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"Please... Ki Lien," Elowen pleaded, biting her lower lip, her voice filled with urgency.

"Umm, sure," Klein said. She simply looked too cute for him to disregard her... Not to mention...

Exhaling slowly, he prepared to access the dimension orb, fortifying his Will. After a dozen experiences, he no longer needed to close his eyes to open the orb. Under his focused Will, the very fabric of the world distorted before his eyes. Dark energy swirled out of nothing, spiralling at an astonishing pace in thin air to form a portal.

Just as Klein was about to observe Elowen's expression, a sudden vision flooded his mind, engulfing him with intricate spatial details of everything in his surroundings. It highly resembled the fevered dream, but remarkably clearer. He could perceive the outlines and shapes of nearly every animate and inanimate object if he concentrated.

The white tiger emanated a radiant, yellowish-golden aura, and so did the other elves—some brighter than others. He even managed to detect tiny bugs and insects in the vicinity, each of them shimmering with a faint, twinkling light.

A wretched stabbing sensation jarred his mind, forcing an indignant groan from his lips as Klein returned to reality. The vision dissipated, but the painful sensation lingered, albeit it was a lot weaker.

"Ki Lien..." Elowen said something after, but he couldn't understand it.

"Hmm?" Klein shot her a confused look, furrowing his brow.

An expression of apprehension had already transfixed her eyes as she pointed at his eyes and repeated herself. Noticing no change in his expression, she gestured toward the fire and said, "Fire... Light... None," then pointed at his eyes once more.

"Light in my eyes?" Klein asked, his frown deepening.

Elowen shook her head, facepalming in frustration. She was prepared to elaborate further or attempt a different approach when the white tiger let out a belch, causing her to stiffen with a sudden jolt. A shiver raced down her spine, rendering her silent.

Klein glanced at the resting beast and shook his head. Without trying to comfort her—as she hardly needed it—he completed what she asked of him: he threw the pouch full of beast cores into the dimension orb.

The small hole in reality sealed shut as Elowen breathed a sigh of relief. She expressed her gratitude by bowing deeply, as if what he had just accomplished was an even greater feat than when he had rescued her.

The half-elf was ready to leave the moment their conversation ended, but Klein reached out and clutched her arm before she could slip away.

As if he was going to let her walk off just like that. Elowen had been avoiding him ever since the night they shared. Then the other elves arrived, constantly keeping her busy. Now that everyone else had finally fallen asleep, Klein had his chance, a chance he'd been waiting for.

He needed to know about the night. Was it just a fling of the moment? Or did it mean something more to her? Elowen wasn't the type of woman who would casually give herself to someone just because they saved her life. He couldn't believe it was that simple.

"Ki Lein?" She raised an eyebrow.

Klein stared at her, opening his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He didn't know how to ask what he so desperately wanted to know. His vocabulary was just that limited. 

In the end, he pulled her closer, settling her onto his lap. Elowen's eyes widened, her face flushing as she tried to hide her embarrassment. Klein might not have too much experience in this subject, but that looked like a signal to his monkey brain.

It was a signal, one that ignited something primal within him.

Without thinking too much, his hand moved to her thigh. She was still dressed in his clothes, though they hung loosely on her delicate frame, clearly not made for her lithe figure.

"Can I?" he asked, his hand gliding gently over her thigh, his touch slow and deliberate. He felt her body tremble beneath his fingers.

"Mhmm~" she whimpered, her voice a soft hum that carried a shy agreement.

Last time, it had been her hands on him. Now it was his turn. His hand slipped beneath her clothes, grazing over her flat stomach. Her body jolted at the contact, a shiver running through her as she clutched at his arm.

"Ki Lein!" she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper.

He pulled her closer, resisting the urge building within him. He wasn't trying to cross boundaries—yet. Instead, he held her until their lips were just inches apart. When Elowen didn't pull away, he leaned in, nibbling gently at her lips. Her lips were soft, sweet, and he tasted her slowly, savouring the moment.

Hunger stirred deep within him, and he deepened the kiss, sucking at her lips, drawing soft gasps from her as her body trembled against his. Her hips instinctively ground against his lap, and he felt his arousal grow beneath her soft weight. His hands roamed further, slipping inside her clothes, and exploring her body.

His hand slid up to cup her breasts, still confined by her bra, but he could feel the hard peaks of her nipples through the fabric. 

"Ki Lein!" she whimpered again. Even though she mispronounced his name, it didn't sound wrong to his ears.

He broke their kiss and trailed his lips down her neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her skin. Her sweet smell was like nectar to a hermit like him, and he licked and kissed every inch of her upper body that he could reach, leaving a trail of warmth and wetness wherever his mouth travelled.

But then a low growl rumbled from the tiger sleeping nearby, shattering the spell between them.

Elowen froze, clutching his arms, her body trembling. "Ki Lein, we can't," she whispered, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment.

He knew she was right. They couldn't go any further—not with the elves nearby and the wild beasts lurking in the forest. He hadn't even intended to take it that far. He just wanted to understand her feelings, but it had turned into something else—something passionate and feverish.

All in all, he was satisfied with the progress.