Chapter 8: Broken wings
Cain didn't sleep that night.
He sat by the cracked window of the hideout they'd stumbled into, staring out at the restless city. The Underground never really slept — its heartbeat just slowed, grew heavier, like it was dreaming dark dreams.
The fight with the Revenant had rattled him more than he wanted to admit. No matter how many monsters he stabbed, no matter how brave he acted, there was still that raw fear gnawing at him inside.
The fear that one day... he wouldn't be fast enough.
That one day, he'd lose Elias and Riven — and it would be his fault.
"Can't sleep, huh?"
Aiko's voice broke through the silence. She dropped down beside him without asking, tossing a half-eaten candy at him.
Cain caught it, raising an eyebrow.
"What's this?"
"Sugar helps with shock," she said simply, popping another candy into her mouth. "Or so Kaze says. Personally, I think he just likes an excuse to eat sweets."
Cain cracked a tiny, reluctant smile. "You're weird."