Unexpected Closeness

POV James:

After stopping at base camp to pick up a few supplies and some food, we finally made it back to the building.

As we prepared to enter, we were confronted with a scene that left us speechless. Arthur seemed to be asleep with his head against the wall, and Emilia was nestled against his chest, also asleep.

"Does everyone see what I see?" I asked, watching the others stick their heads around the doorway in equal amazement.

"I think so," Nina muttered, a hint of excitement in her voice.

The others had similarly shocked expressions and small, knowing smiles.

"Ever since Jeffrey died, I never thought I'd see them like this again," Ethan murmured, an ill-concealed smile on his face.

"Do you think we should wake her up?" Liam asked hesitantly.

While everyone was contemplating how to get in without causing an awkward situation, I had an idea.

"Let's go in through the back of the building and make some noise. That way, they won't know we saw them," I suggested with a grin.

Everyone nodded and quietly turned around, leaving the two lovebirds blissfully unaware that we'd caught them in a tender moment.

---

POV Arthur:

I woke up with Emilia in my arms, hearing James and Ethan talking loudly as they returned from camp with food. I gently shook Emilia awake, and we both quickly realized our unconventional position.

Flustered, she straightened up, her cheeks flushed, and she moved to sit on my mattress across from me, just before the group entered.

"You're making so much noise!" Emilia exclaimed with a yawn as she settled comfortably.

"Ah, sorry, did we wake you?" Nina replied with a mischievous smile.

Realizing her mistake, Emilia quickly waved it off. "No, not at all. I was just explaining to Arthur how completely idiotic his idea of going off on his own was," she said, casting a slightly less stern look in my direction.

As I scratched my head and mumbled an apology, everyone began unpacking the food they'd brought from camp.

There were tins with pictures of soybeans and sausages, which reminded me of cassoulet from my old world, and red beans that looked like chili con carne.

After I finished eating, Emilia began nursing me back to health.

"It's all right. Try to get up," she said.

As I stood and hopped around a bit, I muttered, "It feels strange. It's like I've just come out of a hell of a pain."

"It does," Emilia replied. "The principle of healing magic is to speed up regeneration by accelerating your metabolism. That's why we made sure to eat before healing you."

"Okay, I see. That's interesting. How about you? How does it feel?" I asked.

"The healer acts like the fuel to start your body's mechanism," she explained. "Think of me as the sun for a plant. The plant needs sunlight to grow, but if it gets too much at once, it can wither. In the same way, when I heal you, I use my life force to stimulate your healing. If I use too much, I exhaust myself."

I nodded, understanding the analogy. "So when you healed me, you used some of your life force?"

"Exactly," she replied. "That's why I'm exhausted after healing someone. My energy regenerates with time and rest, just like a plant needs time to recover after a long exposure to the sun."

"That's fascinating," I said, struck by the complexity yet simplicity of her explanation. "Isn't it dangerous in the long run?"

"It could be, which is why we need to rest and set limits. Otherwise, we could deplete our life span."

"I understand. As long as you take breaks, there's no problem. Thanks again for the care, it's amazing," I said.

Emilia smiled, her eyes shining with a mix of exhaustion and relief. "You're welcome. Now that you're feeling better, I'm going to rest for a while before we start exploring again."

After a good hour of rest, the sun began to reach its zenith. Emilia was still resting, and everyone was sitting around a table with a map in the middle, discussing our next destination, including me.

"We could try this place," James suggested, pointing to a large building that looked like a shopping mall.

"I think there's a good chance that building has already been searched top to bottom," Ethan said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Then what do you suggest?" James asked.

"Here," Ethan said, pointing to a building with several U-shaped apartments.

"Why?"

"Don't you remember? A lot of the interesting things we've found were in places that seemed uninteresting at first..." Ethan explained. "For example, the generator we found, the jewels we were able to trade for a nice sum of money, and even this map we have here, were all found in buildings like this."

"I think that's a good idea," Nina agreed.

"I'd also like to visit that building," I added, a thought nagging at the back of my mind.

"All right, let's head to Ethan's building. We'll get our things ready after Emilia finishes her nap."

Once Emilia started waking up, we began packing and headed for the building.

The trip went smoothly, the landscape of the Ghost Town passing before my eyes. It was as if time had flowed differently in some places, while unimaginable damage was visible in others: destroyed houses and buildings with gaping holes.

After a good half hour, we reached the building, which seemed relatively untouched by time. Of course, the vegetation had taken over, but there was no major damage.

As we reached the entrance, James divided us into two groups.

"Since it's not advisable to split up too much in an unfamiliar place, we'll work in two teams: Emilia, Arthur, and I on one side, and the others on the other. Is that all right?" James asked.

"No worries."

"Sounds good."

"The usual."

"If you find anything interesting, take it with you, and we'll go through everything back at camp. If you're in danger, yell. Given the state of these buildings, they're like Swiss cheese—we should be able to hear you," James said as everyone nodded in agreement.

The two groups split up, each exploring a different wing of the building. On our side, the second floor, which James said looked empty, turned out to be a veritable gold mine.

Every room was full of mystery, with family photos faded by time, indecipherable notes, overturned chairs, and devastated rooms. You could almost feel the terror that had once reigned here.

As we searched, James explained what valuable items we might find in the buildings. Apparently, things like jewelry, materials, and chemicals were the most prized. But there was something even more mysterious and coveted: relics.

He explained that relics were very effective weapons against whispers, but they were incredibly rare and extremely sought after.

He told me that if I ever came in contact with one, I'd feel its presence. According to James, these relics absorbed and channeled our emotions, growing more powerful based on the feelings they received, whether positive or negative.

We cautiously moved toward the stairs. The second floor was even more dilapidated than the first, with collapsed ceilings and debris strewn across the floor. We moved slowly, scanning every nook and cranny for anything useful.

Suddenly, there was a thud, followed by an eerie crack. The ground shifted beneath my feet, and before I could react, part of the floor collapsed.

James and Emilia managed to jump back in time, but I, distracted by the paintings on the walls, fell through the hole and landed heavily on the floor below.