Serna hadn't expected to nod off as her head leaned against Tirian's shoulder. But she was suddenly tired. Perhaps they had trained a bit too much or maybe she had worked herself too hard earlier. Either way, the clearing was peaceful and the red head beside her was surprisingly warm. Slowly she felt her eyes begin to close until finally her world turned black.

When she finally opened her eyes again, the forest had changed. A chilly mist had settled around them, and the grass and trees seemed to be blanketed by a gray substance. She turned to see Tirian still beside her, but sleeping soundly. The Syndarean girl blinked and rubbed her eyes, but the world remained the same. Serna slowly stood up to take in her surroundings. What had happened? How long were they asleep for? Serna jolted slightly as a puffy gray flake flew into her face and Serna quickly wiped it off her. She looked at her hand, and the gray streak across her palm with curious eyes. Something wasn't right, and as the girl looked around her she couldn't help feeling unsettled.

Serna crouched beside the Durandal warrior and gently shook him. "T-Tirian....T-Tirian...please w-wake up...something's wrong..."

Tirian felt weightless in his slumber, passing onto a world of peace and joy. His dreams were nothing but blackness, and yet his heart felt clear as the morning sun rising over the fields. The bliss would disappear as the soldier’s body jolted back to reality, azure eyes opening to a drab world, colorless with only hues of gray covering the landscape. Tirian jumped up with his sense on maximum alert, scanning the very edges of the world before him. The situation did not offer anything but mystery without answers.

“Stay close Serna. Something devious has presented itself. We need to make way for the camp. Take my hand and follow as close as you can.”

Tirian’s voice was not usual, the gentleness had faded into harsh and poised words. His eyes narrowed as his brows furrowed with irritation. This seemed to be nothing but a conjurer’s bag of illusions and cheap tricks.

Serna nodded although the sudden harshness in his words frightened her a bit. She took his large hand, watching as her small one was practically engulfed by his calloused fingers. They moved quickly through the tree line and into the clearing where the campfire had been set up...but there was nothing. No one was around and the clearing itself was covered in an inch of the ashy substance. Serna's hand broke free of Tirian's as she hurried ahead and stopped in the middle of the clearing. She looked around wildly, fear in her face. "Setna! Setna!?"

Her voice only echoed back in the silence and stillness of the woods. The girl crumpled and curled into herself. How? What happened? Why couldn't she feel her brother? She could always feel him, even when they were apart. But his presence was somehow lost, ripped away from her. She suddenly felt cold and very much alone. The girl hugged herself as she tried not to panic. She closed her eyes, willing for the feeling to come back, the instinct that her twin was still around somewhere. This had to be a joke, a cruel illusion. Perhaps it was just a nightmare. Yes. It had to be a nightmare. She'd wake up soon, she was sure of it.

"W-What's happening?..." Her voice cracked.

Tirian gazed over the campsite, to decaying oxen and shredded materials of what seemed to be spare clothes. Food had been tossed around the campsite, decaying and filled with maggots. An unbearable bile filled the soldier’s mouth for a moment before swallowing it down shortly afterwards. Tirian approached the fire that once breathed life into the clearing was now dead with nothing more than just ashes that blew into the wind. The soldier reached down to touch the ashes, older than time itself. Tirian looked up with a quizzical look upon his faced.

“It’s okay Serna. We’ll find them. This is just a trick.”

Serna looked back at the red head with teary eyes. She couldn't understand what was happening. Where was everyone? What happened here? Who could have done this? She nodded solemnly to Tirian's words as she looked around the campsite as well. Material items were still here, but rusted and old. The girl crouched down as she caught sight of something and brushed away the ash that had piled across the ground. It was Setna's sword. Serna flinched as she touched the blade, feeling the pulse of magic and dropped it. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at it, and the girl crumpled to her knees.

Where was her twin? Why was his sword left here like this? She just wanted to see Setna.

The Syndarean's tears slid down her cheeks, and she quietly wiped them away with the back of her hand. She wanted to wake up already. Her head jolted up though as she heard a sudden groan. It was inhuman and guttural. Serna's eyes widened as a being suddenly limped through the mist and made itself visible. It looked like a human that had been sewn into a sack of flesh, its limbs were distorted and elongated. It dragged one of its limbs as it tried to approach her.

Serna screamed.

