𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

After her relaxing bath in the luxurious tub, Keira settled into the soft hotel sheets for a rest.

It wasn't strictly necessary—her mind had already unwound with the warm bathwater—but it wouldn't hurt, especially considering the long night ahead.

Following a few restful hours of sleep, the blonde rose, ready to prepare for the night. The dress selected by Jon and Luke awaited her on the bed, and Keira couldn't deny its appeal. The vibrant red hue complemented her blonde locks, and the cut accentuated her figure perfectly.  She delighted in the sensation of the fabric against her skin as she got dressed.

Applying minimal makeup with a touch of eyeliner to emphasize her eyes, Keira smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Clearly, she looked stunning. Her narrow waist was accentuated in a remarkable way, and her long legs—tanned despite it being almost winter—peeked out from under the fitted dress. The heels added to her height, and the golden jewelry always complemented her complexion and the red color of the dress and her lips. She spritzed on a perfume with seductive and irresistible notes, a blend of vanilla and sandalwood.

Finally, she left her room and went to knock on the boys' door. Luke opened it, already dressed to go out and wearing cologne. Seeing that it was her, with a completely serious expression, he turned directly without uttering a single word, leaving the door open behind him for her to enter with an unwilling invitation. Keira got into the room, filling it with the scent of sandalwood.

Luke wore a black shirt, as Jon had mentioned that morning, and black pants. The muscles of his biceps were noticeable beneath the shirt, and his sandy hair offered a wonderful contrast to his entirely dark look. Jon wore similar pants but with a plain white shirt. They had played it safe, Keira thought, but they looked quite good, considering that most of her impressions of them had been all sweaty from hunting monsters.

"Ready to roll?" Jon asked, finishing up brushing his teeth.

Keira nodded with a sly grin, teasingly adding, "Well, Jon, with that killer outfit, you might have a fan club by the end of the night. You're practically setting a new trend in fashion."

Luke shot her a skeptical look, clearly unamused by the banter. "Let's just focus on the task at hand. We're not here for a fashion show."

Keira chuckled, "Don't worry, kiddo. Your charm is enough to turn heads too. Who knows, maybe the monsters at Club Abyss will be the ones falling for you tonight."

Luke, clearly irked by Keira's remark, chose to ignore it, his jaw clenched as they approached the hotel's lobby. There, Keira headed to the front desk to return the room keys. The concierge exchanged polite nods, but Keira's mind was already on the impending night at Club Abyss.

Luke and Jon, waiting at the door, anticipated the night ahead. Luke looked serious, with his hands in his pockets and staring out onto the street through the glass door. Jon wanted to ease the tension between his brother and the blonde, so he attempted to lighten the mood with a joke, "Keira looks pretty good tonight, huh?"

Immediately, he realized it was a stupid thing to say, as Luke clearly wasn't in the mood for such comments. Jon didn't know what had happened in the woods until that afternoon when Luke told him in their room how she almost let him die. Jon was convinced that Keira had a plan in case he didn't show up, and for the sake of the quest, he tried to communicate this to his brother. He doubted whether Luke believed him.

Luke's response was disinterested, without taking his eyes off the street. "Yeah, whatever."

Jon persisted, attempting to elicit a reaction from his stoic companion, "Come on, man. Give credit where it's due. That red dress suits her."