Zane, who knew more about the surroundings, returned with red sand and mixed it carefully with water. On closer inspection, it looked no different from ordinary mud, yet under his hands it slowly transformed into something useful. Tessa watched with slight amazement as he skillfully plastered the mixture between the stacked stones.
The wood and stones they had gathered were arranged together while several bamboo sticks were piled nearby to support the structure. The moment Valen tried to help, however, Zane immediately shoved him aside.
"You know I understand this better than you do, so just accept that there are things you don't know. It's not that hard," Zane said proudly.
Valen's eyes twitched at the hidden meaning behind those words.
Tessa sat quietly at a corner observing them. She couldn't hear every word they exchanged, but she could clearly tell tension was brewing again.
