Chapter- 25 "The Wrong Step.."

"Would it be fine if I did it with a high school girl…? That would be cheating, but Alissa won't find out," Arvard muttered, lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Cordilia burst out from her ring, looking furious. "What the hell are you saying? After spending the whole day with girls, now you're actually thinking of sleeping with them?"

Without a flicker of emotion, Arvard replied, "Hmm… Maybe I am."

Cordilia stepped forward, touched his hand gently, and gave a faint smile. "You can do anything you want—with me."

"Don't tell me that every day," Arvard said flatly. "Should I do it with Mai? No, she'd get too emotional… Sasha? Hmm, she might work. But after it's done, she'd probably tell everyone I used her. A human then?"

"Stop right there." Cordilia's voice turned sharp.

Suddenly, Arvard sat up and, without another word, bolted into the bathroom. Cordilia blinked, confused at first—then panic set in. She rushed to the door and tried to open it. It was locked.

"Arvard? What happened?" she called, her voice trembling. "I'm coming in!"

With a flash of magic, she phased through the door—and stopped cold.

Arvard was hunched over the toilet, vomiting violently. After a moment, he pulled himself up and stumbled toward the mirror. His reflection showed what Cordilia feared—his eyes had turned crimson.

"Arvard…" she whispered, her voice laced with worry. "You've been pushing yourself too hard, haven't you?"

"Shut up… I'm fine," he snapped weakly and dropped to the floor, back resting against the cold tile wall.

Cordilia sat beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Arvard, it's time. Let me help. Follow my instructions."

He looked at her, disoriented. "What… do you mean?"

"Just close your eyes," she said gently. "And say: 'Clear my mind.'"

He obeyed. "Clear my mind."

Cordilia placed her fingers softly on his forehead and closed her eyes. Channeling her power, she guided Arvard's consciousness into a tranquil realm—a boundless, silent sea. There, he floated in the stillness, suspended above calm waters, far from noise, far from thoughts.

Due to his thousand-year slumber, true sleep was now nearly impossible for him. But this… this illusion, this pocket of serenity, could offer him the rest he needed.

As peace washed over his face, Cordilia slowly pulled her hand away and opened her eyes. Arvard's expression was calm at last.

"Now rest," she whispered.

She stood quietly and walked back to the bedroom. His phone lay on the table. After a few moments of fumbling with it, she managed to press the power button. The screen lit up—and unlocked instantly. Arvard had already registered her face ID.

Cordilia tilted her head. "Hey, call Saina."

The phone didn't respond.

She sighed, annoyed. "These things never work right."

Then she remembered something. "Juli… call Saina," she said more loudly.

The AI inside the phone chirped. "Calling Saina."

Cordilia raised the phone to her ear and waited. It rang a few times before Saina answered.

"Hello?" Cordilia said, her voice unsure.

"Who is this?" Saina asked, confused by the unfamiliar voice.

"It's me—Cordilia. Can you come over? Arvard… he's—"

Before she could finish, Saina's panic flared. "What happened?!"

"Just come. He needs you," Cordilia said simply.

Saina didn't wait. She hung up, ran to the elevator, and bolted out of the school. Confused by her sudden rush, the receptionist picked up the phone and called the chairman.

Meanwhile, Cordilia spoke into the phone again. "Saina, come through the window."

Saina's voice came sharp and frantic. "What? Fine, just don't hang up. Is he okay?"

Cordilia laughed nervously. "It'll be better if you see for yourself."

"You're laughing?! I swear, just wait—I'm almost there."

A minute later, Saina landed with a thud on Arvard's balcony. The glass door was open. She pushed it aside and stepped in.

"Arvard!" she called out.

"In here," Cordilia called from the bedroom.

Saina rushed inside. She noticed the bathroom door was open—and hesitated.

Inside her mind: Why are they in the bathroom? Is he doing something weird? No, no—maybe he slipped and hit his head… or maybe he's unconscious.

"Come fast, Big Tits," Cordilia yelled.

Saina blinked, pulled from her thoughts, and dashed in. Then she saw him—Arvard—sitting on the bathroom floor, head tilted back, eyes closed.

He looked… peaceful.

"He's been pushing himself too hard," Cordilia said softly. "His eyes turned red. He vomited from exhaustion. He's trying to adapt to this messed-up generation, and it's tearing him apart."

"What?!" Saina said, all her wild theories collapsing.

Cordilia stood and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Saina kneeling next to Arvard.

"He can't hear my voice anymore," Cordilia added, now sitting on the bed. "But he can still hear yours… if you want to speak to him."

Saina joined her. "Explain what happened."

Cordilia exhaled. "Today, he spent hours with some girls. First, they studied in the library. Then they went to the mall. They watched a movie. After that—shopping, then food… then another movie. And then coffee with another group of girls. He was answering all their questions like it was nothing. Do you remember Arvard from Poland? He used to handle that kind of thing too…"

Saina blinked. "He did all of that? Wasn't he supposed to do those things with Eleena? Or maybe even you?"

"Oh, Eleena was there the whole time. And so was I—technically speaking," Cordilia replied.

"So this is why he's like this?" Saina said quietly, guilt creeping in.

"I used a spell to clear his mind and give him some peace. That's all," Cordilia said with a small smile.

Saina looked at her, irritated. "How can you act so calm? Don't you love him?"

Cordilia gave a sly grin. "Don't worry, Big Tits. Nothing's going to happen to him so easily. We'll wait thirty minutes, then I'll wake him up."

Then she tilted her head. "By the way, when did you get your sleep back?"

Saina glanced at Arvard. "Just last year."

"And it's been about fifty years since you woke up."

Suddenly, a loud knock sounded at the door.

Saina and Cordilia froze.

"Who's that?" Saina asked, making a confused face.

"I don't know," Cordilia said, still smiling.

The knocking grew louder—faster—like the person outside was rapidly losing patience