'Cora, Reebfell, of course,' Khan cursed in his mind as he let the girl approach him and take his torso in her embrace. 'How could I forget her city?'
Cora Ommo had been one of the survivors in Khan's group during Istrone's crisis. She had initially been useless in the battles, but she had slowly managed to muster her courage and confidence as their travel across the forest continued. Still, Khan recalled her for very different reasons.
Cora had been a warm and caring presence during Istrone's crisis. Khan couldn't appreciate her back then due to his mental barrier, but he had never failed to see her good heart. Moreover, she had fallen for him since the first desperate moments inside the forest, and her feelings had eventually made her steal his first kiss.
Khan had always retained a good memory of Cora. Still, everything that had happened after the kiss had forced him to ignore the events connected to her. Martha's comatose state, the release of the mental barrier, and Liiza had taken complete control of his mind after Istrone. Besides, he had firmly believed that the chances of meeting her again were basically non-existent.
Everything returned while Cora tightened her embrace around his torso. Her worry, care, and timid promise resurfaced in Khan's mind. He had the chance to inspect those memories through his new emotional spectrum now, and he had to admit that he liked her character, at least as a friend.
'Don't tell me that her crush on me has survived,' Khan hoped in his mind, even if his current situation seemed to prove him wrong.
"What are you doing here after the curfew?" Khan asked while patting her back.
Cora shook when she felt Khan's touch, but the gesture was enough to remind her of her situation. She let him go and took a step back, but her annoyance overcame her shyness, so she crossed her arms and pouted.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were coming to Reebfell?" Cora asked in an annoyed tone that didn't suit her blushing cheeks.
Khan had the chance to inspect Cora properly now. She had always been pretty, and her beauty had only benefited from the last year. She had even done her best to prepare herself for the meeting. Her long blonde hair appeared as soft as silk, and her light make-up highlighted her large green eyes.
"I forgot that you lived here," Khan honestly admitted while voicing a short laugh. He didn't want to pretend with Cora. She didn't deserve his lies.
"I knew it," Cora sighed while lowering her gaze to hide the sadness that was replacing her pout.
"Though I didn't forget about you," Khan continued. "And I obviously still remember your kiss."
The sadness vanished in an instant to make room for intense redness. The street lamps made it impossible for Cora to hide her embarrassment even if she kept her head lowered. She didn't expect Khan to mention her kiss so openly, especially after his previous comment.
"What is it?" Khan teased while bending forward to try to enter Cora's vision. "Did I say something wrong?"
Truth be told, Khan's behavior was taking Cora entirely by surprise. She had interacted with him while he was under the effects of the mental barrier, so she had never seen most of his sides. She was nowhere near ready for his teases.
"Hey, can you look at me?" Khan whispered after his face almost arrived in front of Cora's eyes.
Cora gasped and took another step back, but she ended up losing her balance. Still, Khan pulled her arm before she could fall on her back, but the gesture brought her on him again.
"I didn't think first-level warriors could be so clumsy," Khan continued to tease while keeping a hand at the center of her back to make sure that she didn't do anything abrupt again.
Khan didn't need to use his senses to understand Cora's level. She was wearing her military uniform, and the single star on both her shoulders reflected the street lamps' light. She had clearly worked hard in that period, and he could only rejoice at that sight.
"I'm not clumsy," Cora complained while raising her head and doing her best not to run away from that situation.
Her arms were on Khan's chest, and he was holding her. Moreover, his firm gaze was on her. Cora noticed that he had become taller and that she was exactly where she wanted to be.
Khan had countless teases ready in his mind. Cora's eyes also fell on his mouth every few seconds. He could almost hear her desires, and he knew that he could fulfill them at that exact moment.
However, Khan had no intention to kiss Cora. He had gone through the same situation with Delia, but she was older and more experienced. Instead, Cora appeared as innocent as Khan recalled. She would probably do everything he asked, but he didn't want to use her.
A tinge of disappointment appeared in Cora's eyes when Khan let her go and took a step back. She followed him with her longing gaze, but her hands tightened into fists when she decided to hold back.
"Did you break the curfew just to meet me?" Khan asked before Cora could lower her head to hide her blush again.
"Of course," Cora proudly announced. "I wanted to see you. It's been more than a year."
"What did you plan to do about the guards?" Khan chuckled.
"I-, I didn't think about that," Cora admitted. "Everyone has always treated me nicely after Istrone, so they'll probably let it pass."
"I see," Khan whispered before raising his voice a bit. "Let me accompany you back to your dormitory. I'm sure no one will say anything if they see you with me."
"But you might be in trouble if you take detours!" Cora immediately exclaimed.
"Nothing will happen to me," Khan reassured. "The Headmaster has just promoted me. I'm a Lieutenant now."
Cora remained stunned for a second before wearing a broad smile. She appeared ecstatic to hear the news, and her genuine happiness almost overwhelmed Khan. He didn't expect her to disregard her shyness so quickly.
"That's great!" Cora shouted. "You totally deserve it. I've kept track of your deeds. There is no one more suited than you for a promotion."
"How often did you check on me?" Khan teased, and Cora realized that she had said too much.
