The hidden outpost wasn’t on any map. It was tucked deep in the decaying folds of the Obsidian Rift, where corrupted shadows barely reached, and the air felt marginally clearer. Makeshift wooden walls and sharpened stakes surrounded the camp, and faint ntern light flickered through narrow gaps in the barriers.

  As we approached the gate, a grizzled NPC guard stepped out, his tattered armor clinking faintly. His voice rasped like gravel.

  “State your purpose, travelers.”

  Selene stepped forward, her hand hovering near her dagger’s hilt. “We’re just passing through. Need supplies, a pce to rest.”

  The guard’s hollow eyes scanned us, lingering a moment too long on me before he grunted and stepped aside. “Don’t cause trouble.”

  The gates creaked open, revealing a bustling safe zone—a cross between a refugee camp and a rugged adventurer’s haven. Wooden stalls dispyed healing potions, sharpened weapons, and bundles of enchanted herbs. Campfires crackled, and a handful of pyers and NPCs milled about, sharing quiet conversations.

  [LOCATION DISCOVERED: HAVENFALL OUTPOST]

  We secured a corner of the camp with a sparse tent and a stone firepit. The air smelled of woodsmoke and something faintly herbal. Devon immediately started unpacking supplies while Selene disappeared to scout the area.

  Fi flopped onto a nearby crate, throwing her arms behind her head. “Okay, real talk—why don’t all safe zones come with free massages and complimentary buff potions? We deserve compensation for our trauma.”

  Mason chuckled as he stacked wood for the fire. “Yeah, let me fill out the adventurer’s feedback survey.”

  I sat beside the firepit, letting my shadows flicker zily across the cracked stones. My HUD pinged softly as a temporary Rest Zone Buff activated: slight HP and mana regeneration over time.

  “Finally…” I exhaled.

  Devon knelt beside me, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. “You holding up, Kiera?”

  I gnced up at him, his dark eyes soft as they scanned my face. “Yeah… I’m okay, Dev.”

  His thumb brushed lightly against my shoulder before he stood up, turning his attention back to their supplies. But the faint brush of his touch lingered, and I caught Fi’s sharp green eyes flicking toward us with a knowing glint before she smirked and looked away.

  Later, we split up to explore the outpost. Selene had vanished into the shadows again—no surprise there—while Mason and Fi headed toward the small marketpce. Devon stuck close to me, his arm occasionally brushing against mine as we moved through the narrow pathways.

  The marketpce was lively. Pyers bartered with NPCs over enchanted daggers and shimmering cloaks. A bard NPC pyed a soft tune on a lute, their voice a lilting melody that carried through the camp.

  I stopped at a stall with polished gemstones embedded in rings and neckces. An older NPC woman greeted me warmly. “Ah, traveler! Looking to protect your heart? Or perhaps… ensnare someone else’s?”

  My cheeks flushed faintly, and Devon chuckled softly beside me. “She’s fine, ma’am. Just browsing.”

  The merchant leaned closer, her wrinkled face splitting into a sly grin. “Love is a powerful enchantment, dear. Choose your spells wisely.”

  I quickly moved on, Devon trailing close behind.

  Devon walked beside me, one hand casually resting on the hilt of his greatsword while his other hand hovered close enough to mine that our fingers brushed occasionally. We stopped at various stalls, browsing enchanted trinkets, polished daggers, and worn tomes bound in cracked leather.

  An NPC merchant pushed forward a velvet box filled with delicate rings at one stand.

  “For your beloved, perhaps?” the vendor said with a knowing smile.

  I froze, my cheeks heating instantly. Devon chuckled under his breath, giving the merchant a polite shake before gently guiding me away from the stall.

  We passed through a narrow alley between two market tents. Devon’s hand lingered briefly on my lower back, guiding me without a word. The noises of the market faded behind us, repced by the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant crackle of torches.

  “Devon… where are we going?” I asked, my voice soft.

  He didn’t answer at first, leading me to a more secluded spot at the edge of the market—a small corner framed by overgrown vines and an abandoned wooden crate. The flickering torchlight painted faint shadows across his face as he turned to me, his dark eyes locking onto mine.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked again, this time with a nervous ugh.

  Devon didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, one hand raising to brush a loose strand of hair from my face. His fingers lingered against my cheek, warm despite the chill of the evening air.

  Before I could ask anything else, he leaned in.

  His lips met mine—tentative at first, as if waiting for me to pull away. But I didn’t. My eyes fluttered shut, and my hands instinctively reached out, one gripping the fabric of his shirt while the other rested lightly against his chest.

  Devon’s hand slid from my cheek to cup the side of my face, his thumb brushing faintly along my jawline. The kiss deepened, his other hand finding its way to my waist, pulling me closer to him.

