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Hits after hits, groans after groans—finally, they were assuredly safe and back on solid ground. Both of them opened their eyes carefully, taking in their surroundings before Estella finally let Aries go.
Fortunately, right in front of them lay a calm lake, its surface shimmering under the faint light. Estella helped Aries to his feet, gently forcing him to sit by the water's edge. She removed his jacket and, taking one of the knives from her belt, carefully sliced through the sleeves where his burns were worst.
The burn hadn't just seared Aries's skin—it had fused his clothes and jacket to him, melting them together in a cruel, torturous mess. You can only imagine the agony Estella endured as she carefully peeled the scorched fabric away, painstakingly making sure no bits were left stuck to his skin.
Meanwhile, Aries gripped Estella's hips tightly, biting back hisses and stifling any reaction he could, but to anyone watching, it was painfully obvious just how excruciating the ordeal was.
The state of his skin made her wince involuntarily, and she murmured, "That's going to scar." The seared flesh staring back at her was raw and angry, bright red from his shoulder down to his arm.
"Quick question—" Aries gave her a cheeky grin and asked, "Are you into scars? Do you find them sexy?" Estella rolled her eyes and sighed, though a reluctant chuckle escaped her lips. That was so typical of Aries; even in agony, he couldn't resist his usual banter.
Knowing the pain was just beginning to set in, she reached into his backpack and pulled out a plastic sheet, folding it neatly into a palm-sized square. "Yes," she said flatly. "Yes, I do."
Before Aries could launch into his usual flirty comeback, she shoved the plastic sheet into his mouth and made sure he bit down firmly. Then she pointed toward the lake, urging him to get in.
Aries whined, now half-naked from the waist up, dreading the thought of submerging his burned skin into cool water. Despite his discomfort, he let out a resigned sigh and muttered, "Let's just get this over with quickly." Summoning his courage, Aries dipped his injured shoulder into the cool water. The pain was sharp and unbearable, causing tears to well in his eyes, but he stayed in the water, letting it soothe the burning sensation.
While Aries was cooling down, Estella finally took a moment to examine herself. Blood still oozed from her wounds and injuries, and she rummaged through Aries's bag in search of anything that might help—but luck was not on their side. The best she could do was to keep the wounds clean to prevent infection.
After about five minutes, Aries's pain began to subside, and he settled himself by a large rock, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. But his attention wasn't fully on their environment for long. Instead, he was watching Estella, who had started stripping off her upper clothes. Her back was bare, marked by scars and streaked with blood—a sight he couldn't help but ogle. "You better have your eyes anywhere but on me, Aries," she warned, irritation lacing her voice.
