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I teleported back into my dorm room, and after looking around, I ensured that everything was as I left it, I collapsed on the bed. Its been a long day, and I really wish I was able to sleep. I rolled over onto my back and gazed up at the brick ceiling and realized I forgot about the egg. I quickly sat up and teleported the egg from the control room to my hands and pulled it closed to my chest and glanced at the clock. It was going on three am now. If I am quick, I should get to Aphelia’s core, and back before the first class starts. But the issue is I don't know where her core is other than it is near the center of the planet.

However, I did touch her core when I brought it to Ouradia, so maybe if I visualize it, I should be able to teleport right to it. I gripped the egg tightly to my chest and visualized the core and activated my teleport ability.

My surroundings shifted from my dorm room to that of streams of magma pouring like a waterfall and cascading over each other. I could see the waves of heat radiating from every direction as the magma twisted and rolled and pushed and pulled. In the very center of all the chaos sat Aphelia’s core. Some magma sat under it and pushed it up off of the ground, and provided a cushion for it.

The core looked a lot smaller than I last remembered it being. But the radiance it emitted only seemed to grow. I wonder how far along in her evolution she was. “Kairos?” I heard a whisper in the airless room. The core seemed to light up, and the magma underneath it shifted and rose from the ground. Forming a facsimile of a female human. Magma dripped from the extremities only to be used again in maintaining the form.

“Hello, Aphelia. How are you doing?” The magma form took a step forward, and more magma reached up to join the rest.

“What are you doing here? How did you get here?” Aphelia asked me, and she took another step closer. The Magma dripped from her as she stepped closer to me only to be recycled again in her form.

“I actually came to ask a favor, and it's easy. I just imagined your core the last time I saw it when I moved you to Ouradia. Once I did that, I teleported to you based on the image in my head.” I explained as I kept the egg pressed to my chest. Thankfully my clothes seemed to have the resistances I had since they didn’t melt off at the sheer amount of heat.

She stopped when she heard me say that, and she tilted her head. “Did you.. Touch my core when you moved me?” Her voice echoed around me, and I paused. Do I lie to her? No, I shouldn’t that would only damage our relationship, and that was something that I wanted to avoid at all cost.

“Yes, I did. I was so enthralled by the beauty of it that I couldn’t help myself.” Well, since I am telling her the truth, I might as well try and be smooth with her and lessen the impact.

Aphelia’s form turned from a deep red to light pink, and she crossed her arms around her chest protectively and spun away from me. “H..How, could you?” I let out a nervous chuckle and ran my fingers through my hair. I really didn’t know what to say, mostly since I am not sure what touching her core entails for me.

“Aphelia, what does that action signify?”

Her form turned even pinker before the magma dissipated. “You touch the very essence of who I am, and you don’t even know what it means?” Her words were filled with disbelief at my actions, and I was left standing dumbfounded. Aphelia grew quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the swooshing of the magma as it continued its eternal dance around the core. The only other sound that could be heard was the thrumming of my heartbeat in my chest. Was touching her core the wrong thing to do?

“What was it you came here for in the first place Kairos?” Aphelia broke the silence with her question. She sounded embarrassed and unsure of herself but didn’t answer the question. I wasn’t about to pester something that could kill me in the blink of an eye, so I left it alone for now.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and presented the egg to her. “So I made some new gods and some monsters. However, when I made this dragon, she was still in her egg. I was wondering if you could help me hatch her, and help me raise her when she is born.” Wow, I just realized the implications of what I said to her. I just asked her if she was comfortable raising a child with me. I am so lame, and I must sound so desperate right now.

Silence once again filled the control room, and this time I could only hear the sound of my heart pounding in my chest. Why must I be so awkward around people I am attracted to? “You touch my core, and then come here to ask me to help raise a child? You idiot!” The core room trembled and shook, and I felt genuine fear was over me. I took a step back and clutched the egg tightly to my chest. Just as I was about to teleport away and into the control room, the core stopped shaking. “Leave the egg. I need some time to think, please.” I carefully placed the egg in the flowing magma, and it started to glow with a faint purple light. The magma curled protectively around the egg and pulled it up and placed it right next to the Aphelia’s core. I gave her an awkward wave and quickly teleported to space and hovered there for a moment.

I just spent close to thirty minutes in a planet's core, I think I need to spend some time in space to cool off a bit before I spend time in an enclosed area like the academy. But now that I am floating here in space, I need to figure out what touching her core means, since I don't have any recollection of Helios telling me what it means. Just to not do it. “Helios,” I called out to him, drawing out the s sound in his name.

“Yes?” His voice appeared behind me and then entered my field of vision and crossed his legs, and floated aimlessly around me with a smirk plastered on his face.

“I have a feeling you already know what I am about to ask, don’t you?”

“You would be right, my liege. But the question is, are you ready for it?”

“I'm not sure I want to know, but tell me anyway.”

Helios came to a halt and flapped his wings once more. “Well, a planetary god's core is a very sacred object, and for all intents and purposes is their soul. The very act of touching it very intimate and may convey a desire to bond with them.”

I floated through space and closed my eyes and soaked in the stars piercing light. So in a way, I confessed my love to her when I touched her core all those years ago. I mean, I can see her predicament. “So, what should I do about it then, Helios?”

“Well, there isn't much you can do about it at the moment. Just give her time to think about it, and then we go from there. No need to act so rash about it now.”

I let out a sigh of agreement and nodded my head. “I supposed you are right. The best thing I can do right now is to wait.” What was my life coming to? I shrugged it off, no use in worry about it now. When she wants to talk to me, she will I guess. “Thanks, Helios.”

He floated around me again. “No problem, my liege. Did you learn your lesson in touching random cores and then asking the planetary god with help in raising the child?”

“There is no need to patronize me, Helios. I get it.”

He snickered and came to a halt next to me as we floated over Ouradia. “So tell me, what do you think of the plan to unite the Angels and the Demons?”

A pensive look crossed his face, “Well, it's doable. When do you wish to do it?

I watched a hurricane form over the largest ocean on Ouraida. Each storm cloud slowly moved and combined and formed more massive and more menacing looking clouds. I pushed myself up and towards the northern two continents. I stopped just over the spot that they connected and looked it over. “In five hours, or more specifically five days on Ouradia, we can start it. Have your armies prepared for war. Let the information leak to the Demons so they can prepare. Don’t let Eros appear until the last moment. Everything must go according to plan.”

“I understand, my lord. Hopefully, it goes off without a hitch. I will mobilize the legions.” Helios vanished, and I remained in space so I could think. How much longer did I want to stay at the Academy? When should I start working on my monster form? I could start training with my deities now that I have a diverse amount—so many things to consider and such a little amount of time to do so. After spending some time in space, I teleported back to my dorm, ready to start the day.