Chapter 44: System's Betrayal

Carefully, Elio brought the salamander close to his shirt.

This time, the creature didn't resist.

With somewhat clumsy but determined movements, it began to crawl under the fabric of the resistant dress.

Elio couldn't help but laugh when he felt the salamander's feet against his skin. "It tickles," he gasped, squirming a bit as the creature settled in.

Lena watched the scene with both amazement and tenderness. For a moment, the chaos surrounding them seemed to fade away, replaced by this small bubble of normalcy and even joy.

Finally, the salamander found a comfortable spot, creating a strange but not too obvious bulge under Elio's shirt.

"How does it feel?" Lena asked, a smile still dancing on her lips.

Elio shifted a bit, adjusting to the sensation of having a living creature against his skin. "It's... weird," he admitted. "But I think it'll work."