They moved quickly, each slipping into familiar roles. Friedrich gathered firewood while Seth—ever enthusiastic—insisted on finding “the perfect stones” for everyone to sit on. It was unnecessary, but no one stopped him. Klara started the fire with a quiet spell, her palms glowing softly as a small flame caught and grew steady. Erik unpacked their supplies with practiced efficiency, though his sharp gaze never stopped sweeping the treeline. Nearby, Star studied the map, her fingers tracing paths not yet taken.

Once the fire crackled and the group settled in, the tension eased. The silence of the hills no longer felt heavy, only calm. Seth flopped onto one of his carefully chosen stones and dropped his bow beside him with a satisfied sigh.

“So,” he said, grinning as he leaned back, “I’ve been thinking. If Abyssal monsters like that exist, do you think there are Abyssal chickens too? Because I would pay good money to watch Erik wrestle one.”

Erik gave him a flat look, tail flicking. “If there are, I’ll throw it at you first. Should roast nicely with all the hot air you’re full of.”

Friedrich, seated by the fire with his greatsword resting nearby, snorted. “You two should just get married and save us the headache.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Seth replied, winking. “Think of the scandal.”

Laughter rippled through the camp, but Star remained quiet, seated on a fallen log with her eyes fixed on the flames. Siegfried noticed and stepped closer, gently nudging her shoulder.

“You alright?” he asked.

Star blinked and smiled faintly. “Yeah. Just… thinking about the Tower. It feels like more than a mission. Like it’s tied to everything somehow.”

Siegfried sat beside her, calmly cleaning his blade of dark residue. “I feel it too. But that’s why we’re here. We don’t face it alone.” He glanced at the others. “And we’ve survived worse.”

“Almost,” Star said, her smile growing just a little.

Nearby, Friedrich and Seth had started a card game on the ground using a battered deck.

“Friedrich, are you seriously dealing four cards to me and only two to yourself?” Seth asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Host’s rules,” Friedrich replied smoothly. “And since I’m the host, I win by default.”

“You’re unbelievable.” Seth leaned back and tossed a card at Friedrich’s face, missing. “That’s it. I’m staging a coup.”

Siegfried sighed, amused by their antics. “Why do I feel like I’m watching children?”

“Because you are,” Erik muttered, sharpening his blade nearby. “Very loud children.”

More laughter followed, echoing softly through the clearing. Firelight eased the strain from their faces, and for a while, the road ahead felt distant. No matter what waited beyond the hills, this moment belonged to them.

Eventually, they began to settle in for the night. Erik stood up first, stretching and muttering something about taking the first watch. Friedrich, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately claimed the “last watch,” which essentially meant “watching everyone else wake up.”

“You mean sleeping through your shift,” Erik said dryly.

“Details,” Friedrich replied with a wave, already lying down.

Star stayed by the fire a little longer, her sword resting across her knees as she cleaned it with slow, careful movements. Shadows danced along her face, but the quiet of the camp wrapped around her like a promise.

Tomorrow would bring new trials—perhaps worse than today’s.
But for now, they were safe.

And that was enough.