Chapter 145 --145.
Everyone had gathered, each with a full bowl in hand. A few had even crafted little ladles or wooden scoops out of bark and twine—rough, but functional.
The aroma of the stew filled the camp. Rich. Warm. Comforting.
Cutie had really outdone himself.
Kaya, however, barely glanced at her bowl. She placed it off to the side and continued sorting through the leaves. She was still working—still trying to identify which were edible and which might be dangerous. She wanted to at least clear a few more before eating.
But then... a strange silence settled.
She sensed it before she looked up.
The Nikala beastmen sat in place—bowls in hand—but none of them had taken even a single sip. Their eyes flicked between the steaming broth and Kaya.
Kaya blinked and looked at them. Then, back at her leaf. She set it down.
Their cautious glances, the hesitance in their movements—the way they held their bowls as if they were doing something wrong—reminded Kaya of her old squad.
The unusual squad.
The one she used to lead.
They had been like this too. Always a little on edge. Always acting like she might snap and eat them alive. And funnily enough, they still joked about it back then.