The girl rested for a long time and opened her eyes again shortly after the sun had peaked.
Her body had lost a lot of fluids due to the hellish heat that subjugated the entire area, and she wanted so badly to quench that pressing need that wore her down. Unfortunately, her flask was empty, so the only solution was to pray to that idiot staring at the lava with his eyes wide open.
Perhaps because of the boy's tenacious and foolish insistence, Rose hinted a brief smile and then, with her index finger and thumb, pricked the fool's cheek repeatedly, trying to shake his mind from enchantment.
The young man's reaction was instantaneous and perhaps a bit too exaggerated. In fact, his body jerked, shaking even the girl's slender body.
"Mmm..."
Completely disregarding what had just happened, Atlas looked bewitched at the girl's face, which had regained some color.
They were both young, and it was probably the first time they had been in such an awkward situation, but Rose overcame her difficulties and pointed to the young man what she needed, opening her lips slightly and bringing her index finger close.
Atlas immediately discerned the young woman's wishes and quickly brought the flask close to her lips, letting the magical water flow gently into her parched mouth.
In that nefarious situation, even ordinary water could become divine nectar. In fact, intoxicated by that freshness, Rose closed her eyes and moved her head a little further as if she wanted to devour the source completely.
The situation turned again and was very ambiguous. However, with a fool like Atlas by her side, there was no fear because the only thing that was filling his mind at that moment was the fear of running out of water.
An honest thought, but also a bit out of place considering the situation.
Rose drank abundantly for almost half a minute and then started taking small sips, keeping her eyelids closed to avoid letting her embarrassment show.
The abundant Chaos Energy contained in the water quenched the girl's thirst and gave her some energy.
In the last few days, she had consumed all her power to endure in that impervious world, so that refreshing water was a marvelous gift.
It was unnerving for someone like her to pray to someone else, but given her situation, she could not help herself and lay down again in the young man's arms.
They had been wrapped around each other for a long time, and that uncomfortable position was starting to take its toll, especially on the young man's body, which wanted to stretch its bones and muscles more than anything else.
Rose had fallen asleep for the umpteenth time with her hands firmly attached to his neck.
Certainly, Atlas did not want to wake her, but that pressing need put him to the test. Moreover, that scorching heat was not helping him at all.
Atlas struggled to remain still but finally gave in, and to keep that slender body from falling to the ground, he held her with one hand on her back and one by her thighs.
The young man slowly bent his knees and then pushed his body up, finally awakening every sleeping cell.
The girl was very light, so he began moving slowly to circulate the blood in his veins.
The feeling of being cradled in that warm hug amplified the girl's calming effect, and the slightly troubled expression on her face instantly vanished, making her rest even better.
|||
More hours passed, and the moonlight surfaced from the crater and passed through the colorful leaves of that mammoth tree, gently stroking the girl's eyelids.
After so long, her body was much healthier and free from fatigue. In fact, those faint rays were enough to awaken the sleeping beauty.
"Mmm..."
Rose let out a soft moan, but unlike before, as she woke up, she felt her body rocking gently. Accompanied by the warmth around her, the movement became even more soothing.
At first, the girl did not understand how this was possible, but it became more apparent when her eyelids opened, and she found that the young man was moving slowly from one side to another of the small flat space from which the branches started.
She did not know why either, but her faint moan did not interrupt the young man's movements, so rather than stop him, she stared in awe and confusion at his sweat-covered face.
What particularly struck her about that face was his amber irises, which were even more enchanting in that world dominated by flames.
It was definitely not one of the most beautiful faces she had ever seen.
She could say that with absolute certainty, considering her status on the continent. Still, for some reason, that normal face had become particularly enchanting to her at that moment.
This time, she was the one who was captivated, and she was caught staring at him with a silly expression.
Embarrassment retook hold of the atmosphere, and Atlas complied with the girl's requests, setting her down and handing her the flask to quench her thirst.
The young man tried hard not to stare at her, but that sweat-soaked cotton blanket was a lethal weapon for his young soul.
Strangely, there was no shouting or cackling. In fact, Rose merely repositioned the blanket differently to prevent her seductive curves from captivating her partner in misfortune more and more.
Of course, it was difficult to hide the embarrassed expression on her face, but she was skillful enough to hide it with her usual angry expression.
Perhaps that anger was a lie or maybe a truth, but Rose certainly got the desired result, forcing the boy to look away.
They had spent too many days in that fiery inferno, and Atlas thought better of leaving since Rose had finally recovered some energy.
So he pulled out the clothes he had brought as a backup, and although they were very plain, they were more than enough to cover the bewitching curves from his now long-stolen gaze.
Seeing the clothes, Rose shook her head firmly and showed the bracelet around her wrist.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary gold ornament studded with black diamonds, but it all became more apparent when he noticed the tiny light shining inside the central crystal.
He knew enough in the field of crystals and gemstones to immediately understand the significance of that sparkle.
Clearly, that was no ordinary object but an artifact of enormous value, with a space inside intended to store its bearer's most precious things.
It was similar to his space bag but with a more refined and majestic form.
The girl's intentions were clear, so Atlas went back to observing the lava lake, clearing his mind of the impure thoughts that were wearing him down very slowly.
A few minutes passed, but he heard no noise behind him, so he moved his neck slightly to check the situation.
His intentions were not impure, so he looked behind him and surprisingly saw the girl covered in a beautiful set of light armor and fine workmanship.
Somehow, the girl had dressed so quietly that she had managed to escape Atlas's fine hearing, but how could he interpret the angry expression on her lovely face?
Was she perhaps angry that he had turned away earlier than expected or that he had stood still and stared into the void all that time?
The two crossed their eyes intensely for a while, and perhaps because he had reached his limit of tolerance, Rose motioned him to come closer.
The anger on the girl's face certainly didn't help him figure out how to respond to that furious demand, but eventually, he crouched down in front of her with a slightly puzzled expression.
Once again, neither of them moved, and it was only after a few seconds that Rose shook her head with a slight smile on her adorable face.
Atlas did not know how to interpret her actions, so he did nothing. Suddenly, a soft palm touched his cheek, and he pushed his head upward.
Of course, it was not a slap but a gentle push with a clear purpose to bring his gaze skyward, where four fruits were hanging in the branches of the tree.