As he spoke, Shade sat down beside the Fire Basin and gave the nun a detailed account of how Snake had ambushed him and hurled him into the mountain, how he had discovered a passage within it, and then found the Sacrificial Ground inside the mountain.
Sister Devlin did not speak throughout, but Shade knew that she was listening attentively.
After finishing his account, Shade took the initiative to extend his right hand to her. Once Sister Devlin placed her hand atop his, the flame that had rested steadily in Shade's heart suddenly raced along his right arm and into her hand.
In an instant, the "First Fire Afterglow" state fully appeared upon Sister Devlin's body. From the cracks in her skin, crimson firelight shone more brilliantly than ever before. Before Shade could even react, flames had engulfed her entire body.
[At a time like this, you should do something.]
"She" reminded him softly, and Shade thought she made a great deal of sense.
Devlin remained silent. Even her crown-like blindfold was now covered in fiery cracks. As she silently endured the pain of being burned, she never expected Shade to pull hard and drag her into his embrace.
The Outlander held the burning nun in his arms. She pushed against him twice at first, then simply allowed herself to remain in his embrace.
The flames scorched them both. Sister Devlin trembled at first, but then, biting her lip in Shade's arms, she gradually calmed down. As for Shade, although he could also feel the burning pain, his soul was utterly unafraid of the flames' assault. Only his body was being burned, so he suffered far less pain than Sister Devlin.
The flames illuminated every corner of the dim underground Sacrificial Ground. The two of them, embracing each other, quietly