The groan snapped the soldier to his feet, blade in hand. The inhuman monstrosity struggled forward, with nothing but legs and a completely wrapped torso. Tirian froze in his place with azure eyes wide with astonishment. This was not of the real world, nothing of this extent could possibly exist. Serna’s scream finally broke the warrior of his distant trace, forcing him into motion. Tirian bounded forward, placing his body between Serna and the inhuman beast. Without another moment of hesitation, Tirian slammed a fist into the beast with enough force to crack bones and send whatever it was reeling to the ground in agony.

“Gather yourself Serna. We must be strong in the face of danger. What would Setna do!”

Tirian stepped forward with intense heat rising from his hand. The soldier stood before the monstrosity and let forth a stream of flames hotter than the sun the engulfed the beast whole, leaving nothing more than charred bones and ashes. Tirian’s hand quickly felt the kickback of agony, as he gripped it tightly together to fight away the pain.

Serna's eyes widened as Tirian suddenly stepped in front of her to protect her. His sudden proclamation, however, finally let her hold on to a sense of calm. What would her brother do? He would have fought and continued to fight until he was sure she was protected. He would stand up to anyone for her. Serna had wanted to get stronger too, she wanted to help the others. She couldn't do that being so cowardly and afraid.

The girl looked away from the burst of fire as Tirian unleashed the final attack and the monster was gone. Finally she opened her eyes and got to her feet. "Y-Your hand..." The girl bit her lip in worry. She looked around and caught sight of Aaerynn's bag, she ran over to it and rifled through it. The herbs and flowers inside had decayed but the young girl continued looking. Something had to be preserved. The girl got her hands on a jar and the Syndarean unscrewed the lid and smelled it. It still seemed alright, and the smell was medicinal, not full of rot. Serna got to her feet and ran over to Tirian. "L-Let me see it...P-Perhaps this can help."

“Its fine, my hand will heal. We need to figure out what otherworldly reality this is.”

Tirian sheathed the weapon, turning his eyes towards the distance. The diabolical reality began to set in, there was neither food nor shelter for the remaining duo. Durandal’s training would certainly get the warrior through this, this was not the first time Tirian had been cast out into the wilderness with nothing more than himself and a weapon. Tirian turned to Serna with a heavy look on his face, the serious nature radiating from his azure eyes.

“We need to find some shelter for the night. The map is gone but we can navigate to a nearby settlement depending on whether or not we’re close to the Dwarves Mountains. When you are ready let me know.”

The girl looked sad that he didn't take her offer, but she pocketed the medicinal jar just in case. She looked up at him as he spoke and she nodded wearily. "I'm r-ready. I...don't want to be here any l-longer."

Serna looked visibly shaken from what was happening. She was putting on a brave face though, and she wrapped her cloak tighter around her body as she waited to follow behind Tirian. How were they going to escape this? What had attacked them? The girl's dark blue eyes looked back at the monster's remains. The clearing was beginning to smell like singed and rotting flesh and Serna felt her stomach turn because of it. "D-do you think we're dreaming?" She asked softly.

“I don’t know. It might be a dream, or it might be magic. That thing felt too real to be the first option. It’s best to not think about it.”

Tirian took the Syndarean’s hand and quickly pushed forward through the ash and trees. Everything looked dull and monochromatic, lifeless almost. Each tree looked like the next which caused massive distortion for the soldier. Every so often the soldier would stop and examine the surrounding trees for something, a sign of sorts that would miraculously direct the duo to some sort of Promised Land or safe haven. The soldier grew a face of agitation until a solitary tree held the key.

“Serna come here and look at this marking.”

Tirian waited for the Syndarean to join him before explaining the revelation.

“These markings are made by miners, specifically humans. We can follow them wherever they were going towards.”

"Why w-would they mark trees?" The smaller girl wondered as she stared at it. The question was more a blurt of what she was thinking rather than her actually wanting to know. As the duo had walked through the forest, Serna found herself losing more and more hope. The world all looked the same. The mist obscured the background and the trees looked dull and lifeless. There was no sound either except for their feet on the ground. If it weren't for the ash falling and getting caught in their hair and clothes, she would have thought that they were trapped in an endless cycle, or perhaps this reality wasn't real at all.

Even though Tirian had told her it was best not to think about it, she couldn't help thinking about it. Whether or not this was a dream or an illusion, how were they going to be able to dispel it? The girl squeezed Tirian's hand with her worry.

