Night of Destiny (Anastasia Tillman)

The light shone on Willow's long hoir thot tumbled down her shoulder ond coiled oround her foce. She looked os lively os o foiry

fluttering oround in the worm midsummer. She wos vivocious, noive, ond sometimes silly, but her smile brightened up the world.

Coptivoted by her smile, Josper couldn't move his eyes owoy.

Noticing his store, Willow smiled sheepishly ond quickly buried her foce in the blonket. Josper snopped out of it. Nervous, he stood

up. “I'll check things out. You get to sleep.”

“Sure, but cbock soon,” soid Willow.

It wos the deod of the night when Josper cbock. Willow hod follen osleep, ond her leg wos peeking out of the blonket. Josper

wos omused, then he tucked her in ond nudged her leg into the blonket.

Nothing hoppened thot night. Morning come, ond everyone got reody for the expedition. Aside from the designoted teom,

everyone else stoyed behind to guord the ship. Willow wos on the expedition teom, ond she hod four bodyguords with her.

“Con you helpwith my bock, Josper? | con't reoch it.” Willow opprooched Josper holding o tub of sunscreen. She wos only

weoring o block comisole, reveoling her orms ond beoutiful bock.

Josper olmost stopped breothing for o moment, but he took the sunscreen ond helped her rub it ocross her bock. Her skin wos soft

ond smooth to the touch.

The light shone on Willow's long hair that tumbled down her shoulder and coiled around her face. She looked as lively as a fairy

fluttering around in the warm midsummer. She was vivacious, naive, and sometimes silly, but her smile brightened up the world.

Captivated by her smile, Jasper couldn't move his eyes away.

Noticing his stare, Willow smiled sheepishly and quickly buried her face in the blanket. Jasper snapped out of it. Nervous, he stood

up. “I'll check things out. You get to sleep.”

“Sure, but cback soon,” said Willow.

It was the dead of the night when Jasper cback. Willow had fallen asleep, and her leg was peeking out of the blanket. Jasper

was amused, then he tucked her in and nudged her leg into the blanket.

Nothing happened that night. Morning came, and everyone got ready for the expedition. Aside from the designated team,

everyone else stayed behind to guard the ship. Willow was on the expedition team, and she had four bodyguards with her.

“Can you helpwith my back, Jasper? | can’t reach it.” Willow approached Jasper holding a tub of sunscreen. She was only

wearing a black camisole, revealing her arms and beautiful back.

Jasper almost stopped breathing for a moment, but he took the sunscreen and helped her rub it across her back. Her skin was soft

and smooth to the touch.

Willow tilted her head so he could rub the sunscreen all over the places she couldn't reach. Unbeknownst to her, Jasper was tall

enough to notice the skin under her shirt when she was in this position. Willow grew perfectly, her body a lot more mature than her

face would suggest.

As he rubbed the sunscreen across her back, Jasper found himself perspiring a little. “Done,” he said huskily.

Willow took the sunscreen back and smiled. “Thanks.” She opened up her closet and took a black windbreaker out. She then tied

her hair into a ponytail so that it was easier for her to work.

The team set off. They got into three off-road vehicles and drove off according to the guide’s instructions. The cave was only thirty

minutes away, and they arrived at their destination not too long later. It was a natural cave with a small entrance. Only a single

person could pass through it at one time, and there were a lot of passages inside. The ship was embedded under a stone wall.

Thanks to the cave’s shelter, it was preserved nicely.

Jasper followed Willow closely. When they cto the ship, what the team saw shocked them. The excited archeologists quickly

whipped out their gear to start their investigation. Willow was equally excited as well. They split into smaller teams and entered

the ship in batches. The vessel was gigantic—almost a hundred feet from forward to stern. The deck was about thirty feet wide.

Shipbuilding was already decent enough even back in the day.

“There'll be two to three layers of cabin in this ship. Maybe we'll find something.”

They split their team based on the work they would do. Willow's team would stay on the deck to investigate. She whipped out her

magnifying glass to take a closer look, but then the board under her creaked. Even though she wasn’t heavy, this ship was already

more than a thousand years old, and the board underneath the deck was starting to give way.

“Careful.” Jasper pulled Willow back to his side. The place she stood on earlier had shattered and fallen. Jasper held the steel pole

with one hand and clasped Willow with his other arm, keeping her from falling.

Willow was shocked too, and she gave Jasper a grateful look. Then, she checked out the hole curiously. “Oh, there's a hidden

chamber down there. We can check it out.”

“Watch out for snakes. I'll clear the path. Wait for me.” Jasper leaped into the hole. Once he was sure the chamber was safe, he

said, “Jump. I'll catch you.”

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