Kiara returned her gaze to the spirit, her eyes cold once more, shoulders squared.
The spirit's smile sharpened, a final taunt, before her pink glow unraveled into threads of light, dispersing into the night like a candle snuffed out.
Kiara watched until the last trace vanished, then closed the window with a soft click, drawing the curtains to seal the room from the dark.
Exhaling slowly, she turned to glance at Lor, sprawled half-off the bed, drooling onto his pillow, one arm flung wide.
A tiny, amused sigh escaped her.
"Hopeless," she muttered, her voice laced with affection.
She slid back beneath the sheets, her body curling against his, her arm draping protectively across his chest as if to ward off any spirit that might try to slip past her guard.
Sleep claimed her slowly, her warmth pressed close to him, her breath syncing with his in the quiet.
The room settled, the moonlight softening...
.
.
