My Soul card is a Reaper

The morning light filtered through the half-drawn curtains, casting a warm glow over the quiet room. The storm from the night before had long passed, leaving only the soft hum of the city in the distance.

Azzy lay there, his golden eyes half-lidded as he stared at the ceiling, his mind a battlefield of thoughts.

The weight of reality settled on him as the last remnants of sleep faded away. His body ached in ways that had nothing to do with combat, and the warmth against his chest was undeniably real.

Leiza.

His arms were still wrapped around her bare form, her soft breathing rhythmic and peaceful. She was snuggled into his chest, completely vulnerable, completely trusting.

And that was when it truly hit him.

He had given himself to her.

Not in a calculated decision. Not in a strategic move. But in the most human way possible.

For the first time in his life, he had acted on pure emotion. No logic, no hesitation—just feeling.

A quiet groan escaped him as he ran a hand down his face. What had he done?

He was never the type to regret his choices, but this—this was different.

Not because he regretted being with Leiza, but because he knew how deeply it changed things.

As he let out a slow breath, a name drifted into his mind, unbidden.

Claire.

The woman he had chased across worlds, the one he had loved for years, the one he had sacrificed so much for.

And yet, when he thought about her now…

Azzy sighed.

For the first time since Claire had walked away, his heart didn't ache as much.

He had spent so long clinging to a love that had already died, chasing after someone who had already let go.

And last night, for the first time, he had let go too.

"Good morning."

His voice was soft, yet steady, pulling Leiza from her sleep.

She stirred slightly before her long lashes fluttered open, revealing sleepy, slightly unfocused eyes.

Then, as reality dawned on her, her cheeks flushed a deep red.

Azzy watched with a small smile as she blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard by the sight of him lying beside her.

"Good morning," she finally mumbled, her voice still laced with sleep.

Azzy chuckled, calm and composed once again. "I didn't notice before, but now that I'm actually looking… you really do have an incredibly pretty face."

Leiza's blush deepened, and she quickly turned her gaze away.

She wasn't used to such direct compliments from him. From anyone, really.

Clearing her throat, she hesitated before asking, "About last night…"

Azzy's smile softened.

Last night.

The night where he stopped running from the past.

"The only thing that matters," he said gently, "is that I was here with you."

And for once, he had no regrets.

Azzy lay back against the pillows, one arm lazily draped over Leiza's bare shoulders as she rested against him. Her face was still flushed with color, but there was a distinct glow about her—one that had nothing to do with embarrassment.

She looked… elated.

She stretched her arms above her head, flexing her fingers as if testing something. Then, with a thoughtful hum, she looked at Azzy and spoke, "I heard from my friends that after the first time, it's supposed to be sore… but I feel amazing. We went on three times, and I still feel like I could run a marathon."

Azzy chuckled, his fingers absently tracing small circles along her shoulder. "That's because you had a breakthrough."

Leiza blinked. "A breakthrough?"

Azzy nodded. "You're rank-4 now."

She frowned in confusion. "Rank-4?"

Azzy turned slightly to face her, propping himself up on his elbow. "I suppose I never really explained how Arcana Masters work."

Leiza shook her head.

With a sigh, Azzy sat up properly, pulling the sheets around his waist before he began his explanation.

"Arcana Masters are classified based on their soul energy reserves," he began. "To put it scientifically, when a person mutates their stem cells in a specific way, they generate a unique form of cellular energy. These cells become immortal—they can die and revive infinitely—and this energy is stored within a space inside our bodies called the Soul Orb."

Leiza listened intently, her brows furrowing as she processed his words.

"The energy itself is called Soul Energy, and the number of these special stem cells in your body determines your power. We call that Soul Power."

Azzy raised a hand and conjured a small wisp of energy between his fingers.

"To give you a clearer picture—" He let the wisp float above his palm. "—when someone has ten of these mutated stem cells, they reach Rank-1. When they reach a hundred, they become Rank-2. A thousand makes Rank-3, ten thousand is Rank-4, and so on. The more cells you have, the stronger you are."

Leiza's eyes widened. "Wait… so I have at least ten thousand of those weird stem cells now?"

Azzy nodded. "That's right. Your body underwent a rapid transformation last night, thanks to the Eye of Odin merging with you."

She let out a slow breath. "That's… insane."

Azzy smirked. "It gets crazier. There are only a few ways someone can mutate these cells and increase their Soul Power."

Leiza tilted her head. "Like what?"

Azzy held up four fingers. "There are four main ways:

One— When an Arcana Master kills a monster and absorbs its Spirit Core. The stronger the monster, the greater the boost.

Two— When someone awakens an Arcana Spirit—like how you now have the Thousand-Faced Spider inside your Soul Orb.

Three— Natural mutation over time. This is the slowest method, and not everyone can even experience it.

Four— Absorbing natural energy from the surroundings and forcing the mutation. This is how advanced Arcana Masters train to get stronger."

Leiza's eyes widened as she absorbed the revelation. "Wait… so you're saying…" She trailed off, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. freёwebnoѵel.com

Azzy nodded, his expression remaining composed despite the awkward nature of the conversation. "Yes. When we… did it last night, something happened at a cellular level."

Leiza swallowed, shifting slightly under the sheets. "And that's what caused me to jump from Rank-3 to Rank-4?"

Azzy sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "It seems so. Divine energy is highly volatile when it comes into contact with other supernatural forces. Your body, already undergoing a transformation due to the Eye of Odin, must have absorbed it in a way that rapidly accelerated your evolution."

Leiza processed the information, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the outline of Azzy's arm. "So… your divine energy directly influenced my growth." She paused before adding, "Does that mean this could happen again?"

Azzy blinked at her, his expression momentarily unreadable. "Possibly. But there are too many unknowns. I wasn't expecting any of this, let alone that kind of reaction."

Leiza smirked, though her cheeks still burned. "So, you're saying that if we do it again, I might keep getting stronger?"

Azzy shot her a flat look. "It's not that simple."

She laughed, the tension in the room breaking slightly. But then, her smile faded, replaced by something more serious. "Azzy… does this mean that I'll keep changing? That I'll become less human the stronger I get?"

Azzy exhaled slowly, considering his words carefully. "In a way, yes. The more divine power you absorb, the further you step away from humanity. But that doesn't mean you'll lose yourself. It just means you need to decide who you want to become."

Leiza stared down at her hands, flexing her fingers as if she could physically feel the power surging beneath her skin. "I never asked for this, you know?" she murmured. "I was just a normal girl… and now, in a matter of days, I'm suddenly an Arcana Master with divine traits."

Azzy reached out and placed a hand over hers. "I know. And I won't force you into anything. But now that you have this power, you have to take responsibility for it. If you don't learn how to control it, you could become a danger to yourself and those around you."

Leiza nodded slowly. "Then teach me. Whatever it takes, I'll learn."

Azzy studied her for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Alright. But this time, we'll do things properly."

Leiza smirked. "Properly, huh? You mean, no more unexpected power-ups through… unconventional means?"

Azzy sighed, shaking his head. "Exactly."

She chuckled, but deep inside, she knew things would never be that simple.