Lira shook her head, still giggling, and held out a hand. "Come on, clumsy hero. We can't explore without you."
He took it reluctantly, muttering under his breath, "I cannot believe I was ejected like some enchanted potato…"
Serelyth swooped down, letting him use her scaled shoulder to steady himself. "You survived worse than a sneeze from a portal, Renkai. Don't act like it's the end of the world."
Renkai huffed, brushing more dust off. "Not the end… but it's definitely the most humiliating introduction to a ruins world I've ever had."
Lira laughed again, shaking her head. "Welcome to our adventure, Renkai. Try not to trip over any ancient curses this time."
He gave her a mock salute. "No promises. But I'll try. Seriously."
With that, the three of them—Lira, Serelyth, and the very begrudgingly deposited Renkai—continued deeper into the ruins, laughter fading into the eerie hum of broken stone and distant magic.