“They marked trees as navigation, to get back to the settlement. I don’t know exactly how to navigate them exactly but I will do my best.”

Tirian took a moment to turn towards Serna with a smile, his azure eyes brightening up just a bit.

“Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to protect us, and make sure we find out what’s happening and get us back to the group.”

Tirian cupped Serna’s cheeks for a moment, then turned towards the trees once more and continued to push forward.

Serna's face turned red as she felt Tirian's calloused hands gently cup her face. It reminded her slightly of her brother, who would do it just to squish her face. Tirian on the other hand was extremely gentle as if he was scared of hurting her. Serna couldn't help herself from relishing the comfort, but it was gone in a single moment as he turned and began moving forward. Serna briskly followed behind him not wanting to get lost within the mists of the woods.

It felt like hours had passed as they ventured forward, finding new markings and following them to the best of their abilities. Serna was getting tired, the workout from training earlier was catching up to her. It didn't help that the day before she had walked all the way with the caravan. The girl continued to push through it however, only to nearly run into Tirian as he suddenly stopped. The teenager blinked, and poked her head out from behind the man's broad back and gasped. There was a village standing out in the mists. At least, it looked like a village. The buildings were all dilapidated, with roofs sagging and windows broken. Serna looked up at Tirian, and her hand meekly found his. She squeezed it with uncertainty.

Tirian felt warmth to his face with Serna squeezing his hand, the uncertainty of the collection of building before his eyes settled deep into his heart. By appearances, this settlement had been abandoned for years, maybe even decades. Moss grew between the cracks of every building and trees grew between holes in the roofs of certain houses. The scene could have been written in any horror story, but this was real. Tirian laced his fingers between Serna’s almost instinctively and drew in a heavy breath of anxiety. Tirian stepped forward slowly, placing each foot with caution as if making a sound would cause the entire world to collapse upon himself and Serna. It took many minutes before the duo crept into the settlement, gaining an up close look at the buildings.

“I’ll let you pick where we stay tonight.”

"M-Me?" Serna pointed to herself with her free hand, and her face expressed the anxiety she felt. She bit her lip and trembled slightly as she looked around. All of the houses looked unsuitable for shelter. Most looked like their roofs had collapsed in on them. It didn't look like anyone had lived there for ages, or even kept up with the maintenance. The young girl looked around nervously, but eventually pointed out a house that seemed put together well enough. At least it didn't look as destroyed or decayed as the rest. She looked up at Tirian and they both proceeded forward.

Tirian led Serna to the distant building, awaiting something to just snap them out of this hell they had been thrust into. The warrior approached the sagging door with his eyes narrowed, his sense heightened to the maximum level. Tirian pushed the door in slowly, waiting for anything to jump out at him from the corners of darkness. After a long moment of waiting, nothing came and silence fell upon the duo. Tirian stepped to the side, allowing the insides of the building to be fully exposed to the Syndarean female.

“After you mi’lady.”

Serna stepped through much more cautiously, expecting something to happen. Nothing did and Serna looked around the abandoned home. There was an old fireplace, and a ruined tabled pushed against a wall. There was some shattered glass scattered about the floor and other pieces of furniture thrown about the room. It was unsettling. The girl rubbed her arms as she began to realize how cold it was. It shouldn't be this cold. It was summer.

Serna frowned as she carefully walked around the room, she paused though as she caught sight of something on the ground. The girl crouched and revealed a small doll covered in dust. Serna carefully wiped it off as she observed it. It was something simple, made of cloth and plush with yarn for hair. She too had something similar when she was a little girl, and the sight of it left abandoned in this house, scared her even more.

Standing up and looking back at the fireplace, Serna bit her lip once more. "W-What do y-you think happened here?"

Tirian closed the door behind him, making sure it was secure and snug in the lock. Not as if it mattered, any strong force would break the door down along with the entire house. Shattered glass and tattered memories laid across the room. The soldier couldn’t quite figure out this whole thing was real or just some figment of a tormented person’s imagination. Serna acquired the doll, slapping away the dust off of it before speaking to Tirian. Her words were quite in tone, speaking anxiety and nervousness in them. Tirian frowned at the thought, still trying his best to stay positive and remain in the real side of this hell.

