A Lagoon Swim

The western part of Imperfecta Magistra Island had always held a subtle kind of allure, less traveled than the southern beaches, and far quieter than the eastern stretches where the open fields met farmland and communal gardens.

The western edge was cliffs and mystery, heavy with overgrowth and lush groves of mangrove and wood. The trees hung with thick vines and the distant sounds of waves echoing off unseen stone gave the entire region a sense of ancient secrecy.

Peroncerea followed behind Eldrigan as the narrow footpath dipped through a wall of green, trailing them through fern-covered hollows and old creek beds now long dry. The sound of water grew louder until, after one last push through a thicket of blue-barked trees, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"…You're kidding."

Before her lay a crystalline, pure lagoon so hauntingly blue it almost looked like a portal to some ocean dream realm. The water shimmered beneath the sunlight piercing through breaks in the canopy, and the entire thing was enclosed by a crescent of moss-covered rock outcrops. Trees circled the space, their roots tangled with sun-warmed stones. The air smelled of salt, sweet blossoms, and earth.

Peroncerea didn't say a word at first. She just walked forward a few steps, her mouth parted slightly, her boots crunching against the sandy edge. She turned to Eldrigan, blinking fast like her brain couldn't catch up to the sudden beauty in front of her.

"This was here? All this time?"

Eldrigan stepped beside her, arms crossed loosely as he stared at the glimmering surface.

"I found it last week. Went looking for a lost scouting group on the north bend and took a wrong turn. Wound up here by accident."

He paused and glanced at her, his gaze unusually soft.

"You've been… carrying a lot. Ever since we lost those thirty on Submerged Island."

She flinched slightly, her eyes falling to the water. That memory still burned. Those students had trusted them, had followed orders, and paid the price for a trap no one could've foreseen.

"You didn't say anything, but I could see it. You've been quieter, getting up later. Smiling less."

His voice didn't accuse, just observed, and it was exactly that calm truth in him that made it land harder.

"So, I figured maybe this could be yours. Just for the day. I did your rounds. Delegated your reports to the others. I even took your patrol loop for later. You're free."

Her jaw dropped slightly. "Wait. You… what?"

"Yeah. And I'm free too. For the whole day."

"You—!" She took a step closer and lightly thumped his shoulder, laughing with a flush rising to her cheeks.

"You absolute sneak. You hid an entire lagoon and cleared my entire schedule just so I could… just so I could have a break?"

He gave a half-shrug and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wasn't sure how to cheer you up, honestly. Thought this might be a decent attempt. But hey, it's up to you. We can go back, or—"

She shook her head quickly, her shoulder-length hair swaying as she grinned.

"No. No way. This is amazing, Eldrigan. Seriously."

Her hand drifted to her chest, just over her collarbone where her demonic tattoos faintly shimmered beneath her tunic.

"Thank you."

The honesty in her voice wasn't something she often allowed to surface. And for once, she didn't hide the way her smile stayed a little too long, the way her gaze lingered on his lips just a second more than usual.

He gestured toward the north end of the lagoon.

"There are a few caves up there. Looks like they lead into the cliffs. Could be some old pre-cataclysm tunnels, or maybe nature made them. Either way, I figured you'd want to poke around."

Peroncerea lit up like a child on a solstice morning.

"Yes. You know me too well."

"I know you're addicted to discovering things that may or may not get you killed. Figured I'd supervise."

She bumped him again playfully and set her satchel down on the nearest stone.

"Well, Supervisor Eldrigan, I say we start exploring after we swim. This place is way too pretty not to jump into."

She kicked off her boots and stepped toward the water's edge, testing it with her toes and giving a small sigh of pleasure at the warmth. The lagoon was temperate, fed by underground springs and coastal runoff. Perfect.

Behind her, Eldrigan chuckled low.

"You're actually smiling again."

She paused, her back to him, then glanced over her shoulder with a blush tugging at her cheeks.

"Yeah… well, hard not to when someone goes and does this for you."

He met her eyes and gave her that quiet, stable smile she always found strangely reassuring.

"Then it was worth it."

And in that moment, standing on the edge of a forgotten paradise with her feet in soft sand and her mind finally clear of duties and death, Peroncerea felt something warm curl deep in her chest. It wasn't just appreciation or admiration anymore.

