"So what does that mean exactly? Sorry, maybe the exhaustion's getting to my head, but I don't understand." Mio's tone came out clipped, sharp with frustration, his shoulders tense as the silver threads binding Zaira and Mel twitched faintly.
Eli didn't answer right away.
His eyes stayed locked on the water, the black surface rippling softly where Kairo's boot had disturbed it.
The silence pressed heavy on his chest. He swallowed hard, lips parting.
"…It means they either got bored of following us," he muttered, his voice hoarse, "or there's something ahead that they're afraid of—so they left."
The words dropped like stones in the cavern.
Mio blinked, his frown deepening. "It could just be the first, right? They've been following us for hours. Maybe they lost interest—"
"Exactly."
