Behind her, Regulus padded in, his massive jaws clamped around the broken mechanical bird he had caught last night. Metal scraped faintly between his teeth, and loose wires dangled from the crushed body of the machine. A shallow cut marked the lion's shoulder, fur slightly matted where he had been grazed.
"Regulus! You're hurt!" Sylene looked worried.
"He found this device near the investigation site," Lila reported evenly. "What should we do, sir?"
The shattered mechanical bird hung limply from the lion's mouth, one wing bent at an unnatural angle. The lion gave a spoiled whine before prancing over to Sylene, lowering his head for attention. Sylene gently patted him and carefully checked the wound on Regulus's shoulder.
Melchior frowned as he examined the device. "Have Alden check this when he returns from the resistance base."
Far at the end of the corridor, Yuna, who had quietly followed Lila, suddenly went pale.
--
Why him? Why him?!
