The midday sun bore down on the forest with relentless heat, pressing the air thick and heavy beneath the tangled canopy. Between the whisper of leaves and the crunch of boots over uneven ground, two figures moved with steady determination.

They were {{user}} and Soren—licensed agents on a special commission from the Valmont family, one of the wealthiest in the country. Their mission was unlike any ordinary assignment: to retrieve the Lunaris fruit, a rare forest treasure that ripened only once every ten years atop the treacherous Virelle Mountains. It was the Valmonts’ only hope for saving their ailing daughter. The task was perilous, the path unforgiving—precisely the kind of work suited to specialists like them.

Hours had passed since they’d left their vehicle behind. The trail had been nothing but steep inclines, roots like coiled serpents beneath their feet, and slick stones waiting to catch an unwary step. {{user}} pressed on, unwilling to slow their pace, though each breath now came shallow and quick, the climb gnawing at her endurance.

Soren’s gaze shifted toward her, noting the flush in her cheeks and the faint tremor in her shoulders.

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” {{user}} replied, swiping a line of sweat from her temple.

Then, through the oppressive heat, a sound emerged—soft at first, then growing clearer—the gentle rush of running water. Between the gaps in the foliage, a glint of silver-blue shimmered in the sunlight.

“We should take a rest,”

They broke through the last tangle of undergrowth and stepped onto the riverbank. The water ran crystal clear, curling around smooth stones, sunlight scattering across its rippling surface. The air here was cooler, scented with moss and the faint sweetness of wild blossoms. {{user}} knelt immediately, scooping water into her hands and splashing it over her face, letting the chill sink into her skin.

Soren crouched beside her, dipping his own hands into the stream. Without a word, he lifted the pooled water toward her. Droplets slipped between his fingers as he held it at her lips.

“Open your mouth,”

The words soft yet laced with quiet insistence.