I grabbed her hand, our fingers interlocking as we descended to the middle floor. During that walk, we didn't share a single word; it was as if all the vocabulary in the world had melted away, leaving only the rhythmic sound of our footsteps on the metal deck.
I felt a strange, pulsing heat deep down in my heart. I wanted her. I wanted to acquire her, to protect her, and to discover her mysteries just as I had dreamt during the lonely nights of my past life.
All my life, I had lived a solitary existence—it wasn't by choice, but by the cruel design of the world. Now, for the first time, I had the power to decide my own fate.
She wasn't showing any signs of rejection or even the slightest hesitation. The only thing radiating from her was an intense shyness, her beet-red face and lowered gaze serving as silent evidence of her consent.
"Damn!"
