The forest shifted again.
Trees thinned into distant hills, and the wind grew stronger — colder now, like it carried the scent of stone and metal.
Ailith walked ahead in silence, arms crossed tightly.
Rei followed, his steps light, almost lazy.
> "Hey," he said, voice casual. "Is there a town near here?"
She nodded, still facing forward.
> "Two days east. If the bridge still holds."
Rei nodded slowly. Then:
> "And that tiger thing. Why was it chasing you?" "You steal its lunch or something?"
Ailith stopped walking.
Turned to him, eyes tired.
> "It wasn't chasing me." "It was hunting."
She paused.
Then looked away.
> "I was with a party. Three others." "We had a map to a buried ruin. Just west of here. Said to hold gold. Or something old enough to sell."
Rei stayed quiet, listening.
> "We found it," she continued. "Or… we found something." "And then the ground cracked. The Raintiger came through the fog." "They ran. Took the packs. The map." "Left me there. As bait."
The wind caught her cloak. Her voice was level, but something in it had gone flat.
> "Guess they figured I'd keep it busy long enough for them to reach the city."
A beat of silence.
Rei tilted his head.
> "And you didn't die."
She smirked bitterly.
> "No." "You showed up."
Rei scratched his neck and muttered:
> "Lucky you."
Ailith finally looked at him — really looked.
Then, as if realizing something:
> "What's your name, anyway?"
Rei met her gaze.
Didn't flinch. Didn't pause.
> "Rei Noven."
> "Not hiding it." "The man who'll be rich."
Ailith blinked. "...Just rich?"
Rei's smirk deepened.
> "Rich and known."
He stepped forward, past her, toward the distant hills.
The wind moved around him like it had been waiting.
> "Power's fine." "But I'm not going to die in some forest and let the world forget I was here."
She watched him walk ahead — calm, strange, unshakable.
And in the shadow of that name, spoken so simply, the forest felt just a little smaller.