The smell of garlic sautéing in olive oil had begun to fill the motorhome.
In the vehicle's small luxury kitchen, Julie moved with methodical focus, chopping vegetables and keeping an eye on the pot over the electric stove.
For her, the mundane task was an anchor of sanity after a day that had nearly ended with her little brother dead.
Watching her concentration, Daniel quietly moved toward the vehicle's cabin and opened a small gap in the curtain separating the front seats.
Since the chaos of Ethan's rescue, his Spiritual Energy, which had dropped to zero after the fight with Rick, had finally recovered passively, reaching sixty points.
Enough for a test.
Looking through the windshield, he spotted a female figure coming from the direction of the cemetery, her dress swaying in the night wind.
He activated Appraisal Gaze, instantly spending twenty energy points.
Name: Jasmine / Age: ??
Life Level: 1
Strength: 28 / Endurance: 30 / Intelligence: 12 / Speed: 20
*Previously a human whose body and mind were corrupted after undergoing a ritual.
Daniel studied the information for a moment. "Went to say goodbye to her boyfriend. Touching."
The fact that the "boyfriend" in question was dead because she herself had seduced, manipulated, and then torn him apart was, obviously, far too minor a detail to ruin the moment.
[Modern relationships are complicated. Who are you to judge?] the System mocked in his mind.
"Someone who's still breathing. That's the only criterion that matters here," Daniel shot back.
He focused on the critical numbers. His own Speed was 24. Jasmine had 20.
The confirmation that he was faster, even if not by a huge margin, brought him some relief.
Still, he needed more data to confirm whether that was the standard for all of them.
Daniel noticed a male figure slowly walking near the closed diner.
He moved like someone with all the time in the world, which technically was the case.
Spending another twenty points, the details appeared.
Name: Oliver / Age: ??
Life Level: 1
Strength: 32 / Endurance: 35 / Intelligence: 9 / Speed: 17
*Previously a human whose body and mind were corrupted after undergoing a ritual.
Seventeen. This one I can outrun without effort. The problem was that the Strength stat made any direct contact an option that needed to be permanently crossed off the list, at least for now.
If they hit me, it's game over. The thought brought no anxiety. Good thing I focused on the right stat from the beginning.
"What are you doing?" Julie asked. "Dinner's ready."
"Just checking out the neighborhood." Daniel closed the gap in the curtain and walked to the table.
Two plates of aglio e olio sat on the table alongside a tray of fried chicken and a pitcher of orange juice.
Julie stood on the other side, waiting for the verdict with her arms crossed and chin slightly raised.
Sitting down, Daniel twirled some pasta onto his fork and put it into his mouth, chewing unhurriedly.
"Well?" she asked.
"You said I'd be licking my fingers."
"And will you?"
He took another bite without answering, which was, in practice, an answer.
Julie let out a satisfied puff through her nose and sat across from him. Picking up her own fork, she ate half a bite of pasta before setting it back down on the edge of her dish.
Daniel looked at her, then down at his food.
"For someone who cooked, you don't seem very enthusiastic."
"I'm not very hungry." She rested an elbow on the table and propped her face on her palm. "I'm still full from the afternoon snack."
He didn't press her. He kept eating.
Finishing his third plate, Daniel stretched contentedly. "That was really good."
As Julie gathered the dishes and stored the leftovers away, a satisfied smile spread across her face.
When she finished, Daniel pulled her over and made her sit beside him. "You asked earlier about the information Sara gave me."
Curious, Julie nodded when she saw the seriousness on the blond's face.
"First, there's something you need to know. Sara was the one who broke the clinic window." He got straight to the point.
Julie's expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief.
"Sara." She repeated the name, as if checking whether she had heard correctly. "The one who works at the diner?"
"That's the one."
"She broke the window." Julie straightened up, her shoulders rising sharply. "She let those things in. The nurse and Jade's friend died. We almost died."
"I know."
"Then how can you just sit there and tell me this so calmly?"
Instead of answering directly, Daniel began explaining the missing pieces.
After hearing the entire story about the voices and how Sara was now under watch and apparently in control, Julie relaxed slightly.
"I need you not to tell anyone," Daniel said.
"Not even my parents?"
