The group continued their walk in silence, the weight of the argument hanging between them like an oppressive cloud. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor, and soon night fully embraced the land. As the darkness settled in, they made camp near a small clearing, the sound of the crackling fire filling the air.
Serena, still deep in thought, sat next to Ezra by the fire. The weight of their previous exchange lingered, and she leaned against him, her frown more subdued now, but still present. "I'm sorry about earlier, Ezra," she murmured, her voice softer, filled with regret. "I shouldn't have said all that stuff."
Ezra turned his head slightly, his gaze briefly meeting hers before returning to the flickering flames. His face was unreadable for a moment, but then his expression softened. "You don't have anything to apologize for," he said, his voice quiet but steady. "You were right. I've been running from my feelings for a while now—drowning them out with... distractions. I've been a coward, and I realized that a while ago." His voice trailed off as if the admission itself was a weight that took some of the heaviness off his chest.
Serena stayed quiet for a long moment, absorbing his words. Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Ezra stiffened for a second, but then he relaxed, allowing the embrace. "No," she said, her voice soft but firm, "you definitely deserve an apology. I was the one who brought it up in the first place, and I know you've had to do... much more unsavory things than most people would ever dream of. I just... I was angry. I was jealous of Alexis, back then. She got to have you all to herself. And when I heard you hadn't even been to her grave... it made me a lot more mad than I thought it would."
Ezra pulled back slightly, his arms still around her, but he gave her a small, understanding smile. His eyes were tired, weighed down by the guilt, but there was something softer in them now—something more human. "I get it," he said quietly. "It's not easy, but I'll get there. I know I will. I just need to face it." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But... you don't need to apologize. You were looking out for me, and that's something I appreciate."
Serena gave him a small, reluctant smile, the tension easing just a little. But still, there was something unresolved in her eyes. "Just don't take too long, okay? I think you owe it to yourself."
Ezra nodded slowly. "I will."
After a long moment of silence, Ezra shifted and broke the hug. He gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder, trying to lift the mood a little. "Go to sleep," he said with a small smirk. "We have a lot of walking to do tomorrow. No more deep talks, not tonight."
Serena chuckled softly and nodded, her gaze softening. "Alright, alright. But only because you said so." She settled down next to the fire, pulling her cloak around her for warmth, though she didn't quite close her eyes just yet. Ezra stayed sitting beside her, his face illuminated by the flickering light of the fire.
The tension between them had not completely vanished, but it was no longer as suffocating. Instead, there was an unspoken understanding. They would continue forward, together, even if the road ahead was still uncertain. As the night stretched on, the sounds of the forest grew louder, but for now, at least, they could rest. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but for now, they could find some peace in the quiet of the night.
The group awoke the next morning to the soft sounds of the forest stirring in the early light. Korr was the first to grumble, clearly not one for early mornings. "Damn, I thought for sure it would happen last night. You two would confess your undying love for each other, maybe even have a dramatic kiss under the moonlight. I even pretended to be asleep just to give you some privacy."
Ezra shot Korr an exasperated look, already wide awake despite the early hour. Without missing a beat, he reached over and landed a playful punch on Korr's side, making the larger man grunt in surprise. "Shut up, Korr," Ezra muttered, though there was no real malice in his voice. "And quit making assumptions."
Korr let out a laugh, rubbing his side theatrically. "Hey, I was just trying to help! You two are all brooding and stuff, like the world's on your shoulders. I thought a little push might—"
"Enough!" Ezra cut him off, though he couldn't suppress a grin. It was too early for this, but it was impossible not to feel a sense of relief in the teasing. It was nice to have a bit of normalcy again after last night's conversation.
Serena, who had been quietly packing up her things, looked up at the two men with a raised eyebrow. "Honestly, I have no idea what you two are on about," she said, though there was a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Let's get moving before you both start making up ridiculous scenarios."
The atmosphere between them was different now, more comfortable. The tension that had weighed down their steps the day before had lifted, and there was an unspoken understanding between them. The kind of bond forged through shared hardship, quiet moments, and even the awkward, painful conversations.
With a last chuckle, Korr hoisted his pack onto his back and led the way. The group fell into a natural rhythm, walking in easy silence as the road stretched before them. The trees around them whispered in the wind, the soft rustling of leaves filling the air. The morning sun filtered through the branches, casting dappled light on the forest floor.
There was a sense of peace in the air that seemed to match the quiet understanding between the three of them. For a moment, it felt like the world was holding its breath—waiting for whatever came next. But whatever it was, they would face it together.
And for now, that was enough.
The group walked on, enjoying a brief respite of peace, but all good things had to end. As they moved along the forest path, a large group of bandits suddenly emerged from between the trees. They were well-armored, almost all in leather, and their weapons were varied but decent—spears, daggers, and a few swords.
The leader, a tall man with a smug grin and the confidence of numbers, stepped forward, his eyes fixed firmly on Ezra. "Leave all your valuables and money on the ground, and we'll spare your lives," he said, his voice oozing arrogance. "We'll even let you keep your fancy armor."
Ezra sighed. Bandits were predictable. They were thugs, but not necessarily stupid. He'd seen this act before. A little flexing of strength, and they'd scatter, looking for easier prey. He wasn't in the mood for unnecessary bloodshed today.
"Look," Ezra said with cool confidence, stepping forward and meeting the bandit leader's gaze. "I'm not really in the mood to stain my new sword with blood, so why don't you just run along and save me the trouble of exerting myself?"
Some of the younger bandits, likely inexperienced, still wore smug expressions, oblivious to the threat they were facing. But the older, more battle-hardened members of the group exchanged wary glances.
The leader's expression shifted. He stepped back, his arrogance faltering as he took a closer look at Ezra. His face paled, and he quickly dropped his boastful tone. "Shit... Please spare my men. We'll get out of your way, sir," he said, his voice no longer confident.
The older bandits, recognizing the change in their leader's demeanor, followed suit and began backing away. But the younger ones lingered, confused and skeptical.
"Boss," one of the younger bandits spoke up, his voice full of defiance, "why are we running from three people? We can just take them with numbers."
The leader's face twisted into a scowl, and he swung a fist at the bandit who'd spoken, knocking him to the ground. "Idiot!" the leader shouted. "This is the damned Black Meteorite of the battlefield! He could cut all of us down and not even blink an eye. We're lucky we're still breathing right now!"
The younger bandits, stunned into silence, looked at each other in horror. The weight of their leader's words sank in, and their confidence evaporated as quickly as it had come. Slowly, they all stepped back, clearing a path for Ezra and his group.
The leader bowed his head deeply, his tone now full of genuine fear. "Please, sir, spare them. They're young, and most of them didn't fight in the rebellion. They don't deserve to die."
Ezra waved them off casually. "It's fine," he said, his voice calm and almost amused. "I don't feel like spilling blood today. I'm in a good mood. But you might want to relocate. Some demons are planning to invade the surface soon, and things are going to get ugly."
The bandit leader's eyes widened at the mention of demons, and he quickly ushered the rest of his group to retreat into the forest, muttering words of gratitude as they vanished into the trees.
Korr, who had been silently watching the whole exchange, let out a low whistle. "Damn, Ezra. You really know how to make an entrance."
Ezra just shook his head with a smirk. "Sometimes, you don't need to fight to win. Just make sure they know you can." He turned to Serena and Korr, gesturing down the road. "Let's keep moving. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and no time to waste."
The group continued their journey in silence, a newfound respect lingering in the air as they walked away from the bandits' retreat.