  For a moment, the world disappeared—the glitches, the looming anomalies, the weight of fragmented codes—it all faded into nothing. There was only Devon: his warmth, the faint scent of leather and steel, and his arms felt like they could shield me from anything.

  When we finally broke apart, I gasped softly, my face flushed and shadows flickering faintly at my feet.

  “Devon…” I started, but his forehead was already pressed lightly against mine.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you, Kiera,” he said, his voice rough around the edges. “Ever since that night… in your room. It’s all I’ve been thinking about.”

  My breath caught in my throat, and my fingers tightened against his shirt. “Devon, I—”

  “I wanted to kiss you again,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “In here, out there… it doesn’t matter. Every time I look at you, I—” He cut himself off, his jaw tightening before he exhaled slowly.

  I hesitated, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. “Devon… what are we?”

  His eyes met mine, and for a moment, he looked lost—like he didn’t have the answer any more than I did.

  “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “But when I’m with you, it feels… good. It feels right.”

  I swallowed hard, my chest aching at the raw honesty in his voice. “I… I can’t deny that either.”

  Devon’s lips curved into a faint, almost sad smile before he leaned down again, his mouth brushing softly against the corner of my lips and trailing downward.

  He pressed a kiss to my neck—slow, lingering. My breath hitched as his hand shifted slightly at my waist, pulling me just a fraction closer. His lips brushed against my skin again, and my fingers curled tightly into the fabric of his shirt.

  For a moment, it felt like time had stopped.

  After what felt like an eternity—yet not nearly long enough—Devon pulled back just enough to meet my eyes again. His thumb brushed faintly along my jawline, his expression softer than I’d ever seen.

  “We should… probably get back,” I said, though he made no move to step away.

  He nodded faintly. “Yeah….”

  But neither of us moved for a long moment. Devon’s hand lingered against my waist, and I couldn’t quite move away from his warmth.

  Finally, he took a deep breath and let his hand fall away, though his fingers brushed lightly against mine as he pulled back.

  “Come on,” he said, his voice quieter now, tinged with something I couldn’t quite name.

  I followed him back toward the bustling marketpce, my heart still pounding and shadows flickering faintly at my feet.

  But one thought lingered in my mind, heavy and undeniable:

  Whatever this was between us… it was only getting harder to ignore.

  ?????°???°?????

  The training grounds were quiet except for the faint creak of wooden dummies swaying in the breeze and the distant murmur of the outpost beyond the treeline. Torches flickered along the perimeter, casting faint pools of light across the worn training dummies and scattered weapons.

  Selene was already there.

  She moved with precision, her daggers fshing in controlled arcs as she repeatedly struck a wooden dummy. Her amber eyes flicked briefly toward us when Devon and I entered the clearing, but she said nothing, returning her focus to her routine.

  I swallowed hard, the weight of everything between us—the unsaid words, the unacknowledged tension—settling heavily in my chest. Devon stayed close, his hand brushing against my lower back as we walked deeper into the clearing.

  “Take it slow, Kiera,” Devon said softly. “Don’t overdo it.”

  I nodded but said nothing. I needed to move—to do anything that would stop the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling in my head. I stepped into an open area and let my shadows fre around me.

  My abilities came alive in an instant. The dark energy coiled at my fingertips, ready to strike.

  “Shadow Embrace!”

  Inky tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping tightly around two wooden dummies, holding them still as their HP bars ticked downward. My shadows pulsed faintly, siphoning fragments of their essence.

  I didn’t stop. I transitioned into Life Drain, my shadows slithering outward to tch onto distant targets, pulling faint threads of violet energy back into me. My HUD showed steady health regeneration as my HP bar ticked upward.

  But it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. Needed more.

  “Blood Pact!”

  The ability activated instantly, and I felt raw, burning power coursing through my veins. My movements became sharper and faster, but the cost was immediate. My HP bar plummeted, ticking dangerously low in bright red numbers.

  “Kiera!” Devon’s voice rang out, sharp and panicked.

  I ignored him, shadows fring around me as I prepared another attack. My HUD fshed warnings: HP CRITICAL. HP CRITICAL.

  And then—nothing.

  My knees buckled, and my vision dimmed slightly as a red glow surrounded my health bar. A thin sliver of HP remained.

  Devon was at my side instantly, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly. “What the hell were you thinking?!”

  Selene appeared moments ter, a small gss vial already in her hand. Her movements were calm and deliberate. “Move, Devon.”

  “Selene, she—” Devon started, his voice raw.

  “I said move!” Selene snapped, her sharp voice cutting through the air like a bde.

