Gloria Sherban sat in the high-backed leather chair of the Association’s private office, watching the steam curl off a porcelain cup. Across from her, an elderly man moved with a slow, deliberate grace that belonged to a different century. He tilted a silver pot, the coffee pouring out in a dark, rich stream.

  "Sugar?" he asked, his voice like the rustle of old parchment.

  "Two cubes," Gloria said.

  The atmosphere was thick enough to choke a regular hunter. It was casual, the way old friends might share a drink after a long funeral, but the weight of it was crushing. Gloria was one of the strongest S-Rankers on the continent. She could snap this man like a dry twig without breaking a sweat, yet the way he looked at her made her pulse jump in her throat. His eyes were like dying stars—faded, distant, but still holding enough gravity to pull a world apart.

  "So, how is the preparation coming along?" the old man asked. He dropped the sugar into her cup with a soft plink.

  "I’ve found someone quite talented," Gloria responded, her fingers tracing the rim of her saucer. "She’s a mess on paper, but she has a way of seeing the board that I haven’t seen in years. We will have to test her a little more to be sure. I think she is capable, though. Much like you were."

  The old man laughed. He was dressed in a sharp, charcoal suit that draped over his skeletal frame. Even with his strength faded to a flickering candle, he possessed a terrifying kind of presence.

  "It is important to learn things on the ground," he said, taking a sip of his black coffee. "The dirt, the blood, the smell of the gates. That’s where the truth is. If the Oracle is correct, then we are doing the best thing. The other guilds have already started playing their roles. They see the storm coming."

  Gloria nodded, though a heavy sigh escaped her. "If the Oracle is correct. I didn’t think my generation would be the one to face something like this. I thought we had more time."

  "No one wants to face hardships, Gloria," the old man said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "We all want to sit in the sun and watch the grass grow. But life isn’t about wanting. It’s about doing. We are the doers, for better or worse."

  "Can I do something else?" Gloria asked, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. "Besides being the shield?"

  The old man didn’t answer. He just smiled into his coffee, the silence of the room stretching out like an endless road.

  The air in my apartment felt cramped the second Seraphina stepped through the door.

  My place was a shoebox compared to the 27th floor of the Ashen Tower. It smelled of old books, cheap detergent, and the faint lingering scent of the mountain fog I’d brought back from Meraki-Do. I felt a sudden, frantic need to hide the laundry basket or apologize for the lack of a VIP lounge.

  "I’ll get you something," I said, my voice sounding way too loud in the quiet room. "Tea? I have some herbal stuff that isn't half bad."

  Seraphina didn't answer. She was standing in the middle of my small living area, looking a little dazed. She coughed, a sharp, wet sound that made her entire frame shudder. Her hands were shaking so hard that when she reached for the cup I’d just placed on the counter, it tipped.

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  The hot tea splashed across the front of her white silk blouse, soaking into the fabric instantly.

  "Oh! Crap, Seraphina—"

  I rushed over, grabbing a towel, but the tea was already spreading. She stood there, looking down at the stain with a vacant expression. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and the chill coming off her was enough to make the steam from the spill vanish into thin air.

  "It’s fine," she whispered.

  "It’s not fine. You’re shivering," I said, my strategist brain finally taking over the panic. "The tea is going to get cold and you'll freeze. You need to wash up. Take a bath. I’ll get the water ready."

  I didn't give her a choice. I led her to the bathroom, which was about the size of a closet, and started the water. I made it hot—hotter than I could personally stand—hoping the heat would penetrate the layers of frost settled in her bones.

  The steam rose in thick, white clouds, turning the tiny room into a sauna. Seraphina moved like a ghost, her movements sluggish as she undressed. I stayed there, my heart thumping against my ribs like a trapped bird. I couldn't leave her alone. Not when she looked like she might shatter if she tripped.

  "Let me," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

  I helped her into the tub. The water was deep, the surface shimmering with the heat. Seraphina let out a long, shaky breath as she sank in, her head resting against the back of the porcelain.

  I knelt on the floor beside the tub. I picked up a sponge and a bar of soap, the scent of lavender filling the small space. My hands were trembling as I reached for her. I started with her shoulders, the soap bubbling into a thick, white foam. Her skin was like carved ivory, breathtakingly smooth but cold enough to make my fingertips ache.

  I moved the sponge down her back, the heat of the water finally bringing a flush of pink to her neck. Seraphina let out a soft moan, a sound so vulnerable it made my stomach do a slow, dizzying flip. I moved around to the front, my hands slick with soap as I started to wash her chest.

  I was focused on the movement, on the way the white foam contrasted against her pale skin. I could feel her heartbeat beneath my palms, that feeble, rhythmic thrumming I’d heard in the office. Every time my fingers brushed over her, she let out another small sound, her head tilting back as her eyes drifted shut.

  I moved my hands lower, over the soft curve of her stomach. The water was swirling around us, the heat making my own head spin. I could feel the second bond humming in my chest, that metallic thread from Hana, but right now, the icy blue connection to Seraphina was screaming for attention.

  I stopped just above the waterline, my palms resting on her hips. The tension in the room was a physical weight, thick with the smell of lavender and the sound of our ragged breathing. Seraphina reached out, her wet hand curling around the back of my neck, pulling me closer until our foreheads touched.

  "Elara..." she breathed.

  The air between us was electric, a jagged current of mana and something far more dangerous. I wanted to go further. I wanted to sink into the heat and the cold and forget that I was a D-Rank mess caught between two monsters.

  We stayed there for a long time, the water slowly cooling as the steam started to dissipate.

  When we finally got out, I felt like I was walking on air. I handed her a fresh towel and a pair of my oversized pajamas, my face burning with a heat that had nothing to do with the bath.

  But then, as I stepped back into the living room, a translucent blue window flickered into existence right in front of my face.

  [Ding!]

  [Core Skill: Symbiotic Bond (LV 2) – Status Update]

  [Bond Resonance: 100% REACHED (Partner: Seraphina Vahn)]

  [Bond Evolution Available!]

  I blinked, my brain trying to catch up. Maxed out? Already?

  [Evolution Condition: Level 3 Bond]

  [To initiate Evolution, Host and Partner must undergo Mutual Exposure to Bodily Fluids.]

  [Note: Failure to evolve may result in Mana Feedback or Status Decay.]

  I stared at the words until they blurred.

  Mutual exposure to bodily fluids.

  I looked at Seraphina, who was currently sitting on my bed, her damp white hair framing a face that looked more peaceful than I’d ever seen it. She looked at me, a soft, questioning tilt to her head.

  'How the fuck am I supposed to do this now?'

  The guilt, the mana, and the absolute absurdity of my life all crashed down on me at once.

  I was definitely going to need a stronger drink.