The air in the pocket world still hummed with the fading echoes of their clash—the sizzle of lightning and the brittle crackle of ice. But the competitive fire had burned down to embers, leaving behind a warm, shared exhaustion.
As the last of Nero's lightning flickered out and the deep chill around Khione receded, she turned to him, her chest rising and falling steadily. A small, triumphant, and surprisingly soft smile touched her lips.
"A break, I think," she said, her voice a little breathless. She gestured towards a path leading away from the scorched and frozen battlefield, towards a serene lake visible through the trees. "There's a cottage by the water."
Nero, still feeling the pleasant ache of a well-fought match, nodded. A slow, answering smile spread across his face. "Lead the way my ice queen."
