Morning arrived slowly.
Thin mist hung over the surface of the lake, while the first rays of sunlight began to pierce through the gaps between the trees surrounding them.
The air still felt cool, and the sound of birds in the distance gradually replaced the silence of the night that had passed.
The campfire that had burned warmly the previous night now left only dim red embers.
Yet even before the sun had fully risen…
Eiden was already awake.
Or rather…
He had never truly slept.
The being beside Aurelia moved gently.
Its lines of light glowed with a steady, warm hue, resonating with his core essence which, since the night before, had never once lost its calm.
The units positioned behind maintained their formation.
And as always…
The first thing Eiden did was look for Aurelia.
When he saw that she was still resting in his embrace, still sleeping peacefully with a steady breath…
His entire core filled with a profound, overwhelming warmth.
"…You're still here…"
