"Are you familiar with this area?" Ren asked.
Ren and Aveline were currently walking side by side through the dense forest.
Since they believed Elara and the others were worried about them, they left the abandoned house to get back as quickly as possible.
"No." She had never been to the area below the cliff before.
"How long do you think it will take to get back to the village?" Ren threw another question at her.
"We have to walk around to get up the cliff, so I think we will arrive in about two to three days if we don't run into any unexpected trouble along the way." She suddenly remembered their schedule for going to the city. "Ren, it seems like you will need to stay in my village for another week. The people in charge of selling the harvest are going to the city tomorrow."
"Well, I'm fine with it." The villagers were kind to him, and he was also not in a rush, so he didn't mind it.
"How about you live in my village and become one of my people?" Her voice sounded like she was joking, but in truth, she was serious about her offer.
Instead of answering, he asked, "What would I get if I agree?"
"Anything you want." He was a talented awakener who had awakened both paths, so she was willing to do anything if he agreed.
He raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"
"Yes. Anything." She emphasized it with a soft smile.
"What if…I want you?" he took the opportunity to tease her.
She was startled by his words.
'Me?'
When she saw his expression, she finally knew that he was only teasing her.
'What a bad young man!'
Her surprised face turned into a smile.
"Then, you will have me." She decided to play along with his game.
"That's really a tempting offer." He stated.
"So, what is your answer?" she asked.
"How about you become one of my people instead?" he tried to turn the tables. "I will help you grow stronger and protect you forever."
"Then, I will take your offer," she accepted right away.
"That was fast! Hehe." Despite knowing it was only a joke, he was still happy.
"You said you would help me grow stronger and protect me forever, so why should I refuse?" she replied. "Since I've taken your offer, you will step in if someone hurts my people or causes trouble in my village, right?"
"Of course! Your people are also mine now. I will make sure anyone who dares to hurt your people pays the price." He acted like he was already a powerful awakener.
"Great!" she smiled happily.
Their playful banter continued.
At 04:00 pm, they started looking for shelter.
Unfortunately, the goddess of luck was not on their side this time because they found no cave or abandoned house.
Since sleeping outside was dangerous and could make them sick, they decided to build a simple shelter.
They cut down several trees and built it in a safe place. The floor was made of logs, while the roof was covered with leaves and dirt to protect them from the cold night.
Once they were done, they made a campfire and cooked dinner together.
As they were chatting happily, Elara and the others continued their search.
However, they found no new clues because they were in a different area from where Ren had hidden from Kai.
Since the sun was setting, Alaric told everyone to stop and return to the village because the forest became much more dangerous at night.
Elara, who was filled with worry and fear of losing them, stared at the forest with a sad expression.
Even though she wanted them to keep searching for her mother and Ren, she said nothing because she needed to think about their safety as well.
Sure, she was the daughter of their leader, but that didn't mean she could put their lives in danger as she pleased because they also had families waiting for their return.
Alaric approached her before finally speaking, "Elara, let's go home. We will look for them again tomorrow morning."
"Don't lose hope, Elara," Sofia added. "We didn't find their bodies, so I'm sure they are still alive."
Elara didn't answer, but she nodded her head.
As they made their way to the village, she looked at the search area one last time.
'Mother, Ren, please be safe.'
----
The sun set and the moon rose.
As the night wind swayed the surrounding trees, Ren and Aveline chatted warmly and chuckled together.
Since they built their shelter well, they didn't feel cold at all, as if they were inside a house.
"It's raining outside." Aveline was glad she had listened to his idea, or else they would have been freezing right now.
"Don't worry. The rain won't get in," he said confidently.
"What if it does?" she asked.
"If it does, you can pinch my cheeks gently. I repeat, gently." He repeated the word gently twice because she was a naughty lady.
A mischievous smile spread across her face upon hearing his answer.
'Pinch his cheeks?'
Since she wanted to mess with him, she did it immediately.
"Ouch!" he was startled and cried out in pain. "Why are you suddenly pinching my cheeks?"
"Didn't you say I could pinch you if the rain got in?" Her soft giggles filled the air as she teased him.
He removed her hands from his face and said, "Show me where it landed."
"It fell on my left hand earlier," she lied.
He checked her arm carefully before looking up at her face. "I don't see it. You are lying, right?"
"It was only a single drop, so it's normal if you can't see it because the light here is not bright." She made an excuse.
"I don't believe you." He didn't buy it.
She didn't defend herself and only chuckled. "Hehe."
"I knew it! You were lying!" He was even more convinced when she giggled. "I'm going to pinch your cheeks as punishment!"
"No! You can't!" She pushed his hands away while laughing.
Their teasing continued.
Without realizing it, three hours had passed.
Since it was time to rest, he decided to stop. "Let's sleep now. We need good rest to continue our journey home tomorrow."
"Alright." She agreed instantly.
After lying on the hard log floor, he tapped his chest gently. "Come here and sleep in my arms."
"Are you trying to take advantage of the situation?" she asked with a teasing smile.
"You let me sleep in your embrace last night, so I want to return the fav-" he paused and corrected his words. "I mean, you are a village head. A village head must not sleep on a hard log floor. It will hurt your body."
Upon hearing his excuse, her lips curled up into a smile. "Indeed. A village head must never suffer discomfort. Therefore, you shall serve as my bed tonight."
Once she was in his arms, his face broke into a smile. "Good night, beautiful village head."
"Good night, young man." Her face blossomed into a smile as he gently caressed her hair.
Shortly after that, the duo fell asleep.
Even though they slept in a simple shelter, that night was one of the best nights of their lives.