The freezing night of planet Kraken stretched on, thick and suffocating, draping the basalt cavern in a heavy, violet darkness. Neither Kyle nor Elara showed the slightest intention of sleeping. They sat on completely opposite sides of the cramped space, their frames tense, eyes alert, and their bodies resting on a hair-trigger. Despite the shared meal of Lunar Mist Snails and the temporary truce against the Nabuyak beasts, the baseline distrust between a demon successor and a dark arts witch wasn't something that could be washed away easily.
Kyle leaned his head back against the jagged stone, his crimson eyes cutting through the dimness to lock onto her silhouette. He decided to break the heavy silence.
"You said you traveled with Yua for two weeks," Kyle began, his voice a low, echoing rumble in the quiet cave. "What exactly was the nature of your relationship with her? Why would a high-tier witch risk her life accompanying someone on a suicidal trek through Kraken?"
