After returning to his cabin, Kallen lay down again to rest. The Token Binding Ritual would take place late that night, even earlier than their originally planned entry into Reincarnation Valley, so he needed to get himself into the right condition ahead of time.
Ventura stayed in Kallen's room, not daring to approach and call his captain again. He was not afraid of being kicked again, but of disturbing his captain's rest.
Torn and moved, Ventura curled up in a corner and wept silently, wiping away his tears over and over with the backs of his hands.
When dinnertime came, Ventura took a deep breath, got up, and went out to fetch his captain's dinner. He ran into Aisili, Blanche, and the others at the dining room.
Before they could ask why his eyes were so red, Ventura told them that the captain was going to take his place.
And so,
when Kallen was nudged awake for dinner, his already small room was packed with every member of the squad.
The cabin window was fixed shut and could not be opened, and there was no ventilation fan inside. It was already stuffy; with so many people crammed in, every one of them looking solemn, both the air and the atmosphere became even more stifling.
Kallen rubbed the space between his brows and complained, "You need plenty of fresh air when you sleep. That's how you get quality sleep."
"Captain..." Aisili pressed her lips together, then continued, "We all know."
"Then you know. It's nothing special." Kallen picked up his tray, hesitated, then stood up. "Come on. Let's eat on deck."
On any other sea voyage, eating on deck would hardly have been pleasant. The rocking ship and the waves that could splash over at any moment could add plenty of