  Devon hesitated but stepped back, his jaw tight and his eyes stormy.

  Selene knelt beside me, uncorking the health potion and holding it to my lips. “Drink, Kiera.”

  I obeyed, the liquid tasting faintly of bitter herbs as it slid down my throat. My HUD flickered, my health bar stabilizing with a faint green glow.

  Selene stood, slipping the empty vial back into her inventory. “You need to stop pushing yourself like this, Kiera. If you go too far, there might not be anything left to save.”

  Selene’s amber eyes searched my face briefly before she stood up, her gaze shifting to Devon. “What were you thinking, hovering over her like that? You panicked. You let your fear control you.”

  Devon’s fists clenched at his sides. “And you didn’t care at all, did you? You acted like she was just another pyer to patch up and send back into the field!”

  The air crackled with tension as Devon and Selene squared off. Their voices rose, sharp and biting, echoing across the empty training grounds.

  “I care, Devon!” Selene snapped, her amber eyes bzing. “But I trust her. I trust her to know her limits; when she pushes past them, I’m here to pick up the pieces. But you—you smother her. You don’t trust her to stand on her own two feet!”

  Devon’s voice dropped to a growl. “Don’t talk to me about trust, Selene. You act like you’re the only one who understands her, the only one who’s allowed to care about her!”

  “You’re making this about you!” Selene shot back, stepping closer. “This isn’t about your feelings, Devon! I trust her to make her own decisions. You, on the other hand, treat her like she’s gss—like she’ll shatter if you aren’t hovering over her every second

  “Oh, stop being dramatic,” Devon snapped, his voice raw with emotion. “Trust has nothing to do with it. I’m just making sure that she’s safe.”

  “She’s not going to grow if you keep suffocating her!” Selene shot back, her voice sharp but steady. “She’s stronger than you give her credit for, Devon, but she’ll never learn that if you don’t back off and let her breathe!”

  Devon’s shoulders heaved, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. “You think I’m holding her back?”

  Selene crossed her arms, her amber eyes bzing. “That’s exactly what you’re doing. And it’s not just about her safety—it’s about you. You’re terrified of losing her, Devon–whether that’s from UNKNOWN, or…something, or someone else, and it’s making you reckless.”

  Devon froze, his expression flickering between anger and something softer—something raw.

  Selene’s voice lowered slightly, her words sharp and deliberate. “This isn’t about protecting Kiera. This is about you not wanting to lose the one person you think you can hold onto.”

  Devon’s jaw clenched, his fists trembling faintly at his sides. “Don’t talk like you understand how I feel, Selene.”

  “I understand exactly how you feel,” Selene said softly, her voice trembling. “But at least I’m not letting it control me.”

  Devon let out a sharp breath, his voice low and bitter. “You think you have it all figured out, don’t you? You think you’re so composed, so perfect. But I have something over you that you will never have—” He cut himself off, his teeth gritted.

  The silence stretched thin between them, crackling with unsaid words and raw emotions.

  Selene’s gaze didn’t waver. “Say it, Devon. If you have something to say, say it.”

  Devon’s fists clenched tighter, his knuckles going white. And then—

  “We kissed.”

  The words dropped like stones into a still pond. The air froze around us, the torches flickering faintly in the stillness.

  Selene went still. Her amber eyes widened as she stared at him, and for a moment, it looked like she might speak—but no words came.

  “It wasn’t just in the game,” Devon continued, his voice rough. “It was in real life, too.”

  Selene’s lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Her amber eyes flicked to me, and the look on her face—the raw hurt, the silent devastation—made my chest ache in a way I couldn’t describe.

  “Selene…” I said weakly, my voice trembling.

  But she was already turning away, her shoulders rigid, her head tilted downward as if shielding her face from view.

  “Selene, wait!” I called after her, stepping forward despite the ache in my legs.

  She didn’t stop. She didn’t turn around. Her silhouette disappeared into the flickering shadows of the training ground, swallowed by the night.

  The silence that followed was unbearable.

  Devon stood frozen, his head bowed, and his hands clenched at his sides. His breathing was uneven, and his chest rose and fell sharply.

  I stood in pce on the training grounds, my shadows flickering weakly at my feet, unable to move.

  For what felt like forever, neither of us spoke.

  When Devon finally lifted his head to meet my gaze, his dark eyes filled with something I couldn’t name—regret, guilt, longing… all tangled into a knot of raw emotion.

  “I shouldn’t have said that,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

  I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “Devon… I need some time.”

  He nodded once, a sharp, jerky movement, before turning away and walking off without another word.

  I was left alone in the dim torchlight, my health bar faintly glowing green and my heart heavier than ever.