Chương 95: 095

A soft throat clearing cut through my thoughts, snapping my attention away from the pull.

"Are you alright, Nikolas?" Time asked.

"You seem… distracted today." Damn it. He'd noticed. Henry glanced back, curiosity flickering across his face, while Dominicus half-turned, one ear twitching toward us. Maya, thankfully, kept skipping along ahead, humming to herself without a care in the world. I shrugged, scrambling for something believable.

"My shoulder's bothering me a bit, but it's nothing serious." Not a complete lie, the bandages itched like hell. Just… not the real problem. Time's gaze immediately dropped to the wound, concern sharpening his expression.

"Perhaps we should pause so you can heal it?" I shook my head.

"No need. It's basically a scratch and some bruises now. Not worth wasting mana on. With our luck, we'll run into a bandit camp and I'll need it then." His lips thinned, clearly unimpressed.

"Leaving a wound untreated is unwise. Especially without proper means to disinfect it." He tilted his head slightly.

"If you insist on conserving mana, then we should at least replace the bandages." Henry nodded in agreement.

"He's right. A short break is worth it. You should take care of yourself the same way you do everyone else." …Yeah. They had a point. The bandages were damp with sweat, clinging uncomfortably, and infection was the last thing I needed right now. I sighed and nodded.

"Alright, fair enough." Time immediately stepped closer, hand lifting.

"Then I will assist. You cannot reach them properly yourself." A spike of adrenaline shot through me as realization struck. The mark. It's covered, I reminded myself, forcing my expression to stay neutral. He won't see it. That didn't stop the tension coiling in my chest. Dura frowned beside me, already half-shifting like she was ready to intercept if needed. I waved her off subtly and forced a smile.

"That'd be appreciated." Act normal. Everything would be fine if I just acted normal. The group came to a stop, and Time gestured toward a nearby boulder.

"This will suffice. Remove your shirt." I hesitated. My gaze flicked over the others, unease prickling down my spine.

"Here?" Even ignoring the second bandage I'd have to explain, the idea of baring the mess of scars across my back in front of everyone made my stomach twist. Time stilled, his gaze flicking briefly toward Dominicus, before something clicked. Understanding softened his expression almost immediately.

"We can step into the trees for privacy," he amended gently.

"This will only take a moment." Relief washed through me.

"Yeah. That works." Henry shrugged off his pack.

"We'll take the chance to make lunch." He started rummaging through it.

"Don't wander too far." Before I could respond, Maya shuffled closer. She stopped a few feet away, eyes fixed firmly on the ground, one foot scuffing at the dirt. Henry noticed too, abandoning his pack to kneel beside her with a patient smile.

"Do you have something you'd like to say, Maya?" She swallowed, nodded, then stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry for running off at the cliff," she said quietly.

"Thank you for saving me." Ah, I suppose this explained her staring over the past day. Kneeling to her level, ignoring the immediate protest from every sore muscle, I gently straightened her back up.

"It's alright," I said softly.

"You were just curious. You didn't mean for anything bad to happen." I gave her a small smile.

"Just try to listen to your father next time, okay?" She blinked up at me, head tilting.

"Father?" Time cleared his throat lightly.

"He means adan. Listen to your adan." Right. I winced inwardly. Guess it was my turn to slip up. Understanding dawned across her face, and she nodded earnestly before hurrying back to Henry's side.

"I will!" To prove it, she latched onto his hand. He shook his head, amused but silent. I chuckled and leaned back against a tree. As I settled, though, I felt it, Maya's stare pressing into the side of my head. When she didn't look away, even after I glanced over, I met her gaze with a small hum.

"Do you have something else you want to say?" She squeaked and half-hid behind Henry. He glanced down at her, curious but unconcerned.

"Sweetling, Nikolas is a friend. If you have something to say, he won't be mad." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I nodded.