"Especially your parents," Daniel said bluntly. "Think about it. They tend to be overprotective. If they find out Sara heard voices telling her to kill Ethan, how do you think they'll react?"
"And even if they don't do anything, they'll look at her differently. People do that, even without meaning to. And if Sara notices, she'll figure out I was the one who told, and we lose our source of information."
Julie swallowed hard. The image of Ethan and the chaos at the clinic collided inside her head. Her instincts told her to tell her parents, to protect her family.
But as she looked into Daniel's blue eyes, his logic made sense. Without Sara's warnings, they would be blind in a town that wanted to devour them.
Julie clenched her fists against her legs, her nails lightly digging into her palms as she fought a silent internal battle.
"Alright," she finally said, her tone sounding rougher and more resolute than usual. "I won't say anything."
"Good girl." Daniel petted her hair.
Julie lightly slapped his hand away. "Stop treating me like a dog."
"I'm just joking." He stood with a laugh. "I'm gonna take a shower. Pick something for us to watch."
She rolled her eyes at his antics.
While the sound of the shower echoed, Julie grabbed the bag she had brought from Colony House and spent a few minutes organizing its contents into the hallway cabinet.
Once she finished, she sat in front of the television and browsed through the massive catalog, unsure of what to choose, until the icon of a series stopped her thumb.
The Walking Dead.
Watching zombies in a town surrounded by supernatural horrors. There was a depressing yet strangely fitting logic to the choice.
The click of the bathroom door drew her attention.
Daniel walked out drying his blond hair. He wore only a pair of black shorts, his broad chest and perfectly defined abs completely exposed.
Julie's eyes locked onto his toned stomach. Her breathing hitched for a second.
"You can take a picture. It lasts longer."
Julie's cheeks instantly turned crimson.
"I wasn't looking at anything." She turned her gaze toward the television far too quickly, practically admitting the exact opposite of what she had just said.
"Of course you weren't."
"I already picked what we're watching." She grabbed the clothes she had set aside earlier while unpacking and stood from the couch, trying to move casually. "Give me a second, I'm gonna take a shower too."
"So cute," Daniel murmured as she walked past him, low enough to sound casual, but loud enough for her to hear.
Twenty minutes later, the two of them were on the couch. Julie wore a tank top and sweatpants.
Daniel, meanwhile, had put on a cotton t-shirt. The flickering light from the television bathed the interior in a pale glow.
At first, Julie's attention stayed on the zombies on the screen, but the heat radiating from the muscular body beside her soon became an impossible distraction to ignore.
With every breath, the scent of clean soap mixed with his natural smell filled the air.
Almost without noticing, she subtly slid a little closer. Daniel didn't hesitate. He draped an arm over her shoulders with possessive firmness, pulling her against his chest.
The series felt increasingly distant. Julie could feel the slow, controlled rhythm of his heartbeat beneath the fabric of his shirt.
Daniel's fingers traced absentminded patterns along the exposed skin of her shoulder, sending small shivers racing down her spine.
The comfortable silence between them gradually thickened, turning into a palpable physical and electric tension inside the motorhome.
Around the second episode, however, the exhaustion from the day finally overpowered the adrenaline, and a yawn escaped Julie's lips.
Daniel glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "We should probably get some sleep," he suggested, pausing the episode.
"Yeah, I think so too," Julie agreed. Assuming he was exhausted after the fight in the forest, she walked to the cabinet and pulled out a pillow and a few soft blankets.
Daniel watched with an amused smile as she carried the pile of bedding over and tossed it onto the couch.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Getting my bed ready," she answered naturally. "How does this open?"
"And who said you're sleeping here?" he asked, entertained.
Julie stopped, confused.
Daniel picked up the sheets and pillow, tossing them over his shoulder, while his other hand closed around hers.
"Your place is in the bedroom. With me."
"B-but..." Julie stammered, her brain short-circuiting.
He was already pulling her along, slowly enough that she could resist if she wanted to, but she didn't. Her feet followed him while her mind desperately tried to come up with an objection and failed.
They reached the bedroom before she even realized it.
Daniel threw the sheets onto the bed and tilted his head slightly, leaning closer until his lips hovered near her ear.
