After several agonizing seconds, Desmond's senses gradually returned to him. His first instinct was to command the system to assess his own body, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on Lydia. Only when his system assured him that his body was unharmed, devoid of any strange liquid or poison, did his racing heart finally find a semblance of calm.
"What in the world are you up to?" Desmond's experiences with women in his previous world had not prepared him for such close proximity to a woman in this strange new reality. Despite the fact that he held her captive, she brazenly planted a kiss on his lips, seemingly unfazed by their dire circumstances.
Remaining seated in his weathered wooden chair, Desmond subtly increased the distance between them.
