Upon hearing the news, Alyosha's team and Dr. Hunter's students frowned. Learning that an expedition had been the first to visit the site made them as upset as if they had discovered their girlfriends had cheated on them. The atmosphere became even more tense due to the expedition's strange experiences.
Thoughts of the Bermuda Triangle, disappearing cruisers, and vanishing sailboats, along with all the other strange stories they had heard in their daily lives, came to their minds.
Peter wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Perhaps they had some kind of accident..."
"What kind of accident could it be?" Sara cut him off.
"Warrior ants?" Will speculated. "They encountered warrior ants while they were sleeping..."
He pondered for a moment before overturning his conjecture. "No, these relics are too intact. If they were really the work of warrior ants, then these sleeping bags would have been torn to shreds."
"Should we change our location?" Someone suggested finding a different place to spend the night.
The best thing to do when something like this happens is to move to another location. What sense was there in staying here when you knew something strange was going on in the house? But upon hearing the howling wind outside and feeling the warmth of the fire inside the house, the will to change locations was lost. This room was a bit rundown, but it was the best house in the area for camping.
It was no coincidence that both the previous team and Tom's team had chosen the same house in a city of this size. Spacious, structurally sound, well-preserved, and with an abundance of fuel, experienced adventurers would have chosen it as a camping spot.
With the wind outside, any other house would have been an accident: but instead of mysteriously disappearing, it would have been buried in the ground by the collapse of the house. As if to confirm their suspicions, a crash was heard outside, probably from a house toppled by the wind or, of course, crushed by the sand.
Everyone fell silent.
"Leave someone to keep watch during the night." Alyosha sighed, made a decision, and began clearing the area to make room for a sleeping area. While Alyosha was preoccupied with what had happened to the last group of adventurers, Tom and Hermione stood on the side, looking out of place.
Will noticed they were idle and tried to call them, but old Yushadu stopped him, winked, and shook his head. Will was surprised, looked at them, scratched his head, turned around, and walked away.
Tom noticed something was wrong with Hermione.
She hadn't said a word since they entered the city. The magnificent ruins of the walls, the chilling stories of those who had come before them—none of it had even made her gasp, not even when Tom returned. When he entered the room, she remained silent with her back turned.
He approached Hermione and tugged at the hem of her shirt.
"What's wrong with you?"
Hermione turned her face, still silent, and seemed to be holding something in her hand.
Tom understood that she was blaming him for taking risks again, so he approached and scratched the back of Hermione's hand. She wanted to pull her hand away, but Tom was one step ahead of her and held onto it.
"It's my fault. I won't do it again," he smiled, getting closer. "Just forgive me..."
He froze.
Hermione turned her head, her eyes were red, and two lines of tears ran down the corners of her eyes. Her lips moved twice, but no sound came out.
"Hermione, you..." Tom's mind went blank. In that moment, Hermione pulled her hand away, and at the same time, a fragment of her robe shot out, landing slowly on the ground.
"Let go of me. I don't know you..." she said hoarsely.
Unconsciously, Tom reached out and took her hand again, taking advantage of the momentum to pull Hermione into his arms, letting her head rest against his chest.
Hermione struggled, but Tom held her tighter.
"It's okay," Tom rubbed his face against the top of Hermione's head, "I can't live without you."
Upon hearing these words, Hermione froze instantly, and Tom's chest was suddenly stained with water. Tom embraced Hermione, feeling the slight tremor in her body and the whimper that continued to escape her lips despite her efforts to hold it in.
The two stood there, motionless. The others in the group noticed the abnormality of the young couple but prudently stepped aside, giving them a small private space.
Finally, Hermione's tears ceased, and she twisted slightly, lifting her head from Tom's arms, her eyes now swollen from crying and her face streaked with tears.
Her lips parted slightly, but she didn't have time to say anything before Tom leaned in and silenced her.
Hermione's lips were cold, soft, and slightly salty. Tom clumsily kissed them, first pressing his own lips against Hermione's and then gently teasing her lips with the tip of his tongue.
At first, Hermione's body tensed, but soon she relaxed.
Both of their minds went blank.
They were both breathing heavily before Tom and Hermione pulled apart, and even when they did, there was still a thin, crystalline thread connecting them.
"Boo!"
Hermione had a flushed face, rapid breathing, and teary eyes, while Tom's eyes seemed to be able to emit fire, melting her.
Tom leaned forward a little, and Hermione leaned into Tom's arms, and they sat together on the ground.
Hermione rested her head on Tom's chest, her warm breath spilling against his collarbone.
"I beg you, don't leave me," Tom put an arm around Hermione and intertwined his fingers with the other, "I can't live without you."
Hermione curled up in Tom's arms, unwilling to look up, and only after a long time did she twist and timidly respond, "I can't live without you either."
She didn't know when it had started, but there was a figure that always appeared in her mind.
Was it the moment he pushed the door and handed her the cake when they were eleven? Was it the moment they ran together through the forest trails? Was it the moment they sailed together across the Black Lake? Or was it when they read in the library, explored the secret room, and solved the mystery of the Room of Requirement?
Hermione didn't know. But she did know that there was someone else in her life.
She couldn't live without him.
Tom also didn't know when there had been a touch of color in his life. It could have been the moment he grabbed the cake, it could have been the moment he reached the girl, it could have been the breeze on the shore of the Black Lake, or it could have been the moment the girl approached him at Christmas.
But he knew that there was a color in his life that couldn't be erased.
He couldn't live without her.
He had never been able to face his feelings, but when Hermione uttered those words, he finally understood.
So let's say it.
"I love you, Hermione."