The night stretched on, with only the faint crackle of the dying campfire breaking the silence. Raziel's breathing had finally evened out, her sobs subsiding into soft, exhausted murmurs. She was still pressed against Leon, her body relaxed but fragile, like she'd just run a marathon and was barely holding herself together.
Leon held her a little longer, unsure of how to move without breaking the moment. He felt the heat of her flames lingering against his skin, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was... different. Softer. Less dangerous. And it left him feeling something he wasn't used to—concern that went beyond just keeping her alive.
"It's okay," Leon muttered, unsure of his own words. "You're okay."
For a few long moments, Raziel didn't respond. She was sobbing quietly, her grip on him tight, as though she was terrified that if she let go, everything would fall apart. The intense weight of what she'd been through was crushing down on her, and for once, she wasn't hiding behind her bravado.
Leon sighed softly, feeling the tension in his chest ease slightly. "C'mon," he said, his voice low. "We should head back. You need to rest."
Raziel didn't move at first, but after a few seconds, she nodded weakly, pulling herself together, though her eyes were red and swollen. She stepped back, brushing at her cheeks in a hurried, frustrated motion, her usual defiance creeping back into her posture as she straightened up.
"I'm fine," Raziel muttered, though her voice was shaky. She avoided Leon's eyes, clearly embarrassed by her emotional outburst.
"Sure," Leon replied, giving her a small, knowing look. "But we're still heading back."
Raziel opened her mouth to argue, but she caught the firm, no-nonsense look on Leon's face and sighed instead. "Fine."
They gathered their things in silence, the intensity of the fight and the breakdown still hanging in the air. As they began making their way back through the darkened forest, Raziel walked beside Leon, quieter than usual. Her mind was still racing, trying to process everything that had happened—her powers, her lack of control, and the strange way Leon had been unaffected by her flames.
After some time, Leon glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, sensing her unease. "You're quiet."
Raziel shot him a look. "What do you want me to say? You were trying to kill me a few minutes ago."
"I was trying to teach you," Leon corrected, his tone light but firm. "You need to be ready. I'm not always going to be around to save you."
Raziel huffed, crossing her arms defensively. "I can handle myself."
Leon raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Sure. Just like you handled yourself back there, right?"
"Shut up," Raziel muttered, her face flushing slightly with embarrassment.
Leon chuckled but didn't press the point further. As they continued their trek back to the hideout, the silence between them was more comfortable now, the tension from earlier slowly fading.
After what felt like hours, they finally reached the entrance of the cave that served as Leon's hideout. The familiar sight of the jagged rocks and the overgrown vines brought a sense of relief, and both of them felt the weight of their exhaustion settle in as they entered the cave.
Leon set down his pack, stretching his sore muscles as he turned to Raziel. "Get some rest. We'll figure out our next move tomorrow."
Raziel, still feeling raw from the emotional turmoil of the night, just nodded, not bothering to argue for once. She moved to her usual spot near the fire pit and sat down heavily, staring into the embers with tired eyes.
Leon glanced at her, a flicker of something unspoken passing between them. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over to her, kneeling down beside the fire.
"Hey," he said quietly, catching her attention. "You did alright today. Better than I expected."
Raziel blinked, looking up at him in surprise. It wasn't often that Leon gave her any sort of compliment. She wasn't sure how to respond, so she just gave a small nod, muttering, "Thanks."
Leon stood up, giving her a small smile. "Get some sleep."
Raziel watched as he moved to his own spot across the hall, setting up his bedroll. The firelight flickered softly, casting long shadows on the walls, and for the first time in a while, she felt a small sense of peace.
As they settled in for the night, the tension between them eased, but there was still an unspoken understanding lingering in the air—things were changing. Raziel wasn't sure what the future held, but for the first time, she felt like maybe, just maybe, she wasn't facing it alone.
The next day arrived slowly, with the soft light of the sun creeping through the cracks in the walls of the abandoned House that Leon had claimed as his hideout. The large, looming structures of what was once a House—complete with the faded insignia of long-forgotten leadership—added an eerie, but comforting silence to the place.
Leon stirred first, stretching out on his makeshift bed, which was set against one of the sturdier walls in the large room. The shadows of the House's forgotten tech loomed around him, the relics of a time before it had been abandoned to scavengers like him. They were old, rusted, and half-buried in the structure, but Leon had managed to get some of it functioning again.
