The moment Jake's eyes met Lucia's, he was immediately consumed by unease. The stolen kiss had occurred just minutes prior, and its memory lingered.
Will, Asfrid, and Hade, all exceptionally intelligent and keenly perceptive, shared a knowing, subtle smile after the initial shock wore off. Silently, they gave Lucia a mental thumbs up, commending her boldness.
It must have been no small feat to shatter the icy armor Jake wore, an emotional firewall keeping everyone at bay. But his priceless, flustered expression made it worth it.
Jake, no less clever than the others, knew what thoughts danced through his friends' minds, and it chilled him to the bone. An overwhelming surge of spiritual pressure involuntarily radiated from his body, rendering the island's atmosphere heavy and oppressive, as if replaced by liquid lead.
"Cough, cough, Jake, have mercy, please," wheezed Will, the weakest of the three, nearly fainting on the spot.
