The forest fell into a suffocating silence as Askiro collapsed.
One moment she was standing beside them.
The next, her body struck the ground.
"Askiro!"
Arin's voice tore through the trees as he rushed toward her, dropping to his knees. He lifted her slightly, his hands trembling.
"Askiro… open your eyes. Askiro!"
The others came running, alarm spreading through the camp like wildfire. They found Arin clutching her, repeating her name over and over as if saying it enough times would force her back.
Hanase pushed forward immediately.
"Move."
She knelt beside Askiro, placing her hands gently over her chest. A soft glow bloomed from her palms, light weaving into Askiro's body like threads of warmth. The rest stood in tense silence, watching every flicker of Hanase's expression.
Time stretched unbearably.
Finally, Hanase exhaled.
"She's only unconscious. There's no internal damage. Her energy… just dropped suddenly. She'll wake soon."
A collective breath left the group.
Dephore frowned. "What happened to her? Why did she suddenly collapse?"
Arin's voice was tight. "I don't know. She was fine, and then she just… fell."
Hanase shot him a look. "Enough questions. Take her back to camp. Let her rest."
Leiofa rose, brushing dirt from his clothes. "You carry her," he said to Arin. "It's your responsibility."
Arin glared, though relief softened it. Carefully, he lifted Askiro into his arms.
"If you ever scare me like this again," he muttered quietly, "I'll make you pay for it."
The others laughed lightly, tension finally breaking as they returned to camp beneath the fading sun.
By the time night swallowed the forest, the air had grown cooler. The moon hung above them, pale and watchful.
Hours later, Askiro stirred.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Arin was still there, seated beside her, unmoving.
She blinked at him, then reached out hesitantly, her fingers brushing his arm.
"…Are you real this time?"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Arin didn't answer immediately. He only held her hand gently.
She studied his face as if confirming something only she could see.
"You… really do care about me," she murmured, a faint smile forming before her eyes drifted closed again — not in fear, but in peace.
A short distance away, beneath a swaying tree, Hanase sat alone. The wind moved softly through her hair, carrying the quiet of the night.
Leiofa approached, something small in his hand.
He sat beside her and held out a single flower.
Hanase accepted it carefully.
"I wish…" she whispered, her gaze distant, "…someday, I get it from him too."
The moon watched silently as unspoken feelings settled heavier than the night itself.