Talking with Troye ruined her good mood, so Selina decided not to join the others. Selina noticed Reinhart off into the distance eating, this was the perfect opportunity to annoy-erm, connect with her.
"Miss commander~" Selina calls out.
"What is it?" Reinhart put her spoon down, patting the empty spot next to her for Selina to sit down.
"I'm bored." Selina sat down.
Reinhart was dumbfounded "...My lady, how is that my problem exactly? Just talk to the others."
"Well first of all, it's your problem because I made it yours and I don't want to talk to the others, I just want to talk to you~ I mean, why else would I come here?"
"...As you wish." Reinhart let out a slow exhale, trying to appear indifferent but she desperately hoped that Selina wouldn't hear how loudly her heart was pounding.
Selina enjoyed the comfortable silence for a bit but being calm and collected wasn't her thing.
"Reinhart, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, there's nothing much to feel." Reinhart shrugs, finishing the last spoonful of her soup.
"I'm guessing you're pretty use to this kind of environment. I'm still anxious. I don't think my heart has ever beaten that loudly before." Selina placed a hand on her chest, her heart calmed down a bit, but she could feel the vibrations vividly.
"It makes sense, you're new to this."
"Eh, even if I was as experienced as you, I would've still felt scared. It's just my nature. Miss prodigy over here probably never felt like this"
"It's not that I've never felt this way, it's just that" She pauses "I'm…just used to it. When I was younger, of course fighting was terrifying, it didn't matter how strong I was, it's normal to be scared of getting hurt. But, injuries are normal in this kind of field, I should be grateful for such an opportunity to prove my worth. When I became the leader of the Northern Knights, my fear just increased because I wasn't just responsible for my own life, but for others as well." Reinhart showed a rare moment of vulnerability to Selina. She looked up at the stars, taking in the soothing sight.
Selina hesitated before reaching out, lightly patting Reinhart's shoulder, hoping to provide a bit of comfort.
"It's moments like these which make me realize you're more than just a heartless instructor. Listen, I'm not the best at comforting people, but, you're doing a great job, heck, an amazing job actually. There were no casualties in our fight against the demons even with such a disadvantage. You might be a bit…cold at some times, but people are still drawn to you regardless which might be because you're really attractive but mostly because of how incredible you are and th-" Selina words get stuck in her throat as Reinhart suddenly embraces her.
"Amelia, thank you. Just..stay still." Just for a bit, Reinhart wanted to feel her warmth, her soft skin against hers. Amelia was driving her crazy with a feeling she didn't want to fight against nor did she want to acknowledge.
Selina, still in shock, hesitated before slowly returning the hug. She ran a hand along Reinhart's back in slow, comforting strokes.There wasn't a need to exchange words, the warmth shared was enough…
After some time, they awkwardly parted. Reinhart mumbled a quick thank you before running away. Selina could've sworn she'd seen a hint of red on her face, but she was probably just seeing things. Watching Reinhart walk away, Selina felt as though she was hit and ran, how odd. She stood still, staring into space, the only thing being heard was her own heart thumping.
Selina soon snapped back to reality and realized that it was really dark. She should head to bed. As Selina entered the tent, Reinhart was already asleep. Selina got into her bedroll and closed her eyes, but sleep didn't come to her, no matter how hard she tried. Her previous interactions with Reinhart kept popping into her mind, it was just a hug, why was she thinking so deeply about it?! Selina was disappointed in herself, they were just friends, nothing more nothing less.
Although Selina calmed herself down, sleep still wasn't coming easy. She grabbed a weapon for self-defence and decided to take a walk. The cold night breeze hit her hard, but it was welcomed.
Her senses were amplified in the eerie quietness. The rustles of the bushes, the steps of the animals–wait, this place was deserted because of the demons, what animals??? Having her curiosity peaked, Selina ran towards the source of the sound, what's the worse that can happen?
Selina stopped in her tracks, and what she found shocked her. A man was crushing leaves to probably apply to his wounds, he stared at her blankly.
Selina took a closer look at the man, his eyes, his hair, this can't be. He was undoubtedly the protagonist of this game!
Dragon Awakening: 9.999999% → 10%
A burst of pain immediately hit Selina. She clutched her stomach, biting her tongue, the metallic taste of blood keeping her awake. She couldn't pass out now, not after this discovery.
"Um, are you okay?" The man asked her worriedly, his voice hoarse and pained.
Selina's vision was blurry as she stared at the man. Two faces were overlapping, the protagonist and… her brother.