"Why are you so red, shorty?" He finished the sentence with a soft bite to her earlobe, drawing a shaky sigh from her.
Julie's legs weakened for a brief second.
"You... you don't play fair," she managed to whisper back, anticipation thick in her voice as her hands instinctively grabbed his broad shoulders.
"I never do," he admitted in a murmur before capturing her lips.
The kiss that started demanding quickly turned hungry and urgent.
Daniel's tongue took control, invading with restrained hunger, exploring and savoring. Julie responded as best she could, parting her lips and surrendering to him.
Without breaking contact, Daniel slid his hand down to her waist, his fingers lightly gripping the fabric of her shirt before pulling it up in one smooth motion.
Julie raised her arms almost on instinct, letting the piece of clothing be removed, but her breathing faltered the moment the cold air of the room brushed against her heated skin.
Her brown eyes wavered for a second.
Not out of regret.
Because of the intensity with which Daniel was looking at her.
Those blue eyes traveled over every exposed detail of her body without any hurry, as if he were trying to memorize the sight.
Julie felt her heart beating even faster under that attention. Her chest rose and fell too quickly while her fingers remained clutched around his broad shoulders.
A faint smile curved the corner of Daniel's mouth when he noticed how nervous she was.
"Still breathing, or did you forget how?" he teased in a low voice.
Julie opened her mouth to answer, but he didn't give her the chance. He gently pushed her, making her fall back onto the soft mattress.
Without a second thought, Daniel pulled off his shirt, tossing it aside.
Julie watched him, unable to hide her stare as her eyes traced his defined abs, broad shoulders, and the muscles shifting beneath his skin as he leaned over her.
"You can look all you want," Daniel murmured with a smirk. "I support healthy hobbies."
Her cheeks grew even redder.
"Idiot," Julie whispered, but the lack of conviction in her voice only made his smile widen.
Supporting himself over her with one knee on the edge of the bed, Daniel let his eyes wander over the young woman with an almost predatory intensity.
Julie's breathing became irregular when one of his fingers slid slowly from the base of her neck to the waistband of her sweatpants, sending shivers along the entire expanse of her skin.
She swallowed hard.
Her trembling hands moved up to his abdomen, exploring the firmness of his muscles as she tried uselessly to calm herself down.
Daniel tilted his head to restart the kiss, but this time he moved slowly down her jawline, trailing unhurried kisses along the curve of her neck.
Julie gasped softly the moment he alternated between gentle bites and the wet heat of his tongue against her sensitive skin.
Daniel's hand moved up to her back and, skillfully, he unfastened her bra.
Julie bit her lower lip involuntarily, her chest heaving as she watched his every move.
The garment was pulled away.
Daniel lifted his eyes for just a moment to look at her again.
The nervousness written across her face was almost adorable.
Julie had the urge to cover her own body, but she hesitated.
"Relax," he murmured in a lower tone, his fingers absentmindedly stroking the side of her waist. "You're too beautiful to be nervous."
The comment made her smile shyly, her timidity fighting against her lust.
Her fingers slid carefully down Daniel's chest as she tried to deal with the heat that seemed to take over her entire body.
Daniel brought his mouth to her hardened nipple, sucking and teasing with circular motions of his tongue that made Julie let out a hoarse moan.
Keeping her distracted and breathless, his hands slid down to the waistband of her sweatpants.
Julie shivered when his rough fingers touched her skin.
Daniel pulled the garment slowly down her legs, never taking his eyes off the reactions he elicited.
Finally, he pulled off her wet panties, keeping his gaze fixed on her, leaving her completely exposed.
The contrast between Julie's small, delicate body and Daniel's imposing frame was striking.
He looked like a predator hovering over his prey, but the touch of his rough hands carried an unmistakable care.
With Julie completely naked beneath the dim light, Daniel pulled back a few inches just to observe her in silence for a moment.
The flush on her face spread down her chest, revealing her nervousness mixed with arousal.
Julie went still when he moved over her again.
Daniel trailed kisses down her flat stomach, his warm breath causing shivers across her bare flesh, until he stopped right between her thighs.
Firmly, he held her knees.
"Let me see you," he said, his low voice thick with authority.
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