Your eyes were struggling to stay open as you and Alhaitham kept walking deep into the jungle at night. You stifled a yawn for the 9th time, trying your best to stay awake.
Despite your fight with yourself to stay standing, the jungle life around you was spirited at night. With every step you took, fireflies would light up under your feet. Crickets chirped together in synchrony, creating a gentle melody with the soft whistle of birds in the tall trees that towered over you. Every few minutes, you would spot a lion resting or a stray sumpter beast grazing in the grass. You found the entire experience breathtaking, it was certainly much better than emptying 4 cups of coffee to stay awake while studying within the four dry walls of the library.
"Let's stop here for the night," Alhaitham suggested, finding a small cave beneath a grove of trees, which was very conveniently next to a stream of fresh water. He didn't have to say anything more; without even a second of hesitation, you practically collapsed onto the floor of the cave, huddling your knees to your chest. Shivering as the cold wind blew right through your thin shirt fabric, you rubbed your arms trying to stay warm.
Just as you were about to doze off, you snapped back awake as you heard footsteps nearing the cave. You looked up to see Alhaitham walk into the cave with a bunch of small twigs in his arms. He gathered them into a small pile on the floor and you watched as he managed to start a small flame, feeding more twigs to it as it eventually grew into a decent-sized fire. The shadows of the flickering flames danced across the cave walls, with warmth emanating all around.
You put your icy hands out before the fire and almost cried in relief at the heat warming your fingers. You looked up and saw the fire casting a warm glow over Alhaitham's face as he continued to throw sticks into the pile.
Relieved at this momentary peace after a hectic day, you leaned against the wall of the cave and sighed, thinking about your family back at home in Liyue. You were pulled out of your thoughts as you heard a loud rumble...coming straight from your stomach. You sat upright immediately, noticing Alhaitham looking at you with a surprised expression.
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"How I hate my stomach...", you silently cried, covering your face with your hands as if they could protect you from all the embarrassment. Once you opened your eyes again, Alhaitham was already gone. Great...
Just as you were about to slip into sleep, you saw Alhaitham return, with more stuff in his arms. You sat up and squinted at the items, joyfully realizing they were large juicy berries.
"This should keep us full until tomorrow," he nodded, handing you the berries. Without a second's delay, you popped them into your mouth and you swore berries had never tasted as heavenly as they did at this moment.
"Thank you..." you replied, wondering if Alhaitham was really as bad as he seemed. With a full stomach, you were eventually lulled to sleep by the soft crackling of the warm flames.
