After the monster was dealt with, the thick fog gradually dispersed. The sun set and rose again, and a day passed.
Lin En leaned against the rock wall, his left arm held in place by black energy. It still hurt, but at least he wouldn't injure it further by moving it around.
Ronava sat beside him with her eyes closed, an extremely faint black aura flowing over her palm as she slowly recovered.
Lin En's stomach growled. He looked down at it, then at Ronava. Fortunately, her eyes were closed, so she probably hadn't heard it.
A while later, his stomach growled again.
Ronava opened her eyes and glanced at him.
"Hungry?"
"No."
"I heard that."
Lin En coughed awkwardly, only to pull at his chest and send sharp pain through his body.
He looked around. Among the loose rocks at the bottom of the ravine were some dried vines and moss, along with damp soil and scattered dead leaves. There was nothing at all to eat.
"Are you hungry?"
he asked.
"No. I can go a long time without eating."
"That's good."
"But you can't."
Ronava looked at him and said,
"You're injured and need to replenish your strength. If this drags on, your injuries will only get worse."
"I believe Paimon will come back. She's timid, but she probably won't go back on her word."
Ronava didn't argue and closed her eyes again. She had also suffered some injuries, though she was feeling better after taking medicine. She wasn't about to place all her hopes on someone else.
"Ronava."
"Hmm?"
"Were you always alone before?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I just get the feeling you're used to being alone."
Ronava was silent for a few breaths.
"For several thousand years, I spent most of my time alone."
Her tone was calm, as though spending thousands of years alone was nothing remarkable.
"Then how did you get through it? Didn't you get bored alone?"
"If you work diligently, there's always more work to do. Naturally, you won't get bored."
Lin En leaned against the rock wall, looked at her profile, and smiled. She really did have a point.
"What about now? Now you have someone to block attacks for you. He's a little weak, but at least he can help take some of the burden off you."
Ronava's gaze rested on his face for a few seconds before she looked away.
"You are weak."
"Did you have to be so blunt? You hurt my feelings."
"But you're stronger than when we first met."
She added that in a very quiet voice.
Lin En leaned against the rock wall and looked up at the darkening sky. The first star was already visible through the gap overhead.
"Do you think Paimon has found the Traveler?"
"She should be close, if she hasn't been eaten by Rifthounds on the way."
"Don't scare me like that."
"It's the truth."
Lin En sighed and rested the back of his head against the rock wall. His stomach ached with hunger, and he hurt all over, but he realized he wasn't as anxious as before.
Perhaps it was because Ronava was beside him. Even though he was badly injured, as long as she was there, he felt things could always be resolved.
"Ronava."
"What is it now?"
"What if Paimon really doesn't come back? What will we do?"
Ronava opened her eyes and looked toward the top of the cliff. Her gaze swept across the rock walls before settling on a crack halfway up the opposite cliff.
"Once I've recovered a little, I'll get you out of here."
Lin En followed her gaze. The crack was at least dozens of zhang above the ground, and the cliff was steep and smooth, with barely any footholds.
"Do you still have the strength?"
"After another night's rest, I'll have recovered some. I can give it a try then."
"Then why didn't you retreat before using that move last night?"
Lin En suddenly asked.
"If you'd come back first, we wouldn't have fallen."
Ronava sighed when she heard that.
"The monster's red beam covered a wide area. If I hadn't dealt with it where I stood, it would have caught up. You wouldn't have gotten away."
Lin En looked at her and suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. It wasn't from his injuries.
"So you stood there because I couldn't get away."
"You run too slowly."
"I know I'm weak, but could you put it differently next time?"
Lin En glared at her.
A gust of wind blew past. Ronava raised a hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her fingertips pausing at the edge of her ear for half a second. She thought for a moment, then said,
"Because I was afraid that monster would hurt you. Are you satisfied now?"
After saying that, Ronava seemed a little uncomfortable herself. She turned her head away and stopped looking at him.
Lin En froze for a moment and opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he didn't know how to respond. The tightness in his chest grew stronger, though it had nothing to do with his injuries.
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low voice.
"Yeah... I'm satisfied."
His voice was almost inaudible, but Ronava had clearly heard him, because the fingers resting on her knee curled slightly.
More and more stars appeared overhead. It was growing so dark at the bottom of the ravine that they could barely make out each other's faces. Lin En's stomach growled again, but this time he was too hungry to feel embarrassed. He simply gave a wry smile.
Night fell completely, plunging the bottom of the ravine into darkness.
He didn't know how much time had passed before a rapid patter of footsteps suddenly came from above, followed by a familiar shout.
"Lin En! Ronava! Are you still alive?!"
Paimon's voice came from the top of the cliff, echoing through the ravine.
Lin En's eyes snapped open, and he looked up. A streak of golden light was descending rapidly along the cliff. It landed on the ground, revealing the Traveler.
She glanced at Lin En's injuries, then at Ronava beside him, and frowned.
"Are you badly hurt?"
"I'm all right. I won't die."
Lin En said.
Lumine was about to crouch down and quickly check his left arm and chest. She had just taken a roll of bandages and several bottles of medicine from her backpack when Ronava took them from her.
"I'll do it. He trusts me more."
She deftly treated his wounds again.
"Paimon told me you saved her. Let me thank you on her behalf."
"Save the thanks for later."
Ronava stood and looked up at the cliff.
"Let's get him up there first."
She looked at Lin En. He had already stood up, and although his face was pale, his breathing was much steadier than before.
"Can you get up there on your own?"
Lumine asked.
Ronava didn't answer. She simply walked up to the cliff and pressed her hand against the rock. Black energy surged into it, opening several small cracks in the cliff face, and she climbed up using them as footholds.
Lumine watched her without asking anything else, then turned and lifted Lin En onto her back.
"Hold on tight."
Lin En lay on Lumine's back as Anemo rose beneath her feet, carrying them both upward.
When they reached the top, Lumine set Lin En down. Ronava followed close behind. Most of the fog had dispersed, and starlight fell over the land of Tsurumi Island. In the distance, silver ripples shimmered across the sea.
"Didn't I say we'd find someone?!"
Paimon said proudly at the top of the cliff.
"You were practically crying when you were shouting in that cave."
Lin En replied weakly.
"That was because I was too tired!"
Paimon stamped her little foot and puffed out her cheeks.
Paimon flew around Lin En twice, then looked at Ronava. Only after making sure they were both all right did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"You scared me to death."
she said.
"You did well."
Lin En reached out to pat her little head, but Paimon dodged.
"If a jinx touches me, I'll definitely get really unlucky."
"Who are you calling a jinx?!"
"You! Bleh!"
Lumine stood nearby, looking at the two of them, then toward the mountain in the distance.
"Are you still going up the mountain?"
"Not for now."
Lumine was silent for a few breaths.
"I'll go back with you. The purple haze at the foot of the mountain hasn't completely cleared, and there may still be some Rifthounds around. In your current condition, you'd be in trouble if you ran into them."
Lin En looked at Ronava. She was leaning against the rock wall with her eyes closed, recovering her strength, and didn't object.
"All right."
Lin En said.
Paimon floated over to Lumine, hugged her arm, and muttered under her breath.
"Now we can finally rest."
Lumine looked down at her without saying anything and simply reached out to draw her closer.