- Chapter 4 -

419 24 25
                                    


Walking in the desert the whole day and the continuous chatter of her team started to make Senna's head hurt.

They found a three-story building to rest at. The thick walls and the depth of the building gave them some relief after the full-day heat, the angry rays of sunshine barely reaching inside. For once, Senna was grateful for the darkness enveloping them, the whole level being half-lit.

Setting herself down on the dusty ground, Senna finally took a break in what seemed like an office before. A window took up almost an entire wall, but the glass had been blown out God knows how long ago, only leaving a hollow hole after itself. Sunlight dared to reach inside the dark building, shadows tenderly touching the harsh rays of sunshine. Dust and particles danced around the room, magically lit by the Sun.

Senna took a deep breath as she looked ahead, appreciating the little things. Sometimes she just needed a minute to remind herself that not everything was bad: there were so many little good things in the world. She was in the middle of learning how to appreciate the little things; but on some days, it was really difficult.

This was one of those days.

She reached over to her heavy backpack, pulling out her water bottle. Mindlessly, she twisted off the cap and raised it to her lips, only to be met with nothing. Shaking the bottle, she acknowledged it with an annoyed grunt that she was out of water. Sure, she had a few bottles left in her bag, but it was in the very bottom and she had no mental or physical energy to hurl out and then pack everything back like it was. It was such a pain in the ass to find something specific in there.

With an annoyed huff of breath, Senna chucked her empty water bottle in the opposite corner, missing the window by mere inches. It bounced off the stone wall, taking a small chunk of it with the momentum before the crippled bottle rolled away. The sad noise of plastic rubbing against concrete and debris filled the air, only making her frown deeper.

Then, a small, barely-chuckle-like noise came from her left.

Senna whipped her head around to look at the person standing in the doorway. Her eyes met with König's, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. She had no idea how she didn't notice him sooner, and the fact that he watched her throw a temper tantrum was twisting her core.

Her gaze slipped down his tall, lean form, only glancing away as he stepped into the room, embarrassment forcing her to smile away the pain.

"You're too quiet for your size," Senna commented, pulling her legs up to her chest, acting like the patterns on her pants were more interesting. She rarely got flustered or embarrassed, and she couldn't explain why it became so hard to maintain eye contact with someone.

His boots only stopped a step away from her, his tall body looming over her. Tilting her head back against the wall, she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, only to be met with his hand reaching out, holding a bottle of water towards her.

The gesture made her eyes jump to his, the stormy pair flicking away the second they met. Still, she couldn't help but smile at his silent offering, taking the bottle with a gentle hand.

"Thank you," Senna's smile widened, holding the bottle like she was just handed a newborn.

It was the small things like this that made her heart feel warm again. It was so rare that someone would do something small yet totally selfless towards her, just out of their kindness. Yet, he only gave her a small nod of acknowledgment as he stepped back, already turning to leave her be.

She would've let him exit and mind his own business like he usually did in the past few days, but something made her call after him.

"König?"

lightning strikes | könig [ON HOLD]Where stories live. Discover now