The morning sun over Naples arrived with a deceptive warmth, filtering through the heavy velvet curtains of the hotel suite. Inside, the air remained stale, heavy with the lingering scent of last night's adrenaline and the salty tang of the Mediterranean. Kai was already dressed in a fresh linen shirt, though his eyes bore the dark circles of a man who had spent the dawn hours staring at the ceiling. He moved with a quiet, mechanical precision, gathering his things as they prepared for the final leg of their journey.
Elea was in the bathroom, the sound of running water providing a rhythmic backdrop to Kai’s internal turmoil. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt the ghost of a slender neck beneath his fingers. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the image. The guilt from the previous
