They camped in the ruins of what had once been a village.

  Stone foundations clawed up from the dirt like broken bones. Moss blanketed fallen beams and splintered rooftops. Trees had pushed through what was once a central square, roots curling over crumbling brick. The wind moved through it all like a sigh—soft, restless.

  Astrid sat with her knees pulled up, cloak draped around her shoulders. Her shirt still held a faint, rusty stain where the blade was held against her throat. Ribs still aching from where Kurai had pushed her—accident or not, the pain lingered.

  Kurai crouched nearby, coaxing a fire to life with flint and a scrap of dried lichen. No magic. Just his hands. And she watched them—not with fear. Just curiosity. Just… presence.

  The fire caught. A low crackle filled the silence. He settled back, cross-legged, arms resting on his knees. The flames painted his face in flickering gold, softening the harsh lines around his mouth.

  For a while, neither of them spoke.

  Then:

  “What would you be doing right now,” Astrid asked quietly, “if you weren’t here?”

  He looked up, startled by the question.

  “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “Probably pretending I had it all figured out.”

  She smiled faintly. “Yeah. Me too.”

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  Another silence passed. But it was softer than before. Warming, like the fire between them.

  “Have you ever been here before?” she asked, glancing around the ruins.

  Kurai nodded once. “Long ago. Never seen it in its prime though. Dragon fire took this place. No one rebuilt. Some believe its haunted.”

  She lowered her eyes. “Why here, then?”

  “It’s forgotten,” he said simply. “Safe, in its own way.”

  She studied the crumbled walls. The way the earth had swallowed the pain, but never quite let go of it.

  “Well, it’s definitely a good place for ghosts,” she murmured.

  His gaze flicked to her. “you’re not scared are you” he teased

  “No,” she smirked. “There are scarier things in this world then ghosts.”

  Like the council, the bandits that attacked innocent villagers, unwanted prophecy and the possibility of never seeing Charlie again.

  The fire popped softly. She rubbed her hands together for warmth, then glanced sideways.

  Kurai was watching her. Really watching.

  Their eyes met. No walls. No flames.

  Just two people too tired to pretend.

  He reached out slowly—then stopped. His hand hovered near her shoulder.

  “Is your throat, okay?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  she knew he wasn’t just asking about her cut, but he didn’t want to say it out loud, like admitting to what actually happened.

  His fingers touched her neck lightly, a simple brush of his fingers on the cut made her heart race. A small thing.

  She didn’t pull away.

  “Earlier,” he said, voice barely above the wind. “When I said I won’t leave you… I meant it.”

  Her throat tightened. She nodded to scared to speak.

  “But I need you to promise me, if I ever go like that again, just run, don’t look back”

  He stared into her eyes, he meant it. It hurt him to say it but the thought of him hurting her again was more painful.

  “No promises” she said quickly breaking their eye contact.

  He sighed “stubborn as ever” with a slight chuckle.

  They sat like that a long time.

  Then, quietly, Kurai said, “So… when we find this dragon, you’ll go home?”

  Astrid sighed. “That’s the plan.”

  It sounded so much simpler than she knew it would be.

  “What about you?” she asked, turning to him. “Will you come with me? Myrren said it might be safer for you there.”

  He didn’t answer right away. His gaze drifted toward the crumbling treetops.

  “I’m honestly not sure,” he said. “It’s been bouncing around in my head since he mentioned it.”

  “I get it,” she said softly. “New world. New rules. Starting over. It’s terrifying.”

  She offered a small smile. “But it’s less scary when you’re not alone. You won’t be—not if you stick with me.”

  Kurai huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Maybe I’d be better off with Charlie. She sounds like she doesn’t narrate every single internal crisis out loud.”

  Astrid narrowed her eyes. “Wow. Rude.”

  “Well, I am an asshole, remember” he muttered, smirking.

  They kept talking into the night, their voices quieter and slower with each passing moment, until finally, the weight of exhaustion pulled them under.

  Falling into a much needed a deep slumber.

  Another day of travelling awaits and so does the capital.