When Benjamin reached Sara, she pulled his head close with both hands, drawing him in until their faces were only inches apart.

Her soft lips pressed firmly against his in a deep, lingering kiss, her warm tongue rolling in slow, sensual circles inside his mouth, tasting him thoroughly before she slowly pulled back, leaving a thin trail of saliva connecting their lips for a brief moment.

"How was YOUR night?" Sara asked softly, her arms draping loosely around his neck as she looked at him with a small, intimate smile playing on her lips.

Benjamin’s chest remarkably settled, the heavy knot of anxiety that had been building inside him loosening almost instantly as pure relief washed over him like cool water.

He let out a quiet breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and placed his hands gently on her waist, feeling the familiar curve beneath his palms.

"I love you sooooo much! And yes, my night was fine," he replied, his voice warm and full of genuine affection as he pulled her a little closer.

Sara smiled back at him, the expression softening her sharp features for a moment, and then asked him to help her with the flowers.

Benjamin happily took one of the woven baskets from her hands, slinging it over his arm as they began walking side by side through the tall brown grasses of the Whispering Wilds.

On the way back, Benjamin was so happy and excited that he blabbed on and on about everything that came to mind, his words tumbling out in a cheerful, nonstop stream as he recounted small details from the previous night and random thoughts that popped into his head.

The tall grasses brushed against his legs with every step, and the morning sunlight filtered through the canopy above, making the whole scene feel light and perfect.

[Ehehe. I knew it was just my imagination,] he thought to himself with quiet satisfaction, a small grin tugging at his lips. [Sara seems to be doing just fine.]

Benjamin continued in his enthusiastic gist without pause, his voice rising with energy.

"So, so, you see, Concept Assimilation isn’t just about having a single powe—"

"Uhm..." Sara started, interrupting his blabbering mid-sentence as she kept her eyes focused straight ahead on the path. "Did... you always speak so fast and loud?"

"Eh...?" Benjamin muttered, glancing sideways at her with a puzzled frown, but she refused to hold his gaze, her expression carefully neutral. "S-Sorry... I was just excited to see you this mornin—"

"I know, I know," she waved one hand dismissively, her eyes suddenly seeming tired as she let out a small sigh. "Just... stop talking, okay...?"

[Why would Sara say something like this...? Is this even Sara?] [Ben]

The moment they reached the towering trees of the Spire, Benjamin teleported away without another word, the world folding around him in a smooth shift until he appeared directly in front of Elara.

"Benjamin, I think you are beginning to act too familiar with me," she said coolly, not even looking up from the olden scroll she was studying, her voice carrying a distant edge that made his stomach twist.

He ran next to Lotus, finding her in the Spire’s serene temple as she carefully arranged glowing charms and intricate enchantments on a low stone altar, her hands moving with precise, graceful motions.

"Can you not see I am busy? Play with the other women for now," she told him flatly, barely sparing him a glance as she continued her work.

He offered to join the morning patrol with Tamar, Aria, Elowen, and Vesper. Along with some other Amazons, his voice hopeful as he caught up to the group near the opening of the forest.

"It is an all-women thing," Tamar lashed out sharply, her silver eyes squinting with clear irritation as she looked him up and down. "I don’t know, find something useful to do in the Spire."

"Don’t be like that, Tamar," Elowen snickered from beside her, crossing her arms with a mocking tilt to her head. "You will make him feel like he is jobless now."

Then the rest of the Amazons standing there chuckled lightly, the sound low and uncomfortable, their eyes avoiding his as they shared knowing glances among themselves.

"Do not fret, Sir Benjamin!" one Amazon added quickly, forcing a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "We understand that you are the second most important person in the Spire. You do not have to do anything at all. Please, go and rest back home."

He desperately asked Heka to spar with him in the training grounds, his voice almost pleading as he stood before the tall warrior.

"I need some alone time, go away!" Heka had never yelled at him before, her voice cracking through the air like a whip, making him blink visibly.

He ran to Martha’s room and simply stood there in the entrance, staring at her silently, afraid of what to say or how she might respond.

Martha was adjusting the straps of her bikini-like top near the window, the soft morning light highlighting her dark skin.

"Why just stand there and stare...?" She raised a single brow, her tone impatient as Benjamin hovered uncertainly at the doorway. "If you don’t have anything to say, please leave. I wanna get dressed."

As if they hadn’t seen each other naked thousands of times before.

As she approached to chase him away, Benjamin reached out and held her hand gently, his eyes trembling with unspoken fear and confusion, his fingers shaking against her warm skin.

"Why...?" he whispered, his voice barely audible, hands still trembling as he searched her face for any sign of the warmth he used to see there.

Martha’s eyes widened slightly, and she was about to say something, her lips parting, before—

"Benjamin?" Marina’s voice cut in smoothly as she walked along a vined bridge up in the trees near Martha’s room, her steps light and graceful. "What are you doing?"

Martha immediately pulled her hand free from Benjamin’s grip with a quick motion.

"He was just leaving." Then she turned and went inside her room without another word, the door of woven bamboo closing firmly behind her.

Benjamin turned slowly to look at Marina, gazing directly into her eyes as they stood there in silence for a long minute, the distant sounds of the forest filling the awkward gap between them.

"What is it?" She finally asked, her voice flat and guarded as she waited for him to speak.

"Are... you all ignoring me?" Benjamin mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper as he stood there near the swaying vine bridge, the leaves rustling softly around him in the morning breeze.