Inside the cave, the was too still.
Only the crackle of the fire broke the silence, and even that sounded afraid to make noise.
Seo Jin sat frozen, Li Ran's fingers still locked around his wrist. The villain's eyes glowed faint red under the flames, calm but enough to slice through lies.
"After seeing my past…" Li Ran's voice was low, steady, almost gentle — the kind of tone that made Seo Jin's heartbeat trip for no reason. "Will you still stand beside me?"
The question hung between them.
The fox was the first to break the silence, whispering nervously.
"Host, say something before he thinks you're running away again!"
Seo Jin swallowed. "You think I'd leave after everything?"
Li Ran didn't move, didn't blink. "You saw what I did. The blood. The destruction. You saw how I turned on them."
"I saw how they turned on you first," Seo Jin said quietly. "You were just… trying to survive."
Li Ran's eyes flickered, just for a second. "You pity me?"
