The door closed behind him with a soft click, shutting out the hush of the hall. Inside, the room breathed with warmth. A single candle burned low on the desk, its flame throwing restless shadows along the wooden walls, painting everything in hues of gold and scarlet.
Aurelia hadn't slept. She sat at the edge of the bed, robe loose around her shoulders, hair spilling down like midnight undone. Her eyes caught the flame and turned it mischievous. She tilted her head, lips already curving.
"Took you long enough, Dragon."
Andy didn't answer immediately. He crossed the room, each step slow, deliberate, his aura coiled quiet but sharp. He stopped in front of her, gaze calm, heavy. Aurelia's smirk widened, her fingers catching his wrist, a tug that was not request but invitation.
"Resist me?" she teased, pulling him down until their faces hovered close. "You never had the choice."
Her kiss landed like a dagger stroke — fast, fierce, claiming. Where Nia had been reverent, Aurelia was demanding. She bit at his lower lip until he let her, her laughter vibrating against his mouth. Andy's hand settled at her waist, steady as stone, grounding her storm, but when she pressed harder, he yielded enough to let her lead.
Clothes came away like discarded armor — a shrug, a laugh, the whisper of cloth falling to the floorboards. The candle swayed, wax dripping sharp-scented.
Aurelia pushed him back onto the mattress and straddled him, hair tumbling forward, her grin wolfish. "Mine tonight," she whispered, voice ragged. "Once, twice — no, more. You'll give me until I can't stand."
Andy's eyes burned gold in the candlelight, his voice calm, cool even under her fire. "Then take what you demand."
What followed wasn't gentle, wasn't slow. It was a hunt, and Aurelia was both predator and prey, her body moving with practiced hunger, her laughter punctuating every shift, every gasp. Andy matched her without strain, his strength steady enough to let her burn herself out without fear. Sheets tangled, damp with sweat, the air thick with heat and salt.
She collapsed against him once, shuddering, chest heaving, but before breath steadied, she bit his shoulder and whispered, "Again."
And he did.
Twice wasn't enough. Thrice wasn't enough. Each time she laughed, cursed, begged, and demanded more. "You think I'll tire first? Fool," she taunted between kisses, though her voice cracked with exhaustion.
The system chimed, cold precision layered over their fire.
[Bond Pulse ↑↑↑]
Resonance Surging — Andy × Aurelia
Bond Threshold Approaching Saturation
He rolled her beneath him, her wrists pinned against the mattress, her grin wicked even as her body arched to meet his. "Not done," she hissed, eyes blazing. "Not until you ruin me."
The candle burned lower. Wax spilled onto the wood. The inn outside slept, but the room throbbed with movement, with breathless laughter, with the sound of sheets torn loose from their bindings.
At last, Aurelia's cries broke into silence, her body trembling, damp hair plastered to flushed cheeks. She clung to him, nails dragging lines down his back — not to wound, but to mark ownership.
The system flared once more, final and triumphant.
[Bond Saturation Achieved]
Aurelia — ⭐ MAX
Reward Unlocked: Huntress Constellation Form (Tier III)
Skill: [Moonveil Huntress EX]
— Triple Echo Generation (3)
— Duration: Doubled
— Echo Convergence: Critical Fusion Strike
The glow lingered in Andy's vision, but he kept his eyes on her. Aurelia's grin softened, lips curving lazy with satisfaction, though exhaustion tugged her eyelids heavy.
"Good," she murmured, curling against his chest like a satisfied predator. "You'll never escape me now… not even if you wanted to."
Her breathing steadied. Sleep claimed her, smile still painted on her lips.
Andy remained a moment longer, feeling the weight of her against him, the heat still lingering in her skin, the smell of sweat and candle smoke heavy in the room. Then, slowly, carefully, he shifted free.
He dressed in silence, the boards cool beneath his bare feet, and slipped out.
Across the hall, he opened another door.
Nia lay curled in her bed, hair loose across her pillow, one hand resting over where he had left her earlier. Her breath was deep, even, her lips parted in the innocence of true sleep. The faint glow of her glyphs still traced her wrist, steady as heartbeat.
Andy crossed to her, eased beneath the sheets, and gathered her close. She sighed in her sleep, turned into his chest, and smiled faintly as though her dream had known he would return.
This time, Andy let his eyes close.
The Dragon-Phoenix slept at last, caught between fire and moon, held fast by dawn still waiting just beyond the shutters.