──「在妳墜落之前，我會先抵達。」
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就在紫苑將手從石板上收回的那一瞬，異變突生。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1Cw2eDhfd
霧氣以不自然的速度再度湧起，彷彿整座林地被封閉於一場靈壓共振的封層中。地面震動，靈藤開始活化，宛如有意識般地朝三人腳邊迅速蔓延。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaE1ifEgj3
伊萊斯立刻反應，抽出靈素結晶，於空中繪製護陣結界。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5G6Ls62qJ
「靈域反噬啟動──這不是單純遺跡殘留，而是活著的結界！」
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXgQ4n0kYp
紅蓮迅速衝到紫苑身旁，準備將她拉離中心位置，但一股強勁的靈流從地底竄出，將他們分離，紫苑瞬間失去重心──
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhYoyfacal
她的腳下一滑，整個人朝一處塌陷的青苔裂谷跌落。
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「紫苑──！」
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQABmeEBHi2
紅蓮喊得幾乎撕裂嗓音。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIu8JDzjzoc
他幾乎是以本能反應，魔力爆發，身形瞬移般追上她的墜落路線。那一刻，他看見她張開眼，瞳孔中閃爍著驚惶與慣性的麻木。
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她沒有喊救命。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZbIXLEwMK
紅蓮心中一陣刺痛——她從來沒有喊過。
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因為她根本不認為自己會被救。
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他追上她，強行用靈力凝結一片浮空藤網，將兩人撞入其中。藤蔓劇烈扭動，劃傷他的背與肩，但他緊緊護住她的頭與脊椎。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCxK9Ljt6q
兩人一同翻滾著跌進藤網深處，落地時，紅蓮幾乎是跪地的姿態將她擋在自己懷裡。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaij81Dkto
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31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUgsI0Qy0R
紫苑呆了幾秒，才發現自己沒有摔痛，反而被穩穩地擁在懷中。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoAnGZ0p7c
紅蓮的氣息很近，他額頭抵著她的髮頂，呼吸急促，肩膀還在顫抖。
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「……你受傷了。」
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfpmhgqU4n
紫苑低聲開口，伸手想推開他，卻被他握住手腕。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOcACLl239
紅蓮低下頭，聲音顫得不像話：
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「……妳為什麼不求救？」
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZdqyBke6y
「為什麼總是、總是自己扛──連墜下來都不呼喊……」
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bQsLTI2sN
「是誰教妳，妳不值得被拉住的？」
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紫苑怔住。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqGdjEkUVy
紅蓮抬頭，眼裡是壓抑太久的憤怒與心疼。
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「我在這裡，紫苑。」
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7znPMCpQM
「這一次……在妳墜落之前，我會先抵達。」
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgNcOZMmLW
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31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dxjVXKRuM
外頭的伊萊斯則已穩住靈陣，迅速分析地形變化，透過植物脈網找出通道，釋放出一片柔和的光藤導引結界，引領兩人自裂谷脫困。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZvHd2tvfk
他看見紅蓮護著紫苑踏出藤霧，臉色蒼白，手仍扣在她的肩上，彷彿還未從驚懼中走出來。
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZD0WCkdZ3
紫苑則低頭沉默，眼裡映出那護她而傷的傷痕，與那一句聲聲入骨的──「我在這裡」。
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而她心中悄悄有了第一個願望：
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她不想再成為，沒人接住的那一個。
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──「當火光點亮了她的臉，那群守著她的影子，也一一有了輪廓。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFRTGFm9Uh
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—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgE0vQQ4lv
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夜幕低垂。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnbKaxHL1B
林中暫駐的營地重新聚合了所有人。火堆升起，將一整片潮濕與冷意驅逐出小小的圓心。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEKA6pWiQt
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIgxPmDL8h
紫苑靜靜坐在一棵倒木邊，身上披著雷瑟遞來的獸皮披風，雖然沒說話，但比以往更安定。她身側的傷痕已被凱希爾處理過，細細綁上銀色水絲繃帶──那是深海族靈醫用於修復細微靈壓裂痕的專屬織線。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkPhDtx3ih
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT1w2MEwAv
凱希爾替她收拾最後一處傷口，語氣仍溫和卻明顯比往常低了一階：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM28fCnp6rx
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQu4OAdPCV
「下一次，請讓我走前面。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEQll6YalK
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwk5RHiEpyk
紫苑沒回答，只輕輕點了點頭。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO2dM3hcxt
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdd7qcp08f
這次，她沒有閃避任何人對她的碰觸與凝視。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MfZNHw1Ll
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—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdmYEzga3v
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雷瑟從營地外拖來獵物，熟練地處理獸皮與肉塊。他一邊烤肉，一邊望向紫苑的方向，忽然笑道：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0JtrtJzEr
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7vUaXqmrN
「這次可不能不吃了──我可是特地選了低魔素、不膩口的肉種。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zCuVTqFVk
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mKHFo75hN
「妳再不吃，我就真的以為我沒資格讓妳餓得下了。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7hwcu6YRY
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGB66CXvPg0
紫苑低低地瞄了他一眼。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYmbYQEP2s
