The last of the monsters faded into mist, their snarls swallowed by the quiet hum of the living forest.
Kyle cleaned his blade with a flick of his wrist, mana dissipating around him like smoke. He looked over at Silvy, who was still catching her breath, fingers loosely gripping her now-fading mana bow.
"That's enough. Time to get back to the Elf's trail."
Kyle said, stepping beside her.
Silvy blinked at him.
"But… aren't you still gathering herbs? You looked like you were enjoying yourself."
"I was. But dragging you into unnecessary danger isn't part of the plan. I'd rather explore the forest alone next time."
Kyle crouched and pocketed a few loose stalks of skyroot near his feet.
Silvy felt the sting in those words more than she expected. She looked away, hiding the slight frown on her lips.
"Right… makes sense."
She didn't tell him the truth—that she didn't know how to get back to the Elf's trail.
