Lucian was still standing in front of me.
His eyes fixed on me.
The silence dragged on for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, he spoke.
"This is a restricted area. If anyone else saw you here… you'd be fully interrogated. You realize that, don't you?"
His voice was calm, but there was a clear threat hidden underneath.
"I wasn't following you!" I blurted in panic. "I was trying to help Gordon. I accidentally fell into the cave and… I couldn't get out. That's the truth."
He slightly raised an eyebrow.
It was obvious he didn't quite believe me, but he didn't press further.
Just then, a voice came from behind us.
One of the mages had approached the cave.
"Lucian? Is everything alright? The operation's over, but you're still inside."
Lucian rolled his eyes slightly.
Without breaking his composure, he turned to me and whispered:
"Perfect."
"You need to hide."
Before I could even react, he spread his cloak open and pulled me inside.
"Wha—?!"
I was swallowed up by the fabric before I could resist.
His body was warm.
And… he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath.
My face landed directly against his bare chest.
My hand reflexively pressed against him.
Firm.
Solid muscle.
Like those clichés where people say "built like stone."
They weren't exaggerating.
But what completely threw me off was his scent.
A faint blend of wood and fresh herbs…
Clean, slightly spicy, oddly calming.
I caught myself inhaling deeply without meaning to.
Utterly embarrassing.
My brain completely froze.
My heart pounded so loudly, I thought it would explode.
I couldn't move.
I was suffocating from pure embarrassment.
But with the approaching footsteps, I had no choice but to stay still.
Lucian leaned down and whispered into my ear.
"Relax. You don't even need to hold your breath. Just don't make a sound."
At the same time, his hand gently pressed against my back, pulling me even closer.
I was completely buried in his arms.
"Lucian?"
"It's fine," he calmly answered the approaching mage.
"I was just double-checking. You may leave. I'll come out in a few minutes."
"Understood."
The footsteps gradually faded away.
⸻
"Breathe. Breathe. Don't think about it. Stop thinking—"
Lucian chuckled softly.
"A bit too close for comfort?" he whispered playfully.
"Though… I must say, this isn't such a bad way to hide."
With my entire nervous system in meltdown, I managed to stammer:
"Please… open the cloak already."
Smirking, he replied:
"No rush."
Once the other mage fully left, Lucian finally loosened the cloak.
I quickly stepped back, but as I tried to turn away, he grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"Where do you think you're going?"
For a moment, our eyes locked.
His gaze turned serious, sharp—
The playful tone from earlier vanished completely.
I couldn't say a word.
I swallowed hard.
Lucian's eyes slowly scanned my face, then drifted down to my neck and arm.
He noticed the scratches and bruises scattered across my skin.
His brows furrowed.
His tone grew a bit harsher.
"Seems like your little 'accident' involved a bit more than you claimed."
I opened my mouth to downplay it, but no words came out.
A strange unease twisted in my chest.
Lucian gently brushed his fingers along the wound on my arm.
His voice dropped to a lower, more intimate tone.
"We need to take proper care of these."
"But not here."
His words weren't a suggestion — they were a decision.
As I tried to step away again, he suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him.
My heart raced once more.
I could barely breathe.
The distance between us vanished entirely.
I felt the warmth of his chest pressing against me again.
Locking eyes with me, he whispered:
"Don't move."
With a swift motion, his fingers traced a small sigil in the air.
The surrounding energy rippled.
A luminous wave circled around us.
And in an instant, the scenery shifted.
We reappeared inside Lucian's tower — a tall, vaulted chamber.
I was still in shock.
He hadn't let go.
His hands remained on me as he gazed into my eyes.
"Now…"
He whispered with a calm finality.
"Let's begin."