After climbing back up, Lein let go of the boar's leg and turned to Kyle.
"Can you show me how you disabled the stones downstairs?"
Kyle smirked.
"You think you'd even see them?"
Lein paused for a moment, then answered with a sigh:
"Sadly, walking with my eyes open is too dangerous. But… I can at least touch the ether shards, right?"
Kyle went quiet.
"Why'd you go silent?" Lein asked.
After a beat, Kyle replied:
"Let's cook the boar first… while we still have time."
Lein frowned.
«Strange… I'm clearly missing something… or getting it all wrong… Whatever. Let's eat first.»
"Sure. I'm hungry too," he said in a calm tone.
"Great! Let's go. I've got some firewood upstairs. We'll cook outside — you'll like it! Just…" Kyle hesitated, "you should probably wear something warmer," he added with a grin.
«Strange… Very strange. I didn't think much of it at first, but now it's starting to stand out. Why did Kyle want to cook the boar down in the lab? And… why were there no traces of cooking? No firewood, no tools…»
Lein gave a faint smile.
"I'll wait here. Bring me something warm."
"Got it!" Kyle called out cheerfully and ran off to his room.
«Whatever's going on… He's not planning to hurt me. Not yet. He even saved me, after all. Everyone has their secrets. It's just… Kyle's too smart for a kid. And that's a bit unsettling. For now, I'll keep that in mind — after the demon's gone, I'll figure it out. That's safer.»
Lein smiled to himself.
«I'm such a bastard… Plotting around a kid… Haah. I'm tired. Too much for one day.»
"Found it!" Kyle shouted, running up to him.
"It was too big for me, but it should fit you just fine," he said and handed over the clothing.
Lein took it and ran his hand over the fabric.
«Feels like a mossy blanket… soft and warm. A bit heavy, but not bad. Doesn't smell like anything either.»
"Thanks. What kind of hide is this coat made from?" Lein asked.
Kyle answered right away:
"White Wheezer. They sleep a lot, especially in winter, so their hides are easy to collect. But if you wake one up by accident… you're in trouble."
Lein nodded.
"You sure know a lot."
"Thanks! Can we cook now?" Kyle asked eagerly.
"Yeah. About time," Lein said and put on the thick, long coat.
«Seriously… This just isn't normal. Where does a kid get all this knowledge? Brewing potions, thinking logically, knowing monster traits… Even being able to brew potions is huge at his age. I don't know how different people here are from my world, but still… If an average kid knows all this, then what about the adults? Ridiculous. No, it's just Kyle. Maybe it's connected to those fractures he wrote about in his journal…»
"Lein? What're you thinking about?" Kyle cut into his thoughts.
"Nothing… Just missing my family. Oh, and grab all your potions, sleeping bags, anything useful."
Kyle blinked.
"We're leaving already?"
Lein nodded.
"My plans changed a bit."
"And you're not gonna tell me what they are, are you?"
Lein smiled.
"Smart kid. You're right."
Kyle snorted and went to pack.
A few minutes later, he came back.
"I packed everything I could. But there's a problem — most of the potions were downstairs and blew up…"
Lein sighed.
"What do we still have?" he asked.
Kyle dropped a heavy backpack in front of him and began listing the contents.
"Five potions. This one's for warmth — protects from frostbite. This one boosts efficiency — keeps you awake and sharp for a few days. These two boost strength for a few minutes, but afterward, your muscles crash, and you'll be bedridden. And this one's an illusion potion — made with mysticism. It creates a perfect copy of whoever drinks it, lasts a few minutes. Ingredients were expensive, so I haven't tested it. Might not even work. Mysticism's not really my thing."
Lein sighed again.
«Never even heard of that… Maybe in stories and movies. Mysticism, huh…»
"Where'd you learn mysticism?" he asked.
Kyle went silent.
For a while.
Then finally answered:
"I… didn't learn it. I just… somehow knew it."
Lein nodded slowly.
"I see."
He changed the subject:
"What else did you pack?"
Kyle looked back into the bag and continued:
"Two sleeping bags, water, spices, extra clothes, and a book on the Mirror People."
"Got it. Then we're ready. Go on, lead the way — I'm good to go," Lein said.
Kyle helped him find the boar's leg.
"Is it still bleeding?" Lein asked.
"No. It dried out," Kyle answered.
Lein gave a nod of approval, and together, they started dragging the boar.
At one point, Lein nearly tripped over some chairs in the room and decided it was better to help Kyle push from behind.
Soon, they reached the lever at the far end of the room — the one that opened the way up.
Kyle pulled it. Stones rumbled above.
A cold wind rushed down, followed by pale light from outside.
The boar was heavy, stiff, and stank.
Lein had gotten used to the smell, but it still made him grimace.
It was so bad, he couldn't even scratch his nose — both hands were on the boar.
With no sight, he pushed from behind, careful not to slip on the steps.
«This is torture…»
The thick coat didn't help either — it restricted his movement.
Worse, some steps were frozen and slick.
If Kyle hadn't warned him each time, he'd have fallen more than once.
One slip — and that was it.
«Human life's so fragile… I used to think blind people could "see" through sound, but that's a joke. Heh… all those stories about blind warriors — complete fantasy. Or maybe… maybe I was meant to be blind from the start?»
With a few quiet jokes and mental grumbling, they finally reached the surface.
The cold wind cut across his face, and the snow felt like walking through loose sand.
«This is why I hate winter. And summer. Spring and autumn are the best. Though sometimes spring betrays you too. Yep — autumn's the best. Not too cold, not too hot. And the rain… it has its charm.»
"Lein, turn right and go straight. There's a good spot for cooking," Kyle said.
Lein did as told.
He turned and helped drag the corpse through the snow...