Leo stared at the trembling villagers with thinly veiled rage.
His grip on his sword tightened as he handed Nina over to Luna with surprising gentleness, as if afraid she'd break from anything rougher.
She shifted slightly in his arms, but her breathing remained calm—deep and steady.
"She's alive. Just unconscious."
Leo confirmed, voice low.
Hwan, who'd been hovering nearby, let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Good. I thought she—"
He paused, catching the deadly glare Leo threw his way.
"Don't say it,"
Leo muttered, and thwacked him on the top of the head.
"Don't ask if she's dead again, you idiot."
Hwan rubbed his scalp, grumbling but not pushing back. Luna, holding Nina carefully, glanced around, her expression unreadable as the weight of everything around them began to settle.
Before they could even begin the trip home, shouts rose from behind them. The villagers—faces pale and twisted with panic—came rushing from the abandoned house.