Raziel, curled up on the opposite side of the room, still slept soundly. Her breathing was soft, and for the first time in a while, she didn't seem plagued by nightmares or the weight of her powers.
Leon glanced around the hideout. The old House he had stumbled upon so long ago had become a refuge, and it still felt strange to him sometimes. It had the bones of something grand—twisted hallways, intricate stonework, and pieces of tech that hummed quietly in the background. Yet, it was abandoned, long forgotten by the Houses that once controlled it.
He stood up, quietly moving toward the central room, where some remnants of the House's former glory still glimmered under the faint light. He had salvaged whatever he could, cobbling together a place to live, to rest, to scavenge, and to plan. For a scavenger like him, this place was a treasure trove, but today... today was for resting.
Leon walked toward the corner where his stash of supplies was stored. He rummaged through it, pulling out some food rations, and began preparing a simple meal. As the scent of cooking filled the room, Raziel stirred, groaning softly as she blinked into the morning light.
"Morning, sunshine," Leon called over, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Raziel let out a low groan, pulling the blanket over her head. "Why are you so loud...?"
Leon chuckled. "I'm not loud. You're just a light sleeper."
"I hate mornings," Raziel muttered, finally sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a wild mess, and she glared at Leon, clearly not in the mood for his teasing.
"Well, good thing we don't have much to do today," Leon replied, tossing her a food ration. "I figured we could take a day off."
Raziel caught the ration, eyeing it suspiciously before tearing it open. "A day off?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "What, no sparring? No scavenging?"
Leon shrugged. "Even we need a break sometimes. Besides, this place is safe, and we could both use some downtime."
Raziel huffed, but there was a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "A break, huh? I guess that sounds... nice."
As they sat down to eat, the atmosphere between them was more relaxed than it had been in days. The tension from their previous encounters seemed to have eased, leaving room for a rare moment of quiet companionship.
"So," Raziel said between bites, glancing around the hideout. "This old place... it's pretty big. You ever explored the whole thing?"
Leon looked up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Most of it, yeah. The deeper parts are too dangerous. Traps, crumbling walls, tech that doesn't always work right. But up here? It's solid."
Raziel's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she glanced at the stonework and the old tech embedded into the walls. "You ever wonder who built this place?"
Leon shook his head. "Not really. Whoever they were, they're long gone. All that matters is that it's ours now."
Raziel smirked. "You're not even curious? About the House that used to run this place?"
Leon gave her a half-smile. "Curious? Maybe. But there are more important things to worry about than old House politics."
Raziel rolled her eyes. "You're such a scavenger."
Leon chuckled. "And proud of it."
They continued eating in relative silence, the crackling of the fire providing a comforting background noise. For once, there was no immediate danger, no pressing mission. Just the two of them, in the quiet of the abandoned House.
After a while, Raziel stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "Alright, since we're taking it easy today, what do you say we explore a bit more of this place? You never know what we might find."
Leon raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the stone wall. "You want to explore more? Thought you hated this old junk."
Raziel shrugged. "Maybe I'm curious. Besides, I can't sit around doing nothing all day. Drives me crazy."
Leon smirked, pushing himself to his feet. "Fine. Let's take a look. But we stay in the safe parts, got it? Last thing I need is you getting trapped in some old tech."
Raziel grinned. "Deal."
Together, they ventured deeper into the old House, moving through the winding halls and crumbling rooms. The architecture was both beautiful and eerie, the remnants of a forgotten past that neither of them fully understood.
As they explored, Raziel couldn't help but marvel at the place. "You really hit the jackpot with this hideout," she said, glancing around. "I've never seen anything like it."
Leon shrugged. "Told you, it's got its perks."
They wandered into a larger chamber, where the walls were lined with strange symbols and old, broken-down machines. Raziel ran her hand along one of the walls, her mind buzzing with questions she didn't have answers to.
"This place feels... weird," she muttered, her voice quieter now.
Leon glanced at her. "Weird how?"
Raziel hesitated, her hand still pressed against the wall. "I don't know," she admitted, her tone thoughtful. "It's like... I've been here before, or something close to it. Like it's familiar in a way I can't explain."
