---
On my way to my room, I was extremely tired from all the training, but a smile never left my lips. For the first time, I had dodged Ganfor's strike. And even though the fruit had helped me, that meant nothing.
The fruit is now a part of me, so using it in Haki doesn't mean I'm cheating or anything like that. Rather, it's harmony… an internal synchronization between me and what I've become.
I was feeling my way through the white corridors of the palace, exhaustion pressing down on my shoulders as if they carried the weight of all the past days. But inside me, there was a small light… a feeling akin to reassurance, something like pride.
When I reached my room's door, I pushed it lightly, thinking only of the bed, the pillow, the moment I could close my eyes without worry.
But the faint light from the bedside lamp wasn't alone.
There was a scent… warm, familiar, as if announcing its owner before she arrived.
I lifted my gaze, and there she was.
Enara.
She was standing near the window, her back to me, the curtains swaying gently from the night breeze, the dim light slowly revealing her details, as if the scene didn't want to be given all at once.
Her long, wavy gray hair cascaded down her back like a stream of moonlight, shimmering in the shadows. She turned slowly toward me, her gray eyes reflecting the lamp's glow, carrying a warmth… but filled with something unspoken, something words couldn't convey.
She was wearing tight black pants, clinging to her body like a second skin, accentuating her slender waist and the curve of her thighs with bold confidence. Her short night-colored shirt revealed part of her stomach and slipped off her left shoulder, exposing her smooth skin, which had a faint glow.
She looked at me and said, "You're late again. You're pushing yourself too hard."
I didn't answer her words. "It's not like you to be here at this hour. Did you miss me?"
Enara stepped toward me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and pressed her body against mine. "You have no idea how much I missed you. You've been so immersed in training, it's like you forgot about me."
I slid my hand inside those tight pants and kneaded her backside. "How could I forget something like this?"
*Enara's Perspective:*
Everything in that moment suggested continuation… the heat of his body, his hand gripping me, his burning gaze. But suddenly, he stopped.
I felt his hesitation seep into his skin. I pulled back slightly, one eyebrow raised in surprise, and asked, "What's wrong?"
He gave me a strange look, then whispered, "Wait… I have something for you."
I watched as he walked away with quiet steps toward the closet in the corner of the room. My heart began to race for reasons I didn't understand. He opened the closet slowly and pulled out an elegant wooden box, as if it held an ancient secret.
I watched silently as my eyes darted between his hands and his composed face. When he opened the box… I gasped.
There was a fruit… not an ordinary one, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Its white hue tinged with orange shimmered almost magically, and the engravings covering its surface seemed to pulse with life.
"What… what is this?" My voice came out weak, barely a whisper, my eyes glued to the fruit.
He turned to me with that calm smile that made me forget everything around him and said, "A Devil Fruit… the Falcon Fruit. And now, it's yours."
I was speechless. I didn't know what I was feeling. Awe? Gratitude? Pride? All of it swirled inside me at once. That he would give me something like this… that he saw me as worthy of it… it was more than I had ever expected.
He stepped closer and held the fruit out to me, looking straight into my eyes as he said quietly, "It's a gift from me. Whether you eat it or not is up to you now."
I looked at the fruit in my hands—its weight was strange… as if it carried something far greater than just power. It was warm, not just from touch, but as if it pulsed, as if it could feel me.
I didn't speak. I couldn't. I was confused, stunned, my eyes searching Luca's face for an explanation… for a reason why he would give me something so valuable.
Finally, I said in a trembling voice, "Why? Why me?"
He stepped closer, slowly, his hand touching my shoulder, pressing gently as if his touch alone held the answer.
"Because you're my friend and the only person I trust here."
A hot tear rolled down my cheek without my permission, without my control. His words were soft, but they cut through me with lethal gentleness.
I clutched the fruit to my chest, unsure if I was embracing it or embracing him through it.
"Luca… you don't know what this moment means to me."
He smiled—that rare, unassuming smile, free of arrogance, filled only with sincerity.
I moved closer to him, and no more words were needed. It was enough that we understood each other in silence, that something between us had changed… forever.
*End of Enara's Perspective.*
Enara stood silently for a few moments, staring at the Falcon Fruit cradled in her arms as if afraid it would disappear if she blinked. Her face was pale with a mix of shock and emotion, her hands trembling slightly despite her usual composure.
Then, slowly, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes still locked on the intricate patterns of the white fruit's skin, resembling the wings of a bird.
"Is… is it safe to eat now?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
Luca nodded, stepping toward her slowly. "It's yours whenever you're ready… but just so you know, it tastes absolutely disgusting."
She looked at him, then back at the fruit. There was no fear in her eyes—only determination, as if she had decided to shed her old skin and be reborn.
In a silent moment, she lifted the fruit to her mouth and took a bite.
The taste was revolting, just as Luca had described… like swallowing ash. But she didn't stop. She took another bite, then another… until the fruit was completely gone.
Luca left the room first, glancing quickly down the long, empty hallway before signaling for Enara to follow. Her steps were cautious at first, as if her body hadn't yet processed what had happened inside it. But with each step, she felt something new breathing beneath her skin, spreading through her muscles, pulsing in her bones.
They reached a stone courtyard behind the palace, bathed in moonlight and silent except for the rustling wind. Luca stood before her and smiled calmly.
"Try to feel it… don't force it. Imagine your back has wings waiting to awaken."
Enara closed her eyes and stood still. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, suddenly, a gust of wind burst around her, her silver-gray hair fluttering wildly as soft white-gray feathers began to emerge from her back, as if light itself was condensing into living form.
