The horned girl stepped forward slightly, placing one hand on her hip, the other gesturing loosely toward herself.
"Well then...."
A small dramatic pause.
"I'm the one who just saved your life," she said with a playful tilt of her head.
"You can start with gratitude."
The horned girl's grin widened;
Mischief lighting up her eyes.
"Well well well…"
She placed a hand dramatically over her chest, straightening her posture as if stepping onto a stage.
"This beautiful and extremely powerful girl; "
A slight pause.
She flicked her hair back with exaggerated elegance.
"..is Zyra."
Another pause.
Then, with a playful tilt of her head;
"…demon princess."
She gave Leah a small, proud smile;
Then immediately ruined the regal moment by making an overly smug face, as if waiting for applause that didn't come.
Silence.
Leah blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Still processing.
Zyra didn't wait.
She turned sharply and pointed her thumb toward the masked warrior beside her.
"And this;"
A beat.
"This very uninteresting boy…"
The masked warrior didn't react.
"…is Valen."
A pause.
Zyra leaned slightly closer to Leah, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.
"He can fight a little."
Valen's eyes shifted toward her.
Slowly.
Zyra continued, completely unfazed.
"And he's not very handsome either;"
Another pause.
"…which is why he never removes that mask in front of anyone."
Silence.
The mist itself felt like it was waiting.
Valen turned his head.
Very slowly.
Toward her.
"…are you finished?"
Zyra smiled brightly.
"No."
A beat.
Then she added;
"But I can be."
Leah;
Still sitting against the tree;
Stared at both of them.
Her fear;
Still there;
But now tangled with something else entirely.
"…you're joking…"
Her voice was weak.
Uncertain.
Zyra straightened again, placing a hand on her hip.
"Not even a little."
Valen exhaled slowly.
"…for the record," he said flatly, "none of that was necessary."
Zyra glanced at him.
"Oh, it absolutely was."
A pause.
Then she looked back at Leah;
Grinning again.
"Now you know who saved your life."
Leah's gaze drifted again.
Unfocused.
Distant.
"…Frauner…"
The name slipped out of her lips like something fragile.
"…Frauner…"
Her fingers twitched against the ground as her head slowly turned; toward the direction where the mist thickened, where the forest swallowed everything whole.
That direction.
Her eyes fixed there.
And for a moment.....
She wasn't here anymore.
She saw him.
Mid-air.
That smile;
Warm.
Unaware.
Then.....
Blood.
Scattering.
Breaking.
Her breath hitched sharply.
"Frauner…!"
She tried to rise.
Her hands pressed against the ground, pushing;
Her body trembling as she forced herself upward, one arm lifting weakly, pointing toward the woods.
"He… he was there!"
Her voice cracked.
"He was pushed; he fell there!"
Her legs failed.
Halfway up;
She collapsed again.
Her body hitting the ground with a dull thud, breath knocked unevenly from her chest.
Still reaching.
Still pointing.
"…Frauner…"
Her voice broke softer this time.
Zyra blinked, her expression shifting from amusement to confusion.
"…who the hell is this Frauner?"
She glanced sideways at Valen.
"We haven't seen him."
Valen's gaze followed the direction Leah was pointing.
Silent.
Observing.
"The terrain changes past that line," he said calmly. "There's a river beyond the woods."
A pause.
"It runs deep into the forest."
Zyra folded her arms, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked toward the darkness.
"…if he was thrown that far…"
She didn't finish.
Didn't need to.
Leah's fingers dug into the soil weakly.
Her breathing uneven.
Her mind clinging to that last image;
That smile;
Before everything broke.
"…we have to check…" she whispered, barely audible.
Her body didn't move this time.
Couldn't.
But her eyes;
Still locked on that direction.
Refusing to let go.
Valen's voice cut through the moment; calm, firm, unyielding.
"This forest is filled with dangerous creatures. It is not safe to stay here longer. We have to move."
Leah shook her head instantly.
"No… no…"
Her voice trembled as she pushed herself up again, forcing her body to respond through sheer will. Her hands shook as she pointed weakly toward the woods.
"We can't leave him…!"
Her breath broke.
"We can't…!"
Tears blurred her vision as her voice cracked, raw and desperate.
"He was right there… he...he smiled… he didn't even know…!"
Her chest tightened painfully.
"We have to find him… please…"
Her voice dropped into a broken whisper.
"Please…"
Zyra watched her for a moment;
Then tilted her head slightly.
"…do you have anything that belongs to this Frauner?"
Leah froze.
Her breathing hitched.
Something flickered in her memory;
The moment;
The chaos;
The headband.
Her hand moved slowly.
Instinctively.
Under her armor.
She hesitated.
"…why…?" she asked softly, her voice fragile. "Why do you need something of his…?"
Zyra's expression didn't change.
"If you want to find him… give me something that's his."
A pause.
No hesitation after that.
Leah pulled it out.
The headband.
Slightly worn.
Still carrying traces of him which she took in the palace without Frauner knowing.
Her fingers tightened around it for a brief second;
Then she handed it over.
Zyra took it.
Silently.
Then...
She stilled.
Completely.
Her eyes closed.
Her ears shifted slightly; straightening, sharpening as if listening to something far beyond sound.
The air itself seemed to quiet.
She turned slowly.
One step.
Then another.
Spinning lightly;
Pausing;
Then shifting direction again.
Like she was following something invisible.
Something faint.
"What's she doing…?" Leah whispered, her voice barely holding together.
Valen answered without looking away.
"She's trying to find your Frauner… if he still has a heartbeat."
Leah's breath caught.
Her fingers curled tightly into her palms.
Her entire body tensed;
Waiting.
Hoping.
Fearing.
Zyra turned again;
Then suddenly stopped.
Her body angled toward a direction.
Eyes still closed.
Her finger lifted slowly.
Pressing gently in front of her lips.
"Shhhhhhh."
Silence fell instantly.
Even the mist seemed to listen.
Leah didn't breathe.
Didn't move.
Seconds passed.
Long.
Heavy.
Then...
Zyra's eyes opened.
Slowly.
The light in them dimmed.
She turned.
Walked back toward Leah.
Each step softer than the last.
Until she stood in front of her.
She reached out;
Holding Leah's arms gently.
Not playful.
Not teasing.
Just… real.
"…sorry, dear…"
Her voice was quieter now.
"He's not near us."
A pause.
"I can't feel his presence."
Leah's world;
Stopped.
Her lips parted slightly.
But no sound came out.
Only silence.
A moment later.....
A voice.
Sharp.
Furious.
"STAY AWAY FROM HEEER!"
The sound tore through the forest.
And in the same instant;
A knife cut through the air.
Fast.
Precise.
Deadly.
Straight toward Zyra.