CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THREE - ROMANTIC TENSION

The words hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning. For a moment, Anna was silent, and Erik felt his heart hammering in his chest. Had he misread the situation? Had he ruined everything? But then Anna smiled, a brilliant, radiant smile that seemed to light up the dim cave. "Oh, Erik," she breathed. "I think I'm falling in love with you all over again too." Their lips met in a kiss that was at once tender and passionate, a culmination of all the unspoken feelings that had been building between them. When they finally parted, both were breathless, their cheeks flushed despite the cold. "Whatever happens," Anna whispered, "whatever we face, we'll face it together. I promise." Erik nodded, pulling her close once more. They sat like that for a long time, finding warmth and comfort in each other's arms as the storm raged on outside. On the other side of the cave, Freya and Arryk were engaged in their own intense conversation. The forced proximity had brought their simmering tens