Chapter 3
As Rain navigated the terracotta rooftops, the vibrant city beneath him buzzed with life — a stark contrast to the quiet austerity of his homeland.
Laughter spilled from open windows, mingling with the fragrant wafts of dinner drifting into the night air.
Carminia pulsed with warmth and colour, foreign yet strangely inviting.
Rain moved with careful precision, avoiding the pools of lamplight while soaking in the beauty of the unfamiliar landscape.
The hum of conversation and the gentle glow of community eased some of his nerves.
Even here, in enemy territory, life carried on with kindness and routine.
But he kept his wits about him. Each step calculated, each breath measured, as he pressed deeper into the heart of Carminia.
The city sat at the mouth of the desert lands, its unique climate giving rise to a lush tapestry of tropical vegetation that gradually faded into golden tones toward the east. Rain longed to explore it all — the forests, the dunes, the hidden corners of the Red Kingdom and beyond.
It was tradition for young aetherials to spend their early decades travelling, seeking wisdom before settling into duty.
Rain had never been granted that freedom.
His father’s political constraints had caged him long before he was old enough to understand what he was missing.
Still, every time he slipped out of the palace, he felt the pull of adventure. Tonight was no exception.
He dropped from a low rooftop into an alleyway and merged onto a main street.
The city was alive with people returning from work, students heading home, pet walkers tugged along by eager companions.
Rain kept his head low, luminous green eyes fixed on the ground — his most recognisable feature hidden beneath his lashes.
It didn’t help that his face was plastered across shop windows, posters branding him as an evil entity.
Dressed in all black, he stood out among the sea of red.
Every kingdom wore their colour with patriotic pride––a uniform that segregated them from one another.
Rain’s closet overflowed with every shade of blue imaginable, but he had never been one to conform.
Those garments collected dust while he wrapped himself in darker shades instead.
He had been rebellious from the start. As a child, he refused to wear the outfits laid out for him, demanding black instead.
Blue felt suffocating like a collar or a leash, another form of control.
He’d happily paraded around the palace naked until they relented.
His father had tried to beat him into submission, as he often did, but Rain never yielded.
Eventually, they allowed him the freedom of self-expression, provided he wore blue during royal events.
Wearing black made him feel confident. But also, invisible. Two things his powers rarely allowed him to be.
But here, wearing black or grey marked him as an outsider.
It was a bold risk. A patrolling guard could stop him at any moment and demand to scan his Identifier, revealing exactly who he was.
Mortals had their chips embedded into their palm at birth; aetherials wore theirs encased in ornate jewellery, their fast-healing bodies rejecting anything foreign.
The chip stored everything—name, date of birth, origin, authorisation zones, health records, achievements, finances.
If someone was caught outside their authorised zone, they faced the full extent of that kingdom’s law.
Only the Grey Territory was free of such restrictions. Governed by the Shadow Guard — a mortal rebellion turned ruling body — it was a sanctuary of equality and inclusion. Royals could come and go, provided they followed Shadow Law. Rain visited often, he cherished the anonymity he found there.
Breaching the gated community where Jay lived was another challenge entirely.
Jay’s father worked for the Carminia council as a representative of the Burgundy crown court, granting his family privileges most mortals never saw.
Breaking into the secure neighbourhood undetected was difficult enough; avoiding Jay’s parents was another matter.
The Blue Prince showing up on their doorstep was the kind of nightmare Red parents used to scare their children into behaving.
Yet here Rain was, tiptoeing around the side of their house, careful not to disturb the immaculate flower beds.
Anticipation tempered the adrenaline in his veins.
He paused at a rosebush, selecting a single stem with deliberate care, he hoped the gesture might reward him Jay’s smile.
He straightened his shirt, ran a hand through his hair, and approached the side window, attuned to the familiar warmth of Jay’s presence.
Jay was in his bedroom, frustrated and wrestling with something that clearly troubled him.
From beneath the window, Rain felt a sudden urge to leap inside and comfort him.
But uncertainty held him back. He wasn’t sure Jay was ready for that kind of closeness.
So, he stayed where he was, rose in hand, feeling unreasonably nervous about something so simple.
