They lingered there for a mont longer than necessary, foreheads nearly touching, eyes locked. Two yanderes staring each other down with the sa quiet hunger, the sa unspoken promise. Needy. Possessive. Perfectly aware of how dangerous that combination was, and entirely unconcerned.
Then Kaiden straightened, hand finally leaving her head as he turned forward.
"Let’s get going, shall we?"
Aria nodded instantly, smile still glowing, already shifting into battle-ready focus as the mont passed.
And just like that, the hunt comnced.
...
Hours later, the world felt quieter.
The battlefield they’d left behind was a ruin of torn earth and butchered monster remains, ground chewed apart by repeated impacts and magic discharge. Cratered stone still smoked in places, and the tallic tang of blood hung stubbornly in the air.
Armor was sared dark, weapons nicked and dulled, clothes clinging uncomfortably to sweat-soaked skin. Breathing ca slower now, deeper, the sharp edge of adrenaline finally giving way to exhaustion that settled into muscle and bone alike.
The campsite sat only a short distance away, woven directly into the terrain by Runewoven’s architects. It wasn’t hidden so much as claid, a functional pocket carved out of the chaos.
Compared to the guild hall embedded into the mountainside, with its reinforced halls and deliberate architectural pride, this place was almost stark. No grand stonework. No banners. No ornantal lighting. Just flattened ground, anchored structures, and barriers placed with clear intent.
This wasn’t a statent of power.
It was a statent of efficiency.
Low-profile barricades ringed the camp, layered with simple warding arrays. Fold-out shelters made from hardened fabric provided shade and cover without wasting space. Crates of supplies sat stacked and labeled, nothing decorative, everything exactly where it needed to be.
There was no luxury here, and none was needed.
The luxury was the fact that they could sit down at all. That they could rest here, so close to the fighting, without needing to retreat all the way back to the guild hall. No long march. No cooldown trek through cleared zones. Just drop your pack, clean your blade, eat, breathe, and be ready to move again at a mont’s notice.
Guards were posted throughout the periter. Awakened combatants, seasoned and alert, moving in slow patrols or standing watch at elevated points. These weren’t part of the twenty rookies or fifty veterans competing for rankings and points.
Their role was simple: hold the line, keep the camp secure, and make sure the competitors could afford to relax without looking over their shoulders.
So leaned on spears or rested staves against their shoulders, eyes never still. Others murmured short status updates through comms or adjusted barrier anchors with practiced motions. No chatter. No bravado. Just professionals doing exactly what they were here to do.
Kaiden took in the campsite with a slow sweep of his gaze as they approached. His shoulders eased almost imdiately, the tension bleeding out of him as he registered the layered wards, the patrol routes, the clean organization of it all.
"...Talia," he muttered, a note of genuine appreciation in his voice. "She really didn’t cut corners."
Nyx followed his gaze, eyes flicking over the barricades, the shelters, the guards. She gave a hum of approval before nodding once. "Yeah. She might not be a fighter, but damn." Her lips curved. "Having a supporter as a guild leader has perks I never knew existed."
Luna stretched her shoulders, rolling the stiffness out of her arms as she glanced around. "Yep. I bet that most other teams don’t have this. At least, not like this. You can tell this was built for recovery, not appearances."
Before Kaiden could respond, hurried footsteps approached from the side of the camp.
A familiar figure jogged toward them, slowing as she got closer, hands clasped nervously in front of her. It was the sa girl from the previous evening, the one who’d knocked so timidly on their door, voice barely above a whisper as she asked them to go to the team eting.
She looked a little more composed now, but the nerves were still there, written in the way her shoulders drew in slightly as she stopped in front of them.
Kaiden raised an eyebrow. "Did you get relocated?"
Her face went bright rosy, almost instantly. "N-no! I an, yes, but not relocated," she rushed out, then winced and took a breath. "I have a shift here right now. At the camp."
Before the awkwardness could deepen, Bastet leaned in just slightly, golden eyes glinting with unmistakable amusent. A soft purr rolled from her throat. "Is that so? I think Talia assigned you to us on purpose. A pretty face attached to a nice, accommodating mber of her guild to take care of our needs."
The girl’s blush deepened to sothing fierce, creeping all the way to the tips of her ears. She didn’t deny it.
That alone was answer enough.
A few exchanged glances passed between the group. Amusent, fondness, and understanding flickered freely. There was no irritation, no suspicion. If anything, it felt... considerate. Thoughtful. An honor, even, to be handled with this level of care.
Talia had thought highly of them. High enough to make sure they were looked after properly, not just as competitors, but as people. All she wanted was for them to think highly of her guild as well.
The girl swallowed, then straightened, clearly mustering her courage. "Um, if you’re taking a breather, would you like your armor cleaned and your clothes washed? I can get it done while you rest."
There was a brief pause.
Aria blinked. "We didn’t have that yesterday," she said, tilting her head.
The girl nodded quickly with her fingers twisting together. "We only got the right tools set up today," she explained, still pink but clearly relieved to be talking about sothing practical. "It needs specific, industrial cleaning tools and proper work areas so multiple armors can be handled at once. That way, we can get a lot done in a short span of ti."
For a mont, no one spoke.
Then Kaiden let out a quiet breath. Talia outdid herself again. "That’d be great. Thank you."
And just like this, the lunch break began.
Calypso wasted no ti. "So what’s up with those Ashen Losers? Tell more about them."
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