Elena woke with her head pounding, the dull ache of too much wine pressing behind her eyes. She groaned softly, turning her face toward the faint glow of the mana lamp on the wall.
'The party… the drinking… Elyra kept pouring more…'
She shifted under the blanket, only to realize the bed felt warmer than it should. Blinking through the haze, she turned her head—and her heart nearly stopped.
Noel was lying right beside her.
His breathing was calm, steady, his chest rising and falling in an easy rhythm. The blanket covered only part of him, leaving his upper body bare. The soft light traced the lines of his shoulders, his chest, and the faint scars etched across his skin.
Elena's face turned crimson in an instant. She clutched the sheets up to her chin, her eyes wide. 'W-wait… no… don't tell me… we…?!'
