Chapter 39: The Highest Bidder, Part Fourteen

{Mel}

The late hour typically found Mel lounging in front of the television. That was pretty much all she did these days. 

Well, that and debate whether to accept the ominous offer she'd been given a while back that lingered on her Status screen. The history behind the message advised caution, so she hesitated.

Yet, amid her usual pondering, thoughts of Lianna persistently infiltrated her mind. The recollection of their recent encounter left an indelible mark, setting her lips abuzz with an inexplicable warmth.

Indeed, Lianna truly was most of what Mel could think about. Her lips almost felt like they'd been set on fire. 

However, in just a moment, she would find that her nightly routine was about to change greatly. 

An explosion shattered the tranquility, jolting Mel from her contemplations. Muffled sounds outside morphed into unmistakable signs of chaos, punctuated by distant screams.

[... Huh?]