"Only from time to time," Cora explained while lowering her head, "Whenever I felt lonely. I've read about Ecoruta, the tournament, and Nitis."
Khan noticed how Cora had hesitated before naming Nitis, and the reason for that was quite evident. Khan could only curse Lieutenant Kintea mentally for that cursed report.
"But I didn't check only you," Cora continued. "Ethel is doing fine with her prosthesis, and Dorian has also gained a few merits. I know that George has been with you on Nitis. I'm glad you weren't completely alone there."
Cora hesitated again during her last line. Khan nodded while deciding whether to address the issue, but he quickly chose to change the topic.
"What about you?" Khan asked. "Did you spend the last year here?"
"I didn't do anything special," Cora revealed. "The camp was almost empty, and the Global Army never refused my requests, so I spent my time training. I kept thinking that more of us would have survived if I had been stronger."
"Hey, you can't blame yourself," Khan stated while taking a step forward to place a hand on Cora's shoulder. "You did well on Istrone, and you worked hard to fix your flaws afterward. You are strong, stronger than me."
"Stop trying to make me feel better," Cora said while trying to escape from Khan's grasp.
"I escaped after Istrone," Khan admitted, and Cora stopped her movement to inspect his expression.
"What do you mean?" Cora asked.
"I couldn't stand the sight of the empty streets," Khan revealed. "I couldn't just go to bed after sleeping on wet mud for weeks."
Cora didn't know how to react in front of that open admission of flaws. In her mind, Khan was unbeatable, unstoppable, and perfect, and his recent achievement had only fueled that image. Yet, he had weaknesses like everyone else, and he had decided to show them to her.
Cora gave in and lowered her head to lay it on Khan's chest before whispering without stuttering at all. "I've missed you so much."
Khan felt the need to hug her, but he held back. He couldn't treat her as a simple friend since he knew what she felt for him. A wrong gesture might fuel her hopes and dreams, and he didn't want that.
Cora was like George. She had seen the dark side of the battlefield with Khan, so he instinctively treated her as a companion. She had also proven her goodwill, so Khan felt confident in considering her as a friend.
Still, Cora also wasn't like George due to her feelings, and Khan couldn't give her what she wanted. Her appearance had nothing to do with the matter. Her character was even adorable, but that was one of the reasons why Khan felt the need to avoid playing around. He could hurt her badly, so he couldn't be selfish.
Khan heaved a sigh while caressing Cora's shoulder. He wanted to say something to change the situation, but Cora acted before he could talk. She moved toward him and wrapped her hands around his torso again, leaving Khan no choice but to hug her.
Khan let Cora stay in that position for a few seconds before tapping her shoulder and repeating his offer. "Let me get you to your dormitory."
Cora remained still for a few seconds before nodding and leaving the embrace. She avoided Khan's gaze, but she made sure to walk next to him as she led him through the camp. The two didn't say anything, but the silence seemed enough to fill the night.
Two soldiers guarded the entrance for Cora's dormitory, and they immediately stood up when they saw two figures getting close. One of them wanted to shout something, but her companion pulled her sleeve and interrupted her when he recognized Khan.
The two soldiers ended up performing a military salute when Cora and Khan reached the entrance. Khan nodded before finding himself in another embrace that Cora broke quickly. She then showed her smile and turned to enter the building.
Khan didn't bother to look at the curious smiles that the soldiers had worn after Cora had walked past them. He knew how the situation looked like, and he didn't care about the possible rumors that they might spread. He was sure there was far worse about him flying among the gossips.
'She wouldn't have survived on Istrone without me,' Khan thought as he strolled toward his habitation. 'My course is for this exact reason, but I can't turn innocent soldiers into me with simple lessons. They would need to go through Istrone for that.'
A solution eventually hit Khan. It was impossible to recreate situations that could generate other soldiers like him. He also wanted to avoid that since he knew how much he suffered. Yet, the project seemed doable when Khan took Doris, Luke, or even the old George as possible goals.
'Though they still need to taste real danger,' Khan pondered, 'But how do I create that inside a training camp? The training halls won't do. I need something alive, and I don't count. The same goes for themselves.'
The only alternative was with the Tainted animals that the Global Army used for the entrance tests. Ordinary soldiers who had yet to become first-level warriors would probably struggle in a pure one versus one against those creatures. Of course, the matter had different factors, but they would come after Khan understood whether he could even gain access to those beasts.
'I guess I can only see what the other Professors say tomorrow,' Khan eventually thought before putting the matter in the back of his mind.
Cora occupied his thoughts for the rest of that lonely walk. Khan didn't know how to make her give up on her crush without hurting her. Treating her poorly was also impossible due to how sweetly she behaved, and Khan had no intention of being a dick. However, that would only add fuel to her feelings.
'I'm in a damned pickle,' Khan realized when his building unfolded in his view.
There were different thoughts in his mind, and he heard them clearly, even if he decided to ignore them every time. Part of Khan knew that opening up with Cora probably wasn't a bad option. Her inexperience was her only flaw, but her earnestness compensated greatly.. She deserved love, and she could probably give more than any other partner, but Khan still silenced those ideas.
