The warmth of skin against skin ripened in the air. Manhattan's dazzling nightscape glittered beyond the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, yet failed to illuminate the thick intimacy within the room. Lucian's arm circled the girl's slender waist, pressing her more tightly against him.
That addictive warmth continued to surge through his mind. Every heartbeat, every breath deepened this bond at the level of the soul.
The air after their intimacy held a languid sweetness.
Brand-new sheets softly enveloped their entwined bodies. Heavy curtains shut out Manhattan's dazzling lights, leaving only a roomful of silent darkness.
Cate curled up in Lucian's arms like a cat, as though only this could give her an absolute sense of security.
Lucian held her, his altered consciousness interpreting this tenderness as the happiness of everything finally falling into place. He thought this pursuit had reached its end. He had won this girl, along with her unreserved love.
Yet amid that profound stillness, a cold electronic notification suddenly exploded in his mind.
[Copy complete.] [Mind Control LV5 and LV3 Mind Control have undergone Fusion Enhancement.] [Mind Control LV5 (enhanced): Absolute Behavioral Compulsion: make direct contact with the target using the skin of your hand while speaking a clear verbal command. Anyone touched will unconditionally obey any command. Chain control: only the first person needs to be touched. When a controlled person touches others, the ability automatically passes on, enabling indirect group control. Full-Dimensional Memory Manipulation: includes memory deletion and the implantation of false memories. Mental Cage: forcibly draws multiple people's consciousnesses into your own Mindscape, forming a shared memory illusion. Injuries within the Mindscape directly affect their physical bodies.]
Boom-
An immense surge of psychic power instantly poured in from where his skin touched Cate's, flowing along his arm, washing through every inch of his