Kairo's blade hung steady between them, the scarlet along its edge seeming to drink the cavern's dim light.
The threads froze in midair, humming like a trapped insect. Mio's fingers twitched—too many tiny spasms for someone who could still call himself calm.
Kairo didn't rush. He never did.
He stepped close enough that Eli could feel the heat off him, the subtle scent of iron and something colder—like rain on metal.
He lowered his head so his voice was a whisper against Eli's ear, quiet enough for only him to hear.
"…What happened?"
Eli swallowed. His throat scraped, unused to words. He forced out the lie because it was the easiest thing to give. "N-nothing… there wasn't anything. No leeches. No phantoms. Nothing." He ground his teeth against the burn and let a weak laugh trick out. "It was just… him."
Kairo's black eyes flicked once toward Mio, then narrowed with a tiny motion that felt like a calculation.
