"Why are you looking at like that?" Kaya snapped, narrowing her eyes at Vayu. "Confused? What, now you’re acting like I made this up?"
Vayu stared back at her, still not understanding. "I—I never said—"
Kaya didn’t let him finish. She stepped forward and threw her arms out in disbelief.
"What do you think, huh? That I have so magical power that tells which underwater tribe lives where?" she said, voice rising. "I didn’t even know this Murphlock or rfolk or whatever-they-are existed until you guys told !"
She jabbed a finger in the air toward all three of them. "You’re the ones who said I needed the dicine. You told this was where we had to co."
Then her finger pointed directly at Vayu, sharp and accusing. "And you! Weren’t you the one who said you could ’handle’ the Shark Tribe? Didn’t you call them here?!"
Vayu froze on the spot. His lips parted, but no words ca out. He looked at the others, confused, then turned back to Kaya.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he said, blinking fast. "When did I ever say that to you?"
Kaya’s patience snapped. She marched up to him, hand already reaching for his collar. Her voice dropped, full of heat and frustration.
"Are you insane?! You were the one who brought us here! You told the plan. Don’t try and act clueless now!"
The room felt tense. No one breathed. Even the cave walls seed to lean in, listening.
But in her mind, her anger had already begun to rewind—to a mont just a few days earlier, right before they’d left the cave.
.
.
.
Kat. Kat. Khat.
"Damn it..." Kaya muttered under her breath, crouched near the bushes, stabbing the soil with a sharp stone.
She was trying to dig out a stubborn wild onion. Half of it was out already, but it was stuck hard in the dirt. She wiped sweat from her brow with her wrist.
"What the hell is this? An onion or a rock?" she grumbled, stabbing at it again. "If this doesn’t co out in one more try, I swear I’m cooking sothing else..."
Kaya looked down at her palm—reddened, sore, and stinging. She flexed her fingers and sighed. The stone in her other hand was barely sharp, and the stubborn onion she’d been trying to dig out refused to budge.
She was tired. Not just physically.
Ever since they’d co here, sothing felt... off. She had been sleeping way too deeply, nights lting into mornings without her noticing. That wasn’t like her. Kaya had never been a heavy sleeper, not the kind to miss noises or movents. But lately, even if soone dropped a boulder beside her, she probably wouldn’t wake up.
And now this—raw hands, aching fingers, and an onion that refused to cooperate.
She groaned under her breath. "What is this thing, an onion or a cursed rock?"
Just then, a voice behind her broke the silence.
"Hmm... having a tough ti with an onion, huh?"
Kaya spun around quickly.
It was Vayu.
But sothing was different. His expression didn’t carry its usual edge or sarcasm. His eyes were warm, and there was a soft smile on his face—playful, but gentle. It was the kind of smile she’d never seen from him before.
"Need help?" he asked, voice light.
Kaya blinked at him, then narrowed her eyes. The frustration inside her was still very much alive.
"No," she snapped. "Why would I need help? I was just talking to the onion."
She pointed at it dramatically. "We were having a great ti. Go ahead—join the conversation."
Vayu laughed, holding up both hands as if backing off. "Alright, alright. If you’re bonding, I won’t interrupt. Carry on."
Kaya stared at him, stunned for a mont. "Since when did you beco so... playful?"
Her tone wasn’t harsh this ti. Just genuinely surprised.
Vayu just smiled. "Maybe I’ve always been like this. You’re just finally noticing."
Kaya was slightly taken aback. There was sothing different about Vayu in this mont—sothing unfamiliar, yet oddly comforting. She didn’t feel distant from him. In fact, it was the opposite.
There was this strange, quiet sense of familiarity with him, like she’d known him for a long ti. Maybe not in this life. Maybe not in words. But in feeling.
She found herself staring at him, her brows drawing together slightly. "Hey... your eyes," she murmured, "they... they look golden. Since when?"
At her words, Vayu froze for just a heartbeat—only a blink—but Kaya caught it. Then, almost too smoothly, he smiled.
"Oh, golden?" he said with a casual shrug, his voice light. "It’s probably just the light. You know... snakes have eyes like that. They reflect."
He took a small step closer, and his smile softened—not teasing, but warm. "Our eyes change color sotis when the sunlight hits. It’s normal."
Kaya slowly nodded, accepting the explanation. It made sense... well, enough sense. She didn’t know much about snakes or reptiles. She didn’t have the knowledge to say whether he was telling the truth or not, so she just took it for what it was.
She lowered her gaze, brushing her thumb over her reddened palm again.
"Anyway," she said, clearing her throat, "did you finish the work I gave you?"
Instead of answering directly, Vayu tilted his head, his tone shifting.
"You know," he said, "there’s a kind of dicine... from the rflock group. It’s rare. They say it can heal any wound—old or new. It makes the body stronger, healthier. Even regenerates what’s been damaged."
Kaya didn’t react. She just glanced at him, unimpressed. "And why would I need to know that?"
But Vayu didn’t stop.
"There’s a legend too," he went on, his voice softer now. "They say if soone takes it, the body doesn’t just heal—it rembers how to stay whole. It learns to repair itself, faster, stronger. Like... nothing ever broke in the first place."
Kaya finally put the dull stone down and slowly stood up, brushing dirt from her hands. Her expression had shifted—serious now. She looked him straight in the eyes.
"What are you trying to say?" she asked quietly. "Just say it clearly."
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