Chapter 257 257: “Don’t do that.”*

Spirit RealmThe Spirit Realm pulsed with quiet energy, its glowing rivers casting soft light across the forest of luminous spires. The air hummed, alive with whispers of souls and the faint crackle of unseen power. The ground beneath was warm, soft like moss but glowing faintly, as if the earth itself was breathing.

Ruka sat on a low ridge overlooking the water, his flames dim but flickering at his fingertips, dancing like they had a mind of their own. His dark hair fell loose over his shoulders, and his eyes—sharp, amber, alive—watched the horizon where the light bent and twisted into shapes no mortal could name. He wasn't tense, but there was a weight to him tonight, a heaviness that hadn't been there before.

Temmy sat beside him, knees pulled to her chest, her silver hair catching the glow of the river. Her hands rested on the ground, fingers tracing the faint pulse of the realm's energy. The beast she'd been training to summon earlier was gone now, its presence lingering only as a faint pressure in her chest. She didn't look at Ruka right away. Her gaze was fixed on the water, where sparks drifted like fireflies.

They hadn't spoken in a while. The silence wasn't awkward—it was heavy, full of things neither wanted to say yet.

"You feel it, don't you?" Ruka said finally, his voice low, rough around the edges like he'd been chewing on the words for hours.

Temmy's fingers paused on the ground. She didn't look at him. "The war?"

He nodded, his flames flaring briefly before settling. "It's close. Too close."

She let out a slow breath, her shoulders tightening. "I thought we'd have more time."

Ruka's lips twitched, not quite a smile. "Time's a liar. Always has been."

Temmy turned to him then, her grey eyes catching the light, sharp and searching. "You're not scared, are you?"

He leaned back on his hands, staring up at the endless sky of the Spirit Realm, where stars weren't stars but fragments of something older. "Scared? Nah. I've fought worse than this." His voice softened, just a fraction. "But I'm not stupid either. This isn't some skirmish. It's the adversaries. The Progenitors. Adam. All of it."

Temmy's throat tightened. She pulled her knees closer, her fingers digging into the glowing earth. "You think we'll make it?"

Ruka's gaze flicked to her, and for a moment, he didn't answer. His eyes held hers, steady, unyielding, but there was something raw in them—something he didn't let out often. "I think we'll fight like hell. That's what matters."

She shook her head, a small, frustrated laugh escaping her. "That's not what I'm asking, Ruka. I mean… us. You. Me. If we come out the other side, what happens? What if one of us doesn't?"

His jaw clenched, and he looked away, back to the river. The flames at his fingertips flickered out entirely, leaving his hands bare. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Talk like we're already dead." His voice was sharp, but it softened as he kept going. "I don't know what's coming, Temmy. I don't know if I'll be standing when it's over. Or you. But I know I'm not wasting whatever time we've got left thinking about it."

She stared at him, her chest aching. His words were blunt, but they carried a weight she hadn't expected. She reached out, her hand brushing his arm, tentative at first. "Ruka… if I don't make it—"

"Stop." He turned to her, his eyes burning now, not with fire but with something fiercer. "You don't get to say that. Not tonight."

She opened her mouth to argue, but the look in his eyes stopped her. It wasn't anger. It was need—raw, unguarded, the kind of thing he never let anyone see. Her breath caught, and she realized how close they were, how the heat of his skin bled into hers even through the thin space between them.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the realm. "Not tonight."

He didn't move for a moment, just watched her, his gaze tracing the curve of her face, the way her hair caught the light, the way her lips parted slightly as she breathed. Then, slowly, he reached out, his hand cupping the back of her neck, pulling her closer.

Their foreheads touched, and for a second, the world was just them—their breaths mixing, the warmth of his skin against hers, the quiet pulse of the Spirit Realm fading into the background. His thumb brushed her jaw, rough but careful, and she felt her heart stutter.

"Temmy," he murmured, his voice low, rough, like it was dragged from somewhere deep. "Whatever happens tomorrow, or the day after, or when this whole damn thing burns down… right now, it's you and me. That's all I care about."

Her eyes stung, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into him, her hands finding his chest, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. "Then make it count," she said, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest. "Make tonight count."

His lips crashed into hers, fierce and hungry, like he'd been holding back too long. She kissed him back just as hard, her hands sliding up to grip his shoulders, pulling him closer. The air between them sparked, the realm's energy flaring around them, as if it could feel the heat building.

