"…It's becoming a habit, huh?" Bao muttered weakly.
He lay once more with his head resting in Elincia's lap.
"You mean, throwing yourself into suicide missions?"
Her tone was light—but there was exhaustion beneath it.
Crickets chirped softly in the background.
A small campfire crackled beside them, its warm glow flickering under the pale moonlight.
For a moment, everything felt… calm.
Too calm.
Bao slowly lifted his head.
Only then did he truly take in his surroundings.
Behind them, steep walls of earth rose high into the darkness—the base of a cliff.
Not far away—
The carriage.
Or what remained of it.
Shattered.
Broken into splinters.
The horses lay nearby.
Motionless.
Dead.
More importantly—
They were alone.
"What… happened?" Bao asked, his voice hoarse.
"I tried to stop you," Elincia said quietly. "But you didn't listen."
She pointed upward.
"To the top of that cliff."
Bao followed her gaze.
"You rode straight over it," she continued. "All of us did."
A pause.
"But not before you killed it."
Bao frowned.
"The swarm's core," she said. "The one controlling them."
His breath caught.
The red eyes.
"…What a disaster," Bao whispered.
His gaze dropped.
"We lost the others… the supplies… everything."
His fists tightened.
"How are we supposed to reach the Monolith now…?"
"Look around you, David."
Elincia's voice was calm.
Grounding.
Bao blinked.
Then slowly turned his head.
And froze.
Not far from their small camp—
Towering into the night sky—
Stood the Monolith.
Its massive metallic surface reflected the firelight in dull, dirty hues. Smooth. Seamless. Alien against the natural world around it.
Close.
So close.
"We… made it…" Bao breathed.
His eyes widened.
"But at what cost…?"
Elincia sighed softly.
"You always focus on what's lost."
She looked toward the wreckage.
"I couldn't save two of the guards," she admitted. "I buried them near the carriage."
A quiet pause.
"As for the others… we don't know yet."
Her gaze drifted into the darkness beyond.
"They might have survived."
"…Like we did."
Bao nodded slowly.
But his mind was already racing ahead.
The Monolith.
Their mission.
"…How do we destroy it?" he muttered.
He stared at the structure.
This wasn't iron.
Wasn't steel.
It was something else entirely.
Stronger.
Denser.
Unnatural.
"Could we salvage anything from the carriage?" he asked.
Elincia shook her head.
"Almost nothing survived the fall," she said. "Whatever didn't break… was lost along the way."
She hesitated.
"I managed to gather just enough supplies for a few days. If we're careful."
Bao exhaled.
"So… no explosives. No scrolls. Nothing."
Another shake of her head.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
"What now?" hung unspoken between them.
But Bao didn't say it.
Instead, he leaned back slightly, staring up at the sky.
"You know…" he began quietly, "this place is calmer than I expected."
Elincia glanced at him.
"The frontier," Bao continued. "Everyone talks about it like it's pure chaos. Death everywhere."
He let out a soft breath.
"But right now… it feels peaceful."
Elincia followed his gaze.
Above them, countless stars shimmered in the night sky.
Bright.
Endless.
"…You would've liked the Elven forests," she said softly.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"They're even quieter than this."
She let out a small laugh.
"Maybe too quiet. Nothing ever happens there."
Her tone shifted—subtle, reflective.
"It's peaceful… but it doesn't feel like living. Just… existing. Hidden away from the world."
Bao turned his head toward her.
Then, gently—
He took her hand.
"I'm glad you left," he said.
His voice was soft.
Honest.
Elincia blinked, surprised.
"Otherwise…" Bao continued, smiling faintly, "who would've saved me all those times?"
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
It felt unfamiliar.
But real.
"The truth is…" he added, "we never would've met."
Their eyes met.
The firelight danced in hers.
Reflecting like distant stars.
Pulling him in.
Slowly—
Almost unconsciously—
They leaned closer.
Bao caught the faint scent of flowers in her hair.
Warm.
Gentle.
Familiar.
Closer.
Closer still.
Until—
Their lips met.
And for a brief moment—
Amidst death, loss, and an uncertain future—
There was peace.