They began to trek away from the Diamond Mountain, heading toward the sound of the iron behemoth. Thomas kept his vigilance high, his hand never far from his vest where the "Toranks" note was tucked. He scanned every jagged rock and stand of mountain pine, half-expecting the lightning-wielder to burst from the shadows.
But the wilderness remained empty. As the tension bled out of the air, Thomas noticed Lucy's behaviour shifting. She was no longer clutching her ruined hair in mourning. Instead, her fingers were dancing over the back of her neck, tracing the scorched, black mark Thomas had accidentally left there.
She wasn't grimacing. She was smiling. It was a serene, almost triumphant expression that looked entirely out of place on a woman who had just been knocked unconscious by a supposed villain attack.
"Tell me, aren't you bothered by that mark?" Thomas asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
