Chapter 261
She could touch and channel that unwavering Resolve, focused Will, clear Intent, and blazing Ambition as her own source of power.
This was a level of closeness and unification that had never existed before.
However, this privileged access was not without limits.
The power she could channel was still constrained by the capacity of her own core essence, which functioned as both vessel and conduit for the boundless energy of RWIA.
Even so, that very limit already stood at a staggering level.
Aldraya stated that with this supply of energy from RWIA, her power not only surpassed that of the twelve Supreme Angels she once called her brothers and sisters, but had also exceeded the scale of Quil-Hasa's power—the very reason behind the Second Heavenly Betrayal.
More specifically, the measure of her strength at the moment she was first acknowledged by RWIA was already five tiers higher than Quil-Hasa's peak power at that time.
And that five-tier difference, Aldraya emphasized, was merely the starting point—the minimum percentage of her currently measurable power.
Several days had passed since the perfect merger between her core essence and RWIA.
Within that span of time, the processes of assimilation and growth had continued without pause.
This meant that Aldraya's current potential and actual strength far, far exceeded any rough estimates that could be calculated from that initial baseline.
She had surged into a realm of power that might not yet even be mapped, a strength born from the symbiosis between the essence of a Supreme Angel and the fundamental principle of creation embodied by RWIA.
"Watching you grow and surpass your former self makes me proud."
Raaaaahh!
"I'm truly glad you're still here, Aldraya.
Whether as a Supreme Angel, as an Administrator, or whatever else you may be…."
Although the detailed description of Aldraya's power increase was not something Theo had specifically asked to be revealed, hearing all of it did not make him anxious or overly cautious.
Instead, a warmer and more spontaneous reaction rose from within him.
A sincere smile—different from the calculated or contemplative smiles he had worn before—bloomed on Theo's lips.
That smile came from deep relief, a simple happiness that pierced through all the complexities of power and the potential dangers that might accompany it.
Without much thought, the hand Theo had just used to stretch himself rose again.
This time, however, the motion was gentle and filled with care.
His palm lightly approached Aldraya's head, and his warm fingers sank into a sea of snow-white hair—pure, unblemished, softly gleaming in the morning light.
He stroked it slowly and soothingly, right at the crown of her head, as if offering a blessing or simply confirming the tangible presence before him.
As his hand continued to stroke her hair, Theo's voice emerged in a low, heartfelt tone.
He spoke the clearest truth in his heart at that moment.
He expressed his deepest joy that Aldraya was still alive.
To him, Aldraya's identity as a mighty Supreme Angel or as the bearer of the complex seed of an Administrator was not the main point.
What mattered was the essence of that consciousness itself—the soul he had known, that had fought, fallen, and risen again.
The fact that this consciousness still existed, still breathed, and could still converse with him on a morning like this was an achievement and a gift far more precious than any tier of power.
Within that touch and those words lay Theo's acknowledgment of the success of his efforts to save her—and, more importantly, his recognition of the value of Aldraya's existence itself, regardless of how strong or potentially dangerous she might become.
"Don't tell me this counts as a signal, and don't tell me she's getting even more enthusiastic?"
Buuuuk!
"You can go take a shower in your room now. I've already made sure the water is warm.
I also have a schedule at the academy this morning, so we need to get ready."
Before Aldraya had a chance to react to the gentle touch—which could easily be reinterpreted or trigger an unwanted physical response—Theo swiftly took back control of the situation.
The faint worry that the head-patting might unexpectedly rekindle Aldraya's inner fervor, heating her body and awakening desire once more, was reason enough for him to end the intimate moment.
With a smooth and decisive motion, Theo lifted himself fully off the mattress.
His solid feet met the floor, severing the last contact with the bed that had borne witness to their whispered confusion.
He stood, and with his now taller posture, looked toward Aldraya, who was still sitting at the edge of the bed.
His voice, having returned to a neutral and practical tone, broke the silence.
Politely yet directly, he invited Aldraya to get off the bed and go take a shower.
He specifically pointed out the bathroom in the dormitory that he had prepared especially for her, reminding her of her own private space.
As a closing note and a reason to end the interaction, Theo mentioned that he had a schedule to attend to that morning at the Star Academy.
Buuuuk!
Theo's eyes caught Aldraya's reaction—or rather, the absence of one.
The girl simply remained silent, sitting upright at the edge of the bed with a blank gaze fixed on him.
Her flat expression, as always, left not the slightest opening to be read.
Yet Theo no longer fully trusted that surface.
He was convinced that behind that lack of expression lay a sea of turbulent feelings, unable to be expressed in ordinary ways.
This situation, weighed down by silence, made him feel the need to put distance between them as soon as possible.
With the intention of ending this increasingly unreadable interaction, Theo decided to withdraw.
He gave a brief signal—a nod or a glance implying permission—that he would go retrieve the towel he had hung out to dry.
It also served as a concrete excuse to leave the room.
His intention was simple.
To shower, to cleanse himself, and to begin the day with a cooler head, far from the atmosphere of a room filled with wordless intimacy and buried emotion.
However, his first step toward the door had barely begun.
His left heel had not yet fully touched the wooden floor when a sudden touch halted all of his momentum.
Aldraya's right hand, which had previously rested passively on her lap or supported her body, shot out swiftly and spontaneously.
Those slender yet strong fingers closed gently but firmly around Theo's right wrist.
The grip was not rough, nor was it meant to hurt, but it carried enough force to stop him.
The suddenness and certainty of the motion froze Theo's entire body in place, caught halfway through a turn—between the desire to leave and the reality that he was now anchored by a touch demanding his attention.
"Is there something you want to say, Aldraya?"
Huuuuuh!
"Am I allowed to shower with you?"
In the sudden silence, Theo's thoughts spun rapidly.
After his movement was stopped by the unexpected grip, he turned back to look at Aldraya, who was still sitting at the edge of the bed.
A question arose in his mind.
Was Aldraya finally about to say something?
Were there words, protests, or requests that had long been buried behind her mask of expressionlessness, now ready to be spoken?
Theo waited, his patience thinning but not yet gone.
Aldraya did not speak immediately.
In place of words, she lifted her face.
To be continued…