Ryn's body reacted before his head did. Snow was halfway out of its sheath as he turned, stance shifting into a defensive angle despite the protest from his back.
"Tch…"
He forced the pain down and fixed his gaze on the source.
Ryn had to pray that the sound came from petty bandits or some weak monster. Fighting in his current state would just spell out his death sentence.
For a heartbeat, the ruins remained as they were.
Then someone stepped out from behind a broken pillar.
Ryn blinked.
It was a kid.
A boy, maybe twelve at most. Dark blue hair hung loosely around his face, slightly messy, like it hadn't been cut for a while. His clothes were plain and travel-worn, not torn or bloodied. But the thing that caught Ryn's attention the most was his piercing golden eyes.
He raised both hands slowly, palms open.
"I didn't mean to startle you," the boy said. "Sorry…"
His voice was quiet, but even from a few meters away, Ryn could hear it clearly.
Ryn didn't lower his sword.
