Lory felt herself pulled tight against Zhao Li Xin's chest as the night tore open around them. The moment they burst through the shattered door, the inferno swallowed the plane behind them, an explosion of violet flame that painted the clouds in streaks of fire. The wind howled like a living beast, tearing at her hair, stinging her skin.
The ground was impossibly far below, an endless stretch of blue and white spinning beneath them as they plummeted from forty thousand feet. Lory clung to Zhao Li Xin's neck with all her strength, her fingers digging into the fabric of his collar. The force of the wind pressed against her face so hard she could barely breathe.
Yet, somehow, she wasn't afraid.
Her heart raced, yes, but not fear because she believed Zhao Li Xin wouldn't have leapt into the sky with her, if he didn't assure he could keep her safe. Zhao Li Xin can be extreme, but he never risks her safety, and that belief alone steadied her heart amid the freefall.
