Morning in Oakhaven arrived with a surreal, golden haze. The sun felt warmer than it should, the light filtering through the inn’s curtains in a soft, dusty pink. Jessica sat up in bed, her hair a silver mess around her shoulders. She felt heavy—not from lack of sleep, but as if her very blood had turned into warm syrup.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqTkxchpwT
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She looked over at Marin, who was already awake and checking the straps of her gauntlets. Marin’s face was set in a grim mask, her jaw tight.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxj1rEWxOF
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"Did you sleep?" Jessica asked, her voice sounding sleep-thickened and strange to her own ears.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdm8sGjDzuz
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"Not much," Marin replied shortly. "The sounds from the street... they didn't stop all night. Soft laughter, whispering. It’s like the whole town is sharing a secret."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ne3VESZ3G
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Jessica nodded, but she couldn't tell Marin about her own night. She couldn't describe the way she had tossed and turned, her skin feeling too sensitive for the sheets, or the way her thoughts had kept drifting to Merek. She felt a deep, pulsing restlessness in her core that no amount of deep breathing could settle.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAMnbFXegT
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Downstairs, Merek was waiting for them. He was leaning against a wooden pillar, staring at the door. When Jessica walked down the stairs, he straightened up so fast he nearly knocked over a chair. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked at Jessica with a naked, startling intensity that made her breath hitch in her throat.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlX3UviLXJP
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"Morning," he said. His voice was a low growl, lacking his usual playful edge.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyPqRzhRSI
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"Good morning, Merek," Jessica whispered. She meant to keep walking, but as she passed him, the scent of him—leather, sweat, and something warm—hit her like a wave. She stumbled slightly, and Merek’s hand shot out to steady her arm.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1pQ2nC6sE
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The moment his fingers touched her bare skin, a jolt of pure electricity surged through her. Jessica let out a small, soft gasp, her eyes widening. Merek didn't let go immediately. His thumb brushed against the inside of her elbow, and for a second, the world around them seemed to dissolve into a pink blur.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20sWCSex8X
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"Careful," he murmured, his gaze fixed on her lips.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsgmE541ih
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"I... I'm fine," Jessica stammered, pulling her arm away. Her skin felt like it was burning where he had touched her.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcUZF8hTB2
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They spent the day wandering the streets, but the investigation was a disaster. Jessica tried to take notes, but her hand kept shaking. Everywhere they looked, the villagers were lost in each other. Pairs sat on benches, eyes glazed and pink, stroking each other's hair or whispering in ears. The air was so thick with the scent of the flowers that it felt like breathing in perfume.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aJBepzxps
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By the time evening arrived, the tension between them was a physical weight. The sun dipped low, and the lanterns began to glow, reflecting off the cobblestones in long, distorted shadows.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffhXMSAPpX
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"We need to get back to the rooms," Marin commanded, her voice sounding strained, as if she were speaking through gritted teeth. "Now."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMQ7RnR0Xs
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Jessica didn't argue. She practically ran back to the inn. She needed to be away from Merek’s heat, away from the way he looked at her.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGLWJNP8Dd
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Inside her room, the air was stifling. The lantern on the bedside table cast a dim, amber glow that felt intimate and suffocating. Jessica began to strip off her travel clothes, her movements hurried and clumsy. She kicked off her boots and pulled her tunic over her head, leaving her in just her thin linen underwear. It was practical—the room was a furnace—but as she caught her reflection in the small, cracked mirror, she felt a sudden, sharp spike of vulnerability.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93XFh8pQyQ
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She lay down on the bed, but the sheets offered no comfort. The "Hum" of the town—that low, rhythmic throb from the fountain—was louder now, vibrating through the floorboards and into her bones.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySo4psCwiu
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"Merek," she whispered into the dark. She hadn't meant to say it. The name just slipped out, a soft, desperate sound.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvp3AuiCA6
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Her body felt like it didn't belong to her anymore. A deep, heavy warmth spread through her chest and settled low in her belly. She shifted restlessly, her legs tangling in the sheets. Her hand moved instinctively, her fingers brushing against the soft skin of her inner thigh.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86ohuXeLoN
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In the cot across the room, she heard Marin shift. Marin was still in her armor, sitting upright, her sword across her lap like a barrier.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ppn8xKpH4
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"Jessica?" Marin whispered, her voice tight with alarm.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAKpxYIQn1
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Jessica didn't answer. She couldn't. She was lost in a fog of her own making, her breath coming in shallow, ragged hitches. She squeezed her eyes shut, but all she saw was Merek’s face, his eyes dark with the same hunger that was currently consuming her.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PP6XxdbZ2
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Outside the window, the fountain pulsed a brilliant, terrifying pink. The threads of the artifact were no longer just whispering; they were pulling, dragging Jessica deeper into a night that was only just beginning.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRslhVTavr
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