The dense foliage parted before me as I collapsed to the ground, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. My breaths came in ragged gasps, the damp forest air doing little to soothe the burning in my lungs.
Gail, of course, remained infuriatingly unruffled. He stood a few paces away, hands resting casually on his hips, as if the two of us hadn't just sprinted for our lives.
I glared up at him, still struggling to catch my breath. 'How is he not even winded?'
"Should've done some physical training," he said with a shrug, his tone as nonchalant as ever. Then, with a sly grin, he added, "Might've gotten you a bit thinner too."
The blood rushed to my cheeks, both from indignation and embarrassment. Without a word, I swung my foot, kicking him squarely in the shin. Not hard enough to hurt him—just enough to vent some of my frustration.
"Shut up," I snapped, glaring at his amused expression. "And help me up."
"Now you act like a lady?" he quipped, bending down and offering me his hand.
Too tired to argue further, I took it. His grip was firm and steady as he hauled me to my feet. My legs wobbled slightly beneath me, but I managed to stay upright.
"I'm too tired," I muttered, still panting. My glare intensified as I added, "How are you not tired? Our mana levels are supposed to be the same!"
"Because I'm not wasting it like a toddler with a shiny new toy," he replied, his smirk widening. "And I've got better physical specs than you. Less mana use, more efficiency."
I grumbled under my breath, my annoyance growing. "And why," I asked, "can I still not communicate with Aria? This is ridiculous."
Gail shrugged, leaning back against a nearby tree with an ease that made me want to throw something at him. "Told you already. That beast adapted to mess with humans. And, let's be honest, your bond with Aria isn't exactly stellar."
His words stung, even if I knew they were true. My lips pressed into a thin line as I looked away, determined not to let him see how much they bothered me.
"Seriously, though," Gail continued, tilting his head thoughtfully. "You should be able to bond with her easily. I mean, she's basically a little girl, and you're… well, you're both girls."
I blinked at him, incredulous. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered by my criticism. "Is it?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "She's not a little girl, not really. She's not even human. She's a Prime Eterna. Do you even understand what that means?"
"Sure I do," he replied, though his grin suggested otherwise. "She's an impossibly strong being who could wipe out half the forest if she wanted to, and she looks like she should be playing with dolls instead of punching beasts. Doesn't change the fact that she's still stuck with you, and you're stuck with her."
His words, for all their teasing, carried a weight that made me pause. Aria was stuck with me, just as much as I was with her. The thought was sobering—and, in a strange way, comforting.
"She's not just some summon, you know," I said quietly, more to myself than to him. "She's… something else."
Gail watched me for a moment, his usual smirk replaced by something softer. "Maybe," he said finally. "But if you want her to trust you, you've got to stop seeing her as 'something else.' She's your partner, Elara. Not a tool."
His words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning. For a moment, the sounds of the forest seemed to fade, leaving only the two of us and the unspoken truths we carried.
Finally, I broke the silence. "You're surprisingly insightful for someone who spends most of his time flirting with anything that moves."
He grinned, the playful spark returning to his eyes. "What can I say? I contain multitudes."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at my lips. For all his flaws—and there were plenty—Gail Kilt was undeniably good company in the chaos.
"And what about you?" I asked, folding my arms. "Why hasn't your Royal Wolf found you yet?"
"Bonding with a non-sapient summon is harder, especially when the bond's still weak," Gail replied smoothly, shrugging as though the challenge were no more than an interesting puzzle. "My connection with him isn't strong enough yet either."
"You're awfully pragmatic about it," I muttered, frowning at how matter-of-fact he sounded.
"One of my many charms," he said, winking at me. I rolled my eyes again, as much at his words as at the irrepressible glint in his dark eyes.
Before I could respond, the foliage ahead of us rustled sharply, the sound cutting through the forest's ambient stillness. Gail's demeanor shifted instantly; he stepped forward, his hand brushing the hilt of his dagger as he positioned himself between me and the unseen threat.
For a moment, I just stared at him, taken aback. 'He's… protecting me?' The thought was as surprising as it was disarming.
Then, from the shadowed undergrowth, a delicate, doll-like face emerged.
"Aria!" Relief surged through me as I recognized her familiar features.
Aria blinked once, her onyx eyes fixing on me as she stepped out from the bushes with the serene grace of a falling leaf. Her gaze shifted briefly to Gail, assessing him with a calm intensity that made even his usual swagger falter.
"Move," she said, her voice flat but carrying a quiet command that left no room for argument.
Gail blinked, clearly perplexed, but after a moment, he stepped aside without protest. Aria walked forward, her small figure seemingly unbothered by the tension hanging in the air. She stopped just in front of me, tilting her head back to meet my gaze.
Her hand reached out, fingers cool and impossibly delicate as they slipped between mine. Her grip was light but resolute, and the warmth that spread through me was startlingly at odds with her icy touch.
"Aria," I said softly, not entirely sure what else to say.
"Elara," she replied, her tone as stoic as ever. And yet, something about the way she said my name sent a flutter through my chest.
Then, still holding my hand, she turned her dark gaze on Gail once more, her expression unreadable.
"Elara," she said again, curling herself protectively around my arm, "mine."
The single word hung in the air, simple yet carrying a weight that made my breath catch. I glanced at Gail, whose confusion was written all over his face as he looked from Aria to me.
"Uh… what?" he asked, his usual smoothness entirely absent.
I gulped, my mind racing. 'What did I just teach a Prime Eterna?' Possessiveness wasn't something I'd ever considered explaining to Aria, but apparently, she'd figured it out all on her own—and decided to apply it with startling precision.
"Elara," she said again, her voice a soft yet unyielding claim, and I had no doubt in my mind: I was hers now, at least as far as she was concerned.
Meanwhile, Gail's expression shifted from bewilderment to barely-contained amusement. "You know," he said, his grin returning, "this is fascinating. I think I like her."
Aria's grip tightened slightly on my hand, and I decided, for everyone's sake, to change the subject quickly. 'This is going to be a long day,' I thought, my heart still fluttering as I led the way deeper into the forest, Aria firmly by my side.