Chapter 63: New Feeling
The morning light was a soft gray that filtered down through the thick canopy of the forest. Serian woke up slowly, her body still heavy with a deep, healing sleep. The first thing she noticed was the smell of something cooking. It was a simple, savory scent, and it made her stomach rumble.
She pushed herself up, her back stiff from sleeping on the hard ground. Across the clearing, the fire was going again, a small, steady blaze that pushed back the morning chill. Nox was there, his back to her, and he was crouched over a small metal pot balanced on two rocks over the flames. He stirred whatever was inside with a stick.
He didn’t look like he did during the fight. The dark energy was gone, and his posture wasn’t as tense. He just looked like a boy trying to make breakfast.
She tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She winced, a small sound escaping her lips before she could stop it.
Nox’s head turned at the sound. He looked at her, his expression neutral, not annoyed. "Morning," he said. His voice was quiet. "Your ankle still bad?"
"It’s manageable," she lied, though the throbbing told a different story.
He didn’t call her out on the lie. He just nodded and turned back to the pot. A minute later, he stood up and walked over to her. He held out one of the tin cups from his pack. It was full of steaming noodles.
"Here," he said. "Eat."
She took it from him, surprised by the simple gesture. The cup was hot, she had to shift it in her hands. "Thank you."