Kana's eyes fluttered open, her breath uneven at first before slowly evening out. Her body felt strangely weightless, yet heavy at the same time — as if her limbs were pinned down by invisible weights.
The soft sensation beneath her registered only after a moment, and when her blurry vision cleared, she froze.
Ruby's face was right above hers.
Her pink hair spilled over her shoulders like silk, glowing faintly beneath the filtered sunlight peeking through the temple's latticed windows.
Her expression, for once, wasn't teasing or smug — instead, there was a quiet gentleness in her gaze, her soft fingers lazily playing with strands of Kana's hair as if absentmindedly weaving away her exhaustion.
Kana blinked slowly, realizing then that her head was resting on Ruby's lap. Her lips parted, but no words came at first.
Ruby noticed her stirring and tilted her head slightly, strands of pink swaying gently as she looked down at her.
"You're awake. How are you feeling?"
