The first thing I felt when consciousness returned was warmth.

Not pain.

Not the dull ache spreading through my ribs from the demon fight.

Warmth.

Soft. Steady. Close enough that every slow breath carried the faint scent of Lilith’s hair.

I opened my eyes gradually.

Darkness greeted me first — dim candlelight flickering against wooden walls, the quiet creak of rain outside somewhere beyond a shuttered window. My vision adjusted slowly, exhaustion still dragging at the edges of my thoughts.

Then I realized where I was.

A room.

Small.

Unfamiliar.

And warm because someone was pressed tightly against me beneath the blankets.

Lilith.

Her body was curled against mine beneath the sheets, her dark hair scattered across the pillow and partially over my chest. Her breathing was slow and even, though something told me she wasn’t fully asleep anymore.

I stared at the ceiling for several silent seconds.

The last thing I clearly remembered was the demon.

The ruined Velvet Gang base.

Using Guiding Light beyond my limits.

Then blacking out.

So she carried me out, I thought.

Honestly, that sounded about right.

A faint movement pulled me from my thoughts.

Lilith shifted slightly against me, lifting her head just enough for her crimson eyes to meet mine in the dim room. The candlelight reflected softly inside them, making them seem darker than usual.

"...You’re awake," she murmured quietly.

Her voice carried relief beneath the calmness.

I nodded once.

Then immediately regretted it because my entire body protested.

Pain spread sharply through my ribs and shoulder.

Lilith frowned instantly.

"Don’t move too much," she said softly. "Your body is damaged badly."

"I noticed."

"You were unconscious for almost two days."

That made me pause.

Two days.

Longer than expected.

I let out a slow breath and leaned back against the headboard again. My muscles still felt heavy, like my body hadn’t fully recovered from whatever strain the Celestial Star Technique placed on it.

Which wasn’t surprising.

That single attack against the demon had nearly torn my body apart.

My gaze drifted toward Lilith again.

Only now did I properly register the situation.

The blanket had slipped low around her shoulders.

Far too low.

My brain stalled for exactly one second before quickly reconnecting several details at once.

The warmth.

The skin against mine.

The complete lack of fabric between us.

I looked down.

Then immediately back up at the ceiling.

"...Why are we naked?" I asked carefully.

There was a brief silence.

Then Lilith buried part of her face into my chest.

"You were covered in blood," she muttered. "Your clothes were ruined."

That explained me.

It did not explain her.

I turned my head slightly.

"...And you?"

Lilith froze.

The tips of her ears turned red almost instantly.

"...My clothes got damaged carrying you through the ruins."

I stared at her quietly.

She avoided eye contact with the intensity of someone trying very hard not to combust from embarrassment.

Then finally—

Very slowly—

She peeked up at me.

And that was probably the moment everything became dangerous.

Because Lilith already looked beautiful normally.

But like this—

Flushed cheeks.

Messy dark hair.

Golden candlelight against soft skin.

Eyes glowing faintly crimson in the darkness while looking directly at me like I was the center of her entire world—

It was unfair.

Completely unfair.

Something in my chest tightened unexpectedly.

Lilith noticed the shift in my expression almost immediately.

Her breathing slowed slightly.

The atmosphere in the room changed.

Quietly.

Naturally.

Neither of us moved away.

My hand lifted before I fully thought through the action.

Fingers brushing lightly against her waist.

Lilith shivered.

Her eyes widened slightly at the contact, though she didn’t pull away. If anything, she moved closer instinctively, one hand resting against my chest carefully so she wouldn’t aggravate my injuries.

"What are you planning, Kael?" she asked softly.

Her voice barely rose above a whisper.

But there was heat beneath it now.

Her crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dark room, half-lidded as she stared up at me. Her cheeks remained lightly flushed, though whether from embarrassment or anticipation, even she probably didn’t fully know anymore.

I looked at her for a long moment.

Then slowly pulled her closer by the waist.

