THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Back on Earth, he had known hardship like no other, fighting battles he hadn\'t always won and paying prices he hadn\'t always been willing to pay. The memories were raw, edged with bitterness and loss, yet here he was in a new world, with powers he could scarcely comprehend and endless potential within his grasp.

Power… real, undeniable power.

Here, he wasn\'t a weapon for someone else\'s war; he was the master of his own destiny. And as long as he drew breath, he\'d grow stronger. His mother\'s face flickered across his mind, a fleeting warmth amidst the shadows of his past.

"I\'ll be the light, Mum," he whispered, his voice barely breaking the stillness of the night.

But then, a gentle voice interrupted his reverie. "Are you doing okay?"

Startled, David turned and found Ashley standing nearby, her expression soft, her eyes curious yet filled with warmth. Her auburn hair caught the light from the fountain\'s glow, creating a delicate halo that framed her face. Without a word, he scooted over, making space for her on the fountain\'s edge. Ashley\'s lips curved into a smile as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and settled beside him.

For a moment, silence fell between them, a comfortable silence where words seemed unnecessary. David could feel her presence, grounding him, pulling him back from the weight of his memories. It was strange—he had been alone with his burdens for so long, but sitting beside Ashley, he felt a quiet solace that soothed his restless mind.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," Ashley murmured, breaking the silence.

David nodded, glancing back up at the sky. "Yeah… they remind me of something I used to chase, something just out of reach."

Ashley tilted her head, her gaze softening. "Do you still chase it?"

David hesitated, feeling the weight of his past lift slightly as he answered, "Maybe not in the same way. I have a chance to be more than what I was."

Ashley\'s smile grew, and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Then maybe you\'ve already found it."

David looked at her, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a flicker of peace. The stars above seemed to shine a little brighter, their light mingling with the warmth of the moment, as if blessing this small reprieve from his haunted past.

The night was serene, with the stars casting a gentle light across the garden, their twinkling reflections rippling over the fountain\'s surface. David sat in contemplative silence, his gaze fixed on the dark sky, his thoughts drifting far from this world. Back on Earth, he\'d walked a lonely path, filled with endless battles and haunted by scars invisible to most.

David had no true lovers back on Earth. In this new world, Ashley was just an acquaintance, and there was nothing particularly special between them—just a presence he found unexpectedly comforting.

With Ashley by his side, he found himself caught off-guard, her presence an unexpected comfort he didn\'t quite know how to name. He admired her. There was a charm about her—a warmth that seemed to reach past the walls he\'d built around himself.

Just as he was losing himself in these thoughts, her voice cut through the quiet, pulling him back. "David," she began softly, "can I ask you something?"

He glanced at her, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Go ahead."

She hesitated, searching his face before she finally spoke. "Are you… really David?"

The question took him by surprise, his heart skipping a beat. Beneath the name he wore, at his core, he was Mark—a soul transported into a new life, thrust into a destiny not his own. Yet, after his encounters with the true David, the original bearer of this body, and the mysterious Goddess of Witches, he wasn\'t entirely sure anymore who he was. The boundaries between Mark and David had blurred, leaving him feeling like a stranger within himself.

The silence stretched between them, weighted by his uncertainty. Ashley shifted uncomfortably, her face reddening as she realized the weight of her question. "I… I\'m sorry, that was a silly question," she stammered, her fingers twisting nervously. "I don\'t know what came over me. Maybe I\'m just going crazy."

David met her gaze, a hint of vulnerability slipping into his usually calm demeanor. "I\'m not sure," he replied, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Ashley blinked, clearly taken aback by his answer. She had expected him to brush off her question, to give her a simple answer. But here he was, revealing a truth more complex than she\'d anticipated. She looked into his sapphire eyes, and for a moment, it felt like she was peering into an ocean of untold depths, a storm of emotions hidden beneath a calm surface. David, so strong, so composed, carried the weight of worlds within those eyes, a burden she could only begin to imagine.

Her heart ached, and suddenly, a realization dawned upon her, as if a veil had been lifted. "David…" she began, her voice wavering slightly. "I want to tell you something."

He looked at her, curiosity mingling with surprise.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed on. "First, I\'m sorry. I misjudged you… I looked down on you, assuming I knew who you were or what you were capable of. But I see it now. You carry more than anyone realizes, and… I respect that."

David\'s expression softened, a hint of gratitude in his gaze.

Ashley swallowed, her cheeks flushing as she took the plunge. "And second… I want to ask if you\'d consider… if you\'d want me as your lover."

David\'s breath caught in his throat. Of all the things he\'d expected her to say, this was far from one of them. The night seemed to hold its breath, the world narrowing down to just the two of them, suspended in that vulnerable, heart-stopping moment.

Under the soft shimmer of the moonlight, David found himself utterly speechless. He\'d never expected this from Ashley—not here, not now. Her confession had caught him completely off guard, and he struggled to find an appropriate response.

His heart raced, mind spinning as he searched for the right words to break the silence, feeling the weight of her gaze on him. Ashley\'s hands clenched into small, trembling fists, as if bracing herself for his answer. She stood there, waiting, her purple eyes wide and vulnerable.

"Think fast, Mark,"

he chided himself, grasping for anything to ease the tension. Finally, he leaned in close, their faces just inches apart. He could feel her breath, warm and uneven, mingling with his own.

"If you\'re serious about this,"

he whispered, his voice laced with an attempt at bravado,

"you\'re going to have to prove yourself."

He hoped the challenge would scare her off, give him a chance to reset this unusual situation. After all, the notion of adding another lover to his life was daunting. He could already imagine the chaos it would stir among the others.

But instead of pulling back, Ashley moved closer. Her cheeks flushed, but her resolve didn\'t waver. Without warning, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, a bold move that left both of them stunned. David\'s eyes widened in surprise as her soft, tentative kiss broke through his defences. It was an unpolished attempt, hesitant and unsure, almost amateurish in its delivery. She tasted of sweetness and uncertainty, a blend that stirred something deep within him.

For a moment, David thought about pulling away, breaking the kiss before things spiraled out of control. But the clumsiness of her kiss, the shy determination she poured into it, ignited a spark he couldn\'t ignore. She had no practiced grace, no calculated seduction—just pure, raw emotion that he found impossible to resist. His heart thundered in his chest as he felt himself losing control.

Her fingers found their way into his hair, pulling him closer, and David finally surrendered, letting his own desires take over. His hands slipped around her waist, drawing her in with a firmness that surprised even him. In that moment, all his apprehensions faded, replaced by the thrill of Ashley\'s unexpected passion.

****

A/N: Hey everyone, I had a bit of a scare on my way home today. I got caught in a sudden storm, which was quite unexpected! I\'m currently writing this from a cafe, and I\'m not really in the mood to write the next spicy scene around so many pple lol. I\'ll update as soon as I get home. Stay tuned!

and the moment you\'ve all been waiting for. cue the drums

bum, bum, bum.

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