Location: Royal Academy – Northern Courtyard (Midnight)
The moon hung high and full, casting silver shadows over the quiet courtyard.
Kael stood at the center, arms crossed, bathed in moonlight.Around him, the wind stirred the leaves like whispers of old gods.
He wasn't alone.
A dagger whistled past his cheek — stopping right before it could touch him.
"Nice reflexes," said a sultry voice from the shadows.
From the top of a nearby archway, Aria Nightshade dropped down with predatory grace, her silver hair shimmering like mercury.
Dressed in black and violet combat attire, her movements were silent — assassin-born and trained in killing.
But tonight… she didn't come to kill.
"I promised you a duel," Aria said, smirking. "No poison. No tricks. Just skill."
Kael met her gaze calmly.
"And if I win?"
Aria shrugged playfully.
"Then maybe I stop calling you 'pretty prince' and start calling you 'master'."
She winked.
The Duel Begins
Kael tossed off his cloak.
Aria surged forward like a shadow unleashed — twin daggers flashing.
Kael dodged, parried, countered — moving like water, dancing like wind.
Their blades clashed in the moonlight, a ballet of death and elegance.
Aria's speed was blinding.
Kael's instincts were sharper than steel.
Every move she made, he answered. Every trap she laid, he saw through.
"You read me… like a book," she whispered mid-duel, sweat glistening on her brow.
Kael smirked.
"I've read thousands."
A Sudden Twist
Midway through the fight, Aria shifted her stance.
Her killing intent vanished.
Instead, she whispered words in an ancient tongue — her eyes glowing faintly violet.
"This is my real reason for challenging you," she said, breathless."I wanted to see… if you'd awaken me."
A seal on her back suddenly shattered — a burst of divine light swirling from her body.
Kael's eyes widened.
"You're… one of them."
Aria dropped her daggers.
"One of the seven keys. Just like your other girls," she said softly."I was cursed, locked away — until I met you."
She dropped to one knee, bowing deeply.
"I offer you my blade… and my heart. Not because I was chosen. But because I choose you."
Meanwhile: Trouble Brews in the Dormitory
Zara stared at the moonlit courtyard from her balcony. "He's not back yet."
Velcia frowned, flipping pages of a tome. "There's a new divine signature near him."
Mira cracked her knuckles. "Whoever she is, she better not be trying to steal him."
Selene looked worried. "Another key awakened… the tempo is accelerating."
Evelyne nodded grimly. "Something big is coming."
The harem wasn't just growing.
It was awakening.
And with every girl Kael brought closer, the truth of his godhood drew nearer.
Final Scene: A New Bond Forged
Kael reached down and helped Aria to her feet.
"I don't need servants," he said."But allies… I welcome."
Aria smiled.
"Then I'll be both, Kael Solaris."
They stood together beneath the moonlight — prince and assassin, bound by fate, secrets, and something deeper neither had the courage to name yet.