Two months had passed since the day Rion awakened everyone's aura.

The other squad leaders and even Haria had asked him about the medicine, but he couldn't help them even if he wanted to; those herbs were too rare for it to be mass-produced.

During the first month, he had taught his squad members how to control their aura as he had awakened his at the age of 12 and had a better understanding of it.

For the last month, they patrolled around the edge of the purple fog forest.

During that time, the others were also able to kill a few kareths and learned better about their movements and nature.

All of them were also given the chance of becoming sub-squad leaders just like Rion, but they declined, believing that being together was better for everyone.

The sound of splashes echoed throughout the area.

Rion sat at the bank of a flowing river and watched Dora splash her feet into it while grinning ear to ear.

"What are you grinning for?" He asked and pulled out his leather pouch, which had dried meat for him to munch on.

She turned her head towards him and answered with a chuckle, "Hehe! I am just happy about being able to spend time with you."

From the day Rion had defeated Zukah, they had barely done anything together.

The fear of the purple fog forest forced them to train all the time, and Rion's own worries propelled him to look for a way to awaken them.

Afterwards, he only met Dora when he wanted her help, which she didn't mind, but she wanted to spend time with him just like they used to.

He smiled back and said, "I am also happy."

He felt guilty at not being able to spend more time with her, but there was nothing he could do; things worked differently for him.

Way more differently than they did for anyone, he was an immortal, after all. Because of this, he viewed the world with eyes that varied vastly from theirs.

The things everyone considered as dangerous or life-threatening were just minor inconveniences for him.

Everyone wanted to fulfil their goals and earn fame before being laid under the white, but he was forever removed from that; thus, he had limitless time to achieve whatever he wanted.

It didn't make things better for him; he was still bound to the realm of logic, of love and care.

For him, it was illogical to run away from the tribe when he could just wait for others to live the end of theirs, but he wasn't too keen on that; his previous life was full of endless suffering, and Doctor Kim was the only person he had close to his heart.

That emptiness made him protective and obsessive of the people he kept closer to his heart, and knowing that they would fade with time only made his state worse.

He placed a piece of dried meat in his mouth and began to slowly chew on it while continuing his thoughts.

Dora glanced at him, and her smile crumbled,' He is doing that again...' she thought.

This state of daze, she knew it too well. He did it whenever he was brooding over things that he never let out.

She clenched her fists and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

He blinked out of his thoughts and stared at her with a silent gaze for a few moments before asking, "If you were given a chance to live forever, would you take it?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion and muttered, "Live forever? Is that even possible?"

He smiled slightly and said while taking out another piece of dried meat, "Let's just think that it is."

"Hmm..." she rubbed her chin in thought for a few moments before she answered, "I don't know..."

Stupefied by her answer, he mumbled, "You don't know...?"

She flashed him a grin and said, "I mean, sure — I could choose to live forever. I could do anything, go anywhere… but what's the point of all that if I'm going to be left alone forever? Isn't it better to do less and see less, as long as it's with someone you love?"

'That's why I like you so much...' he mumbled in thought.

He didn't just like her because of how childish she was around him, but because she understood when to be childish and when to be mature.

She turned childish when he wanted to put away his thoughts and mature when he needed her to help him.

'She might not be like those anime girls, but she is my waifu,' he remarked and asked the question that meant the most.

"What if you were given the chance to live forever with your love?"

"Ah..." she let out a soft breath before she lowered her head and began to fidget her fingers.

Yet, she was unable to hide her flushed cheeks.

Rion grinned widely and inched closer before he asked, "So?"

"W-well..." she stuttered while trying her best to calm her heart.

He dragged himself right beside her and whispered in her ear, "So? What's your answer?"

Her body trembled as his hot breath brushed her ear, but instead of waving off his playful antics, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes with a determined glint as if ready to commit something she had always wanted to but didn't.

He stared back into her brown eyes and muttered with a playful smile, "Hmm? Why aren't you—"

However, before he could finish his words.

She grabbed his face and pecked at his lips.

Everything went quiet the moment her lips brushed his.

A warm shock rippled through him, spreading heat up his chest as her second quick peck stole the breath from his lungs.

She let go of his face and mumbled, "It won't be bad..." before she stood up and left the place with quick steps and a flushed face.

He turned to stare at her departing figure in a daze.

He slowly lifted his hand and touched his lips while his heart pounded like it would explode the next moment.

He lowered his head and muttered with a lovely smile, "I was just about to lose myself..."

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