It was well past midnight.
The cursed water had long since boiled away into shrieking vapor, and the well sat still and silent—emptied of its dark secret, for now. Yet Nyr and Senna hadn't moved far.
They were lying on the grass nearby, the earth cool beneath them. The stars above peeked through drifting clouds, casting a soft, indifferent light over the clearing.
The creepnes and old stone still lingered, but the air felt little cleaner now—lighter.
Nyr lay on his back, arms behind his head, eyes fixed on the sky. Senna lay curled beside him, one arm draped over his chest, her body pressed against his side.
She held him tightly, like someone afraid the world might pull him away if she let go.
He hadn't commented on it. He didn't need to.
Senna, usually sharp-tongued and proud, now seemed small and soft, like a flame that had exhausted its fury.
Her hair spilled over his shoulder, and he could feel the slow rhythm of her breathing.
"Don't even think about moving," she murmured, voice muffled by his shirt.
Nyr smirked faintly. "I wasn't going to."
"Good." She clung a little tighter. "I know the curse is gone. I know it. But I still feel like if I blink too long, I'll hear that voice again."
He didn't say anything, just reached over and gently ran his fingers through her hair, slow and calming.
Nyr exhaled, soft and warm.
"The ground's cold," he said. "But you're hot."
Senna looked at him flatly. "Don't ruin it with your poetry, man."
Nyr grinned. " flirting is like second nature to me. I could flirt as easily as i could breath."
Senna snorted softly, her face still half-buried against his chest.
"You call that flirting? That was so awkward I thought you were trying to cast a spell."
Nyr chuckled, his fingers still gently combing through her hair. "Hey, you're the one clinging to me like I'm your favorite blanket."
She pinched his side lightly but didn't pull away. "Shut up. It's cold. And you're warm. That's all."
"Sure," he said, grinning wider. "And the blush earlier was just from the fire, right?"
She gave a dramatic sigh. "I should burn you."
"You already tried, remember? Didn't work."
"…Don't tempt me to try again."
Nyr looked at her and said in tired voice "we should check out now"
Senna looked at him and than shouted "Let's, go!"
Senna suddenly jolted to her feet, her voice cutting through the quiet dawn like a spark through dry wood.
"Let's destroy the damn well!"
Nyr blinked, still only half-awake. "Morning to you too."
But before she could launch her fire, Nyr reached out, his voice calm but firm.
"Wait."
She shot him a glare. "What now? It's cursed. It's creepy. It screams at night. What more do we need?"
Nyr stepped closer to the edge of the well, peering down into the dark, unmoving void. "I get it. But we don't know what's in there. Or if destroying it might make things worse."
Senna scoffed, but lowered her hands slightly. "You want to check it? You realize how many horror stories start exactly like that, right?"
He glanced at her over his shoulder, a grin twitching at his lips. "Yeah. But those people don't have you."
She hesitated, just for a second, then grumbled, "Flattery won't save your ass if something jumps out."
Nyr knelt by the well's edge, muttering a quick incantation. A faint glow lit up the inside of the shaft—its stone walls damp and rough, claw marks etched into the sides as if something had climbed out once… or tried to.
Senna leaned over beside him, fire flickering again in her hand, but quieter now.
"…There's something down there," she whispered. "I feel it."
Nyr nodded. "Then let's be smart. We go in, eyes open. If it's just a cursed hole, we destroy it. But if there's something else—something bigger—we need to know."
Senna rolled her eyes. "Ugh. You're going to make me climb, aren't you?"
He stood and gave her a rope from his pack. "Ladies first."
She narrowed her eyes. "You better not look up my—"
Before Senna could finish her teasing threat, Nyr gave her a wink—
—and then jumped.
"Nyr!" she shouted, lunging forward, but it was too late.
He dropped straight into the well without hesitation, disappearing into the shadows below. A heartbeat later, there was a faint thump and a sharp grunt from the darkness.
"…You absolute idiot," Senna muttered, clutching the edge of the stone and peering down.
"Did you just jump into a cursed hole?!"
From below came his voice, echoing slightly but calm. "I'm alive."
"That's not the bar, Nyr!"
He laughed quietly, then added, "It's… not that deep. There's a tunnel down here. Looks like it opens to something bigger. I think this was just the entrance."
Senna groaned and grabbed the rope. "If you die, I'm bringing you back just to kill you again."
Senna's boots scraped against the damp stone as she finally reached the bottom of the well, fire flickering to life in her palm.
"Nyr, you idiot, what were you—"
Her words stopped.
The light flared wider, casting orange glow across the tunnel floor—and what it revealed wrenched the breath from her lungs.