Ethan's eyes snapped open.
He inhaled sharply, and the first thing he saw was Elara kneeling over him, close enough that he could see the worry filling her crimson eyes.
Neither of them spoke.
While only a couple of minutes had passed, for her, it had felt like hours, and for Ethan, it had been months. Months of violence, hatred, and isolation, in which he had almost forgotten what genuine human kindness looked like.
Now, the first face he saw was hers.
And he definitely wasn't complaining, a small smile slowly appearing on his face.
"You called out to me."
Elara nodded.
A faint smile tugged at her own lips, relief washing over her features. Without even realising, the two began leaning ever so slightly toward one another, as if drawn in by magnetism.
Then...
Screeeeech!
The grotesque sound of hundreds of caterpillars tore through the moment.
Both of them immediately turned.
The creatures were only moments away from reaching the unconscious group.