"He's right. I'm a healer, I work around kids all the time. I doubt there's anything you could say that'd offend me unless you really tried." Maya bit her lip, studying me in silence. I waited. With kids, sometimes you just had to give them the space to work things out. Finally, she lifted a finger and pointed at my head. More specifically, my ears.

"What beastfolk are you?" Henry winced.

"Maya, that's rude-." I waved him off with a quiet chuckle.

"It's fine. At least for me. Maybe don't ask others, though, some might take offense." Lifting a hand, I brushed my fingers over my ears, considering them for the first time. Karma had never actually told me what she'd made me into… They felt soft. Rounded… Thankfully, Time cut in before I could embarrass myself guessing.

"His ancestry is that of a direbear, judging by his ears." A direbear. …You've got to be kidding me. I stared ahead, mildly horrified. I'd asked Karma for something not scary for kids, and she picked a direbear? Henry blinked, clearly thrown.

"I've never seen a direbear hybrid before, though I've heard rumors of the beast itself. They grow taller than the trees and usually live deep in the forests to avoid mortals." Taller than the trees. What the fuck, Karma? Time's lips twitched, barely suppressing a smile before he smoothly redirected.

"Nexus is full of formidable beasts. We should remain at our best to face them. That said, Nikolas, we should tend to your wound." Still reeling, I nodded numbly.

"Yeah." Once we slipped into the trees, Dura's concerned look the last thing I caught, Time guided me to a nearby boulder. When his hand settled on my shoulder, I spoke mentally. A direbear? I asked her for something not scary for kids, and that's what she picked? I was expecting something small. Harmless. A rabbit, maybe. Time's lips twitched again, his mental voice threaded with fondness. My wife has always favored the more… dangerous creatures of Nexus. To her, direbears are the height of comfort and safety.

Strong. Protective. Much like she is. A quiet chuckle followed, softened by something almost nostalgic. You would be surprised how often she cooed over them, and others like them. Karma is… unique. I huffed, rubbing at my ears. At least they're harmless enough. I'd probably terrify kids if I had sharp canines or something. Just to be sure, I ran my tongue over my teeth, relieved when I felt nothing but flat edges. Time shrugged lightly. She knew what she was doing.

Mortals may fear what a direbear represents, but children will only see soft ears. Ah. So this was part of the"lure out the assholes" strategy. Perfect. I'll thank her later, I muttered. I tugged at my shirt, the scars beneath pulling tight. Frowning, I added, I should probably warn you, Mr. Bugel left a pretty nasty mark. The last person before Dura to see it had to leave the room. And it had taken weeks for my pride to recover from that one. Hell, I hadn't even considered another one-night stand since.

Time's faint smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl. I have seen more than my fair share of scars, Nikolas. I shrugged. Just figured I'd give you a heads-up. I pulled the fabric up and the familiar itch of being watched crept in. I braced, half-expecting tension, discomfort, something. Instead, he only grunted and nudged me to shift. I did, letting out a quiet breath as the moment settled. This… wasn't how I'd imagined my time in Nexus going, but all things considered? It could've been worse.

Still, curiosity nagged at the edges of my mind. After a moment, I glanced over my shoulder. What was Nexus like before… everything? Time's hand stilled. The air thickened, heavy and pressing, then he sighed. Before the old gods and the Corruption shattered… it was nice. Peaceful. A pause. Afterward, everything changed. Not for the better. His hand moved again, replacing the bandages with quiet efficiency. His tone had gone flat, closed off. It is not an era I enjoy revisiting. Leave it at that.

I nodded, the weight of it settling in my chest. I hadn't really thought about it before, but… the old gods were, in a way, his parents. I didn't know what that relationship had looked like, didn't know if they'd been close, but either way… That kind of loss didn't leave a person untouched. Time and I spent most of our days bickering like siblings, but something twisted in my chest at the thought of him carrying that alone. How long had he wandered before he found Karma? He'd never said, but for his sake…

I hoped it hadn't been long. I knew firsthand what loneliness could do to a person and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.