Chapter 63: Close Quarters
*Back to Aria's POV*
"Ha... ha... don't move, Leah. Relax. It won't hurt, I promise."
"Hng... I don't trust you..."
"Haa... it's too tight..."
"Mm... sorry..."
This is a physiological phenonon. This is a physiological phenonon. This is a physiological phenonon!
Maybe if I repeat that enough, It'll calm down. Probably not, though. Because I am not calm.
I moved around, trying to get away from Leah's warm body, but that seed to have been a bad idea...
TITAN, HELP!!
---
It started so innocently.
We were all set to open the door and explore whatever horrors lay behind it. That's just the kind of reckless adventurers we are. But for once, Titan had a rare mont of wisdom and gestured we rest first.
It took us a while to understand what he ant but when we did, we listened to him. I an, he's usually right about these things.
So, we took a breather, sitting against the cold stone walls and chatting idly to pass the ti(mostly talking to myself cuz Titan can't talk). Leah seed unusually quiet, probably still mulling over the earlier fight we had with that thing. I, on the other hand, was trying to focus on not thinking about how creepy that door looked.
Maybe there's a way for us to get out WITHOUT going to any more doors?
I thought to myself as I put my hands on my head and lied back, towards the wall.
*Click*
Fuck.
Then, the ground betrayed us.
Without warning, it shook violently, as if the dungeon itself were alive and angry. Before we could react, the floor collapsed beneath us.
We fell.
Again.
For the record, I'm sick of falling.
The plunge into darkness seed endless, like the dungeon was swallowing us whole. When a faint light appeared in the distance, I dared to hope that we might survive this.
Turns out, I should've kept my expectations low.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the worst situation imaginable.
We were stuck.
Leah and I were cramd into what I could only describe as a vertical slot. The space was ridiculously tight—barely 1 ters wide and not much taller. It was like being squeezed into a coffin, except we were both alive and very much aware of how awkward this was.
"What is this?!" I exclaid, my voice bouncing off the close walls.
Leah groaned beside , her expression mirroring my panic. "Don't ask ! I didn't design this death trap!"
I pressed my hands against the smooth stone walls, trying to find so way out. But they wouldn't budge.
Panic set in as the walls seed to close in even tighter.
We were forced closer together, our bodies practically glued to each other.
"Leah," I said through gritted teeth, trying to keep my voice steady. "Don't panic."
"I'm not panicking!" she snapped. "You're the one panicking!"
"I am not panicking!"
Spoiler alert: I was absolutely panicking.
The tight space was unbearable. Claustrophobia had never been my favorite companion, and right now, it felt like it was squeezing the air out of my lungs.
To make matters worse, Leah was shifting restlessly beside , her movents brushing against in ways that were... problematic. Her breath was warm against my skin, an ever-present reminder of how uncomfortably close we were.
I could sll her scent—sothing earthy, like the forest after rain. It was oddly calming, almost enough to make forget our predicant.
Almost.
I shifted my gaze downward, and that's when I noticed it.
*Inhale*
I took a sharp breath as realization dawned on .
Leah's right leg was wedged between mine, her constant wiggling sending jolts of unwanted sensations through . I froze, my entire body stiffening as I recognized the uncomfortable truth.
My current... anatomy... was reacting.
And not in a good way.
"Of all the tis for this," I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling to the surface. My voice was low and tense, barely masking the rising panic.
I wasn't a man in my past life, but even I knew the basics. If it got stimulated without... relief, things would hurt. A lot.
And Leah, blissfully unaware of the chaos she was causing, was currently making the situation worse with every restless movent.
"I knew this was a bad idea," I hissed, pressing myself against the wall in a desperate attempt to create so distance. Not that there was much to work with in this cramped, cursed space. "That door was a trap. I should've known."
"You didn't say anything back then!" Leah shot back, her voice sharp with annoyance.
Because I didn't think we'd end up like this! I wanted to yell, but instead, I just clenched my teeth.
Maybe... maybe I could use ice magic to numb it? But what if that backfired? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
Leah shifted again, and I winced.
"Stop moving," I growled, my voice low and tight.
"What's your problem?" she snapped, clearly irritated.
"Just... don't. Move."
Leah froze, her eyes narrowing as she looked at . "What's wrong with you?"
I avoided her gaze, cheeks burning as I mumbled, "Nothing. Just... cursed door, tight space, bad idea. Let's focus on getting out of here."
Her brow furrowed in confusion, but thankfully, she didn't press the issue.
Now, I just needed to survive this cramped nightmare without dying of embarrassnt—or worse, explaining why I was so tense.
Our bickering started again and continued, our voices echoing in the confined space. It was petty, but it was also strangely comforting. At least it gave us sothing to focus on other than the fact that we were trapped.
Eventually, though, the argunt fizzled out, leaving us in tense silence.
"Aria," Leah said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"What?"
"Are we... gonna die here?"
"No," I replied firmly, though the uncertainty in my voice betrayed . "We'll figure sothing out. Just... stay calm."
She nodded, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.
Ti passed in agonizing stillness. The walls seed to press even closer, leaving us with no room to maneuver. Our bodies were practically lded together at this point, and I could feel every small movent she made.
"This is all your fault," I blurted out, desperate to break the silence.
Leah glared at , her cheeks flushed. "My fault?! How is this my fault? You're the one who pressed that button?!"
"That was an accident! You're the one who insisted we check out that suspicious door!"
"And you're the one who agreed to it!"
We glared at each other, our faces re inches apart.
Then, out of nowhere, we both started laughing.
The absurdity of the situation was too much. Here we were, trapped in a ridiculously tight space, arguing like children while the dungeon probably plotted its next move against us.
"Okay," Leah said, her lips curling into a small smile. "Maybe this is both of our faults."
"Yeah," I admitted grudgingly. "But next ti, let's listen to Titan, okay?"
"Deal."
For a brief mont, the tension eased.
Then the walls creaked ominously.
"Uh... Leah?"
"Yeah?"
"I think it's getting tighter."
Her eyes widened in alarm. "What do you an it's getting tighter?!"
"I an the walls are closing in!"
Panic erupted again as we tried to push against the encroaching stone. But it was no use.
"TITAN!" I scread at the top of my lungs. "HELP!"
No response.
Leah's breathing quickened as the space grew even tighter. "Aria," she said softly, her voice trembling.
"What?"
"If we don't make it out of here... I just want you to know..."
Her words trailed off, and my heart skipped a beat.
"What?" I prompted, my voice shaky.
She t my gaze, her expression serious. "You're the weirdest person I've ever t."
I blinked, caught off guard. Then, despite the dire situation, I burst out laughing.
"You're one to talk!" I shot back.
Our laughter echoed in the confined space, a defiant sound in the face of danger.
Sohow, I knew we'd make it through this.
We had to.
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