Ruka's hands moved to her waist, strong and sure, lifting her effortlessly onto his lap. She straddled him, her thighs pressing against his hips, her fingers tangling in his dark hair as she deepened the kiss. His tongue brushed hers, hot and demanding, and a low groan rumbled in his chest, vibrating against her.

"Fuck," he muttered against her lips, his hands sliding under her shirt, calloused palms rough against the soft skin of her back. "You're gonna kill me before the war does."

She laughed, breathless, her lips brushing his jaw. "Good. Then you'll go out happy."

His grin was sharp, wicked, as he tugged her shirt over her head, tossing it aside. The glowing riverlight painted her skin in soft hues, her curves catching the shimmer like she was part of the realm itself. His hands roamed, tracing the dip of her waist, the swell of her hips, before settling on her thighs, gripping them hard enough to leave marks.

Temmy's breath hitched as she tugged at his shirt, pulling it off with a quick, impatient yank. His chest was broad, scarred, warm under her hands as she traced the lines of muscle, the faint burns where his flames had kissed his own skin. She leaned in, her lips finding the pulse at his throat, tasting the salt of his skin, the heat of him.

Ruka's hands slid higher, fingers hooking into the waistband of her pants, pulling them down with a slow, deliberate tug. She lifted her hips to help, kicking them off, leaving her bare except for the thin fabric of her underwear. His eyes darkened, raking over her, and she felt a rush of heat under his gaze, her skin tingling where his hands lingered.

"You're beautiful," he said, his voice rough, almost reverent, as he pulled her closer, his lips brushing the curve of her shoulder, then lower, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses across her collarbone, down to the swell of her breasts. His teeth grazed her skin, just enough to make her gasp, her back arching into him.

Her hands fumbled with his belt, fingers clumsy with want as she tugged it free, shoving his pants down. He kicked them off, and she felt the hard length of him press against her thigh, hot and heavy through the thin barrier of fabric. A low moan escaped her as she rocked against him, the friction sending sparks through her core.

"Ruka," she breathed, her nails digging into his shoulders as she moved, slow at first, then faster, chasing the heat building between them. His hands gripped her hips, guiding her, his breath ragged against her skin.

"Fuck, Temmy," he growled, his voice thick with need as he lifted her slightly, tugging her underwear aside. His fingers brushed her, slick and ready, and she moaned, loud and unashamed, the sound swallowed by the hum of the realm.

He didn't wait. Neither did she. She sank onto him, slow, deliberate, feeling every inch as he filled her. Her head fell back, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as her body adjusted, the stretch intense but so good it made her tremble. His hands tightened on her hips, holding her steady as he thrust up, slow at first, then harder, deeper, each movement sending waves of pleasure through her.

The world blurred. The glowing rivers, the spires, the hum of the Spirit Realm—it all faded until it was just them, bodies moving together, breaths mingling, the heat of his skin against hers. She rode him, her thighs tightening around his hips, her hands braced on his chest as she chased the edge, her moans growing louder, needier.

Ruka's hands slid up her back, pulling her down for a kiss that was all teeth and tongue, messy and desperate. "You feel so fucking good," he murmured against her lips, his voice raw, breaking as he thrust harder, matching her rhythm.

Her nails raked down his chest, leaving red lines in their wake, and he groaned, the sound vibrating through her. She was close—so close—her body tightening, every nerve alight as she moved faster, chasing the release that was building, coiling, ready to snap.

"Ruka," she gasped, her voice breaking as she came undone, her body shuddering around him, waves of pleasure crashing through her. He followed a moment later, a low, guttural groan tearing from his throat as he spilled inside her, his grip on her hips bruising as he held her close.

They stayed like that, panting, tangled together, her forehead resting against his as their breaths slowed. The realm's glow seemed brighter now, or maybe it was just them, their heat bleeding into the world around them.

Temmy laughed softly, breathless, her lips brushing his. "If we don't make it… that was worth it."

Ruka's grin was lazy, sated, as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Hell yeah, it was."

They didn't move for a while, just held each other, the weight of the war still there but softer now, pushed back by the warmth of their bodies, the quiet promise of this moment. Tomorrow would come, with its blood and fire and shadows. But tonight, they were alive.

And that was enough.