— It was already the seventh day of the journey; the group was silent, walking calmly deep in the forest —
We must be getting close now; she had said it would take about eight or nine days. This trip is long, but it's given me time to experiment with Malicia.
Still… it's not enough.
— Obi thought, as he watched Elena ahead of him. Krax noticed this and approached him —
"What's going on now? It's barely morning."
"Hey, I'm not a kid either; I was just lost in my thoughts."
"What were you thinking about while looking at Elena?"
"Nothing weird, don't worry."
— They continued like that, walking nonstop, with Kaelen always guiding them along the best path. It went on like that until nightfall, when the group took a break. As he did every night, Oberon was the one preparing the meal, cooking wild boar ribs with the leftovers from the night before, using honey they'd found, garlic, scraps of fat, salt, and pepper—a dish that gave off a scent that filled the air, drawing nocturnal animals toward the camp. As he handed out plates to each of his companions, Oberon saw that they didn't even wait for him to start eating; he watched with a warm smile as his friends devoured their food—
"And am I being punished?"
—said Elena, who hadn't been given her plate yet. Obi handed it to her as if he were giving it to a stranger; he seemed to be used to that smile Elena always wore.
She sat down, beginning to taste her own food—though not in the same way as her two comrades, who seemed starving. She took her time savoring every bite as if it were her last, while she was once again lost in her thoughts. and so the minutes passed as the wood in the campfire slowly burned away. Surprisingly, the first to get up that night was Kaelen, who, before going to sleep, looked first at Elena; she simply smiled, which seemed to be enough for Kaelen.
The atmosphere was tense; no one spoke. Even Krax stopped making noise while eating—he was also the only one who seemed uncomfortable, constantly sending visual signals to Oberon, who ignored them all. Krax finished his meal as quickly as possible to get out of there and go to sleep, leaving Obi and Elena alone.
The two of them continued without speaking, eating quietly by the campfire until Obi, for the first time, decided to break the ice with Elena by asking a question—
"How much do you know about the tower?"
—Elena didn't react to the question, remaining silent until she finished chewing her food—
"Enough that if I told you everything, we wouldn't be done until the day after tomorrow."
— Silence fell once more, leaving the two sitting by the campfire to eat —
"Why are you asking? Are you finally interested?"
I don't have many options; Krax and Kaelen are on your side, and I'm stuck.
"I need knowledge, and for some reason, you want me in your group."
"What makes you say that?"
Because I'm not dead yet. This woman sees something in me that I don't quite understand, but I know I have value in her eyes, and that's enough.
"Because a merchant wouldn't look out for the interests of a man who isn't a customer."
— Elena flashed a smile at Oberon's cold reply, a smile ten times more genuine than the one she usually wore —
"All right, it's true that I see value in you, but don't think I'll answer your questions just like that."
I already doubted that. I don't know what kind of madness I've gotten myself into with this woman, but it's better than being stuck.
"What exactly are you thinking?"
"Oh, you'll find out soon, after we're done passing through Caelum-Vena."
Sure, a typical answer coming from her, but at least she didn't refuse.
— Silence once again filled the air, giving Oberon time to think about future decisions while he ate his meal, but those thoughts were cut short —
"Now that you're finally willing to talk, I have to admit your dishes are truly delicious—and incredible, considering how few ingredients you have at your disposal. If you give me your recipes, I'll answer one of your questions—provided I know the answer, of course."
— At that moment, Oberon paused his dinner, perplexed by what Elena had said; she was willing to answer any of his questions. He began to ramble in his mind, searching for what was most important at that moment. It took him so long to think of a question that Elena had time to finish her meal, but just as she was about to leave, Obi stopped her by raising his hand—
"Wait, I found a question."
— Elena sat back down, in a position where she was face-to-face with Oberon —
"I'm listening."
I know how Elena thinks: one question, one answer, and that's how she wants to play. I can't ask ambiguous questions, or she'll just respond with another ambiguous answer. She loves to play with my nerves, so this question has to be the right one.
"What was the voice I heard when I transcended?"
— Elena took a moment before answering, but finally opened her mouth —
"No one knows exactly what it is. It's commonly called LA.BRUME. Some theorize it's something like the Tower's system; some think it's like a mother hive; and others, the crazier ones, believe it's the voice of God or a messenger. The theories are countless."
"LA.BRUME, but what for…?"
"No, no, that's a second question."
— Oberon lowered his head, trying to be satisfied with the answer Elena had given him —
"All right, I'll give you a list of my recipes tomorrow."
"It was a pleasure discussing this with you."
— Elena said, getting up to go to her tent to sleep, leaving Oberon alone by the campfire with more questions than answers in his mind —
"She tricked me; the question was a trap. Now my questions have multiplied."
— Oberon sighed as he gazed at the stars above him; they lit up his eyes —
The more I look around, the more questions come to me. Will I ever be able to go home, at least?
— Thinking that, Obi couldn't help but curl up in his own arms, trying to stop overthinking, even if just for a moment —
"I'd better go to sleep; I'm not even hungry anymore."