[BLOODFIST SERIES 8] Lucine Celestia Veravesta swayed gently on her barstool, the warm, intoxicating haze of alcohol wrapping around her like a thick fog. The dim ambiance of the bar blurred her senses, but a flicker of curiosity ignited within her as she caught sight of the stranger seated beside her. On the other hand, Cassius Elixir Creighton's expression contorted into one of sheer horror as an unfamiliar woman suddenly pressed her lips against his without a preamble. The suddenness of the kiss struck him like a lightning bolt, his eyes wide with shock as he instinctively recoiled, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. What would inspire Lucine Celestia to kiss a stranger like Cassius Elixir Creighton so suddenly? What could she possibly see in someone who had spent a lifetime keeping emotions at bay?