Aurelia and Lisa returned just in time to see the monster fall on its back after attempting to enter the territory.
It is kind of funny seeing such a massive creature at that distance fall that hard.
"Y-you were not kidding about this place being safer." Lisa comments.
"I bet I can take it." Airelia comments.
I was about to tell her that she is not capable, but I felt that would encourage her to go for it.
"Well, I hope everything went fine on your end." I said.
"Yeah, it did!"
She stares at me, I stare back.
There is an intense moment while we keep our gazes together.
She knows what I am doing.
"What?"
She is trying to play it coy, as if that would escape me.
"You know what."
She keeps her gaze.
"I don't know..."
"Aurelia..." I say her name in an attempt to warn her.
And it seems to have worked. She shudders when she notices I was starting to get pissed off because she is not giving me qhat she is meant to.
"...I swear if you..."
"Okay! Fine! I will put it on the table! I just wanted a midnight snack!" She answers and walks into the house.
Good thing she did not forget about the candies I asked for. I hope she remembered the other thing.
Lisa approaches Leiva.
"Hi. Aurelia told me you were going to be here. I hope you are doing fine."
"Yeah... I am just doing better, I think." She hugs herself. "I am still shaken..."
"I know... It took me a while to recover when I ended up in a similar situation."
"Eh? You too?"
"Yes! Amber has been taking care of me... Although she still refuses to return me the amulet she is wearing in her neck."
Lisa gives me what I would describe as a mean look, annoyed and clearly implying something.
"Hey! I need it!" I answer.
"Right... Of course you do!" Lisa crosses her arms. "As long as you don't sell it, I am letting you use it. But you must return it once all of this is over!"
Yeah, sure. Wait on your seat so that I will return it easily. The regeneration is useful and the increased stats keep me alive.
"By the way, Lisa. Did you find anything?" I ask her to leave the topic.
"No... I read the whole day and now I have a headache. Seems the Father's theory about your curse is the closest one."
"Curse?" Leiva reacts when she hears the word.
"Is complcated..." I sigh.
"By the way... Do we have a bathroom?" Lisa asks.
"Yes, there was one installed when I got the house."
Magically working plumbing, as far as I know.
"No, I mean, like to take a bath... I need to decompress."
"Ah... There is a shower, but it is basic. No baththub."
"That will have to do..." She walks towards the house and then turns back towards me. "No peeking!"
"Hey! What kind of accusation is that?" I am in shock.
"I saw how you were looking at me last night! Don't make me remind you I am a holy woman!"
What kind of threat is that?! Is she going to recite her gospel to me until I am bored to tears?
And fair enough. I did stare at her for a bit too long last night while she was in her sleeping clothes. It is... Just too hard to control my eyes!
"You have quite the group." Leiva comments.
"You haven't met all of them." I answer.
I look at Karina who is clearly standing there without saying a word, staring at how we talk to each other.
"Are they coming in later?" Leiva asks.
"No... But you will notice her presence."
Leiva gives me a weird look because of my comment.
She goes back inside. It is starting to get cold. I stay to speak with Karina.
I sit on the floor with my back against one of the walls of the house, while looking at the creature.
She seems to be deep in thought, while observing how we spoke and reacted to each other.
"You have been awfully quiet now." I comment.
"Is nothing." She says.
"You normally throw me more snark." I squint my eyes.
"What? You think you deserve my unwavering attention?" She looks away from me, at the beast that is still trying to enter the territory.
There was something missing from that comment just now. It was low on energy, like she was trying to give me attitude but she cannot muster the strength.
I roll my eyes at her comment. It is not escaping from me that she is not telling me something.
"You could just tell me."
"Ugh... You are annoying." She scoffs and keeps avoiding eye contact. "Just drop it. I am not going to tell you."
We stay in silence for a few moments. She is not looking at me. Her expression slowly turns more sour.
The night, starry, is above us like it is observing our moment. The moon, bigger than the one on earth, is in full view and staring like overwatching the land it now oversees.
Then a loud noise can be heard from inside, like something breaking.
"Ah! Amber is going to kill me..." I manage to hear Aurelia scream.
"What the fuck did she do now?" I have every impulse to go inside and yell at her.
"...it seems like they are having fun." Karina suddenly says.
I stop from going in and look at Karina.
"I just wish I could take part in it."
So that it is.
"You feel like you are not part of this?" I ask her.
She shakes her head and buries her face in her lap, hugging her knees.
"I don't want to talk about it..."
"Then... I will just stay here with you until you tell me to go inside."
We stay there, in silence. I often catch her looking at me for a few seconds before moving her gaze away when I turn to her. Like she wants to tell me something but cuts herself short.
I don't have a full picture of what is happening to her, but I can kind of tell what is happening to her.
She is around people she cannot interact with, and I feel guilty that I have had to avoid responding to her while speaking to anyone else. I am not ignoring her, but it might feel that way.
And before we go inside, she just says one thing.
"You are stupid."
But she is smiling while insulting me.