As they crossed a narrow suspension bridge spanning a deep fissure, cold air rose from the abyss beneath their feet, stirring the hems of their clothes.
Greg was the first to step onto the relatively solid rock platform on the other side. He stopped and waited until Vivian had crossed safely, then turned to look at her still-calm face. A trace of awkwardness flickered in his amber eyes as he scratched the slightly messy blond hair at the back of his head.
"Um... sorry about earlier. I think I got a little too worked up."
He had meant well, but thinking back, his tone really had been a bit much.
Nightmare suddenly chimed in inside his head. "Heh, admit it. Thou wert rattled. Worry clouds thy judgment, my other half~"
Greg snapped, "Shut up!"
Nightmare replied, "See? Thou art rattled again."
Greg retorted, "You fucking...! Keep interrupting me, and I swear I'll teach you exactly what Hachimi blue-north mung beans are when we get back!"
While Greg and Nightmare carried on their silent, childish argument in his head, Vivian had already crossed the last few planks of the suspension bridge and stepped onto solid rock.
She shook her head slightly, her long, ice-blue hair swaying gently with the motion. Her voice was calm, yet carried a profound weight Greg could not quite understand.
"That wasn't your fault."
She paused, then raised her ice-blue eyes to Greg. A deep, complicated guilt was clearly reflected in them.
"The one at fault... has always been me."
Greg instantly snapped out of his mental squabble with Nightmare, unable to quite process what she meant.
Wait, what do you mean, you've always been at fault?
You just got distracted and ambushed once, didn't you?
*Sure, it was dangerous, but everything turned out fine in the