Earlier that morning, they had flirted outrageously during practice; playful exchanges laced with an energy that drew them together, only for one or both to pull away.
It had been foreplay, a dance of attraction and restraint.
For Rain, their chemistry was unfamiliar territory.
He wasn’t used to dating or allowing himself to be emotionally vulnerable.
Love had never seemed attainable. His future had been predetermined from birth, promised to another.
But even that wasn’t the true barrier. Rain feared that his abilities blurred the line between genuine affection and emotions influenced by his own projections.
Most of his relationships had begun from desire or from the intoxicating pull of his empathic aura.
People became addicted to the sensations he offered, feeding off each other until the connection turned toxic.
Rain had always entered those entanglements with sincerity and hope. But they never lasted.
He sighed and released the rose, deciding the gesture felt too sentimental. He didn’t want to jeopardise what he hoped could be different with Jay.
Let’s not fuck this up.
He floated a small rock into the air and tapped it gently against the second-story window. Jay’s startled panic shot through Rain’s senses. The window flew open, and Jay’s handsome face appeared, wide-eyed and curious. His features softened instantly when he saw Rain waiting below.
“Good evening,” Rain called up, casual confidence masking the nerves beneath, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
Jay gasped dramatically and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, feigning astonishment at the prince’s sudden appearance.
“Oh my! Could that be my very own handsome prince, come to rescue me from my studies?” he exclaimed, amusement colouring every word.
Rain’s grin widened, genuine delight lighting his face.
“Come on up but quietly,” Jay whispered, leaning out the window. “My parents are home. Don’t let them see you.”
Rain was already aware of their exact positions.
With a quick step back, he dashed sideways along the wall, using the opposite fence to propel himself upward.
His fingers caught the window ledge with effortless precision, and he hoisted himself through the opening as though he had done so countless times before.
Jay’s essence enveloped him the moment he entered, warm and familiar, smelling of heat and home. Jay hurried to close his books, stacking them neatly as Rain took in the room: tidy, lived-in, soft around the edges.
“What were you studying?” Rain asked, closing the distance between them. His eyes lingered on Jay’s lips as he placed a hand atop the book Jay tried to hide.
“Umm… modern history,” Jay murmured, sheepish.
Rain huffed a quiet laugh, suddenly understanding the earlier frustration he’d sensed. He had been at the centre of every catastrophic attack for the past five years. Jay was likely trying to reconcile the male before him with the monster within the pages.
“Ah. Reading about the big bad Blue Kingdom and its murderous prince?” Rain teased, testing the waters.
“Yeah… I should stay away from him,” Jay replied, inching closer, his gaze flicking to Rain’s mouth.
Relief washed through Rain as Jay’s desire rose, tugging at him, inviting him to reciprocate.
“I wish you wouldn’t,” Rain murmured, voice low and provocative. He grabbed the front of Jay’s maroon shirt and pulled him in.
Jay gasped as their bodies collided leaving no space between them. Their lips hovered a breath apart, the air thick with tension as Jay melted against his chest.
“I couldn’t if I tried,” Jay whispered.
Rain swallowed the words in a sweet first kiss, cupping Jay’s face as though it were something sacred.
Jay’s lips parted, drawing him deeper, softer, more sensual.
A low moan vibrated in Rain’s throat as restraint slipped.
His fingers tangled in Jay’s curls, his tongue brushing between his lips, hunger rising like a tide.
Jay’s arms looped around his neck, pulling them closer.
Rain groaned, drinking in every raw emotion pouring through his open channels.
The kiss shifted from tender to consuming, from romantic to ravenous.
Their hips collided, solid bulges pressing together, needy moans escaping in tandem.
Rain’s fingertips slid beneath Jay’s shirt, sinking into warm skin as their bodies ground together.
A flutter of nervous energy snapped Rain back to reality.
Rain froze.
Fuck.
He slammed his walls up, severing the connection. Without warning, he tore himself away, pushing Jay back with a burst of power that pinned him to the opposite wall. Rain clung to the window frame, chest heaving, fighting to regain control.
Jay, breathless and dishevelled, stared at him in dazed confusion.