Adam sat rigidly on a fallen log, his crimson eyes fixed on the shimmering thread cocoon suspended between two trees. The silken structure pulsed with a soft, rhythmic light—Lilith's evolution, unfolding within.
The vampire stood a few paces away, her pale blue eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made his skin crawl. She hadn't spoken in hours. Her gaze said everything—suspicion, curiosity, and something that made Adam's stomach twist.
'Stop staring at me like that,' he thought, his internal voice strained. 'I didn't know this would happen. I didn't know Lilith would just... start evolving right after we—'
He cut the thought off, his face flushing.
Ignis, sprawled on a sun-warmed rock nearby, stretched her arms above her head. Her flames flickered lazily, casting dancing shadows across the clearing.
"So," she said, breaking the silence, "Lilith's really evolving inside that cocoon thing?" She tilted her head, studying the pulsing silk.