In an instant, two vast, majestic wings exploded from her shoulders—she looked like the embodiment of a celestial nymph. The feathers were soft and light yet strong, shimmering at the edges with a faint silver glow, every movement stirring a breeze around her feet.
She opened her eyes slowly and gasped when she saw the tips of her wings stretched out at her sides.
"My God…" she murmured, then looked at Luca, her eyes shining with a wonder and joy she had never known before.
Luca nodded encouragingly, his voice low. "Let them move… don't resist, just let them carry you."
Enara closed her eyes again and stilled for a moment. With the first deep breath she drew, her body began to glow faintly. A warm current flowed from within her, seeping into her bones, her skin, even her hair, as if something in her soul was turning inside out.
Then, suddenly, in the silence of the night, a powerful gust of wind erupted around her. Light enveloped her body, and her form shifted before Luca's eyes. Her limbs shrank, her arms extending into wings covered in majestic gray feathers, her legs becoming slender and strong, her toes sharpening into talons. Her hair disappeared beneath a crown of feathers, and her face gradually reshaped into that of a falcon—sharp beak, keen eyes gleaming with intelligence.
In seconds, Enara was no longer standing there as a woman.
Instead, she was a massive falcon with silver-gray plumage, her wings spanning over two meters wide, her eyes glowing with an eerie light that held remnants of her human soul.
Luca stood watching, a faint awe in his gaze despite knowing what the fruit could do. The transformation wasn't just stunning—the way she had taken to her new form felt natural, as if she had always carried this creature inside her.
She flapped her wings powerfully, launching into the air, rising with astonishing speed as she circled above the palace, as if learning her new way of sensing the world. From above, she let out a sharp, powerful cry—an announcement of her rebirth.
---
Enara landed gracefully from the sky, her wings stretching elegantly behind her before folding gently. For a moment, she seemed like an ancient shadow descended from myth. She stepped toward Luca, her falcon eyes still gleaming with that celestial sharpness… but something in her gaze had softened, filled with pure human emotion.
She closed her eyes for a second, breathing deeply. Gradually, her body began to glow faintly, the feathers disappearing, the wings dissolving into the air, her talons returning to soft human fingers. In a brief moment, the woman returned to her full form—but she was not the same as before.
She stood before him, her breath still uneven from the flight, her face flushed with excitement and warmth. She looked at him with eyes freed from all restraint and took two steps forward until she was close enough to feel his breath.
She wrapped her arms around Luca's neck and kissed him. "I love you, Luca."
Luca looked at her and didn't respond. If he said he didn't love her, he'd be lying—and if he said he did, he'd be lying too.
Enara was special and important to him. If she weren't, he wouldn't have given her the fruit.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and said, "We can go back to the room, and you can show me just how much you love me."
---
Priest Soro entered quietly, carrying a breakfast tray. The morning light crept shyly through the curtains, casting golden streaks on the white floor. But when he lifted his eyes to the bed, he froze.
Luca lay on his back, his naked body partially covered by a thin blanket slipping off his chest, revealing taut muscles and scattered scars that told the tales of his battles. His right arm was under his head, while his left was wrapped around Enara's waist, her body half-draped over his.
Enara was still asleep, her breathing steady, her chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. Her slender, elegant form was wrapped in a silky sheet that barely concealed her curves. Her left shoulder was bare, her long silver hair spread across Luca's chest like a soft curtain. Her right leg was draped over his thighs, her lips slightly parted as if in a deep, peaceful dream.
Soro stood frozen, swallowing hard. Envy burned openly in his eyes, his heart aching with bitterness. How had this stranger, who hadn't been in Skyepia for long, risen to such heights? To rule the island and claim a woman like Enara—who had always been an unattainable dream?
Luca shifted slightly, then lazily opened his right eye, staring at Soro with half-awareness.
"Bring the breakfast back… and tell Ganfor I won't train today. I didn't sleep well. And when you prepare a feast for me, send soldiers to hunt a delicious beast."
Soro clenched his teeth in silence, then bowed slightly and replied in a steady voice, "As you command, Master Luca."
He turned to leave, but his steps were heavy… jealousy gnawing at his chest.
---
Deep in the Sky Forest, the air was thick with the scent of mud, sweat, and dread. Soldiers ran between towering trees, their breaths ragged, their white uniforms stained with blood. Before them, a massive black bear roared in fury, its thick fur matted with blood, its claws shattering rocks with a single strike. The battle was fierce—they hunted it under Luca's orders, with no choice.
One of them never returned. He fell under the beast's brutality, his body torn apart in silence—no scream, no farewell. Yet the others fought on until the beast finally collapsed, its massive body shuddering before going still forever.
Far from the sounds of battle, in a marble wing drowned in tranquility, Luca slept peacefully. His naked body entwined with Enara's, her silver hair spread across his chest, her steady breathing like a dreamy melody in the air. No war here, no death—just the warmth of flesh and the softness of silk sheets.
As dusk touched the sky, orange light seeped through the windows. Luca opened his eyes slowly, yawned, stretched lazily, then kissed Enara's sleeping shoulder before rising naked, following the scent of roasted meat filling the room.
The bear was cooked to perfection on a gilded platter, the meat glistening with savory fat, steam rising like an invitation. Luca sat on the edge of the bed, took a piece in his hands, and began eating greedily, never asking how many had fallen to bring him this meal. He showed no concern, as if what had happened in the forest was just a trivial detail in his peaceful day.
He smiled as he chewed, his eyes admiring Enara's sleeping form.
"This is what I need. The meat of strong beasts will help my body grow stronger."