Chapter 10 - Walking Dead

Ethan resisted the overwhelming urge to pounce on Eloise, who lay like a goddess on the bed, bathed in the ethereal glow of the moonlight. Her skin emitted a radiant brilliance, casting an enchanting spell on the room. With deliberate slowness, Ethan shed the constraints of his shirt and lay beside her, his hand finding its place tenderly beside her head. Gently, he parted the strands of hair that framed her face and bestowed upon her a kiss filled with compassion.

"Okay, this is awkward. Can we skip to the part where we have sex already?" Eloise's frustrated grumble punctuated the charged atmosphere.

"Hush," Ethan whispered, placing a finger on Eloise's lips while the other caressed the contours of her face. "It's just... everything that happened today made me realize something, Eloise. Even at the brink of death, my biggest fear wasn't my own demise; it was for you. I was afraid something would happen to you, anywhere, anytime. My mind found no solace until I saw you, and I know how peculiar this might sound, but I... I think I love you."

"Enough sweet talk, get over here," Eloise displaced his commitment as she pulled him in for a kiss. "Can we start this already?"

"Okay," Ethan responded eagerly, shedding the last remnants of clothing before surrendering to the dance of passion.

In the living room. Liam grappled with the haunting fear that clung to him, preventing the solace of sleep. He questioned whether Heidi's advice to follow her had merit. The vulnerability of their exposed surroundings weighed heavily on him. Standing up, he draped a coat around himself, stepping into the cold night air. Gazing at the celestial canvas above, he pondered how his abrupt disappearance would impact those he cherished back home—his father, his sister, his stepmother. Their love enveloped him, a stark contrast to the enigma that now engulfed him. What started as a journey of discovery had led them to this mysterious realm, leaving Liam to contemplate his peaceful life on Earth, now replaced by a constant cycle of evasion and fear.

"Perhaps a walk will ease my troubled thoughts," Liam murmured, strolling deeper into the forest, attuned to the subtle sounds of nature. Familiar with the surroundings, he treaded in silence, reminiscent of the place where they had disposed of Lorzark's body. With each step, his anxiety heightened.

After ten minutes, he reached the supposed resting place of Lorzark's lifeless form. The anticipated terror seized him as he found an empty space where the body should lie. Scanning the surroundings for any signs of animal disturbance yielded nothing. Liam knelt down, scrutinizing the footsteps etched into the earth. Unease gnawed at him as he traced the prints, confirming that they indeed belonged to Lorzark. A bewildering realization struck—Lorzark had survived. Confounded by the contradiction of their certainty in his demise, Liam followed the trail back, discovering that the footsteps led directly to Lorzark's house.

"Shit," Liam exclaimed, his voice carrying the weight of unforeseen implications.

********

Meanwhile, back in the intimate confines of Lorzark's room, passion unfolded like a clandestine dance. "Ahnnnn~... Yes~ that's the spot~," Eloise's soft voice resonated as she was grabbed on the neck while navigating the intricate movements from behind. Ethan face disappeared into her luxuriant hair, inhaling the intoxicating scent that enveloped her.

As the intensity heightened, Ethan's movements reached a crescendo, his connection with Eloise reaching a primal depth. The symphony of their passion echoed through the room, harmonizing with her moans that reverberated like a melody. Five minutes immersed in this sensual dance, and Ethan sensed the climax approaching. With a deliberate withdrawal, he released his essence upon her back, and both collapsed in a symphony of breathless exhaustion.

In the realm of anticipation and desire, the aftermath left them breathless, the cumulative encounters demanding a respite they willingly embraced.

****

™ Five minutes earlier, outside the closed door™

"Fucking slut," Sophia's teeth gritted in frustration, a muffled symphony against the backdrop of night. In the aftermath of Eloise's moans, Sophia emerged from the house, her irritation carried away by the cool night breeze under the expansive branches of a colossal tree. The calming air seemed to purify her lungs, each breath an elixir of tranquility.

Under the influence of this soothing atmosphere, Sophia resisted the lull of sleep, a futile resistance against the siren call of slumber. Closing her eyes, she surrendered to the night, her peaceful beauty illuminated by the radiance of three moons above.

Liam, sprinting toward the house, stumbled upon this ethereal scene. Fear gripped him as he contemplated Sophia's motionless form. "Is she dead? Am I too late?" Anxiety trembled in his voice, grappling with the possibility that someone had silently claimed her in this unfamiliar realm.

Approaching cautiously, Liam bent down, tentative fingers brushing against her neck. A sigh of relief escaped him as warmth and life met his touch. "Phew, she's alive... Hey, wake up!"

"Leeeave me alooone," Sophia's protest accompanied her continued slumber. Yet, Liam persisted, shaking her gently, momentarily unsettling the serenity of her sleep.

"Wake up, you idiot!" Frustration etched across Liam's face, contemplating a more forceful awakening before opting for a gentler method.

"Ughhh," the sleeping beauty yielded, her eyes fluttering open after a brief resistance. "•Yawn• Liam, it's you. Why do you look so worried?"

Wiping away cold sweat in the frigid night, Liam pointed urgently in the direction he had come from. "I think we are in trouble. Lorzark! He's nowhere to be found."

"What do you mean?" Sophia's inquiry hung in the chilly air as Liam recounted the disconcerting details. Shock mirrored in her expression, she rose, and together they hastened toward Lorzark's house.

The threshold of Lorzark's dwelling awaited them, harboring the enigma of what lay beyond.