Page 25 of Swipe Right for Stardust

A giddy excitement bubbled up inside me, mingled with a nervous flutter in my stomach.

“Wow,” I whispered.

Zarnak’s eyes drew me in, wouldn’t let me go. “Indeed.”

The storm outside had passed, leaving us in a charged silence. Reality came crashing back as we reluctantly separated.

I struggled to clear my head, still feeling the ghost of his kiss on my lips.

As we caught our breath, I fumbled in my pack for the ration bars we’d been given. “Here,” I said, handing one to Zarnak. “We should eat something.”

We both chewed in silence, the bland taste a stark contrast to the excitement we’d just experienced.

As we emerged from the cave, I felt a new determination to succeed, fueled by our connection. Every move Zarnak made, every glance he threw my way, sent sparks over my skin.

We scanned the landscape. That’s when I spotted it - a unique formation jutting out from the crystalline ground.

“There!” I pointed, already moving towards it.

Zarnak caught my arm. “Wait. We should approach with caution.”

I nodded, tempering my impulsive nature. Together, we made our way to the formation, working in seamless tandem to extract the crystal shard.

As the artifact came free in my hands, triumph surged through me. We’d done it! I turned to Zarnak, a wide smile spreading across my face. The look we shared felt more intimate than our kiss had been.

“One down,” I said, tucking the shard safely away.

“Four to go,” Zarnak finished.

We headed back to our starting point, where our equipment lay. I fiddled with the malfunctioning nav device, growing increasingly frustrated.

“Come on, you piece of junk,” I muttered, resisting the urge to smack it against the ground.

Zarnak placed a calming hand on my shoulder. “Perhaps we should take a moment to rest before moving on.”

As we sat side by side, I kept stealing glances at him. My mind warred between focusing on the race and exploring these new feelings.

The device in my hands beeped, signaling it was ready for the next leg of our journey. Nervous excitement bubbled up inside me as we approached the teleportation pad.

I reached for Zarnak’s hand, intertwining my fingers with his.

The world blurred and twisted around me as the teleportation effect took hold. My stomach lurched, and I thought I might lose my lunch. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the disorientation faded.

I blinked, trying to make sense of my new surroundings. Vibrant colors assaulted my vision from every direction. The air was thick with strange, intoxicating scents that made my head spin.

“Whoa,” I breathed, taking in the bioluminescent wonderland before me. Glowing flora of every imaginable hue pulsed with an otherworldly light. Vines as thick as my arm writhed and twisted, their surfaces shimmering with patterns that seemed to dance.

This place was beautiful, but who knew what dangers lurked in this psychedelic jungle?

I turned to check on Zarnak, but as our eyes met, in a flash I remembered our passionate kiss in the crystal cave.

“So, um... quite a place, huh?” I said lamely, desperate to break the tension.

Zarnak nodded. “It’s... remarkable.”

I forced myself to look away. We had a race to win, after all. But my mind kept drifting back to the feeling of Zarnak’s touch.

“We should survey our surroundings,” Zarnak said.

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