Lae raised his head and met my gaze, his evergreen eyes filled with quiet curiosity. The flickering firelight cast shifting shadows across his face, making his expression unreadable.
"What kind of clouds?" he asked, his voice low as he glanced back at his bowl.
Silence settled over us, heavy yet oddly comforting. The only sounds were the soft crackle of burning embers and the distant howling of the wind outside. I took a bite of the roasted meat, using the simple motion to distract myself from the weight of the quiet. My eyes flicked to Lae again-his posture still, his expression steady, like he was lost in thought.
Then, suddenly, his gaze locked onto mine.
"I'm not sure," he said, his tone flat, almost distant.
A faint smile tugged at my lips. "I guess we're the same."
The cave swallowed our words, returning us to our shared silence. We ate like that, neither of us feeling the need to fill the space with unnecessary conversation. It wasn't uncomfortable. If anything, it felt... familiar.
After some time, Lae finally spoke again. "Cirus, was it?" His voice cut through the stillness.
I looked up. "How'd you know my name?"
His eyes drifted downward, and he gestured toward my chest. "I saw it engraved on your necklace," he said simply.
Instinctively, my hand went to my chest, fingers tracing over the cool metal. I pulled the necklace free from my shirt, holding it in my palm. The engraved letters glinted under the firelight.
"This was a gift... from a friend," I murmured, staring at it, feeling the weight of memories attached to it.
Lae hummed in response, a soft, thoughtful sound. Then, without hesitation, he reached out, his fingers brushing against the pendant. He turned it slightly, watching how the light refracted off its surface.
"This color... it's the same as your eyes," he noted.
I let out a quiet chuckle, covering it with a cough. There was something unexpectedly gentle in the way he handled the necklace-like he respected it, like it meant something. His fingers lingered for a moment longer before he withdrew his hand.
We finished eating, and at some point, I realized how much closer we'd gotten without even noticing. It was strange... being with him felt like I had known him for a long time.
Then Lae spoke again, his voice steady. "Tomorrow, you should return to the place where your teammates left you."
I blinked. "What?"
He reached into his pocket and handed me a small device-the tracker. "Your injuries are healed. You're strong enough to return to your base."
I stared at the tracker in my palm, its weight heavier than it should have been. "Alright," I muttered.
Neither of us spoke for the rest of the afternoon. The silence that had once been soothing now felt heavier, more final.
Night fell, and I laid out on the cold hard ground, readying myself for sleep. But a soft fluttering sound from outside the cave caught my attention. Curious, I followed the noise and stepped outside.
There, at the edge, sat Lae. His wings were tucked neatly against his back, and in his outstretched hand perched a crystal butterfly. Its translucent wings shimmered in the moonlight, reflecting the stars above.
I stepped closer, my movements quiet, and I sat beside him. He turned his head slightly, his gaze meeting mine. For a long moment, we simply looked at each other, neither speaking. The butterfly twitched its wings, then, as if sensing something, drifted from his hand and landed gently on my thigh.
Lae's lips curled into the faintest smile. "It really does like you."
I stared at the delicate creature. "Is it... your soul?" I asked softly.
His eyes lingered on the butterfly as he nodded. "Yes. Yes, it is."
He raised his hand again, and the butterfly took flight, circling once before settling on his finger. He lifted his head, gazing at the sky. I followed his line of sight, the vast night stretching endlessly above us. The wind carried whispers through the trees below, rustling the leaves in an almost melodic rhythm. It was peaceful.
Then Lae's voice broke the quiet. "Spending time with you was... fun."
I turned to look at him. His expression was softer than I'd ever seen it.
"I had fun too," I admitted, offering a small smile.
For a moment, neither of us moved. Our eyes met again, and this time, I saw something in his gaze-something unspoken, something neither of us could put into words.
I broke the eye contact first, looking back at the stars. He did the same.
Morning came too quickly.
Lae led me back to the place where I had nearly died. It hadn't changed. The colors were still vibrant, the landscape still vast and endless. It was as if my near-death experience had never happened.
I turned to face Lae, unsure of what to say. But before I could speak, he held out his hand. Resting in his palm was a ring-crafted from what looked like crystalized gemstones, glimmering with a faint, otherworldly glow.
I hesitated, staring at him. "What's this for?"
His expression remained calm, but there was a quiet sincerity in his voice. "To remember our time together."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
Instead of answering, Lae took my hand gently. His fingers were cool against my skin as he placed the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly.
"Here," he said. "Keep it safe."
Then, in an unexpected gesture, he reached up and ruffled my hair, a small, playful smile appearing on his lips. Before I could respond, he took a step back, spreading his wings wide.
The wind caught beneath them, sending dust and leaves swirling as he lifted off the ground.
I instinctively raised a hand to shield my eyes from the sudden gust. When I lowered it, Lae was already high above, disappearing into the sky.
A deep rumble echoed through the land. Turning my head, I saw an armored vehicle approaching, kicking up dust in its wake. My time here had ended.
But as I clenched my fingers around the ring, I knew that something had changed. And I wasn't sure if I was ready to let go of it just yet.