a guest lecturer. Students will gain much from someone so… formidable.”
Gil regarded her for a long moment. “Formidable,” he repeated softly, as though tasting the word. Then he leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Is that what you see when you look at me?"
She shifted in her seat, scrambling for neutrality. “What else should I see?”
“That depends,” he murmured, his gaze unwavering. “Some see a monster. Some see a king. And perhaps, some might see a man.”
A man. Was that what he wanted her to acknowledge? Akari swallowed, forcing herself to lift her chin. “I… don’t presume to know which you prefer to be seen as.”
“If I'm seen by you at all, then that alone will suffice.”
The words struck her like a spell she hadn’t prepared for. She tried to laugh it off, but her voice wavered. “You really are relentless, aren’t you?”
Her heart thudded against her ribs. This was dangerous—more dangerous than any flame he could summon. And yet, a part of her wondered if she wanted to see just how close she could stand before being burned.
She straightened her back, summoning her composure. “You know... you ask too many personal questions for a guest of the academy, Gil.”
His smile returned, faint and deliberate. “And you answer them all, Akari. That tells me you do not mind as much as you claim.”
---
The night air was cool when they stepped out of the restaurant. Akari clasped her hands in front of her, trying to steady herself. She had survived dinner without completely losing face—but her heart was still racing from Gil’s words.
Gil walked beside her with unhurried grace, his tall frame impossible to ignore. The silence between them stretched, but it was not uncomfortable.
The streets grew quieter as they turned toward the upscale district where Gil’s hotel was located. Akari kept her eyes on the road ahead, but every sense was tuned to him—the faint scent of smokiness that clung to his presence, the steady sound of his footsteps, the way he seemed to close the space between them without ever quite touching her.
At last, the tall silhouette of a luxury hotel came into view, its golden windows shining. Akari slowed her pace. “This is it, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Gil stopped as well, but he did not move toward the entrance. Instead, he regarded her in silence.
Akari fidgeted, suddenly aware of how quiet the street was, how near he stood. “Well… thank you for dinner. I’ll tell my brother you—”
Gil lifted a hand, not touching her, but halting her words. “Akari Bloom.” His voice was velvet-dark. “Do you know what I see when I look at you?”
Her breath caught. “I—I don’t want to know.”
“And yet, you do,” he murmured. He leaned just slightly closer, close enough that she felt the warmth of him in the cool night air. “I see someone who does not realize the effect she has. Someone who claims professionalism, but whose heart betrays her with every quickened breath.”
Akari’s blush deepened, her composure slipping. “You shouldn’t say things like that. You’re a guest of the academy." She drew a shaky breath and forced a nervous smile. “You should get some rest, Your Majesty. Tomorrow will be busy.”
Gil studied her one last time with his intense gaze. “As you wish. Then I bid you good night."
With that, he turned and entered the hotel, leaving Akari standing under the lamplight, her heart still thundering in her chest.
