Chapter 46: Friendly Competition
Serian’s eyes opened. She mumbled something soft, words lost even to herself. The room was darker than before, the last light of day just a memory outside. She sat up, stretching her arms above her head. A feeling of good rest had settled into her muscles, and she felt ready for what was next. She looked over to the corner.
Nox was still there, sitting cross-legged, his back against the wall. There was a faint, dark vapor around him. It seemed to move with his breath.
’He’s doing something with that power again,’ she thought. That strange energy he’d shown against the mercenary. It was a bit unsettling, how quickly he changed, how that darkness clung to him. ’But he didn’t hurt me. He even fought for me.’ A small smile touched her lips. ’Maybe it’s alright. No need to worry so much about it.’
She stood up, moving quietly across the floor, her steps light. She knelt beside him. "Nox?" she asked, her voice gentle.
His eyes opened, and the faint vapor around him seemed to draw back into him, then it was gone. He looked at her, his expression neutral. "You’re awake."
"Yes," she confirmed, pushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "It is almost night. You were... doing something." She gestured vaguely towards him.
He just nodded. "Trying to figure some things out." He pushed himself to his feet, a little stiffly but without the earlier signs of extreme pain. "You seem better."
"I am well rested," she told him. She noticed he didn’t look as worn out as before either. "And you?"
"Good enough," he replied, rolling his shoulders.
"That power you were using... it is potent."
He just looked at her. "It gets the job done."