The suite was quiet now, the dim lights from the bedside lamps casting a soft, golden hue over the rumpled sheets.
Seraphina and Callista lay tangled together, their bodies still warm from the passion that had consumed them earlier.
The city outside hummed faintly through the windows, but inside, it was just the steady rhythm of their breathing.
Callista had fallen asleep first, her arm draped possessively over Seraphina's waist, her dark hair fanned out on the pillow.
Seraphina, exhausted but content, had drifted off soon after, her red hair a wild mess against the white fabric.
[This night... It's more than I expected. She's strong, but there's a softness here. I could get used to this.]
The clock on the nightstand read 2:47 AM when a soft chime echoed in Seraphina's mind, pulling her from a light sleep.
It wasn't from the room—it was internal, like a gentle bell only she could hear.
Seraphina's big blue eyes fluttered open, her body tensing instinctively.
The chime rang again, followed by the familiar, mechanical voice of the Astra Codex System.
"Host, congratulations. You have successfully met and connected with a key figure in your destiny path: Callista Thorne."
She blinked in the dim light, careful not to move too much and wake Callista.
[Connected? What does that mean? We talked at the bar, and then... oh.]
A flush crept up her cheeks as memories of their intimate night flooded back—the touches, the moans, the way their bodies had fit together so perfectly.
The system continued, its tone almost cheerful, like a quirky assistant from one of those webnovels she'd read in her past life.
"For sharing body fluids and forming this bond, you have unlocked a special gift. Claim it now to proceed."
Seraphina nearly choked on a laugh, stifling it with her hand.
[Sharing body fluids? Is this thing serious? Like, what—kissing? Or the sex? That's the weirdest way to phrase it. Sounds like some medical report gone wrong.]
She bit her lip to keep quiet, her shoulders shaking slightly with silent giggles.
The alcohol from earlier still lingered in her system, making the absurdity even funnier.
[If only Callista could hear this. 'Congrats on the fluids!' Yeah, right.]
But the system didn't seem to notice her amusement. "The gift is ready. Proceed to a private space to claim it without disturbance."
Seraphina glanced at Callista, who was sleeping soundly, her small, firm breasts rising and falling with each breath under the sheet.
[Can't wake her. This system's timing is awful.]
Carefully, she untangled herself, sliding out from under Callista's arm with slow, deliberate movements.
Her bare feet touched the plush carpet, cool and soft.
She paused, watching Callista stir slightly but not wake, then tiptoed toward the bathroom door, her big, firm ass swaying gently in the dim light.
The door was just a few steps away, but she moved like a shadow—her assassin training kicking in instinctively.
[Quiet as a mouse. Or 'The Eye,' I guess.]
Reaching the bathroom, Seraphina grasped the handle with gentle fingers, turning it slowly.
The hotel's doors were well-oiled, as she'd noticed earlier—probably maintained with something like a lubricant to prevent squeaks, a trick she'd learned from her shadowy past.
She pressed the handle fully down, as if easing into a silent close, and pushed the door open just enough to slip through.
Once inside, she turned the lock with precision: first, she wrapped a small hand towel around the mechanism to muffle any potential click, then twisted it gradually, her ear pressed to the wood to ensure no sound escaped.
It locked with barely a whisper, softer than a breath.
[Perfect. No noise at all.]
The bathroom was luxurious—marble counters gleaming under a soft nightlight, a large mirror reflecting her dishevelled but glowing form, and a deep tub that tempted her for a soak later.
She leaned against the counter, her reflection showing big blue eyes wide with curiosity and a hint of mirth.
"Okay, system," she whispered, keeping her voice low. "What's this gift?"
The chime rang again in her mind. "Gift unlocked: A premium action movie script from the other world. Materialising now."
A soft glow appeared on the counter, like a holographic shimmer, and suddenly, a thick leather-bound manuscript appeared—physical, tangible, with crisp pages and a title embossed in gold: Shadow Siege.
Seraphina picked it up, her fingers tracing the cover.
[Whoa, it's real. Feels like quality paper.]
She flipped through it, eyes scanning the plot summary on the first page.
It was an original action thriller:
An elite female operative named Kira Voss (eerily similar to her last name) infiltrates a high-tech skyscraper in a bustling metropolis to thwart a terrorist group stealing a revolutionary AI that could control global communications.