“It’s not real but if I had to put a story to it I’d guess a plague of sorts. At any rate we need to clean up a bit and try to find some food.”

Tirian noticed the shivering of Serna and quickly aided her, covering her bare arms with his own cloak.
Serna flushed as the much heavier cloak was placed around her shoulders. "Th-thank you..."

She buried herself in the cloaks as she looked around. Tirian's words resounded in her head. He sounded so sure that this wasn't real, but it felt real. It didn't have the haziness or control of a dream. As strange as it was, this felt like reality and it was terrifying. Serna checked cupboards and drawers for anything useful, but came up empty handed. There didn't seem to be any food around, at least nothing healthy looking and the girl sighed. Eventually she helped clear out some space and found an old ratty broom that she used to sweep the glass aside. She began breaking apart some of the furniture, and created a decent pile of fire wood within the fireplace. "W-Would it hurt for you to spark th-this?" She looked over at Tirian with worried eyes.

“Of course not. I would imagine with how old this is everything would go up pretty quickly.”

Tirian knelt down to the carefully placed wood and held both of his towards the pile and concentrated for a moment. A spark flickered and just as the soldier guessed, the wood erupted into a decent sized flame. The warrior found a place on the ground to seat himself, then drew a blank face as his eyes faded off into a world of their own. His mind queried itself for answers, reasoning or anything remotely logical to what exactly was happening. This was not a dream, of that he was sure. Perhaps it was illusionary magic, but there was not a being alive with that much power. And even if there was, why Tirian and Serna. The whole situation was just too fuzzy to comprehend, even for a trained warrior who had seen everything.

“First thing in the morning we will find some food. Sound good?”

Serna nodded and took a moment to watch Tirian's face as he returned to his thoughts. The red head before her was rather strange, when she took the time to think about it. His face looked young, but his eyes held the pain of a grown man that had seen many things that Serna couldn't even imagine. His hands were large too, calloused by hard work and pain. The girl thought over the small glimpses he had allowed her to see into his life. He was a man of pain and violence that had only recently been tamed.

The girl held tighter to Tirian's cloak, folding it around her body closely. Tirian was certainly a force of nature himself, he had proven it on multiple occasions, shedding blood and cracking bones as if the life his sword or hands were hurting, meant nothing. Her dark eyes glanced up at the warrior's smooth face. Even though he could be gruesome and terrifying, he had also showed absolute kindness and gentleness. He had taken her under his wing, allowed her to explore her own magical capability. He had protected both her and her brother multiple times. He had smiled and laughed with sincerity, even when he was in so much pain. Not only that...he had been the first one to defend both her and Setna to the others. He had talked to her when Setna was catatonic, and he had even looked over the group and attempted to have fun with horseshoes.

The girl smiled softly, and flushed as she looked to the fire, comforted by the sound of the wood cracking and popping from the heat. The smile slowly faded though as she thought over where they were again. How were they supposed to get out of here? What could they do? And where were the others?

Where was Setna?

Tirian glanced over to the Syndarean and sighed at the sight of her fright surfacing once more. The soldier scooted across the dusty floor and positioned himself close to the Syndarean.

“Let’s do something to keep our minds off of this. I’ll ask you a question. You can choose to answer or not then you can ask me a question. Okay?”

Tirian smiled towards Serna for a moment before asking the first question.

“What’s your most unique quality?”

-"U-Unique q-quality?" Serna looked up at him with curiosity.-

Tirian nodded slowly before answering.

"Something that makes you more unique than an average person. A quality or something you do well."

- Serna blinked and looked down as she thought it over. "I c-cook well?" She answered with uncertainty, still unsure about what he was asking.-

Tirian smiled, knowing Serna wasn’t quite grasping his idea.

“Okay you ask me something.”

-"Mmm...Wh-what do you want m-more than anything else?" Serna asked quietly, hoping it was ok to.-

Tirian pondered the question for a moment, thinking over the long list of things he had desired.

“If I had to pick one thing in specific, it would be to see my family happy.”

- "Y-Your family?" Serna asked shyly.-

“Yeah. My dad and mother together. Without the power corrupting my father’s mind.”

"I'm sorry..." Serna murmured softly.

“It’s okay. What about you. What do you want more than anything else?”

-"F-for my brother to live and be happy." Serna answered honestly and pulled her legs up to her chest so she could rest her chin on her knees.-

Tirian smiled warmly at the answer, scooting close to Serna to keep the heat between them warmer.

