The air inside the cave was thick with the remnants of passion, the scent of sweat and lingering traces of Heaven's Desire Bloom intermingling with the cool dampness of the stone walls. A faint light filtered in from the entrance, casting long shadows across the uneven floor as dawn began to break. Aric, still holding Zhen Yu close, felt her warmth against his chest as her breathing slowly evened out, a sign of her deep, exhausted sleep.
But even in this moment of tranquility, Aric's mind was sharp, alert. He could sense the presence of Ye Chen, the so-called protagonist, lurking just beyond the cave's entrance. A smirk played on Aric's lips as he detected the barely concealed aura of his rival. Ye Chen's hesitation, his uncertainty, was palpable—he was caught between his growing suspicions and the heartache that gnawed at him with every passing moment.
Suddenly, a familiar sound echoed in Aric's mind, accompanied by a flash of light across his vision.