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The morning light spilled softly across the rumpled bed, highlighting the tangle of limbs, sweat-slicked skin, and a single sheet barely covering what little modesty we had left.
Her head rested against my chest. I could still feel the heat of her breath on my skin, and the warmth of her thigh draped across mine. We hadn't said a word since we collapsed hours ago. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to say anything.
Last night was a blur of passion and madness. She kissed like a flame, burned like one too, and every second had felt like a fight—between our bodies, our wills, and something deeper neither of us understood.
We lay there, still. Breathing. Thinking.
I didn't even know if we were going to kiss again or try to kill each other.
Her fingers lightly traced my stomach. "You're sweet," she murmured.
I blinked, glancing down at her. "Sorry?"
"In bed," she said lazily, like she was talking about the weather. "You're good. Sweet, even."
My brow arched. "Thanks, I guess—?"
"But too bad…"
That word hung in the air, sharp as a blade.
I frowned. "What?"
She raised her head, eyes meeting mine—clear, calm, cold. "Too bad I have to kill you."
"What?"
Before I could move, she was already sitting up—and from nowhere, from some impossible space, a gleaming dagger shimmered into her hand.
"What the hell?!"
She lunged.
I threw the sheet aside and rolled off the bed, completely naked as I stumbled across the floor, nearly slipping on my own discarded boots.
"Kess?!"
She came after me with terrifying grace, her curves shifting like a dance of shadows, hair loose and wild. Her bare feet made no sound on the wood, and her dagger caught the morning sun in wicked arcs.
"You're insane!" I shouted, ducking just in time as the blade whistled past my ear.
She just grinned. "You should've known that the moment I let you touch me."
I dodged again—barely. Her body spun, hips twisting, a leg raised, and for a second all I could see was the silhouette of her thighs as she aimed a kick for my chest.
Man, even trying to kill me, she was still unbelievably hot.
My instincts screamed, and I twisted around her, hands brushing against the soft curve of her waist as I tried to push her off-balance. She pivoted—like she'd done this before. Too many times.
Man, even trying to kill me, she was still unbelievably hot.
My instincts screamed, and I twisted around her, hands brushing against the soft curve of her waist as I tried to push her off-balance. She pivoted—like she'd done this before. Too many times.
And then, in one fluid move, she pushed me—hard.
I hit the floor flat on my back with a grunt.
Before I could scramble up, she was on me.
Straddling my hips.
Her bare skin brushed mine as she leaned in, the dagger glinting in her left hand, her right pressed against my chest to pin me down.
"You still want this?" she asked, voice low, smoky.
She began to move her hips—slow, deliberate, grinding against my thigh, sending electricity straight up my spine. Her body lowered slightly, her lips hovering just above mine. I could feel the warmth of her breath, the tease of a kiss that might never land.
"I… I don't even know what this is," I breathed.
Her smile was wild, dangerous. "Good answer."
Then—
She lunged.
The dagger came down fast, aimed straight for my face.
I jerked my head to the side just in time. The blade slammed into the floor beside my ear with a crack, splinters flying.
"You're insane!" I growled, grabbing her wrist.
She laughed, twisting the knife free and pulling back just far enough to make another strike.
"You said I was sweet!" I barked.
"You were." She swiped again. "That's what makes it sad."
This woman was trying to murder me naked. And every dodge brought us closer—skin brushing skin, the lingering heat of the night before mixing with the danger of now.
I backed toward the wall, heart pounding, not sure if I wanted to run or kiss her again.
She pounced, thighs locking around my shoulders in a swift straddle, forcing me down onto my back. Her body pressed above mine, blade raised—close enough for her breasts to graze my face, the curve of her hips just above my mouth.
My brain stuttered. I was supposed to be defending myself. But how was I supposed to do that with this much softness in my face?
System ping.
[New Skill Unlocked – Shadow Cloak I: Fade]
Blend into nearby shadows. Temporary invisibility. Passive tether allows reemergence within the same shadow chain. Usable at will.
I didn't question it.
A dark corner of the room yawned behind me—and without hesitation, I slid back into it.
Gone. Silent.
She blinked.
"Jin?" she whispered, dagger poised.
No answer.
She moved, slow now. Alert. "Jin?"
I stayed still, watching as she crouched, eyes darting to every corner, every creak in the floor.
Her lips pressed into a hard line. "So you are something special."
She sniffed, then stood. "Should've known."
She started dressing—slowly. No shame, no rush. It was oddly intimate, watching her pull on her clothes in the empty room, muttering curses under her breath.
Then… she left. Just like that. Not a word. Not a glance back.
When the door shut, I stepped out of the shadows, blinking hard.
She was gone.
She'd kissed me like she needed me. Slept with me like she owned me. And then tried to gut me like a loose end.
I stood there, still completely naked, heart still hammering, body still wired from the adrenaline—and that damned soft ache where her legs had wrapped around me.
"I knew it," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "She's absolutely a psycho."
But man… what a night.
And now, I had a new skill.
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