She turned back to the water, closed her eyes, and stepped forward, letting herself fall into the embrace of the lagoon with a splash and a laugh that elite bells in a temple.

Tomorrow, they'd celebrate with gods and mortals alike. But today? Today was for her and Eldrigan.

Peroncerea stood at the edge, her boots off, her toes sinking slightly into the grainy warm sand. She looked at the water, then at Eldrigan.

She turned away, gripping the hem of her simple gray tunic. The day was warm enough, and the water looked divine. So, without overthinking it, she pulled it over her head, revealing the clean white one-piece swimsuit she wore underneath. It was thin-strapped and minimal, clinging gently to her curves. Her black ram horns peeked more visibly through her shoulder-length hair, and her blue eyes flicked around quickly, feeling slightly vulnerable despite the empty paradise.

Then she turned back to him.

"Well? You're not going to just stand there looking like a statue, right?"

Eldrigan raised an amused brow, the corner of his lip tugging upward.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, and reached for his tunic.

Peroncerea meant to watch politely. Really. That was the intention. But what actually happened was entirely out of her control.

The moment he pulled off his tunic and tossed it aside, she stopped breathing.

She froze.

He was hot. That was the only word that came to mind.

He looked like some ancient statue in a temple, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, but not bulky. His muscles were sculpted smooth and precise, toned from constant training, leadership, and duty. His skin had a light bronzed hue from the island sun, marred only by faint scars like artful brushstrokes across his abdomen and biceps. His collarbones were sharp and elegant, and the line running down from his chest to his lower abdomen was so well-defined it should have been illegal.

Her eyes snapped back to his face, which was a big mistake because Eldrigan was smirking.

He stepped toward her with unhurried steps just close enough to stir the air between them.

"What's wrong? You're looking a little… stunned."

Peroncerea tried to play it off, tried to gather her breath, but her mouth opened and nothing came out. She blinked rapidly.

"I—uh—what—I mean—"

Her tongue had apparently given up. Her brain was desperately throwing words at her lips, and none of them were cooperating.

She turned around quickly, flustered beyond comprehension, but before she could retreat more than a step, she felt a hand wrap gently around her bare waist.

She stopped.

His hand wasn't forceful. It rested lightly and warmly, like he was grounding her instead of holding her back. She felt the heat of his skin even through her swimsuit, and it made her shiver in the most maddening, involuntary way.

"You find me hot, don't you?"

She didn't move. She only gave the tiniest nod. He chuckled low in his throat. Using the shortened name only he dared say, he lifted her chin gently so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. He tilted his head slightly, his thumb grazing her cheekbone.

"Peron, you really shouldn't stare like that. You're my type, and honestly? You've got no idea how much I've been holding back."

That shattered something in her.

Her eyes widened. Her mouth parted. She froze entirely not out of embarrassment anymore, but shock.

He was… holding back? He knew? He noticed? And he'd been doing what? Holding back? For how long?

Eldrigan's eyes were half-lidded, the caramel in them sharper now, more intense than she had ever seen. The way he looked at her made her knees want to buckle, not lustful, but deeply focused, like she was the one piece in the world he wanted to understand more than anything.

"But, we've got the Epoch Cycle to finish. Too much at stake. And I… I'm not going to start anything until we're out of it."

He held her gaze for a heartbeat longer, long enough for her pulse to hammer against her ribs in disbelief.

Then he let go of her waist and stepped back. And just like that, he grinned and turned toward the lagoon. He took off in a running step and jumped with a whoop that echoed through the trees, plunged into the water with a splash.

"Come on, moodyface! The water is amazing!"

Peroncerea stood frozen, hand to her stomach, trying to process what had just happened.

He liked her. He liked her.

He was holding back because he didn't want distractions during the Epoch Cycle. That meant he respected her, saw her as more than just some pretty face or fellow Seventh Enlightenment.

But he also… noticed her. Thought about her. Wanted her.

Heat rose to her face again, stronger than ever. Her lips trembled in a mixture of disbelief and thrill.

She crouched, dipped her hand in the water, then stared at her reflection. Even flushed, even shaken, she looked… happy. Embarrassed, but happy.

She bit her lip, shook her head, and finally, with a sharp breath, dove into the lagoon after him, sending a wave right toward his smug, smirking face.

And if her laughter sounded freer than it had in months?

Well, that was thanks to a boy who noticed her.