Crystalline Pursuit

TRUST

I was lost in a restless sleep, haunted by flashes of the fight and Vex's mocking grin, when I felt a gentle shake on my shoulder. My eyes blinked open to the sight of Elara crouching beside me, her face illuminated by the soft glow of dawn.

"Kael, wake up," she whispered, her voice gentle but urgent.

I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "What is it?" I mumbled, still groggy.

"It's morning. We need to get moving," she said, glancing around as if expecting another ambush. "And... we need to talk."

Her words snapped me fully awake. I sat up, my body protesting with aches and bruises from the previous day's battle. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep and the lingering guilt.

"Yeah, okay," I replied, my voice rough. "Let's pack up and get going."

Elara nodded and stood up, giving me a moment to gather myself. As I rolled up my blanket and strapped on my gear, I couldn't help but notice the concern in her eyes.

Elara hesitated, her eyes searching mine as if looking for the right words. She took a deep breath and spoke softly, "Yesterday, during the fight with Vex... Kael, I don't think you're comfortable with hurting anyone... right?"

My heart sank. I knew exactly what she was referring to. The moment I had struck Vex's chest with the intention to kill. I tried to brush it off, but the weight of it lingered, heavy and suffocating.

"Elara, I..." I started, but she held up a hand to stop me.

"Kael, I'm not going to force you or anything," she said quickly. "I just want to make sure you're okay. That you're not letting this eat you up inside."

"...why are you acting like you care...." I asked, what was she doing? Was she really trying to care or...?

She let out an amused breath, "We're a team now, Kael. Whether you like it or not."

I raised an eyebrow, still sceptical. "A team, huh? You sure we're not just two people stuck together by circumstance?"

She smirked, "Well, considering your hair looks like a bird's nest, I'd say you need all the help you can get."

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the mess she was talking about. "Great, now I'm self-conscious about my hair. Thanks, Elara."

''You're welcome,'' she teased. ''Anyhow, Kael, I'm serious. If you need to talk about anything, you can tell me. And I promise I'll try and not tease you about it,'' she said, placing her hand on her heart as if she were making an oath.

I couldn't help but chuckle. ''Thanks, I guess, Elara...'' I looked around awkwardly, not knowing what I should say at this point. ''Uhh... the same goes for you too, okay? If there is something you want to say, you can tell me. And unlike you, I actually won't tease you about it.''

Elara started fanning herself jokingly. ''Oh my, such a gentleman...'' she murmured, covering her face as if she were embarrassed.

I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress a grin. ''Alright, let's get moving before you decide to start a whole comedy show.''

She laughed, the sound lightening the mood. ''Lead the way, oh gracious one.'' she murmured as she bowed down.

''Oh god, who are you? And what did you do to the bossy princess.''

She scoffed as she rolled her eyes playfully, ''seriously lead the way'' she said as she nudged me, ''we don't have all day, I bet the earth Aeon stone is here.''

''Are you sure Elara? How are you so sure there is an Aeon stone on this island?''

''Yup hundred percent sure! I can feel it''

Looking towards the denser part of the forest, I sigh, ''you should lead the way instead then.'' I mumbled feeling a bit uneasy for no reason. She nodded and started leading the way to the energy source she has been feeling.

We walked in silence through the dense forest, the morning light filtering through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. The air was fresh and cool, filled with the earthy scent of moss and fallen leaves. Each step we took was accompanied by the soft crunch of twigs and foliage underfoot. The tension from our earlier conversation lingered, but neither of us seemed eager to break the silence.