The journey to Strax's new home was relatively short, but for Monica, every minute seemed to stretch endlessly. She tried to focus on the horizon or anything else: the sounds of the city around her, people, animals, carriages, buildings—literally anything to distract herself from Strax's strong presence so close by. However, with each movement of the horse, she felt his grip on her waist, a constant reminder that she was being protected.
When they reached their destination, Strax stopped Apocalypse and gently helped her dismount. Monica, still blushing, tried to compose herself while he dismounted behind her.
"Calm down!" she shouted to herself, but she was truly falling into the abyss of Strax's eyes when she looked at him. "CALM DOWN!" she screamed inwardly, closing her eyes to avoid staring at him directly, while Strax...