Leon studied her for a moment, his usual teasing smirk replaced by curiosity. "Familiar? This place?"
Raziel nodded slowly, frowning as she struggled to put the feeling into words. "Yeah. I can't... it's hard to explain. It's like... I'm connected to it somehow, but I don't know why."
Leon crossed his arms, watching her carefully. "Maybe you're remembering something."
Raziel blinked, turning to him. "Remembering? How could I remember a place I've never been?"
Leon shrugged. "You said you don't know what happened after they ripped out your core, right? Maybe this place is tied to all that."
Raziel's gaze drifted back to the symbols on the wall, her thoughts swirling. "Maybe... but it doesn't make sense. Why would I be connected to some old, abandoned House?"
Leon smirked slightly, leaning against one of the broken machines. "You're asking the wrong guy, priestess. I just scavenge whatever's left behind. But if you feel something, maybe it's worth figuring out."
Raziel clenched her jaw, feeling a faint pulse beneath her fingertips as she traced one of the symbols. "I don't like it. It feels... off. Like something's hiding just out of reach."
Leon watched her closely. "You sure it's not just your imagination?"
She shot him a glare. "I know what I'm feeling, Scavenger."
He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Just saying."
Raziel turned back to the wall, the hum beneath her skin growing stronger, though it wasn't unpleasant—just unsettling, like it was trying to tell her something she couldn't quite grasp.
Leon took a step closer, keeping his distance but curious. "You think it has something to do with your powers?"
Raziel frowned. "Maybe. But... it feels older than that. Older than me."
She let her hand fall away from the wall, taking a step back. The hum faded, but the unease lingered. Whatever this place was, it had secrets. Secrets she wasn't sure she was ready to uncover yet.
Leon watched her for a moment longer, sensing her hesitation, but chose not to push the matter. Instead, he shrugged off the tension, letting the weight of the silence fall between them.
"Eh, nothing here's gonna jump out and bite us," Leon said, trying to shift the mood. "Probably just old tech humming. Now, come on. I've got something better to do than poke around dead ruins."
Raziel shot him a side glance, her curiosity still piqued. "Better than finding ancient secrets? What could be more exciting?"
Leon chuckled, already moving back toward the main chamber of the hideout. "How about you watching a master at work?"
Raziel's eyes narrowed. "A master of what? Scavenging junk?"
Leon grinned, clearly enjoying her irritation. "You'll see."
As they made their way back to the heart of the hideout, Leon sifted through his collection of scrap and salvaged tech. The place was littered with half-built devices, broken weapons, and enough parts to make something new. He sat down, pulling out a few pieces of tech he'd picked up during their time at the settlement.
Raziel plopped herself down across from him, watching skeptically as he started fiddling with the scraps. "You seriously think you can make something out of that?"
Leon glanced up, giving her a smug smile. "Watch and learn."
He moved quickly, his fingers deftly connecting wires and piecing together different components. Within minutes, the jumbled mess of parts started to take shape—small, but definitely functional. Raziel leaned in, surprised despite herself.
"You actually know what you're doing," she muttered.
Leon smirked, not bothering to look up. "Told you. Just because I'm a scavenger doesn't mean I'm not good with my hands."
Raziel rolled her eyes. "Doesn't change the fact that it's still junk."
"Junk? This 'junk' could save your life," Leon shot back. He held up the small device—a portable, makeshift shock trap—then activated it, sending a faint electric hum through the air. "Couldn't find this in a store, that's for sure."
Raziel's eyebrows lifted slightly, clearly impressed despite her best efforts to hide it. "So you built a shock trap from scrap. Should I be impressed?"
Leon grinned. "You could be."
She scoffed, leaning back against the wall. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You're still just playing with junk."
Leon chuckled, tossing the shock trap in the air and catching it. "Maybe. But it's the kind of junk that keeps me alive."
As he continued working on another project, Raziel's gaze wandered back to the strange symbols on the wall, still feeling that odd connection. But the sight of Leon tinkering with his gadgets kept drawing her attention. She couldn't help but be fascinated by how quickly he turned what seemed like useless parts into something functional, even if she wouldn't admit it outright.
After a few minutes of watching him work, she leaned forward again, trying to sound casual. "So... could you teach me how to make something like that?"
Leon stopped mid-assembly, glancing up at her with surprise. "What, now you want to learn?"
