The team set up camp in a shallow cave as night fell over the Wastes, the air thick with the scent of ash and the distant echoes of the Void creatures' cries. A small fire crackled, casting flickering light on the weary faces of the Solaris and Lunari warriors. Kael and Liora, assigned to the first watch, positioned themselves at the cave's entrance, their weapons close at hand. The silence between them was taut, broken only by the occasional snap of burning wood.
Kael adjusted his sword across his lap, his crimson armor streaked with ichor from the day's battle. "Keep your eyes peeled, Lunari," he said, his tone clipped. "I'm not dying because you're daydreaming."
Liora's silver hair glinted as she turned, her daggers resting beside her. "And I'm not carrying your dead weight, Solaris. Try staying awake yourself." Her words were sharp, but her gaze flicked to the gash on his arm, still untreated.
Their conversation quickly spiraled into a heated argument about their races' histories. Kael accused the Lunari of treachery, recounting tales of ambushes that had cost Solaris lives. Liora fired back, citing Solaris raids that had razed Lunari villages. Voices rose, drawing glances from the sleeping team, but neither backed down. The firelight danced in their eyes, reflecting the deep-seated prejudice that fueled their feud.
As the argument peaked, Liora's voice softened unexpectedly. "My brother died in one of those raids," she said, her gaze dropping to the fire. "I was ten. He was all I had left." The admission hung heavy, a rare glimpse of the wound beneath her armor.
Kael's jaw tightened, his retort dying on his lips. He shifted, the memory of his own lost kin flickering in his mind—a sister taken by a border skirmish years ago. "I… lost someone too," he muttered, the words reluctant. "Doesn't change what your people did."
Liora's eyes narrowed, but she didn't press further. The cave grew quiet again, the tension shifting from hostility to an uneasy stillness. They sat in silence, the fire's warmth a fragile barrier against the cold night. Kael stole a glance at her, noting the tightness around her mouth, the way her hand rested protectively on her dagger. Liora, in turn, caught the flicker of pain in his golden eyes before he masked it.
Neither spoke of the moment again, but as the watch wore on, the space between them felt less like a battlefield. The seeds of understanding, however faint, had taken root, buried beneath layers of pride and mistrust. When the next watch took over, they parted without a word, each retreating to their own thoughts, haunted by the echoes of their shared losses.