Chapter 19: Morning Together
Ruel watched Mei Feng as she spoke, her voice growing softer and more halting with each word.
He noticed her eyes, red-rimmed and heavy, struggling to stay open.
By the time she finished speaking, her eyelids fluttered, and she leaned against the wall, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
"You haven't slept, have you?" Ruel asked gently, his voice filled with concern. "Not since... yesterday?"
Mei Feng shook her head weakly, her eyes closing completely. "No... couldn't... too much..."
Ruel frowned.
He realized, belatedly, the sheer ordeal she'd been through.
The initial attack, the desperate escape, the betrayal, and then... him.
It was a wonder she was still conscious.
He carefully shifted her so she was lying more comfortably, her head resting against his thigh. He knew she needed rest, and fast.
"System," he said, his voice low but firm, "show me the rewards. For surviving... all that, and for taking down that giant thing."