Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

Time seemed to fly as the days passed by in a blur while he relentlessly trained. He barely slept or ate but still felt full of energy. When he was about to return to his dorm and retire for the night, he saw Jayden waiting patiently outside of his dorm room with a bottle in hand.

Cain leaned against the doorframe and raised an eyebrow at the bottle in her hand. "Wow," he said with a smirk. "It is not like my room lacks for alcohol. Anna practically turned my fridge into a storage unit."

Jayden's cheeks tinged pink as she shifted from foot to foot. "Y-Your duel is tomorrow," she said softly, her voice hesitant.

Cain nodded, his expression still amused. "I know," he replied simply, then cocked his head. "But what are you doing here so late, waiting for me?"

She took a small breath, holding the bottle a little tighter. "I wanted to give you some encouragement," she said quietly. "Tonight, before everything tomorrow. And… I wanted to share an elixir from my hometown with you."

Cain glanced at the bottle again, and his amusement faltered as recognition dawned in his eyes. His mouth went dry for a moment. "Is that…?" he murmured. He stepped closer to examine it, his fingers brushing the glass. The deep crimson liquid shimmered inside, and the delicate markings on the label confirmed what he feared and hoped all at once.

It was a bottle of Ifrit Elixir.

He had never seen one in person before. The elixir was a national treasure of the Flammenwulf Kingdom, a substance so rare and so coveted that it had shaped the entire survival of the kingdom itself

The kingdom had been in a precarious state for centuries. The supply was only a couple hundred a month at best from what Cain could remember, barely enough to sustain the highest of nobles, let alone any adventurers or outsiders lucky enough to encounter it. The elixir was said to enhance strength, agility, and magical potential, its effects amplifying a person's natural abilities in ways that bordered on the miraculous.

Cain lifted the bottle carefully, turning it in his hands as though handling it incorrectly might shatter both the glass and the centuries of history it contained. He glanced at Jayden, her eyes wide and earnest, and felt a surge of gratitude mixed with unease. The duel tomorrow was already daunting, but holding such a potent gift made it feel even more serious.

"Where did you even get this?" he asked quietly, his voice steady despite the racing of his heart.

Jayden shifted nervously.

"My dad gave it to me....He told me to use it well."

Cain's smirk softened as he studied her, then he tilted his head slightly. "Well… if you're here with this, why don't you come in? We might as well share a drink before tomorrow."

Jayden's eyes widened for a moment, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of pink. "M-Me?" she stammered. "You… you want me to come in?"

Cain nodded casually, gesturing toward the dorm. "Why not? It's late, the duel is tomorrow, and… I suppose we could both use a little encouragement."

Her blush deepened, but she nodded quickly, stepping inside. Cain closed the door behind her and leaned back against the frame, watching as she set the bottle on his desk with careful hands.

He poured two small glasses, the deep crimson liquid shimmering under the dorm's dim light. He handed one to her, holding his own. "To tomorrow," he said simply, raising his glass.

Jayden hesitated for only a moment before lifting hers as well, her fingers brushing his ever so slightly. "To tomorrow," she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cain took a small sip, then glanced at her. "You're acting… different," he said, a teasing note in his voice. "Not that I mind, but… it's noticeable."

Jayden's blush flared again, and she looked down at her glass, twisting it nervously. "I… I just want you to do well," she murmured. "That's all. I… I guess I wanted to be here with you."

Cain's brow lifted in mild surprise, but he didn't press further. "Fair enough," he said, taking another sip. "For now, I'll just enjoy the company and the elixir. We can figure out the rest later."

Jayden nodded, letting out a quiet, relieved laugh. They sat in companionable silence for a moment, the weight of tomorrow lingering but softened by the simple act of sharing a drink together. Cain couldn't explain why her behavior made him feel… slightly unsettled, yet he decided it was better to leave it for another time. Tonight, it was just the two of them and the Ifrit Elixir, a rare moment of calm before the storm.

Cain had taken multiple small glasses, one after another, each sip of the Ifrit Elixir sending a rush of warmth through him. At first, he thought it was the elixir's normal effect, heightening his strength and sharpening his senses. The room seemed brighter, every sound clearer, every muscle coiled with energy.

But then the warmth refused to stay within the bounds of power. It spread in ways that made him tense, a fire that had nothing to do with strength or magic. He looked at Jayden and froze. Her face was flushed beyond reason, her breaths coming shorter, faster. Her eyes lingered on him, heavy with something dangerous and personal.

"What… what is going on?" Cain asked, gripping the edge of his desk as heat crawled through him in ways he didn't expect.

Jayden leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "The elixir… it does more than boost your abilities," she murmured, voice trembling with barely contained desire. "I… I wanted to make you mine."

Cain blinked, feeling the heat surge even higher. His jaw tightened as realization hit him. He had taken several glasses. Several. And she had known exactly what would happen.

"You… you did this because you wanted me?" he asked, voice rough, incredulous.

Jayden's blush deepened, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "I… I saw your potential...and I thought you would make a worthy mate. If becoming mine is too much. I don't mind becoming yours."

Her hands trembled slightly as she met Cain's gaze, but inside, her mind raced even faster. I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought, the realization sending a thrill through her chest. This was the first time she had ever taken an interest in a man, and yet here she was, sitting across from him after handing him a powerful aphrodisiac, knowing exactly what it would do.

For several days her emotions had swirled unchecked, a storm of admiration, fear, and a desire she barely understood. Finally, after pacing her room and wrestling with her thoughts, she had come up with a plan. Not a perfect plan, but one that would ensure Cain understood exactly what she wanted—and exactly who she was willing to give herself to.

Her eyes flicked to him again. His face was flushed, the heat of the elixir showing in the faint sheen on his skin and the quick rise and fall of his chest. She could see it there, the mixture of anger and… something else. Arousal. Her lips curved in a small, secretive smile as she let her gaze drift just slightly toward his bed.

"Fine! You asked for this!" a snarl of anger reached her ear.

This is it, she thought, swallowing hard. There is no going back now.