The sun was dipping slowly beneath the horizon, casting the sky in hues of orange and pink. Kuina and Tatta had left not long ago, heading off in search of materials or food, leaving you alone with Arisu. Your makeshift camp sat nestled beneath the thick canopy of trees in a park just on the edge of the city. It offered an unobstructed view of the river, its calm waters reflecting the fading light. The dense vegetation surrounding you provided a sense of shelter, shielding your location from prying eyes—for now, at least. It gave you both precious time to regroup, to think, and to plot your next move.

Arisu sat a few feet away, his gaze fixed on the horizon, lost in thought. The weight of the world seemed to hang around him, though his face betrayed little. He was silent, as if contemplating something deeper than the moment allowed, and you could feel the tension in the air, an unspoken understanding that time was slipping through your fingers.