Recap
Jemil thought the Sky Lotus Bathhouse would be a peaceful stop… until shadowy predators called Steam Shades rose from the mist and attacked. As Lyra, Nyssa, and Kaelina fought back, the system threw in an even bigger problem—an Emergency Bond Trial. Now Jemil has to trigger an Intimacy Surge in the middle of a fight to prevent his beasts' power from degrading.
Main Story
The steam was so thick Jemil could barely tell where water ended and air began. Every breath was damp heat, every sound muffled and close. Somewhere to his right, Lyra's fire hissed against the water, sending bursts of light through the fog like lightning under a storm cloud.
The shapes in the mist moved unnaturally—too smooth, too soundless. Steam Shades.
Kaelina's voice cut through the haze. "They're feeding on our heat. Every attack makes them stronger."
"That's comforting," Jemil muttered, swiping water from his eyes.
