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Unsurprisingly, being on a mandatory three day break for rest — as per the Commander’s orders, following the second gender manifestation — had left Yuder feeling restless. Although Kanna had brought the news that they would be transferring the power of the Red Stone later that night, the decrease in Calvary members coming to visit now meant that Yuder now could only sit with his own thoughts.
Normally, Yuder would welcome an opportunity to plan for any future events in a quiet place where he would be able to properly organise his thoughts. However, it seemed he was unable to do so.
For whatever reason, his mind was caught up in the inexplicable urge to pile up anything with soft fabric on the bed in the Commander’s room and lay in it. No matter how much he tried to ignore it and think about more important matters, the ‘need’ to do so would spring back into the forefront of his mind, and would torment him with prickles of unease the longer he stayed put.
He knew roughly what was happening, he’d seen before, in his previous life, how Omega awakeners would sometimes feel the need to make a ‘nest’, typically before or following a heat cycle. The problem was that, typically, Omega awakeners would use their partner’s clothes as well as their own to make the nest, creating a refreshing mix of their scents, so what exactly did it mean that Yuder specifically wanted to make his own ‘nest’ in the Commander’s bed?
He’d tried to negotiate with himself, saying that he’d make one in his own room with his own clothes. Unfortunately, his instincts had protested strongly, sending mild waves of anxiety through his body.
This was an entirely foreign feeling to him, he’d never once felt the need to do this in his previous life, he’d rarely felt the need to do anything his fellow Omega awakeners did. It was even worse that it was so strong, making him even more restless than not being able to do his duties or train had.
With the uneasiness worsening every minute he stayed in the bed in the bed in the medical ward, smelling strongly of medicinal herbs instead of a refreshing mint, Yuder had to do something.
‘It’s fine if it's just for a few minutes, right?’
He was certainly capable of slipping into the Commander’s room unnoticed, with his stealth abilities having been honed over the years of his previous life. He could surely sneak in and lay there for a few minutes, clean every trace of his presence, and slip out, with nobody ever knowing what he’d done.
Surely, this strange urge was simply because he missed sleeping in the room he had grown used to. Yuder had never thought himself someone particularly sentimental, but it seemed he had become attached to that space he’d stayed in so long, the only place he could truly feel even a semblance of peace. That had to be it.
‘Right, just for a short while.’
He’d feel satisfied after being able to spend just a couple minutes inside.
Having made up his mind, Yuder got out of the bed he’d gradually sunk into, before slinking out of the nearby window. With Enon and Lusan having left earlier to resolve whatever urgent task Lusan had called Enon for, he had no need to worry about anyone objecting to his departure.
The training grounds were lively as ever, with the members dueling under the watchful eyes of the Deputy Commanders. Loud explosions and startled yelps rang out occasionally, before being drowned out again by the rumbling of the ground. Yuder paid no mind to the sight that would scare most others into never stepping foot into the Cavalry grounds again, and continued on his secret mission.
He finally arrived underneath the window in the Commander’s room. Leaping on the wind to lift himself up to the top floor to be eye level, he again used the wind to undo the tight lock and opened the window.
At last, he was in the room he had been yearning for. He carefully crawled into the luxuriously soft bed, curling up near the pillows. He closed his eyes and finally could relax.
...
It wasn’t right.
No matter how much he tried to pull and bunch up the blanket or fluff the pillows, he wasn’t satisfied. His body kept screaming that he needed more, more than the faint scent that was clinging to the pillows and sheets.
He opened his eyes again, frustrated, before slowly turning his gaze to the closet. He could faintly sense the scent that was subtly leaking out, tempting him to pull them out and bury himself in them.
He’d already conceded to his instincts this much, this was fine, right? He already planned to thoroughly clean the room before he left to eliminate any trace of his presence, it wouldn’t be too difficult to clean the uniforms as well. It would be fine.
He headed toward the closet and tried not to think of the implications of wanting to roll around in Kishiar’s scent. Opening the closet doors, the scent subtly billowed out, calming his nerves even further. He reached out and grabbed the uniforms as well as any other casual clothes he could fit in his arms, before rushing back to the bed with his new-found bounty.
He carefully laid the clothes out on the bed, meticulously arranging them until, finally, he felt satisfied. Yuder looked at the neatly arranged fabrics, interweaving with the blankets and pillows, feeling a faint sense of pride. He laid down and felt like he would let out a purr of satisfaction. It was so soft and calming he almost felt like he would melt into them, becoming one with the crisp scent that was now spreading out everywhere.
He could feel his consciousness gradually slipping, but in the face of the comfort he felt, he couldn’t bring himself to care about any potential consequences of falling asleep. As the last dredges of his mind slipped into peaceful slumber, he thought that this might be the most tranquil he’d ever felt.