(Time-Stilled World, Desert Plateau, Leo's POV)
Leo stood motionless for a moment, his dagger still faintly sizzling with dark flames, as the two women lay unconscious before him.
His gaze drifted between them—the silver-haired captain who had tried to save her comrade despite being broken herself, and the younger girl, Della, whose blood-soaked robes clung to her frame.
'Do I just leave them here? Or do I help them?' he wondered, his fingers twitching with indecision.
He had no obligation to them.
No connection, nor any particular reason to save them.
And yet… something kept him from simply walking away.
Maybe it was the old dragon's words about karma, and how one should strive to spread good in this universe.
Or maybe it was just a whim, but Leo decided to help them survive, if only for a couple more days.
*Sigh*
With a sigh, he crouched beside Della, slinging her limp form across his shoulder with practiced ease before carefully laying her down next to her captain.
