Chapter 6: My First Kiss

The warmth from her lips sent my mind into a frenzy. This would be my first real kiss ever. Everyone has had a quick smooch here and there, but this... this was entirely different. It was like I could feel her emotions through our connection.

We backed away in unison, our eyes still locked. The moon’s light reflected off them.

Wiping away the leftover saliva, I broke the silence. "Well... That was amazing... You’re amazing."

"Keep being you, and there is more where that came from. Next date, why not have it at your house?" she asked as she leaned forward again.

I closed my eyes and pursed my lips in anticipation. Out of nowhere, her lips planted an intimate kiss on my forehead. When I opened my eyes, she had sat back, looking directly at me. Different this time, more intense.

"I’d really like that," I said, my forehead still warm where her lips had lingered.

We finished off the rest of the sandwiches while the twin moons climbed higher into the sky, our quiet banter punctuated by soft laughter and shared glances. Packing the picnic basket back up, Damara took my hand naturally, lacing her fingers with mine as we made the descent back into the village.

The streets had quieted down, with only the occasional person passing by and the soft hum of magic-lit lampposts guiding our steps until we stopped outside a set of stairs leading to the inn she worked at.

Damara turned back around on the bottom step, looking down at me with an affectionate, lingering smile.

"Thanks for walking me home," she said, holding her arms behind her back, postured forward slightly. "See you tomorrow?" She grinned, then disappeared behind her door.

My heart continuously pounded against my chest the entire walk home. Every time I pictured her face, it re-ignited the feeling. My legs wobbled like Jell-O, refusing to obey my attempts to keep them rigid.

The cool night air helped steady my spinning thoughts as I left the village behind and stepped onto the forest path. Glowing ferns cast a faint blue light across the dirt trail, guiding me past the silent, humming trees until the sprawling outline of my manor emerged against the starlit sky.

By the time my boots hit the front porch steps, the front door swung open smoothly, and Ignis floated into the entryway with a polite tilt of his mechanical head.

"Welcome home, Master Sam. If I may be so bold as to interpret your rather dazed expression, I deduce your evening was a resounding success?" he said, holding the door open.

"You could say that, Ignis. When did you get that accent?" I asked, genuinely confused. "When I left, you still sounded really robotic."

"I found it dashingly appropriate, Master. If it is something that displeases you, do tell."

Fighting my instincts to laugh, I said, "No, it’s perfect. It fits you really well. Could you get the shower going? I’ve got a few things to take care of down here real quick," I said, leaning against the counter.

"Absolutely, Master. Do take your time."

I dropped onto the plush living room couch with a heavy exhale, pulling my phone from my pocket. The screen immediately lit up with a cascade of notifications from our evening together:

[ QUEST COMPLETE:Dinner With the Demi-Human Damara ]

[ REWARD:+500 Favor ]

[ QUEST COMPLETE:Kiss the Girl ]

[ REWARD:+1,000 Favor ]

[ BONUS OBJECTIVE:Secure a Second Date ]

[ REWARD:+500 Favor ]

Watching my balance slowly tick up made my lips curl. Knowing I couldn’t host our next date in my normal Earth clothes, I opened the Celestial Market app and bought a crisp, custom-tailored button-up and an incredibly comfy pair of slacks.

Before closing the menu, a peculiar listing on timed clearance caught my attention. The title was obscured in shimmering runes, but on pure impulse, I tapped purchase. A sealed, velvet-wrapped box materialized beside me on the cushion.

Leaving the package on my side table, I dragged myself into the master bathroom to let the steaming water wash away the day’s sweat before crawling under the covers, drifting off to sleep with Damara’s smile burned into my mind.

I woke early the next morning feeling more refreshed than I had in years, quickly dressing in my brand-new clothes before heading out. The jog into town felt effortless, and within minutes I was slipping past the heavy morning traffic of hovering skiffs and busy commuters on the lower concourse.

Following the glowing holographic street signs past the market, I followed a path that led to the district’s central archives, a massive structure of polished white stone and towering stained-glass arches.

Stepping through the heavy double doors, the quiet hum of floating digital scrolls and endless rows of ancient tomes welcomed me inside. A lone woman stood at an ornate desk. It, too, was ingrained with runes.

"How’s it going? I’m looking for world history. Could you by chance point me in the right direction?" I noticed the woman behind the desk was practically vibrating. "Are you okay?"

"Whatever do you mean?" She wiggled into the sunlight. "I’m perfectly fine, thank you!"

Her translucent, pale-blue body shimmered beneath the sunlight, tiny ripples traveling across her surface with every movement. Even her hair seemed to be made of the same strange material, bouncing and wobbling as she shifted. Somehow, the bizarre combination only made her cuter.

"Umm... Nevermind," I said, rolling my words. "So, can you help me?"

"Definitely. Is there any particular reason you’ve come to read?" she asked, slowly stepping to the side and pointing toward the back of the building. "If it’s world history before the depression, it’s stored way back there." She pointed to a closer bookshelf. "If it’s present history, you’ll find everything in that section."

"Thanks," I replied, already walking toward the back section.

Once I reached the spot she had pointed to, I grabbed the first book on the shelf. I needed to confirm I could even read the text inside. My shoulders relaxed when I found it to be in English and printed in bold. Placing that book back, I searched for anything with Celestia on it. After a few moments of looking, I grabbed one that read: WORLD HISTORY BEFORE.