Damon completed the final rotation of the stirring cycle, his hand slowing to a steady stop as the liquid in the vial settled into a uniform, soft green glow, stable and consistent, with no visible impurities or fluctuations, exactly as the recipe had described.
For a brief moment, he simply observed it, his eyes scanning the texture, the color, the stability, ensuring that every step had aligned correctly.
And then—
He felt a slight movement against his shoulder.
Lunaria stirred.
Her nose twitched faintly as if catching a scent, her breathing shifting subtly as she sniffed once, then again, before her half-lidded eyes slowly opened, her gaze unfocused at first as she blinked lazily, her head still resting against him.
Her attention drifted almost instinctively toward the vial.
"…Mm…"
Without hesitation, she reached out, picked up the vial, and drank it in one smooth motion, as though it were nothing more than a casual drink rather than the result of a precise process.
