Kasey turned back to look when he heard Aria's voice;
"Ah, you're both awake..."
There was an awkward silence for some time before Riven finally decided to speak up.
"Err... I guess I have I say, thank you both for bringing me to safety. I'm really..."
"Ah, it's nothing. You saved our lives after all, it's the least we..."
"What did you just say, Aria?" Kasey interrupted. "It's nothing! We're being chased by the group we've been with since the beginning of this apocalypse because of this man!"
"We had no choice but to run from them, we should've never taken him to the camp. And now you say it's nothing? It's SOMETHING, Aria... something that means a lot. Now it's just a matter of time before they find us or we die out here."
Another round of silence ensued.
"I'm sorry, Aria," Kasey sighed. "It's just..."
"No, don't worry. I understand," Aria stopped him.
"How was I able to heal up so quickly?" Riven couldn't help asking.
'I don't know why I'm trying to mend the relationship between this two but I think it's important to stay with them for the time being," Riven thought.
"Well, you have Aria to thank for that, she used up practically all her mana to help you, and afterwards the rest was done naturally, it seems you body has quite the healing capability," Kasey answered.
"Oh... wait, she healed me? What element is it that she used? That's not part of the four elements I know,"
"Yeah that's..." Kasey looked towards Aria, as if asking for permission to speak. Aria nodded and Kasey continued.
"This is actually a secret though. You see, there were those who, before the apocalypse, weren't able to control elements. Those people were mostly considered useless by the society."
"As it turns out, when the apocalypse started, these people that weren't able to control elements were suddenly granted healing capabilities, able to heal themselves and others to a certain degree."
'Huh. Then is it the last bar on my elements tab? No wonder they were five when I thought we had only four elements. But then, this means that they'll be a scarcity of people who have these healing capabilities,' Riven mused.
'The only one I know is Aria, and I'm trying to get strong as possible as fast as possible. Should I... No, I can't. She might even be the reason I'm alive right now. I can't do something like that to her.'
'Wait, when did I start caring about what others did to help me? These people are tools to be used to make me get stronger, that's why I was given this system. It seems the memories of the previous owner of this body is starting to affect me.'
'But didn't the System say I've fully healed due to external help, that must be Aria, does that mean... argh, I'll think about all this later.'
"Huh.. the fact that you know all these about her, that means you both have known each other for a long time right?" Riven asked.
"Yeah," Kasey replied.
"Then, if you both don't mind, I want to know your story, from the beginning," Riven said.
An awkward silence ensued as Riven looked from Aria to Kasey who were both staring at each other.
For a moment, Riven thought they would refuse to share their story. But then, Aria nodded, and Kasey began to speak.
"We grew up together, in a small settlement on the outskirts of the city," Kasey said, his voice low and reflective. "We were inseparable, exploring the ruins and scavenging for supplies."
Aria took over, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and nostalgia. "We lost our families in the early days of the apocalypse. We were alone, but we had each other."
Riven listened intently, sensing the depth of their bond.
"As we grew older, we realized that we had different skills," Kasey continued. "Aria had a talent for healing, and I had a knack for combat. We learned to rely on each other, to trust each other with our lives."
"I got myself injured quite a lot, but I always had Aria to heal me up. That way, we managed to survive."
"We had to move from place to place, later on ending up with the group we just left, we decided to stay with them back then because they treated us well enough, and they had enough warriors good enough to fight," Kasey explained bitterly.
Aria's eyes clouded, and her voice cracked. "We've been through so much together. We've lost people we cared about, seen terrible things... But we've always had each other's backs."
Riven's eyes widened, understanding the depth of their friendship. "You're more than just friends, aren't you?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Aria and Kasey exchanged a glance, and for a moment, Riven thought he saw a flicker of something more. But then, Aria looked away, and Kasey cleared his throat.
"We're just friends," Kasey said gruffly. "That's all."
Riven nodded, sensing that there was more to their story, but also understanding that some secrets were meant to remain unspoken.
As they finished their story, Riven noticed that the tension between Aria and Kasey had eased. They seemed more relaxed, and their eyes didn't hold the same level of wariness.
"Thank you for sharing that with me," Riven said, his voice sincere. "I can see that you two have been through a lot together."
'I feel like I'm changing, how did my voice become so soft towards both of them?' Riven mused.
Aria nodded, a small smile on her face. "We have. And we're still standing, despite everything."
Kasey grunted, his expression softening. "Yeah, we make a pretty good team."
Riven smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie with the two. "I'm glad I got to hear your story. It helps me understand you both better."
Aria's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Now it's your turn, Riven. What's your story?"
Riven hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But something about Aria and Kasey's openness put him at ease.
"I don't know where to start," Riven said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just know that I've been given a second chance, and I don't want to waste it."
Kasey nodded, his expression understanding. "We all deserve a second chance. What matters is what we do with it."
Aria's eyes locked onto Riven's, her gaze filled with a deep empathy. "We're here for you, Riven. We'll help you through whatever comes next."
'Although I feel it's too early to say those words and expect me to trust them, I admit they make me feel like I can trust you guys though."
Riven's heart swelled with gratitude, and for the first time since his rebirth, he felt a sense of belonging.
But he wondered if there was a need to feel like he belonged.