Magic Tower
Icarus had been wandering around the Tower's vast library for days, searching for something—but even he wasn't quite sure what. Every time the librarian asked if he needed help, he simply replied, "I'll find it myself."
"May I assist you, Master?" Elias, his loyal assistant, asked cautiously.
"No," Icarus snapped, too quickly.
Elias tilted his head. Something was definitely wrong. His master, the great Icarus—the one who wielded purple aura and knew almost everything—was… blushing?
"Leave me alone," Icarus muttered and darted into a quieter section of the library.
He finally pulled out a dusty book with a faintly glowing title:"The Night of Union: An Intimate Guide for Lovers."
He didn't even make it to his quarters. He rushed straight to his office, sealed the doors with five layers of privacy enchantments, and opened the book with trembling fingers.
The moment his eyes landed on an illustration—he slammed it shut.
His face turned crimson.
Then he peeked again.
As he read, his fingers fidgeted, eyes wide, occasionally whispering, "That's possible?" or "Wait… tongue where?"
He didn't notice how much time passed—only that his heart was racing and his thoughts were a chaotic mess of Aria, lips, skin, and magic-enhanced stamina.
Then—BANG!
The door burst open.
"Master, I—"
"NO!"
Startled, Icarus jumped, accidentally releasing a spark that ignited the book.
"What is that burning smell?!" Elias stepped in, concerned.
"WHY WOULD YOU BARGE IN?! GET OUT!!" Icarus shouted, scrambling to smother the flames.
"But Master—"
"OUT!!"
Elias backed away, confused, as bits of ash floated through the air.
Icarus groaned and stared at the scorched book. He had just found it. After three agonizing days.
Still… he had read most of it.
He looked up at the ceiling, muttering to himself, "I need to practice the part with the fingers…"
Icarus's Secret Quest (Take Two)
Icarus had been haunting the Tower's library for days. Not even the oldest records of forbidden spells had seen him this desperate. Books floated, shelves reorganized themselves in panic under his glare, but still—he couldn't find what he was looking for.
Elias watched from a distance, half-worried, half-confused. His master was clearly up to something.
"May I ask… what sort of book you're looking for, Master?" Elias asked gently.
"No," Icarus said without even turning.
His eyes flicked from one title to another. "Demonic Bond Rituals," "Love Spells That Went Wrong," "The Art of Seduction, Volume 2"...
None of them were right.
He finally found a smaller, unassuming book tucked between two potion manuals. The title was faint— "Union and Magic: Minimising Pain Through Alchemy and Spells".
He snatched it and disappeared into his private chamber.
Behind closed doors, Icarus cast every barrier and silencing spell he knew. Then he opened the book with uncharacteristically hesitant fingers.
As he read, his brows furrowed in concentration. Diagrams, spell circles, and potion formulas filled the pages. There were gentle energy-flow rituals to relax nerves, salves that dulled sensation, and even an alchemy recipe for a small pearl-like pill that made the first time painless—and emotionally bound the partners for a night.
His hand hovered over the recipe.
"…Too dangerous if not dosed right."
He flipped to a gentler spell, one meant to create warmth and trust, wrapping the partner's body in a soothing pulse of magic. It could only be cast by someone who truly loved the other.
Icarus paused.
He ran a hand through his hair, sighed deeply, and whispered, "Why is this harder than any spell I've ever learned…"
He was halfway through taking notes when the door creaked open.
"Master—?"
"OUT, ELIAS!"
This time, Elias caught a glimpse of the book's title, his eyes widening as the door slammed shut again with a magical boom.
Back inside, Icarus sat down, mumbling, "I'll make it right for her… even if it takes all the potions in this cursed tower."
Brewing Trouble
Elias had caught a glimpse of the book's heading—"Union and Magic: Minimising Pain Through Alchemy and Spells." That alone was enough to explain the strange behaviour of his master for the past few days.
Is it finally time? he thought, blinking.
But what neither of them noticed was the subtle shimmer across the tower's wall—someone else was watching. And reporting. The runes flickered silently as a shadowed figure vanished from the edge of the magical barrier, headed straight for their unknown master.
Back in the tower, a BOOM rattled the eastern wing. One section of the lab smoked violently as Icarus emerged from a cloud of glittering residue, coughing, charred book pages floating in the air.
"What am I missing?" Icarus muttered, frustrated, staring at the potion that still wouldn't stabilize.
"…Mermaid's tear," Elias said flatly from behind, arms folded.
Icarus turned, caught off guard. "What?"
"You need to powder it. Then stir clockwise three times in moonlight before the essence seals."
Icarus blinked, then squinted suspiciously. "How do you know that?"
"I've done my… deed long before," Elias replied expressionlessly, voice dipped in monotone shame. "Also, you might want to consider a potion for yourself, unless you want to die."
"…Die?"
"You don't want her to get pregnant, do you?"
That stopped Icarus. His brain, usually filled with spells and strategies, instantly filled with an image: Aria, pregnant, cheeks glowing, sitting on a couch with a child in her lap and another in her arms. Her silver hair undone, eyes soft, her aura mixed with his.
"…That's not bad though," he murmured, almost dreamily.
Elias slowly turned his head.
Oh no.
He could already hear the Duchess's reaction. Or worse—Duke Kaelen hearing about it first.
Yes. His master was going to die.
By accident.
Or so the Duchess would claim.
Elias sighed, muttering under his breath, "I should probably pre-write the eulogy."