Liana and Gloria fell silent.
Even Buddy paused for a second, tilting his head as if he knew he was part of the conversation.
Javier leaned back, resting on his hands. His smile was faint… distant.
"I don't want magic tech to replace everything."
He exhaled softly and closed his eyes for a moment. The cool breeze swept through the area, and the sound of the stream nearby mixed with the crackle of their cooking fire.
"I've already seen what happens when magic tech, or in my old world, just tech,replaces too much, too fast."
"No one cared about horses. Because they had cars," Javier said slowly, voice tinged with something quiet and heavy. "No one looked at the sky. Because they were glued to their screens. No one raised animals. Because factories did it faster. Cleaner. More efficient."
He opened his eyes. The night sky twinkled above.
"Convenience… killed more than hardship ever did."
Gloria's eyes widened slightly. Even Liana's hands froze mid-turning the grilled meat.
