Chapter 5: THE COST OF KINDNESS
Aeloria’s concern radiated through the crisp night air as her fingers brushed softly through Yomi’s short, ashen-blue hair. The delicate motion was a small solace, a gesture of empathy in a world devoid of kindness.
"Nothing is fair, is it?" she whispered, her voice a blend of weariness and warmth. Yomi’s breathing slowed as he absorbed her words, each syllable sinking into the marrow of his bones.
"But don’t let your pride be the death of you just yet," she added, eyes searching his face for a glimmer of understanding.
Yomi’s eyes, a storm of defiance and exhaustion, met hers. His features were unmistakably Dra’kesh, with the sharp, noble lines that once spoke of freedom but now marked him as prey. Yet something in his gaze set him apart—a fire, untamed and perilous, that made Aeloria’s chest tighten.
The energy coursing through her spell felt strange in his presence; while it mirrored the raw power wielded by the celestial beings capable of rending the heavens, hers was a whisper compared to their roar, a breeze caressing a maelstrom.
With a resigned sigh, Yomi loosened his grip on her hand. A small, fleeting smile graced her lips. "Good," she said softly, a flicker of hope in her voice.
"You’re listening." But that hope was fragile, a mask she wore to conceal the despair etched into her soul.
Yomi saw it—the same haunted look he had banished from the eyes of his past Harem clan. Memories of laughter, trust, and shared burdens surfaced briefly, then scattered like leaves in a gale.
"Minor Healing," Aeloria murmured, the incantation wrapping around them with a subtle glow. The warmth seeped into Yomi’s battered body, soothing the raw bruises and rekindling a spark of strength within him.