"What do you mean what am I’m planning?" I asked quietly.

She swallowed slightly.

"We’re both naked on a bed."

I leaned closer.

"So we’re already halfway there."

Lilith’s breathing hitched softly.

The hand against my chest tightened faintly.

"But..." she started hesitantly. "Your mother said that we couldn’t..."

I immediately ignored that statement.

There was absolutely no chance my mother had already involved herself in this somehow.

Which unfortunately made it more believable.

I sighed internally.

That woman really talks too much.

Lilith looked away shyly before speaking again.

"And Verdia?" she asked softly. "I thought you liked her."

Verdia.

The name lingered briefly in the room.

I understood why she asked.

She’d seen the hallway incident at the academy.

Seen me hug Verdia.

Seen the emotion on my face.

From her perspective, it probably looked obvious.

But the truth was more complicated than that.

Verdia represented regret.

Failure.

A tragedy I remembered from countless timelines.

But Lilith—

Lilith was here.

Right now.

Beside me.

The one who followed me into danger.

The one who carried me from the ruins.

The one sitting in front of me looking nervous despite being capable of terrifying trained killers with a single glance.

I reached up slowly, brushing a strand of dark hair away from her face.

"It’s obvious she doesn’t like me," I said quietly.

Lilith blinked.

Then looked back at me fully.

"And you’re the only one I want right now."

The words settled between us heavily.

Her eyes widened slightly.

Then softened completely.

That possessive intensity she usually hid behind calm composure melted into something gentler.

Warmer.

Almost vulnerable.

"...Kael," she whispered.

I didn’t let myself think too hard after that.

Thinking too much had become a habit lately.

Calculating.

Planning.

Preparing for disasters before they happened.

But right now—

In this room—

With rain falling quietly outside and Lilith looking at me like I mattered more than the world itself—

I was tired of thinking.

So I leaned forward and kissed her.

Softly at first.

Carefully.

Lilith froze for exactly half a second.

Then immediately kissed me back.

One hand slid upward against my neck while the other tightened against my chest, pulling herself closer carefully despite my injuries. Her lips were warm, hesitant only for a moment before emotion overtook caution entirely.

The kiss deepened slowly.

Natural.

Unsteady in the way first kisses always are.

I felt her tremble slightly when my hand moved along her waist again, fingers brushing softly against her skin beneath the blanket.

Lilith let out the quietest sound against my lips.

And then immediately turned bright red afterward.

I almost laughed.

The feared demon spy of the Creed was somehow unbelievably easy to fluster once things became real.

She buried her face briefly against my shoulder as if trying to recover herself.

"...You’re unfair," she muttered weakly.

"How?"

"You stay calm during impossible situations," she complained softly. "But suddenly you’re like this."

"I nearly died fighting a demon," I replied. "My priorities changed."

That actually made her laugh quietly.

A real laugh.

Soft and genuine.

I stared at her for a moment afterward.

Then realized something.

This might’ve been the first time since arriving in this world that I wasn’t thinking about survival.

Not about the story.

Not about future disasters.

Not about becoming stronger quickly enough to survive whatever was coming.

Just this moment.

Just her.

Lilith noticed my expression changing again.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"...Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You were thinking something."

"I was thinking you’re surprisingly clingy."

Her face immediately turned red again.

"I am not."

"You followed me across the city."

"For your safety."

"You watched me from the ceiling during the tournament."

"I was supervising."

"You broke into my room repeatedly at the academy."

"...That’s unrelated."

I finally laughed quietly.

A small sound.

But genuine enough that Lilith stared at me in surprise afterward.

Then her expression softened again.

Because Kael Draven rarely laughed.

Even now.

Especially now.

She moved closer again slowly until her forehead rested lightly against mine.

"...I’m glad you’re alive," she whispered.

The room fell quiet after that.

Rain continued tapping softly against the window.

The candlelight flickered gently around us.

And for the first time in what felt like forever—

The world outside didn’t matter for a little while.