"Then tell me," he said, his voice firm.
"What do you intend to do now?" For a moment, there was silence.
Albedo blinked once.
On the other hand... As if the question were... strange.
Then she smiled, opened her black wings just enough for the feathers to brush the ground, and bowed her head with deep respect. "To serve you, of course."
Strax stared at Albedo for a few seconds that were far too long.
There was no anger in his face.
There was no threat.
There wasn't even judgment.
It was just... emptiness.
A completely neutral expression, as if his brain had pulled the emergency brake and decided to stop processing reality for a few moments.
Then, without saying anything, he looked away.
He slowly raised his head.
He looked up.
The cave ceiling stared back at him… jagged, cracked, covered in fossilized roots and rock fragments hanging precariously. No stars. No moon. No endless sky to contemplate and try to find some greater meaning in his own life decisions.
