"Mmm..."
Wrapped in the afterglow of their lovemaking, and under the influence of the circulating energy, Marcus and Lily drifted into a hazy, satisfied sleep, the technique's energy flowing through them, strengthening their bodies.
The next morning, Marcus opened his eyes to find a radiant Lily nestled comfortably on his chest. They were naked, tangled together without an inch of space between them. Looking at her exquisite face and soft curves, he gently stroked her silky skin, savoring the taste of happiness and the beauty of his life.
After the night's 'baptism,' Lily seemed even more alluring, a new, womanly depth in her eyes. She carried a seductive charm that reminded him of Willow Moran's mature appeal, making her utterly captivating.
Looking at the beautiful Lily, one of Crestwood University's most desired women, the dream of countless men, now curled affectionately in his arms, Marcus felt a powerful surge of pride.
"Marcus..."
He'd accidentally woken the beauty in his arms. Lily stretched lazily, and seeing him admiring her so intently, she felt a rush of happiness, mixed with a lingering shyness from their first night together.
"Ouch..."
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"Mmm, you were a little wild last night."
The memory of his passion and fervor made her heart melt all over again, and a fresh wave of shyness washed over her.
"I'm sorry. I was too rough. Did I hurt you?"
"The first time is supposed to hurt a little. It's your feeling. Your mark on me."
Lily whispered the words, her voice barely audible, but Marcus heard every one.
A wave of pride and excitement surged through him, but he knew he had to restrain himself today.
"Let me see."
"No."
"Mmm..."
Lily tried to block his mischievous hands as they slid downward, but he distracted her by capturing a swaying breast with his mouth.
"Just let me look," he murmured, his voice husky.
"Marcus, no. Amber will be up soon. It would be so embarrassing if she saw."
Lily felt her resistance crumbling. If this continued, she'd lose all control, so she quickly found an excuse to stop.
"Marcus..."
'Oh, crap.'
Right as Lily mentioned Amber, the girl pushed the bedroom door open and stood frozen in the doorway, staring at Marcus and Lily locked in their intimate embrace.
"You're terrible," Lily whispered, shoving Marcus away and burying her face in the pillow, too mortified to look up.
"Marcus..."
Amber said his name again, but her voice was different this time, tight, strained, like she was fighting back tears.
Before Marcus could even process it, Amber spun on her heel and ran.
"Marcus, what's wrong with Amber? Go check on her, quick," Lily urged, having also caught the girl's strange tone.
"Right."
Marcus scrambled into his clothes and went to find his sister.
He pushed open her door to find her face down on the bed, her body shaking with quiet, hitching sobs.
"Amber, what's going on?"
She didn't answer, refusing to even look at him.
"Amber, talk to me. What's wrong?"
He sat on the edge of the bed and gently took her by the shoulders, turning her over.
Her face was a mess of tears, her cheeks slick and her eyes red and puffy. Her mouth was turned down in a heartbreaking grimace as she cried, the sound raw and gut-wrenching.
He hadn't seen her this torn up since their parents died. Seeing her in so much pain now made his own chest ache.
"Amber, what is it? What's making you so sad? You can tell me."
He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.
"Please don't cry, kiddo. It kills me to see you like this. Whatever it is, I can fix it."
She just kept crying, the sorrowful sobs continuing unabated, and Marcus started to feel a real spike of anxiety.
"Brother... are you... are you going to leave me now?"
Her words hit him like a physical blow.
"What are you talking about, you silly girl? Why would I ever leave you?"
"Waaah..."
"Now you're going to be with Lily, and I'm scared you won't want me anymore."
"What nonsense is that? I—"
"Brother, you know? Even though I liked Serena, I hated it when you were with her."
Amber cut him off before he could finish.
"When you were with Serena, you only had eyes for her. You didn't hang out with me anymore. You didn't hug me. It made me so sad back then."
What? Marcus was floored. He had no memory of neglecting her. He'd always felt he was a protective, caring brother. But now was clearly not the time to argue the point.
"You spent all your time with Serena. You didn't even know how sad I was. But it was okay then, because Mom and Dad were here. They'd comfort me when I was upset. But now they're gone... and if you're with Lily, what happens to me? I'll be all alone. No one will love me anymore."
At this, she started crying in earnest again, like a child who'd just had her most precious possession ripped away.
"Oh, Amber. You silly, silly girl. What are you even thinking? I will always love you, and we will always be together. You're my little treasure, remember?"
"Really? You'll never leave me? You'll always love me? Even when you're with Lily, you'll still love me?"
Amber finally stopped crying, her watery eyes looking up at him, full of hope.
"Of course. No matter what, I will always love you, Amber. The fact that you'd even doubt your big brother is kind of pissing me off now."
He nodded firmly, smoothing her hair and wiping the last of the tears from her cheeks. He gently booped her nose, and finally, the storm seemed to pass.
"Really, Big bro? I'm so happy."
With that, Amber flung herself into his arms, holding him tightly. A fresh wave of tears started, but these felt different.
"Big bro, give me a kiss. Like you used to," Amber pleaded, slipping into her little-sister act.
Marcus picked her up, kissed her damp cheek, and then gently flicked her nose again.
"Alright, sleepyhead. Time to get up."
"Mmm..."
After breakfast, Marcus watched Amber and Lily log into the game. It was his turn to strap on the headset and dive back into Dominion. He needed to keep grinding. His level was still within striking distance of the top players, and if he didn't push hard, he'd be left in the dust.
A flash of light, and he materialized on the first floor of Blackrock Spire, right where he'd logged out. The dark tower was still filled with the unnerving clack-clack-clack of bones scraping together, a seriously creepy sound. But after three days of farming this place, he was used to it. It was just background noise now.
These Skeleton Warriors had been his bread and butter for experience, but now, itching to try his new Level 20 gear, he ignored the trash mobs and headed straight for the respawned boss, the Skeleton Captain.
'You've got to be kidding me.'