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「……我吃。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSV1U43BetJ
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那一刻，雷瑟眼中閃過一絲訝異，但他沒多說，嘴角卻彎得極高。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJKJOGtnAL
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—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3CnOdnw6k
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紅蓮則坐在她對面，安靜地守著茶盞，一句話都沒說。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lEJ0yBJwm
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVej3QkoY2E
但從頭到尾，他的眼從未離開紫苑的側影。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1U7DXx4tQF
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0HhoBiTpp
蒼芷與米雅坐在火堆另一邊，交換地圖與即將前往邊境的路徑情報。說到後來，蒼芷忽然停頓片刻，將視線落回那道細緻的身影。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNPGCNptlZ
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQBwv4JKd4
「……她在改變。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKvOknWR5G
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRwWoAPfCO
米雅沒有立刻回應，而是輕聲道：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VYWje37CS
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqlcW7QjTJ
「不只是她。我們全都被她改變了。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ813lChA2sG
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—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNzrBgrtTu
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托魯打了個呵欠，一邊磨劍一邊說：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHza8xhuRT
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFUvm609GW
「我只是覺得，以前的紫苑像暗殺者，現在像……姐姐？」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQ0YzKm0W1
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMw05duj3P
艾貝爾頭也沒抬，淡淡道：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2hRtPBUZ4
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgSCMWscTU
「那是妳認知有問題。她從沒變，只是我們開始看見了。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvW2yb7uKJT
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—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNW7jVVW2p
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西芙則替紫苑整理披風時，低聲在她耳邊說：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqux2JtNW7
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDqrqhVRAt
「現在的妳，已經是我們的心臟。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlfflirPt9
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Na7wLIvt7
「所以不管發生什麼，我們都會繞著妳的脈動行動。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDqhxTghXd
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIxne3wwki
紫苑聽不太懂這句話，但她沒反駁──她只是緊緊握著手中的湯盞，那是凱希爾替她準備的熱藥湯，藥味苦，但她喝得很慢，卻沒有皺眉。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEaeBUgkE9
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—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChIzF3dIy3
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夜深了，火堆只剩餘燼。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6wPXSGV9Q
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGc4kRPqBG
伊萊斯獨自站在營地邊緣，仰望林間星隙。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C9Nfnbozu
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wkaFP11w1
他像是察覺什麼，眉頭微微一皺，伸手輕撫身側植物──那瞬間，他感受到靈氣中的某一個方向，被強行割裂。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQJWstbJb0
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9GhWMK8ZB
有什麼，正自遠方疾行而來。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLhA4DgBnQ
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZjFoBOu60
伊萊斯低聲呢喃：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhr4L2sLY3
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5GfoxmzH2
「……氣息濁重，並非野獸。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxZ9GtCHqb
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9X0XwGtG8
「是來自……人類與魔素交織的意志。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8nWyz8fhD
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkmPwGsATD
他轉身望向營火──那群人，那個女孩，仍沉浸在這得來不易的寧靜之夜中。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiW9TF3DMl3
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他並未出聲。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowf0XDERhT
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBtYu7OjmE
只是輕輕摘下一片葉，在掌中揉碎，靜靜許下一句：31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZJtndAtBB
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIm1tiwJnlN
「再給她一夜的平靜吧。」31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9kmlcxFR9
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—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32hYBOnO80
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但遠方的氣息，已悄然逼近。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUI859RJFj
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbu8BLBXHyy
由禁咒與靈壓交織的灼熱之風，正在夜色中張開翅翼──31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEWuX2KGjF
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnAEMIWpez
魔族的影子，即將現身。31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlojiezFR9k
