Tears were shed in unison by the group as a close embrace was shared amongst them; even Mencius silently placed himself by their warmth.
He found his snowy fringes hanging in front of his eyes, blurred with tears as he held Iris close to his chest—sharing the resonance of his heart with her.
"We'll make it out of here," he resolved, "we'll defeat this place—for him."
After they ended their embrace, it was Mencius who handled the burial before they decided to take a break to gather their bearings.
Sitting mostly in solemn silence together, it was Jae-Seong who spoke up.
"…Listen, I've got something to say, but don't call me crazy for putting it out there," Jae-Seong said as he fiddled with the chain hanging from his neck.
"What is it, Jay?" He asked, sitting by the man while keeping Iris coddled close to his body.
