Ethereal Beauty

The healers worked quietly but the air in the room grew heavier with each passing minute. Vastarael could sense it before he even saw the first flicker of hesitation in their movements.

His Boon was affecting them. He knew it instinctively. It wasn't just his appearance; it was the way the room seemed to shift whenever he spoke, or even moved.

One of the healers, a tall woman with dark braided hair, was the first to give him a lingering look as she began restoring his body back to normal. Her fingers brushed against his skin, the contact lingering just a little longer than necessary. She pulled her hand back quickly but the flush on her face was unmistakable.

"Are you... feeling better, Your Esteemed Highness?" She asked, her voice softer than before, almost tentative.

Vastarael blinked, still trying to gather his thoughts after the shock of everything.

"I'm fine. Just... tired. What happened? Why was I dead for so long?"

He struggled to push aside the lingering confusion in his mind. His death, the solar eclipse, the pain... it felt distant now, like a nightmare fading in the wake of waking reality.

The healer looked at him, her breath shallow, clearly struggling to maintain focus. Her eyes kept darting to his face, tracing the sharpness of his features, the glow of his skin. It was subtle at first, but the tension was building with every passing second.

"It's still unclear, Your Highness," another healer interjected, her voice strained.

A younger woman, with light brown hair and wide eyes, moved closer to him. She had been checking the monitors just moments ago, but now she seemed unable to tear her gaze away from him. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat, but the quiver in her voice was unmistakable.

"But the fact that you've revived... that means there's hope for the others. Princess Elyonari, she—"

Her voice faltered again and she paused, as though unsure of what to say. He could feel the weight of their gazes on him, the subtle tremble in their hands as they tried to focus on their work.

"Will... will the others wake up too?" Vastarael asked, his own voice tinged with worry. He was desperate to know about his friends Adelasta, Elyonari but he couldn't help but notice the way the healer's breath hitched as he spoke.

She was standing a little too close now, her hand brushing against his as she adjusted the medical equipment. For a moment, their eyes met and he saw the flush that crept across her cheeks, the way her pupils dilated, as if his presence was too much for her to bear. She quickly looked away, excusing herself with an almost panicked stutter.

"I—I'm just going to check on something. Please, excuse me."

But it was too late. The damage was done. A few of the other healers, who had been moving around the bed, suddenly became self-conscious. Their movements were jerky and distracted. One healer, a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, even fumbled with the equipment, dropping a small tool. She bent down to pick it up but couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from Vastarael as she straightened up.

"I'm... fine," she muttered, but her voice was tight, almost too hushed. Her hands trembled as she worked. "Just—just need a moment."

Vastarael tried to focus on the conversation, his mind still trying to process everything. Being dead for hours and collecting your thoughts took time. It was taking him time to form coherent thoughts.

But it was clear now that his Boon was affecting them. His beauty, his presence, his very being had them in a state of distraction. It was uncomfortable. He was used to attention but this was different.

This wasn't admiration; it was something else. A kind of raw, desperate desire that he could almost taste in the air.

Another healer, a taller woman with striking green eyes, caught his gaze and seemed to hesitate. Her breathing quickened as she adjusted his blanket, but her fingers lingered a little too long on his arm. She pulled her hand away quickly but the heat on her cheeks didn't fade.

"I... I should check on the supplies," she said, her voice a little too high-pitched, as if trying to force normalcy into the air. She rushed out of the room, and another healer quickly followed her.

But as the room slowly emptied, Vastarael couldn't shake the sensation that they were all still lingering. He noticed the last healer—the one who had been adjusting the machines by his side—was now standing awkwardly near the door, staring at the floor.

"I'll... I'll just... finish up," she stammered. But even as she said it, he saw the struggle in her. She was doing everything in her power to keep her composure, but it was clear she was fighting a battle she couldn't win. Her breaths were shallow and she didn't meet his gaze as she left.

Vastarael sighed inwardly, rubbing his temple. The intensity of his Boon was almost too much at times. It was a force that changed the dynamics of every interaction.

And right now, it was all too overwhelming.

"Are you... okay?"

She blinked rapidly, her face flushing as she looked at him. He could tell she was trying to focus, trying to push past the effect his presence had on her. Her eyes darted to the floor before she met his gaze again, her expression both dazed and apologetic.

She cleared her throat, taking a step closer to him but still clearly uncomfortable in his presence.

"I... I'm fine, Your Esteemed Highness. You asked about the eclipse. Yes, the phenomenon... It was something that has been prophesized for a while. But... it's unlike anything we've seen before. We believe it may be connected to the anomaly that's affecting the balance of the worlds."

Her voice faltered slightly, and she stopped herself mid-sentence as if trying to piece her words together more carefully. Her gaze lingered on him and he couldn't help but notice the way her chest rose and fell with each shallow breath.

She was trying so hard to stay professional, to avoid being drawn in by his presence, but it was like she couldn't help herself. Every word she spoke seemed to draw her in closer to him.

"The eclipse... It's not just a celestial event," she continued, though her voice was noticeably softer. "It's like a marker something that signals a turning point in the forces that govern Spheraphase. A power maybe something ancient, is awakening. And we're not sure what it means... but it's tied to all of this."

She trailed off, her eyes lingering on his face and for a moment, Vastarael felt the subtle pull of her attention.

He didn't speak immediately, his mind racing to piece together the fragments of her explanation. Her words made sense in a way he hadn't expected. It was as if despite everything, there was a hidden order behind the chaos.

The eclipse wasn't just a freak occurrence. It was a signal. Something was coming.

And possibly an Epoch Cycle.

But the silence between them stretched longer than he would've liked. He could tell she was still struggling to hold herself together. She took another breath, this one shaky, and he noticed the way her eyes darted toward the door, like she was looking for an escape from the room.

Vastarael finally broke the silence with a soft chuckle, his voice low and inviting.

"Thank you for the explanation. It makes sense, even if it's... unsettling. You can leave now."

Her response was a soft nod, though it was clear she was distracted by something else. Her gaze lingered on him one last time and just before she turned to leave, there was a brief twitch in her posture—a shift in her stance as her thighs pressed together slightly, a subtle movement that spoke volumes.

He caught it, though it was quick enough for her to hope he didn't. He exhaled sharply, a mix of frustration and resignation in his chest.

"I should've just worn the mask," he muttered under his breath, though he knew it wouldn't change anything.

His Boon was both a blessing and a curse. It made life easier in many ways, but it often made interactions like this one painfully awkward, especially when it seemed to reduce people to little more than their basest impulses.

The healer hesitated at the door, looking back one final time.

"I'll be back soon to check on you," she said quickly, her voice still strained, before stepping out into the hallway.

Vastarael watched her leave, the door clicking shut behind her. He let out another sigh, this time with a tinge of frustration.

"his is why I should never let myself get comfortable without it. The mask... it's better for everyone. I didn't know that it was this powerful. How does Elyonari handle me?"

As the healer's footsteps faded down the corridor, Vastarael leaned back against the pillows, his mind swirling with questions. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to find some peace in the chaos of his thoughts.

Then, he slept.