“You’re a very generous and selfless girl. I’m going to cheat and ask again and feel free to ignore this one. Have you ever had a crush?”

-Serna smiled brightly at the compliment but then blinked in confusion as she looked at the male beside her. "W-What is that?"-

Tirian laughed loudly for a moment, until realizing Serna was being serious.

“I’m sorry, it’s a term for liking someone more than just a friend.”

- Serna turned positively red at that and she turned her face away to look at the fire. "N-No. In my culture, b-boys and girls are n-normally s-separated. P-Plus I was taken f-from my family when I was th-thirteen. So...I n-never got to be c-courted by boys or anything like th-that."-

Tirian nodded, chuckling a bit to himself at the redness that had colored Serna’s face. Silence fell over the both of them, the soldier held his right hand out to expect the burns. His hand was only slightly scarred from the magic, yet it still hurt more than anything could imagine.

- "A-Are you alright?" Serna's voice changed and filled with concern as she looked over to him and saw him checking out his hand.-

Tirian looked at this hand for a moment before shaking off the concern. He had experienced worse in his life but yet, Serna had seemed so scared and worried. The soldier had totally forgotten what it felt like to be cared about. Tirian let a smile cover his face as warmth entered his entire body.

“It hurts, but it will heal.”

Tirian attempted to speak but found himself jumbling words as Serna’s gentle and soft hands took his own. Her large eyes ate away at his heart and his chest began to feel full of something he couldn’t quite explain.

“No it’s okay. Don’t worry too much about it.”

- Serna gave him a concerned look but she dropped it. Gently she held his fingers as she looked back at the fire. In all honesty, she was exhausted, and the warmth from the flames made her feel a bit sleepy. "Do you th-think we'll be able to g-get out of here?"-

Tirian smiled as Serna’s fingers embraced his own. The question snapped him out of the daze he was thrown in, bringing his thoughts back to the reality set before them. Tirian did not hesitate even a second to answer.

“Without a doubt. I will find a way to get us through this, Promise.”

- Serna looked at him. His eyes held such sincerity and such intensity that she believed him. "Th-Thank you."-

Tirian nodded to the female in his presence, his azure eyes staring into the fire as he began to drift off.

“We better get some sleep. I’ll stay up for a bit and keep watch. If you’re cold you can lay on me and keep heat.”

- Tirian nodded to the female in his presence, his azure eyes staring into the fire as he began to drift off.

“We better get some sleep. I’ll stay up for a bit and keep watch. If you’re cold you can lay on me and keep heat.”

Serna blushed and nodded. "Th-Thank you."

To be honest she was scared of going to sleep here. She wanted to stay up a bit longer. But as she stared at the fire, she began to slowly nod off. Eventually she fell asleep, and her body slumped beside the warrior, her head coming to rest against his shoulder.-

Tirian stayed up for a while longer but soon his body faded to the exhaustion. After some minutes the warrior found himself in a dream world once more, his body slipping to the ground and Serna’s body laying against his chest.

Serna's dreams were nothing but pitch black as she fell into a light sleep. It felt like she was stuck in between a rift, between sleep and awareness, between dreams and reality. It wasn't restful at all and the girl found herself waking at the next sudden noise.

It was a thump.

At first, it sounded as if something had fallen. Serna had picked her head up at the noise, blearily attempting to take in her dark surroundings. The fire had died into faint glowing ashes and as the girl looked around, the room seemed far more menacing than before. The Syndarean girl wiped her eyes and looked around, hoping to find the source for the thump. Yet nothing seemed out of place. Serna laid back down beside Tirian and attempted to fall back asleep, but then she heard it again.

Another thump.

Serna sat up this time, much more awake. She debated waking Tirian, but she couldn't tell what the noise was, until suddenly the sound of something thudding against the old door had enough force to shake the walls of the small house. Serna turned and shook Tirian awake, her voice was lost in fear. But she let out a shriek and protected Tirian's head with her body as suddenly the air split with a screeching sound and a giant broadsword was thrust straight through the wooden door.

The thump quickly woke the soldier, as a barrage of splinters burst forward from the door. Tirian quickly stood to his feet to meet whatever was about to come through that door. Judging by the size of that massive sword, whoever was wielding it had to be just as big. Tirian drew the blade and decided to wait no longer, as he lunged forward with his right foot extended and kicked the door out with enough force to send whatever was on the opposite side crashing into the ground.

