His hands slipped back to his sides, posture relaxed, eyes already drifting back toward the shelves as if he had simply completed a task and moved on.
And just like that—
The mont ended.
Or at least—
That’s what it looked like.
Because between them—
Sothing lingered.
Well, Mihu only noticed it.
After a while, Si Hon turned back to the shelves, the earlier noise fading into the background as his focus sharpened once more. The rows of books stretched endlessly, each one humming faintly with potential, but this ti— this ti, sothing stood out imdiately. Not loud. Not aggressive. Just... undeniable.
His gaze locked onto it.
There, resting quietly among the others, was the one that felt different.
[Sanctum Genesis: The First Light Codex — ✧✧✧✧✧]
"Yes."
The word slipped out under his breath, quieter this ti, less surprise, more... confirmation.
"Finally."
His hand moved without hesitation, like it had already made the decision long before this mont. Fingers closed around the spine, grip tightening instinctively— not out of excitent, but recognition. Like this was the one he should’ve picked up from the very beginning... if everything else hadn’t kept getting in the way.
All the distractions. J
All the nonsense. J
All the shenanigans. S
And now—
Here it was.
The mont he lifted it, a faint warmth pulsed through his palm— subtle, controlled, but unmistakably powerful. Not overwhelming. Not loud.
Just... right.
Like it had been waiting.
A golden window flickered into existence beside him.
「........STRATEGY GUIDE
A sacred holy book said to contain fragnts of primordial light. Grants healing, purification, and barrier type miracles.
More:
Advanced healing and regeneration
Anti corruption / anti curse effects
Can create temporary "sanctum zones"
— must be used efficiently 」
Si Hon’s eyes scanned the text quickly, his expression shifting— not dramatically, but enough. The tension in his shoulders eased just slightly, replaced by sothing quieter. Satisfaction. This wasn’t flashy power. It wasn’t loud.
It was reliable.
Useful.
The kind of thing that kept people alive.
Behind him, the atmosphere shifted again.
Seong stood with her arms crossed, foot tapping lightly against the sand in a steady rhythm that carried just enough impatience to be intentional. Beside her, Suha leaned forward curiously, one finger resting against her lips as her wide eyes bounced between Si Hon and the books like she was watching a live performance she didn’t fully understand— but was absolutely invested in.
"Finally," Seong said, her voice cutting through the mont with effortless precision. "Done flirting with so random royal girl?"
Si Hon flinched.
Not visibly dramatic—but enough.
"(￣□￣;)!!! What are you talking about?" he shot back imdiately, tightening his grip on the codex as his brows furrowed.
Suha’s entire expression lit up like soone had just dropped a plot twist directly into her hands.
"WHa— Dad is cheating on Mom?!"
The silence that followed lasted exactly half a second.
Seong blinked once... then looked down at Suha, her expression flattening as she casually reached over and patted the girl’s head.
"No," she mouthed calmly.
"I’m joking."
Suha paused.
Then—
"Ohhh okay!!!"
Just like that, the crisis was over.
anwhile, Si Hon stood there, still holding the book, looking like he had just been dragged through a conversation he absolutely did not sign up for.
Seong straightened again, crossing her arms as her gaze returned to him, sharp and assessing.
"ಠಿ_ಠ ...So?" she said, tilting her head slightly. "How is it?"
She was about to say more— clearly— but the mont never ca.
Because Aeloria moved and interrupted.
It wasn’t fast. Not aggressive. But it was decisive.
She stepped forward, placing a hand flat against Si Hon’s chest— not pushing, not forceful, just there, firm enough to establish presence. Her chin lifted slightly, her posture straightening as her gaze locked onto Seong with a quiet, unyielding edge.
"I..." she started, hesitating only for a fraction of a second before continuing, her voice steady despite the faint flush rising across her face. "He just helped pick a book."
A pause.
Then, sharper—
"Who even are you?" Her brows knit ever so slightly as she looked Seong up and down, not dismissive— but not welcoming either. "You’re just his teammates. ಠಿ_ಠ"
The air stilled.
Not dramatically.
But enough to feel it.
Seong didn’t respond imdiately. Instead, her gaze flicked down— first to Aeloria’s hand resting against Si Hon’s chest... then slowly back up to her face. One brow lifted, just slightly, as if she had just discovered sothing far more interesting than whatever she had originally planned to say.
Suha, anwhile, leaned even closer, her eyes sparkling with poorly concealed excitent as she whispered— loud enough for absolutely everyone to hear— "Suha don’t know what’s happening but this is getting good..."
Si Hon?
Still holding the book.
Still standing there.
Now very clearly wondering how everything spiraled this far... this fast.
And sohow—
Not a single person had moved away from him.
Unless... unless... Unless so specific Short green haired who had been watching from the sidelines the entire ti.
***
(Mihu — a few minutes earlier.)
From where she stood, tucked just behind Suha and Seong, the scene unfolded in a completely different way.
Not clearer.
Not more accurate.
Just... far more dramatic.
Mihu’ s eyes widened behind her round glasses as Si Hon moved— no hesitation, no warning dropping to one knee in front of Aeloria like the world had suddenly decided to beco a romance novel without consulting anyone else present.
His hand reached for hers, steady, deliberate, and in Mihu’s perspective, devastatingly aningful, as he placed sothing into her palm with a gentleness that absolutely did not help the situation.
"What...?" Aeloria’s voice ca out flustered, her body flinching ever so slightly as color rushed to her face.
T h a t was all Mihu ne e de d...
For a c l i f f h a n g er to h a p p e n... Y e s s i r!!!! S o rry powwsk... We need 1000 words per chp.
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