I didn't rest after the bead threw me out. My body felt stronger, but my mind was still echoing with the weight of that place. The shadows. The pressure. The hours that weren't hours. My heartbeat hadn't fully calmed when I started moving around the cottage, gathering what little I had. A few dry rations. The training blade. A waterskin. Nothing impressive, but enough to walk with.
Sylveon watched me from the corner of the room, tail low, eyes tracking every motion.
[You're really leaving now?] he asked quietly.
"Yes," I said. "The Valorian soldiers are heading here, then staying is the worst thing I could do."
He didn't argue, but Instead, he trotted close and pressed his small body against my leg.
[Then I'm coming with you. I'm not staying here alone. That week with you… it was good. And fun. And you don't look at me like I'm something strange. So… I'd rather stay with you.]