“Serna… Get somewhere safe, now!”

The behemoth before Tirian’s azure eyes began to rise up from the initial attack, wearing a blood-soaked black cloth over his head that conceals his face, and a large black apron that was tattered and soaked in blood. The beast also had dozens of nails protruding from every few square inches of his exposed skin, including three very large hooks impaled into his back. The monster bulged with muscles that could easily tear bones apart and rend flesh with relative ease. Tirian knew he would not be able to overpower this opponent, even with magic. Tirian ducked the massive broadsword, rolled to the side and back stepped to keep the distance between him and the executioner before his eyes. Before the red-haired warrior could react, he had been snatched up and then thrown like a ragdoll to the wind. Tirian flipped head over heels ta few times before crashing through a nearby cabin and then slid on the ground for a few seconds. The soldier somehow managed to grip his weapon, giving him some sort of chance to fight back.

He’s faster than anything I’ve ever seen and stronger too. The pain is real but this monster… There isn’t any way I can win. I have to use it. Sorry Serna…”

Tirian stood to a full posture and began to focus, but before his magic could be activated the beast was upon him once more, throwing a massive haymaker. The fist of the monster crushed into Tirian sending his body straight to the ground with force enough to break the earth’s crust. Tirian screamed in agony as a massive boot met his midriff and once more sent the soldier’s body sailing through the air like a proverbial football. Tirian landed nearly unconscious in the distance, his body sliding to a sudden stop as blood poured from the many cuts on his face and torso.

-Serna couldn't do anything but watch as Tirian was tossed and beaten down. Her eyes were wide in horror, and her body trembled in absolute fear. But bit by bit, she was getting angry. Angry at herself for not being able to do anything, angry for being useless, and angry most of all because of this thing that was hurting someone who had only looked out for her, taught her, and befriended her.

She could feel her magical frequency peak and buzz in her ears. The magic within her raged against her body, begging to be let free. Serna stood up and clenched her palms. She had the ability to do something.

The monster attempt to step forward but it was blocked, a barrier of light cutting him off completely from the red haired man attempting to pull himself back up. Serna took a deep breath and pulled. The barrier moved forward, tilting the monster back and making it stumble until it had to turn and notice her.-

Tirian heard that sound, the barrier being smashed into. Serna must have been trying to protect him. Tirian’s body began to react on pure instinct, shutting out the pain and using the adrenaline to fuel himself. The rage burned within his very soul and began to bubble into the bloodstream. Tirian’s eyes showed nothing but a beast, a monster molded by years of torture and constant war. The executioner continued forward towards the helpless Syndarean, a dire mistake as Tirian began to shiver with pure anger. The soldier wasted no more time, changing his grip on the sword and tossed it through the air like a spear. The elven blade pierced through the monster’s shoulder, yet it did not stop or even flinch. Tirian burst forward, crackling with electricity as he hurled his body into the air, just to crash down onto the beast’s neck with a solid elbow. Tirian slammed his fists into the ribs of the beast over and over with such force that the ground beneath his feet began to crack. With one final motion Tirian slammed his knee into the abdomen of the executioner, spun around on this back foot and retrieved the sword and sliced vertically, cutting the beast clean in half.

“And stay down.”

Tirian sheathed the sword, and ceased his magic immediately. His body crumpled due to the pain of his injuries but the kickbacks would be next to nothing fortunately. His azure eyes looked up to Serna, a smile somehow crawling to his bloodied face.

“Looks like I owe you one.”

At first the Syndarean couldn't watch. She could feel and hear the static of electricity. But it was Tirian's eyes that frightened her the most. He moved quickly. The power he was displaying was beyond anything the girl could even imagine seeing. Then just like that it was over. Serna watched with a horrified expression as the Durandal man suddenly collapsed and the girl started to run towards him, ignoring her own bloody nose as it dribbled down her lips.

When she got to him, all of the malice and monstrosity was gone, and he smiled at her. Serna wiped her nose and smiled back in relief. But that relief quickly faded into worry as he said that he owed her one. Serna shook her head as she tried to help wipe off his face with her sleeve. "A-Are you ok? W-What should w-we do?"

She trembled with fear and concern, but held her small hand out to try and help him up.