Valin's POV
1. Xena Auria
It was just another day. Training had ended, and I was doing crunches under increased gravity in my room when a staff member I'd never met entered.
The maid who usually brought our meals always seemed drained—like life had already wrung her dry. But this new one… she had a spark. Her amber locs framed a face marked with freckles, and her violet eyes were bright with something I couldn't name. I wish I could've felt her emotions clearly, but I gave up empathy when I made my vow. Feeling the emotions of everyone around me had been too much—especially in battle. When my opponent was terrified, I'd feel their fear as my own. It was like watching myself tremble, and it was exhausting.
"You're having steak and potatoes tonight," she said, placing the tray on my desk. She conveniently left out that the food was dry and completely unseasoned. Then she turned to leave.
"Wait… what's your name?" I asked. She paused and looked back.
"Xena."
I stood up, moving closer for a better look at her face.
"You're pretty cute, Xena."
Her eyes widened slightly, then she chuckled and patted my head.
"Thank you. You're cute too."
She left, and I sat there, confused. I recorded our interaction in my notebook and thought about her reaction. Did she not realize I was flirting? Or did she simply not find me attractive? Maybe I was too subtle.
The next day, when she returned, I was doing commandos in the corner. As soon as I saw her, I flipped to my feet and returned the gravity to normal so she wouldn't be crushed.
"You're always working out," she commented, setting the food down.
"No, I'm not. In the morning, I study physics. In the afternoon, math or music. At night, I exercise," I replied.
She grinned. "Wow. You've got a schedule and everything. So grown up."
I frowned. "I'm not a child. How old are you?"
She hesitated. "Ten."
I pulled my hair back and stepped closer, only a foot away from her.
"I'm seven. You're barely older than me."
She pouted. "Well, you're short. And you've got a baby face. It's hard not to think of you that way."
I grabbed her hand gently and pulled it to my chest, leaning in close.
"Do I still seem like a child from this close?"
She startled, pulling away and practically running from the room. I sighed, took a bite of the dry food, and returned to my routine. Too aggressive, maybe.
After that, she stopped speaking to me—just left the food and ran. It annoyed me. I'd liked talking to someone new. With no conversations to analyze, I started sketching the expressions she made when she entered the room, comparing them to those in my psychology book. I wanted to understand her.
On her sixth visit, I created an emerald door behind her as soon as she entered. I was shirtless from training, and her reaction was more intense than usual. Xena's eyes kept shamelessly roaming over my body.
"Xena... the way you're looking at me seems different today." My comment startled her so much that she dropped the food.
"Don't come near me!" she shouted.
I shrugged and said, "Fine," before opening the door behind her. She stumbled out, wide-eyed, and stared at me for a long second before fleeing.
Two days later, she returned—and this time, she didn't run. Instead, she sat beside me on the bed.
"Wh-what are you reading?"
"It's too complicated for you," I replied.
"You don't know that!" she protested.
I smiled, closed the book, and formed a door to seal us in. "I can show you something more interesting."
I watched her carefully. Her skin flushed, her pupils dilated.
"What can you show me?" she whispered.
I stood and pulled her up with me, holding her waist so our bodies touched.
"I'm taller than you now."
Her breathing quickened. "You... um... you're pok— I mean I can feel—"
I kissed her ear lightly. "Did you forget how to speak?" I whispered, starting to unbutton her blouse.
She grabbed my hands, shaking. "We shouldn't."
There was a knock at the door. I ignored it and undid one more button. More knocking. I sighed and opened the door. Zai stood there.
Xena ran like a deer from a predator.
When she returned a few days later, I was lying on my bed, still as possible so she'd feel at ease.
"That's a new hair clip," I noted. "Gold looks good on you."
She stopped. "Why are you always flirting with me?"
"Bored," I said plainly. "You're more attractive than the others... and younger."
Her face fell. "Oh. I thought maybe there was something special about me."
I got up and walked to her. "You are special. You're attractive and kind. You like butterflies and lavender. You're too soft-hearted to be working in the Glass Palace. You intrigue me."
Her eyes met mine. "I don't have a choice but to be here."
I sealed the room again. "Want to talk about it?"
She sat down beside me. She told me about her family—how poor they were. That working in the palace was a last resort.
"I know how often maids die here," she said. "But going home to nothing feels worse."
"You're brave," I said.
She kissed me.
What followed were things I'd only read about in books. She clung to me like she wanted to merge with me, and I let her.
"Oh no—what time is it?" she whispered afterward.
To ease her worry, I used my powers to send her back to the maid quarters through a secret tunnel.
From then on, she always delivered my food last. Maybe it meant something, such as her wanting to be done with work and have time for me. Maybe it didn't mean anything.
"Xena, looks like you made it back to your room on time," I said casually, the next evening that I saw her.
Her face went red. "...What did you do to me? I can't stop thinking about you. Do you have mind control powers or something?" She complained while plopping down on the bed next to me.
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe you've just fallen for me." I teased.
Then I kissed her. She bit her lip before replying. "I can stay longer this time."
She initiated the kisses, tugging at my clothes. I tore open her blouse and lifted her skirt. But again, we were interrupted. She fled, flustered.
Still, our time together grew. She'd visit even when it wasn't meal day, claiming she came to clean. But she always ended up sitting and talking with me. Usually, it escalated to more than talking.
"So what's your family like?" she asked one day.
"My family…" I closed my book and stared at the ceiling. "Two sisters, one brother. I was the youngest, so they all took care of me. My brother taught me some Earth skills, and people thought I was a prodigy because of him. My sisters were stubborn, always standing up against injustice. I wish I'd had more time with them."
A wave of sadness washed over me. She gently held my hand.
"My mom always provided. We didn't have much, but we never went hungry... until my brother got sick. That's why I had to come here. She's my idol," she said. "I hated working here... until I met you."
I smiled faintly and replied, "I still regret what led me here. But I do like being around you. It makes the days easier."
She kissed my cheek, then my lips, and held me close. Being in her arms kept the tears away. It kept me from dwelling on why my family is gone.
A year passed. Even with Xena, palace life became dull again. My brothers, Raijian and Zaikiel, were gone. I decided to leave for Earth.
"I can't go with you," Xena said.
"So?" I replied. Even without empathy, I knew that hurt her. But I didn't care.
"If I leave, my family's in trouble. But I don't want to be apart from you."
"I didn't ask you to come with me."
She trembled. "I'll miss you."
When I realized what she meant, I kissed her. That night, I made love to her like there was no time limit, until she begged for rest. Even then, she clung to me, whispering that she loved me.
She fell asleep, and I left before dawn. She liked me more than I expected. But we can't be together.
In the end, I realize she was my first girlfriend.
Finding Jey and Zai wasn't easy. They had left Markis—Jey's older brother after an argument. I wish that fight could've waited until after I arrived.