Sol kicked the heavy timber doors of the balcony shut, the sound a dull thud that sealed them away from the rest of the world. The Great Orrath, the looming threat of the Zharun, the suffocating expectations of the tribe… all of it was locked outside.
Inside the cavernous quarters of the Feline Spire, there was only the flickering amber glow of the dying fire pit and the frantic, ragged breathing of two people that didn't know if they would survive the next day.
Sol carried Kira across the polished wooden floorboards, his stride long and effortless. She felt feather-light against the tectonic density of his newly integrated Layer 1 strength, but the emotional weight she anchored him to was immense. Her arms were locked tightly around his neck, her fingers tangled in his dark hair, pulling his mouth down to hers again and again. It was a chaotic, starving exchange.
