Noel lowered Revenant Fang just enough to glance at her, his green eyes catching the faint glow of the ice shards still scattered around them. His blond hair was damp with sweat, sticking slightly to his forehead, but his expression stayed steady.

"I had everything under control," he said, voice calm rather than defensive.

Selene didn't move, her cyan eyes fixed on the treeline. Her short blue hair shifted slightly with the wind, the faint shimmer of her magic still clinging to the air.

"No," she replied flatly. "It didn't look like it."

Noel's lips curved into the smallest smirk. "You're talking a lot more than usual. Something wrong?"

She blinked once, her face unreadable. "Nothing."

For a moment, he just studied her—the rigid way she held her wand, the faint tremor in her shoulders that no one else would notice. To the drones buzzing above, recording their every move, she looked perfectly composed. But Noel had learned to read the details others missed.

Still, he let it go. "If you say so."

Selene didn't answer. She kept her gaze forward, the frost at her feet slowly melting into the dirt.

The silence didn't last. A streak of crimson tore through the shadows, searing the air where Selene had been standing. She shifted lightly, her wand already glowing with a thin rim of frost.

Noel's blade hummed to life in response, Revenant Fang wreathed in flame as he whispered, "Ignition Surge." He darted forward, the cursed steel carving through the blast and scattering embers before they could reach her.

Another spell lit the treeline, this time a bolt of compressed wind magic. Noel tensed to dodge, but Selene raised her wand, her voice steady. "Permafrost Halo." A ring of cold exploded outward, slowing the spell mid-flight until it shattered like glass on stone.

Two figures rushed from the brush, their armor clattering, weapons raised. Noel stepped into their path without hesitation. His free hand sparked with mana. "Voltage Needle." Lightning lanced out, piercing the first man clean through and chaining into the second. Both convulsed, bodies twitching before they collapsed into the dirt.

Selene didn't stop moving. Her frost still swirled at her feet as she extended her arm. "Frozen Lance." The crystalline spear streaked across the clearing and impaled a third assailant trying to circle around them, pinning him against a tree.

The drones above caught every flicker of their teamwork—every strike, every counter, every silent look between them.

Noel smirked faintly. "You've been busy."

Selene's expression didn't shift. "You were leaving openings."

"Tch." He flipped Revenant Fang back into guard, green eyes narrowing. "Guess I'll just have to be faster."

Another presence moved in the shadows. The ground beneath them trembled suddenly—gravity magic. Noel staggered as the weight pressed him down. His boots sank an inch into the soil.

Selene reacted instantly. "Gravition Hold," she snapped, redirecting the pull outward. The attacker hidden in the brush cried out as his own spell backfired, slamming him into the dirt with bone-crunching force.

Noel straightened, exhaling sharply. "I had that one."

"No, you didn't." Her reply was blunt, cold, but her grip on the wand was tight enough to pale her knuckles.

The battlefield fell quiet again, broken only by the ragged breath of the dying and the constant hum of the drones overhead.

Noel rolled his shoulders, flames still licking around his blade. "Three each?"

Selene's cyan eyes flicked toward him. "Four."

The forest had gone still again, save for the faint crackle of fading flames and the distant drip of melting ice. Noel leaned against a tree, catching his breath, though his posture was more relaxed than tired. Revenant Fang's edge still glowed faintly red, steam hissing where blood met fire.

Selene dismissed the last traces of her spell, frost curling into mist around her boots before it vanished completely. Her wand lowered, but she didn't sheath it. Her cyan eyes stayed sharp, as if another attack could come at any second.

Noel watched her for a moment, then asked, almost casually, "You hungry?"

Her head turned slightly, a frown ghosting across her face. "No."

Right on cue, her stomach betrayed her with a quiet growl.

Noel arched a brow, lips twitching. "Didn't sound like a no."

Selene's ears colored faintly, though her face didn't change. She looked away, adjusting the grip on her wand. "It doesn't matter. I can manage."

"You can manage, sure," Noel said, pushing off the tree and swinging Revenant Fang over his shoulder. "But starving yourself isn't exactly part of the strategy."

"I'm not starving." The denial came quick, sharp, like she wanted to cut the subject short.

Noel smirked, stepping closer, lowering his voice just enough so only she could hear despite the ever-present hum of drones above. "You've been more talkative than usual, you know. Even your stomach's joining in."

Her cyan eyes flicked to him then, narrowed slightly, but there was no heat in it—only a hint of uncertainty. "Why do you care?"

"Because we are together now," he answered simply. "And I don't feel like dragging your unconscious body back to camp if you collapse mid-fight."

Selene held his gaze longer than usual, then finally exhaled through her nose. "…You're insufferable."

"Maybe," Noel said, turning back toward the treeline. "But I'm also right."

The silence stretched between them as they moved deeper into the trees, the glow of fading spells lingering like ghosts in the air. Noel walked a step ahead, scanning the shadows with Revenant Fang loose in his grip. Selene trailed just behind, her wand never lowered, her expression carved from ice.

After a while, Noel glanced over his shoulder. "You should eat. Remember what you told me once? That you'd eat everything you could, because when you were a kid you couldn't."

Selene stiffened, surprised he recalled her words. For a moment, her usual composure cracked—the faintest hesitation in her stride. "…You're right."

Noel smirked faintly, turning back toward the forest path. "See? Not that hard to admit."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't argue. The drones above hummed quietly, recording every step, though none could capture the flicker of something warmer that passed over her features.

They walked in silence until Noel finally asked, "Got a place to sleep tonight?"

Selene didn't answer immediately. When she did, her voice was flat, but quieter than usual. "No."

Noel nodded as if he'd expected that. "Thought so. I've got a cave set up nearby. It's not fancy, but it's dry, and it's hidden from the drones most of the time." He tilted his head, green eyes glinting with that half-smile of his. "You can crash there if you want."

Selene's cyan gaze lingered on him, unreadable. Her wand lowered slightly, though not all the way. "…Why?"

"Because you saved my ass earlier," Noel said simply, shrugging. "And because I'd rather not run into you half-dead from exhaustion tomorrow."

Her grip on her wand loosened. After a long pause, she gave the smallest nod. "…Fine."

Noel chuckled under his breath, adjusting Revenant Fang against his shoulder. "Great. Then it's settled."

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