Lantern Rest Inn leaned quiet against the slope, its sign creaking in the evening wind. The smell of cooked barley and beeswax drifted from the windows. Villagers had insisted the three heroes stay the night—after the ridge, after the cheer, after too many prayers whispered with ash still in their lungs.
The innkeeper, an older woman with silver hair pinned in a knot, bustled forward with keys in hand. Her smile carried reverence and worry both.
"One room for each of you," she offered, voice hushed as though speaking in a chapel. "The ladies may prefer—"
"One will do." Aurelia's words cut across her like a dagger flicked in sunlight. She leaned her elbows on the counter, grin sharp. "We like him in the middle."
The innkeeper blinked, lips parting. Nia inhaled sharply, color blooming high on her cheeks. "Improper—" she began, then shut her mouth when Andy's calm hand brushed the desk, steadying the tension like pressing a lid over boiling water.
He simply nodded. "One room."
The woman bobbed her head and passed him the brass key. Behind them, Aurelia's laugh was a bell rung too close to the ear. Nia exhaled through her nose, staff tapping once on the floor.
---
The chamber upstairs smelled faintly of cedar oil. A single broad bed dominated the room, linen sheets turned down neatly, two candles guttering in wall sconces. The window looked out at a half-moon veiled by thin corruption clouds, the sky still bleeding faint wrongness into the night.
Andy set the Oathblade gently against the wall. Light shimmered as it vanished into the system's reach.
[Shared Inventory Updated]
Draconic Oathblade stored.
Staff of Lumina stored.
Moonpiercer Daggers stored.
Room Secured — Lantern Rest Inn, Chamber 3.
Nia sighed, shoulders releasing once her staff winked out of sight. She folded her silver-edged robe across the chair, movements neat, ritual precise. Aurelia did the opposite: her cloak landed crumpled on the floor, tunic unlaced in two quick tugs, boots kicked toward the wall. She perched on the bed edge, hair falling loose, watching Andy with eyes that glittered like starlight caught in wine.
"Come on, Dragon," she teased, patting the coverlet as if summoning a loyal hound.
Nia stiffened. "Show some dignity." She crossed to the other side, slipping her stockings down smooth legs with practiced grace, movements quiet as snowfall. Her glance lingered on Andy's chest, then cut sideways at Aurelia with sharpness no smile could hide. "He doesn't answer to you."
"Doesn't he?"Aurelia tilted her head, laughter curling around the words.
Andy smiled faintly, sitting between them, the mattress dipping beneath his weight.
---
Aurelia leaned into his right shoulder, fingers tracing the seam of his sleeve. "He's too calm," she purred. "Let's see what it takes to shake that."
Nia placed her hand flat on his chest, above the slow rhythm of his heart. "He belongs here," she whispered, her voice velvet steel.
Their rivalry flickered bright in the candlelight, two flames leaning close, threatening to burn.
The system stirred, amused.
[Bond Pulse ↑]
Nia ⭐ 92% | Aurelia ⭐ 88%
Orion Tier III Progress: 10%
Buff Active: Aura Flow Harmonized
---
Cloth loosened. Mantels fell. The sound of fabric sliding to the floor was almost louder than their breaths.
Aurelia kissed him first, fast and laughing, biting his lower lip before pulling away with wicked satisfaction. Nia followed with patience, her mouth lingering longer, her hand cradling his jaw as though shaping devotion into flesh.
The room filled with the warmth of skin meeting skin, the press of legs against legs, hair tangling into hair. The candle wax dripped in slow beads, shadows on the wall weaving into a single silhouette of three.
Every time Aurelia tugged him down, Nia pulled him closer. Every time Nia whispered his name, Aurelia laughed against his throat. Their rivalry became a rhythm, one refusing to yield, the other refusing to be ignored.
The system kept pace.
[Shared Resonance Detected]
+12% Synergy | Aura contamination resistance boosted
---
Hours stretched. Once was not enough. Twice turned into four. Four became six, then eight. The night rolled like thunder.
When Andy thought they had spent themselves, Aurelia's hand would slide against his ribs, sly and demanding. When he closed his eyes, Nia's lips brushed his temple, coaxing him awake again. They fought with passion instead of steel, measuring him not in battles won but in breaths stolen.
"Mine," Nia whispered fiercely, pressing her forehead against his.
"Try harder," Aurelia shot back, teeth grazing his ear.
Andy only breathed deep, aura wrapping them all until the room itself pulsed with heat.
The candles guttered out. Darkness thickened, broken only by the constellations shining through the window. Orion burned overhead, its belt of stars searing brighter than it had in centuries.
The system sang.
[Bond Surge Detected]
Cycles: 1 → 2 → 4 → 6 → 8
Nia ⭐ 95% | Aurelia ⭐ 92%
Orion Tier III Progress: 20%
Buff Unlocked: Shared Constellation Resonance (Dormant)
---
By dawn, the three lay tangled in sheets damp with sweat and satisfaction. Nia curled tight against Andy's left side, her hand splayed possessively across his chest. Aurelia sprawled half across him, her hair tousled, mouth curled in a smug little smile even in sleep. Their legs entwined over his, rivalry woven into intimacy that no one had truly won.
Andy lay awake a moment longer, eyes half-lidded, a quiet smile tugging at his lips. For the first time in years, the world outside could wait.
The system whispered its final note before morning.
[Bond Pulse ↑↑]
Nia ⭐ 95% | Aurelia ⭐ 92%
Orion Tier III Progress: 20%
Status: Shared Resonance Stable | Emotional Sync Established
The sun broke over the ridge. The night had not rested, but it had endured—and in its fire, three stars had learned how to burn as one.