Xion thumbed the spherical pendant. Its silver carvings felt cool against his fingertips. Yet the stone itself was still warm. The lingering trace of Darius seemed to seep into his skin as he slowly rubbed his thumb over it.
"You said you got this... and then your condition improved?"
Darius hummed lightly in response. His low voice carried the unmistakable weight of exhaustion.
His body was the weakest among them — even more than Xion's.
"We should really rest. A proper rest, Your Grace. Your body won't be able to bear it much longer."
"We'll see," Darius answered vaguely. He had his own considerations.
It nearly took them three months to come to the royal capital.
At that time, they were trying to hide their traces from royal eyes. Which had worked perfectly until they entered the southern region.
Now Darius was determined to return north as quickly as possible. With the pace they were pushing, they could cut their travel time almost in half.
