My Scumbag System-Chapter 378: My Hand Over His Heart

They were falling. Satori released the edge and wrapped both arms around her, positioning his body beneath hers.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Making sure you survive the landing," he answered simply.

Celeste’s heart jumped to her throat. He was planning to cushion her fall with his own body. The gesture was so unexpected, so selfless from someone who claimed to be purely pragmatic.

"Don’t be stupid," she hissed, channeling her Aspect with every ounce of concentration she possessed.

Ice formed beneath them, a crude slide that slowed their descent. It wasn’t enough to stop them completely, but it might prevent fatal injuries. They hit the bottom with a jarring impact that knocked the breath from Celeste’s lungs.

For several seconds, they lay still in the darkness, Satori’s arms still wrapped protectively around her. Celeste could feel the rise and fall of his chest, the steady rhythm that gradually began to slow from the panicked sprint it had been during their fall.

Her own breathing was shallow, uneven, and she became acutely aware of every point where their bodies touched.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked, his voice oddly close to her ear—so close that she felt the warmth of his breath against her skin.

The question was simple, routine even, but something in his tone made her pulse quicken in a way that had nothing to do with the fall.

Celeste became suddenly aware of their position—her body pressed flush against his chest, the hard planes of muscle beneath the fabric of his uniform, the way one of his arms had instinctively curled around her waist while the other braced the back of her head.

Her palm rested directly over his heart, and she could feel it thundering beneath her touch, a staccato rhythm that matched her own.

This was improper. Inappropriate. She should move. Now.

"I’m fine," she managed. She rolled off him with as much dignity as she could muster in the cramped space, immediately missing the warmth. "You?"

"Nothing broken. Thanks for the ice slide."

She helped him sit up, hands checking for injuries with the clinical efficiency her sister had drilled into her since childhood. "That was reckless. You could have broken your spine."

"Says the girl who walked alone into a garden of killer flowers."

Despite everything, Celeste found herself smiling. "Fair point."

A faint glow emanated from the knife she still clutched in her hand, providing just enough light to see Satori’s face. His eyes reflected the silvery light, pupils wide in the darkness.

"Where are we?" she whispered.

Satori looked around, then up at the sealed ceiling far above them. "Somewhere the Arborist wanted us to be. This whole thing feels planned."

"You think it’s another test?"

"Everything here is a test." He stood carefully, wincing slightly. "The question is, what’s being tested now?"

Celeste rose beside him, holding the glowing knife higher.

The chamber around them gradually came into view—a vast underground cavern with walls covered in the same symbols they’d seen on the First Tree.

Twisted roots hung from the ceiling, some as thick as her waist. At the center of the room sat a stone altar with a shallow basin carved into its top.

"This place feels ancient," Celeste murmured. "Older than the garden above."

"Maybe it’s where this all started." Satori approached the altar cautiously. "The first piece of the collection."

Celeste followed, her free hand ready to summon ice at the first sign of danger. "Do you think the others will be alright?"

"Juan’s smart. He’ll get them somewhere safe." Satori examined the altar without touching it. "Besides, it’s us the Arborist seems interested in."

"Why us specifically?"

Satori gave her a sidelong glance that held something unreadable. "You’re Seraphina Vance’s sister, an S-rank potential with perfect control. And I’m..." he trailed off.

"You’re what?" Celeste prompted.

"Complicated," he finished with a half-smile.

There was clearly more to it, but Celeste didn’t push. Everyone had their secrets. Hers was the crushing weight of her sister’s expectations, the fear that she would never be enough. Whatever Satori’s was, she sensed it was equally heavy.

"What should we do with this?" She held up the knife.

Satori studied it, then pointed to the basin in the altar. "I think it goes there. See how the shape matches?"

Celeste examined the depression in the stone. He was right—it looked exactly like a cradle for the knife.

"It could be a trap," she warned.

"Everything here is a trap." Satori shrugged. "But it’s also our only lead."

Celeste hesitated, then stepped forward. "I’ll do it."

"Together," Satori countered, placing his hand over hers on the knife handle. The casual touch sent an unexpected warmth through her fingers, up her arm, to settle somewhere in her chest.

They positioned the knife over the basin, exchanged a look of mutual resolve, and lowered it into place.

The effect was immediate. The knife sank into the stone as if it were liquid, disappearing completely. Light erupted from the altar, shooting upward in a pillar that illuminated the entire chamber. The symbols on the walls began to glow, one after another, racing around the room in a circuit.

"What’s happening?" Celeste instinctively moved closer to Satori.

"I think we just turned on the lights." He pointed to where a doorway was forming in the wall, stones rearranging themselves to create an arch. Beyond it lay a tunnel, softly lit by the same silvery glow as the knife.

"Looks like we found our way forward," Satori said.

"Or the Arborist found it for us." Celeste frowned. "I don’t like being manipulated."

"Neither do I." Satori’s face hardened. "But sometimes you have to play along until you find the right moment to flip the game board."

The casual way he spoke of defying beings of incredible power should have frightened her. Instead, Celeste found it strangely comforting.

Everyone else in her life approached challenges with careful planning and political calculation—her sister’s way. Satori faced them with audacious confidence and adaptability.

"We should go," she said, straightening her shoulders. "The others will be looking for a way to reach us."

"Lead the way, Ice Princess." Satori gestured toward the tunnel with a theatrical bow.

Celeste rolled her eyes, but couldn’t quite suppress her smile as she walked past him. "Stop calling me that."

"Make me," he replied with a grin that managed to be both infuriating and charming.

She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of a response, but as they entered the tunnel together, Celeste found herself glad he was the one who’d fallen with her.