Serah went out whenever there was free time.
Sometimes she headed to the place where she had first encountered Kai; other times she simply went north for no apparent reason.
She had never told Kai the reason. It just happened, in the moments between missions and training, when the territory around Valdris called to her more than the inside of the inn.
Kai had noticed it the third or fourth time and had decided not to ask, because Serah also deserved to have her secrets and her own time. She would do it if she needed to, and she would stop when she no longer needed to.
That afternoon she went north.
Kai was in the common room with the fire low and nothing in particular to do.
---
Lira came down the stairs twenty minutes later.
She looked at the room.
Looked at Kai.
Looked at the fire.
She sat down in the chair she had established as hers without anyone questioning it — and said nothing for a moment.
Neither did Kai.
