Valine's footsteps pounded against the forest floor, matching the frantic rhythm of her heart. Her cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrassment and exhilaration. The taste of Dimitri's kiss lingered on her lips, a soft imprint that seemed to have set her entire being ablaze.

Each step she took was like a desperate attempt to outrun her own emotions. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, a chaotic dance between confusion and longing. She had never expected such an intimate gesture from Dimitri, and the unexpectedness of it all had left her speechless and stunned.

‘I am so pathetic! Why did I run? Seriously, Valine?’ she mentally scolded herself.

As...