’I need to make sure she stays drawn to ,’ he decided, choosing to go all out... to entice her until the thought of leaving never crossed her mind.
Lana hesitated when he didn’t respond. Gathering her strength, she forced herself to stand.
Her legs trembled violently, weak enough that she felt she might collapse at any second, yet she pushed through it. Step by step, she reached him and gently patted his shoulder.
Lucian turned around, innocence shining clearly in his eyes.
Lana nearly fainted.
This Lucian was dangerously attractive, the pure look in his gaze clashing with a body so perfect she had an overwhelming urge to touch it.
His handso face only made it worse. For a fleeting mont, she almost leaned in without thinking. Then it hit her.
’It’s just a dream.’
Confidence blood instantly. ’I’ve done this so many tis before,’ she reassured herself. ’And every ti, he never rembers.’ There was no need to be cautious.
Tilting her head, she looked at him closely. "Do you know how to kiss?"
Lucian nodded.
Her eyes narrowed mischievously. "Then tell ... how many moles do I have on my body?"
He blinked, visibly confused. "I... don’t know."
Relief washed over her. As long as he didn’t know, it ant he rembered nothing from before.
This dream version of Lucian would forget everything once she woke up.
Without another thought, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned toward his lips.
Lucian only stared at her, unmoving, but this ti, Lana noticed sothing else. His body reacted.
Her eyes widened slightly. This was the first ti she had seen it so clearly... or maybe it was because he was completely naked.
Lucian, on the other hand, struggled to suppress his reaction. He had hidden it well before, playing innocent with practiced ease, but this ti he had gone too far.
Still, he forced himself to maintain that innocent expression.
’She’ll make an excuse for ,’ he was sure of it. After all, she would never imagine that he could control dreams.
Lana smirked to herself. ’This must be my subconscious desire,’ she thought proudly.
She had once wished that Lucian would react just by seeing her... and now he had.
When the dream finally faded, Lana woke up with a satisfied smile.
The camp was dark now, night fully settled. Stepping outside, she saw her classmates preparing their als, the crackling of fire and the sll of food filling the air.
Blinking away the last traces of sleep, she took out an instant noodle packet.
After boiling so water, she poured it over the noodles and ate quietly while watching the others.
So had co up with the idea of barbecuing, the sll of lightly charred at drifting through the cold night air.
Others had scavenged vegetables and fruits, washing them carefully before turning them into simple salads.
Watching all this, Lana genuinely felt that each of them was surprisingly creative, adapting quickly to the unfamiliar environnt.
At the sa ti, several gazes turned toward her, bitter, restrained, and tinged with quiet resentnt. Lana was the only one who had been allowed to bring instant noodles.
The rest had been ordered to fend for themselves, to hunt or forage if they wanted to eat.
That rule had been set by Axel, and more than a few people silently wondered what kind of relationship Lana shared with him to receive such special treatnt.
So narrowed their eyes as the thought crossed their minds. ’Maybe they’re family,’ they reasoned.
’Distant relatives, perhaps... not lovers.’ That explanation soothed their hearts just enough, and no one voiced their suspicions aloud.
Lana, unaware of the undercurrent, sat quietly with her noodles, the warmth of the cup seeping into her palms.
Layla, who had been glancing at Lana for a while, finally gave in to her curiosity. She walked over and sat beside her. Lana noticed and smiled instinctively, the gesture soft and welcoming.
"What happened earlier?" Layla asked casually, her tone light.
Without waiting long, Layla presented a small wooden bowl. "I made a fruit salad. Do you want so?"
Lana didn’t hesitate. She nodded and accepted the chopsticks, lifting a piece and placing it in her mouth.
The mont she tasted it, she closed her eyes in quiet delight.
The fruit was crisp, sweet, and unbelievably fresh.
’The ghost zone really hasn’t been invaded by humans at all,’ she thought.
’No pollution... no contamination.’ Everything that grew here carried a pure, natural flavor that was impossible to replicate elsewhere.
She savored it slowly.
Seeing that Lana had eaten so, Layla’s eyes gradually drifted toward the cup of instant noodles in Lana’s hands. After Lana took another bite, Layla hesitated before speaking again.
"Do you... want to exchange?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Lana imdiately waved her hand. "No, no. This can’t compare to what you made."
The refusal struck Layla harder than expected. She froze for a mont, feeling as though she had been lightly slapped.
As a devoted foodie, she was suffering the most tonight.
Noticing her reaction, Lana paused. ’Even if instant noodles are nothing compared to this salad, refusing outright might be rude,’ she thought.
With that in mind, she pushed her cup forward. "You can try so, if you want."
Layla’s eyes lit up. She took one bite, then another, and then another.
Lana stared, stunned, as the noodles rapidly disappeared. She remained silent until Layla finally realized what she had done. Layla looked up with a sheepish smile.
"I... didn’t an to eat so much. It was an accident."
Lana nodded, saying nothing.
"I just really love instant food," Layla added quickly, laughing awkwardly.
anwhile, Mr. Crow scanned the surroundings, his expression growing thoughtful. "Have you noticed sothing strange about the atmosphere?"
Lana looked at him, puzzled. "What do you an?"
Only then did she realize it. Her classmates were secretly glancing in her direction, their expressions oddly expectant, as if they were waiting for sothing to happen.
While she was still confused, Mr. Crow continued, "While you were asleep, I kept watch. None of them were allowed to bring food. They had to find everything on their own."
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