Celestial Bodies: His Scales Allure Me (🔞)

There's Tension In The Air (Chapter 8)

"Do you smell that?"

Seth abruptly dropped the firewood he had been gathering, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. His sharp gaze darted around before landing on Levi. Without hesitation, he strode over and grabbed Levi's shirt, burying his face in the fabric.

"Whose is this?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. "Who gave you this?"

A quiet growl rumbled from his chest as his hands began to glow faintly, golden energy flickering at his fingertips. His reaction was visceral, almost primal-why he felt so threatened by a simple shirt, especially this deep in the woods, was unclear. Then again, Rin had trained him relentlessly at the Sanctuary, sharpening his instincts into something close to paranoia.

Levi, meanwhile, had spent most of his years under Conah's guidance, honing his elemental and mental abilities. Though he and Seth now called each other brothers, there were gaps in Levi's memory-ones carefully constructed by Rin and Conah to obscure his past. He often wondered why Seth had been there at all.

"Seth, calm down... It was given to me by-" Levi froze. His eyes widened in sudden realization. Oh, damn. He clamped a hand over his mouth, stepping back.

Seth's tail lashed violently. "Who gave you that shirt, Levi? It smells... off." His lips curled in disgust. "It could be covered in germs, for all we know! You can't just take things from strangers, especially in the middle of the damn forest!"

Before Levi could react, Seth grabbed his arm and yanked him down, clawing at the fabric. "Take it off. Now! That's disgusting!"

"Get off me, you idiot! I just took a bath!" Levi struggled, kicking and slapping at Seth's face. His hits barely registered. Seth didn't even flinch.

"You heard him. Back off."

A new voice cut through the air.

Seth was on his feet in an instant, his gun already drawn, aimed squarely at the stranger's chest. His fingers curled tightly around the trigger. A low, warning growl escaped his throat, his tail thrashing behind him in agitation.

"Who the hell are you?" Seth snapped.

The stranger, unfazed, glanced at Levi, his expression unreadable. Levi, still half-draped in the borrowed shirt, offered an awkward, sheepish smile.

Seth's gaze narrowed. "You're shirtless," he noted before turning back to the newcomer with a sneer. "Let me guess-you were kind enough to lend your filthy clothes to a complete stranger, assuming he didn't have his own? That's sweet. But let me make one thing clear." His voice darkened, his grip on the gun tightening. "He's under my protection. So why don't you scurry back to whatever cave you crawled out of? I'll handle things from here."

The stranger smirked. "Amusing," he mused. "Tell me, what kind of so-called 'guardian' lets his charge wander this deep into an enchanted forest? Seems to me you're as reckless as you are possessive." His eyes flicked to the gun. With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed it as if it were an insignificant toy. "Besides," he continued, stepping forward, "if you really knew how to protect someone, you wouldn't have let him out of your sight in the first place."

Levi blinked as the tension between them thickened.

Seth bared his teeth. "Cut the shit. No one asked. Get lost before I blow your brains out."

The stranger chuckled softly. "The name's Crest, by the way."

"I don't care," Seth spat. "And if you think you can just spy on my little brother and walk away, you're sorely mistaken." He stomped his foot, the ground trembling slightly beneath them.