Raziel quickly backtracked, her tone defensive. "I didn't say I wanted to. Just... curious, that's all."
Leon smirked, clearly enjoying her struggle to admit she was impressed. "Sure, I can show you a few things. It'll probably save you from blowing yourself up if you ever try to mess with this stuff on your own."
Raziel crossed her arms, giving him a playful glare. "Fine. Just don't get cocky about it."
Leon chuckled, waving her over. "Come here then, 'cosplayer.' Let me show you what real scavengers do."
Raziel rolled her eyes but moved to sit beside him, watching closely as Leon explained the basics of wiring and assembling a small, makeshift trap. She listened intently, though her pride wouldn't let her admit how much she was enjoying it.
As Leon worked, the two of them fell into an easy rhythm—trading jabs and insults, but with a growing respect underneath the banter.
"You know," Raziel said, watching as Leon carefully stripped a wire, "for someone who lives in a cave, you sure act like you know what you're doing."
Leon didn't even look up as he replied, "And for someone who thought a bikini top was appropriate scavenger gear, you sure act like you know how to survive."
Raziel shot him a glare, though there was no heat behind it. "I survived just fine before you showed up."
"Survived," Leon echoed, smirking as he connected two wires. "Barely."
"Barely?" Raziel scoffed, crossing her arms. "I didn't see you fighting off a collapsing ceiling, Scavenger."
Leon chuckled. "Yeah, well, I'm still here, aren't I? And with all my limbs, I might add."
Raziel huffed. "Congratulations on having arms and legs, what an accomplishment. Do you want a medal?"
"Wouldn't mind one," Leon replied, flashing her a grin. "Maybe something shiny to hang up in this 'cave' of mine."
Raziel shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips despite herself. "You're insufferable, you know that?"
Leon shrugged. "You're just mad because I make this stuff look easy. Admit it, you're impressed."
Raziel rolled her eyes but leaned closer, watching his hands work the scrap. "Impressed? Hardly. It's not that hard to stick wires together."
"Not if you want to blow something up," Leon quipped, glancing at her. "Which, knowing you, might actually be the goal."
Raziel grinned, her eyes flickering with a mischievous light. "Can't say I'm not tempted."
"Yeah, well, let's keep the explosions to a minimum today," Leon said, adjusting one of the components. "At least until you're not sitting right next to me."
Raziel snorted, leaning back. "Fine, no explosions—for now. But don't blame me if your 'genius' contraption falls apart."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "My contraption? You're the one who helped build it."
"Helped?" Raziel laughed. "I barely touched it. You wouldn't even let me connect the power."
"Because I'd like to keep my eyebrows, thanks," Leon shot back, handing her a small, finished shock trap. "But hey, you did good for a beginner. I might even trust you with a real project one day."
Raziel took the device, turning it over in her hands. "So generous of you, Scavenger. Should I be honored?"
"Yeah, you should," Leon said with a grin. "Not everyone gets to work with me."
"Oh, lucky me," Raziel replied sarcastically, though she couldn't hide the small sense of pride that flickered in her chest. "But seriously... this isn't bad. I mean, for a piece of junk."
Leon laughed. "Coming from you, that's practically a compliment."
Raziel glanced at him, her tone softening just a bit. "Don't get used to it."
Leon met her eyes, his grin softening into something more genuine. "Wouldn't dream of it."
For a moment, the banter paused, replaced by a quiet understanding. Despite the constant jabs and insults, there was a growing respect between them—something unspoken but real. Raziel, despite her usual bravado, was starting to see that there was more to survival than just raw power. And Leon, for all his teasing, was beginning to appreciate her sharp mind and determination.
"Alright," Leon said, breaking the silence, "ready for the next project?"
Raziel tilted her head, feigning disinterest. "Depends. Are you gonna let me do more than just watch this time?"
Leon chuckled, pushing a pile of parts toward her. "You're on."
Raziel grinned, the spark of competition in her eyes. "Better not regret it."
"Trust me," Leon said, leaning back with a smirk. "I'm counting on it."
As the day stretched on, the two of them continued working, and for the first time since they met, they shared a moment that wasn't filled with tension or chaos. It was simple, almost peaceful, and for both of them, it was a reminder that maybe they weren't so different after all.