The abyss's warped terrain stretched endlessly, its inky distortions pressing in as Kael and Liora pressed toward the pulsating rift. The air grew heavier, each step a battle against the Void's oppressive presence. Their separation from the team had forged a reluctant dependence, their earlier rescues leaving a charged silence between them.
During a brief respite, Kael slumped against a jagged rock, wincing as he adjusted his armor. A deep gash on his arm, hidden beneath his sleeve, seeped blood, the pain catching up to him. Liora noticed, her sharp eyes narrowing. "You're hurt," she said, moving closer despite herself.
"It's nothing," Kael growled, pulling away, but Liora was already beside him, her hands deftly cutting away the fabric. The wound was worse than he'd admitted, and as she cleaned it with water from her flask, she froze. Old scars crisscrossed his arm—jagged, familiar patterns that mirrored the ones on her own skin, earned from a childhood raid.
Her breath hitched, and she pushed up her sleeve, revealing her own scars. "These… they're the same," she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and recognition. The realization hung between them—their pasts, marked by similar pain, were more intertwined than they'd known.
Kael's golden eyes met hers, his usual defiance softened. "How?" he asked, his tone rough but curious.
Liora hesitated, then spoke. "A Lunari raid… my family fought back. Yours?" Her gaze searched his face, seeking answers.
"Solaris retaliation," he admitted, his voice low. "Same night." The shared trauma stunned them, a bridge across their enmity, but neither knew how to cross it.
She bandaged his wound in silence, her touch gentle yet firm. He watched her, the tension shifting from hostility to something uncharted. As they rose to continue, the scars remained a silent bond, their conversation cut short by the rift's looming threat, pulling them deeper into their complex alliance.