The ruined chamber grew quieter as time passed.

The faint blue glow from Dainsleif’s power was the only light left in the underground hall. Cold air slipped through cracks in the fallen stone, and little by little the temperature dropped.

You pulled his cloak tighter around yourself.

“…Why is it getting colder?” you murmured.

Dainsleif glanced toward the broken ceiling above.

“The storm outside has worsened,” he said. “The wind is forcing cold air through the ruins.”

You tried to shrug it off. “I’ll survive.”

A few minutes passed.

But the cold kept creeping in.

You rubbed your hands together, trying to warm them, but it didn’t help much.

Dainsleif noticed immediately.

“…You’re shivering.”

“I’m not—”

Your sentence was interrupted by another small shiver.

He sighed quietly.

“You are.”

You gave a small, embarrassed smile. “Okay… maybe a little.”

For a moment he seemed to think about something.

Then he moved closer.

You blinked. “Dain?”

“The temperature will continue to drop,” he said calmly. “Sharing body heat is the most efficient solution.”

Your face warmed instantly.

“…That sounds very scientific.”

“It is practical.”

Before you could argue, he shifted his cloak slightly so it wrapped around both of you instead of just you. His arm rested behind you against the wall, keeping the cloak closed so the warmth wouldn’t escape.

You suddenly became very aware of how close he was.

“Comfortable?” he asked.

You nodded slowly. “…Yeah.”

The cold air still whispered through the ruins, but the warmth beside you made it much easier to ignore.

For a while neither of you spoke.

Then Dainsleif looked down at you.

“You should rest again,” he said quietly. “Your body is still recovering.”

“What if the ruins collapse again?”

“They won’t.”

“You sound very confident.”

“I will not allow anything else to happen to you.”

You looked up at him.

“…You’re very protective tonight.”

He didn’t answer right away.

Instead his gaze softened slightly — a rare expression for someone usually so composed.

“When you were unconscious earlier,” he said quietly, “I realized something.”

You waited.

But after a moment he stopped speaking.

“…Never mind.”

You smiled faintly.

“You do that a lot.”

“Do what?”

“Start saying something important and then stop halfway.”

He looked away slightly, almost embarrassed.

“…Some thoughts are better left unsaid.”

You leaned your head gently against his shoulder.

“Then I’ll just guess them.”

For a second he stiffened in surprise.

But he didn’t move away.

Instead, after a moment, his hand carefully adjusted the cloak around you again to keep the warmth in.

“…Just sleep,” he murmured.

And though the ruins were cold and the storm still raged outside…