Chapter 123: 123:Talk.
The lantern burned softly, its golden light gently illuminating the inside of the small canvas tent.
Outside, the camp had finally settled into silence. The occasional footsteps of an Association patrol passed in the distance before fading once more into the night.
Somewhere farther away, a generator hummed steadily, powering the floodlights surrounding the temporary encampment.
Silver sat against one side of the tent, his back resting against his backpack. Ravenna sat opposite him with her knees drawn close, quietly watching the lantern flame sway every time the night breeze found its way through the tent flap.
Neither of them rushed to speak. Finally, Silver broke it.
"...I keep replaying it."
Ravenna looked up.
"The greenhouse?"
He nodded slowly.
"I know everyone keeps telling me there wasn’t anything else I could’ve done."
He gave a small, tired smile.
"I’ve even convinced myself they’re probably right."
He looked down at his hands.
"...But that doesn’t stop me wondering."
"What if it had been you?"
"What if I’d looked up a second earlier?"
"What if I’d activated Spatial Sense one more time?"
"What if I’d realised I could bring someone with me before today?"
His fingers slowly tightened together.
"...There are too many ’what ifs.’"
Ravenna listened quietly until he finished, then she asked a question instead of answering.
"If Claire were sitting here instead of me... what do you think she’d say?"
Silver couldn’t help smiling faintly.
"’Stop making that face.’"
Ravenna nodded.
"And after that?"
He let out a quiet breath.
"...She’d probably tell me I was being an idiot."
"I think so too."
The smile on his face lingered only a moment before fading again.
"I still hate that she’s right."
"So do I."
For several moments, neither of them spoke. The lantern flickered gently between them. Eventually, Ravenna lowered her gaze.
"...This wasn’t the first person I’ve watched die."
Silver remained silent, allowing her to continue in her own time.
"When I was younger... I thought eventually it would become easier."
She gave a quiet, humourless laugh.
"It doesn’t. It only becomes..." She searched for the right word. "...different."
Silver nodded.
"You stop crying immediately, you stop panicking, and you learn what to do."
She looked toward the tent wall.
"But afterward... You remember their voice. The little habits they had. The things they complained about."
A tiny smile appeared despite the sadness in her eyes.
"Claire complained about almost everything."
Silver laughed softly.
"She really did."
"And somehow..." Ravenna continued, "...the camp already feels quieter without her."
Silver looked around the little tent. She was right, it did. He slowly leaned his head back against the canvas wall.
"You know... I was disappointed."
Ravenna looked at him.
"Disappointed?"
"I thought I’d reach Rank Two here." He chuckled quietly at himself. "It sounds selfish saying it out loud. People died out here, and I’m sitting here thinking about my strength."
Ravenna immediately shook her head.
"I don’t think that’s selfish."
He looked surprised.
"You don’t?"
"No," She answered without hesitation. "The stronger we become... the more people we can protect."
She paused.
"I wanted to become stronger today, too." Silver smiled weakly. "I guess neither of us got what we wanted."
"No."
She looked toward the lantern.
"But we survived."
The two words carried more weight than either of them expected. They survived, and sometimes, that alone had to be enough.
Silver looked toward the tent entrance.
"I keep thinking about something Brian said."
"What?"
"’Persistence gets you home.’" He smiled sadly. "I don’t think Claire realised how much that suited her."
Ravenna nodded.
"She never stopped moving, even when she was scared."
Silver quietly laughed.
"I don’t think she ever admitted she was scared."
"I think she was."
"You do?"
Ravenna looked directly at him.
"Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. It means you keep walking anyway."
Silver considered those words for a long moment.
"You know... I’ve always thought you were brave."
Ravenna blinked.
"Me?"
He nodded.
"The first day we met... You barely trusted or hardly spoke to me. You looked ready to stab me if I breathed the wrong way."
She gave him an unimpressed look.
"That isn’t completely inaccurate."
Silver laughed.
"But even then... You kept moving forward. You never let fear decide for you."
Ravenna lowered her eyes.
"...I was terrified."
He blinked.
"You were?"
"Every day."
She admitted it so quietly that Silver almost missed it.
"I just didn’t want anyone to know."
Silver smiled gently.
"I guess we’re both better at pretending than we thought."
The silence returned. Ravenna stared at the lantern for several seconds. Without really thinking about it, she shifted closer, because she didn’t want to feel alone.
Silver noticed the movement but said nothing. He simply remained where he was. Another few quiet moments passed, then, almost absentmindedly, Ravenna leaned forward.
Before either of them really realised what she was doing, she rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder.
Silver froze, not out of surprise or embarrassment, but because he understood what it meant. She was simply tired.
Slowly, almost unconsciously, Ravenna’s hands lightly gathered the fabric at the back of his jacket, a quiet, hesitant embrace.
Silver’s expression softened. Without saying a word, he gently wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Just enough for her to know, she wasn’t alone.
For several long moments, neither of them spoke. Then Silver quietly said, "...You don’t have to keep holding everything inside."
Ravenna didn’t answer immediately; instead, he felt her shoulders tremble ever so slightly. One tear, then another. They weren’t loud sobs, only the quiet release of emotions that had been building up.
"...I know we haven’t even known her for a long time, but I miss her, which is weird on its own."
The words were barely louder than a whisper.
Silver closed his eyes.
"...I know. There are people out here who are just naturally likable, time doesn’t factor in."
"I keep thinking..." Ravenna continued haltingly, "...if we’d arrived sooner... or if we’d chosen another route..."
Silver gently shook his head.
"Then we’d just be making the same mistake I was."
She looked up slightly.
"What mistake?"
"Trying to bargain with something that’s already happened."
He offered a sad smile.
"We can’t change today. We can only decide what tomorrow looks like."
Ravenna watched him for a long time.
"...When did you become this wise?"
Silver laughed quietly.
"I’m making it up as I go."
That finally earned the smallest laugh from her. They remained like that for several more minutes, saying little. Eventually, the exhaustion of the past days finally caught up with them.
Ravenna’s breathing gradually became slower and steadier. Silver looked down and realised she had fallen asleep against him.
He smiled faintly.
"...Goodnight."
He lowered the lantern until only a dim glow remained.
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