Lunch was a silent affair and highly uncomfortable for everyone. Ruth returned in time to help Mitchnew cook but Hua Tuo couldn't get his apprentice to cheer up. Zero seemed to have retreated into a shell and Mitchnew was worried.
Ruth didn't feel comfortable looking at Zero's meek behaviour. He felt as if he'd done something horrible and couldn't help but blame himself for it. He did a lot of reflecting inside the forest while he roamed around with no destination in mind. The words he coldly threw at the teen before he left bothered him a lot. Seeing how much it actually affected Zero made the vampire lose interest in food. He ate mechanically, not able to enjoy the taste of Mitchnew's special spice mix.
