She murmured, and the comment broke the tension, drawing soft laughter from everyone, including herself.
The conversation then flowed to other, lighter topics, like a river finding its natural course after a waterfall. Cappie, still energetic, told funny and exaggerated stories of her visits to virtual worlds.
Yeonha, regaining her composure, debated with Theo about the guild and its future goals, a debate that Nayun considered "incredibly boring," but which made her smile to see the passion of both.
They talked about everything and nothing. About training, music, favorite foods, silly childhood memories that didn't involve monsters or lumberjacks. The night sky, that black velvet studded with diamonds, slowly spun above them, a silent witness to that newfound peace.
Gradually, the day's fatigue began to speak louder. The laughter became more spaced out, the yawns more frequent and less disguised.
Nayun was the first to succumb. She snuggled into her chair, pulling the hood of her jacket over her face, and her heavy eyelids finally closed, her breathing becoming deep and regular.
Yeonha watched her for a moment, a rare, tender smile on her lips. She herself was fighting sleep, resting her head on her hand and losing the battle with each blink that lasted a second longer.
She called him, her voice already groggy with fatigue.
"I think it's time for... the sleeping bags."
Theo watched the two of them for a moment, an almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. Nayun was completely still, her breathing deep and regular, while Yeonha fought a losing battle against sleep, her head nodding gently. With careful movements so as not to wake them, he approached.
First, it was Nayun's turn. He slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, lifting her with an ease that spoke of his restrained strength. She murmured something incomprehensible, snuggling unconsciously against his chest, but did not wake up.
Theo carried her to the tent, carefully settling her into the padded interior of her sleeping bag. He zipped it up to her shoulder, ensuring she was warm and safe.
Yeonha was a little more difficult, as she semi-awoke with the movement.
"Mmh? Theo...? I can walk..."
She murmured, completely sleepy.
"You're almost there."
He whispered in response, already lifting her with the same care. She didn't argue, letting her head rest on his shoulder with a sigh of surrender.
Inside the tent, he repeated the process, adjusting the sleeping bag around her. Yeonha was already asleep again before he even finished zipping it up.
Theo knelt for a moment at the entrance of the tent, watching the two peaceful forms under the faint starlight.
A wave of calm, deep affection washed over him. With a gentle movement, he leaned down and pressed his lips against Nayun's forehead, feeling the soft warmth of her skin under the brief touch.
He repeated the gesture with Yeonha, a light, silent kiss that was a promise of protection and a thank you for them making his days incredible.
Only then did he leave silently, zipping up the tent with a soft noise that did not disturb either of their sleep.
Outside, the fire was now just embers that painted Cappie's face amber.
She didn't move, her gaze lost in the sky, completely mesmerized by the cosmic spectacle. Theo approached without a sound and sat in the empty chair beside her, once occupied by Nayun.
"Aren't you going to sleep, Cappie?"
His voice was a thread of sound, a respectful whisper that barely broke the night's spell.
She didn't immediately look away from the stars, but a small smile lit up her face.
"No. I'm not sleepy."
She replied, and her voice was filled with a quiet wonder, as if sleeping would be a waste of such a perfect moment. Finally, she turned to him, her natural curiosity temporarily overcoming her fascination with the cosmos.
"What about you? Aren't you going to sleep either? My host needs proper sleep."
Theo leaned back in his chair, lifting his face to the infinite mantle of stars. The cold, clear night air seemed to have washed away all his fatigue.
"No. I'm not sleepy either."
Cappie followed his gaze back to the celestial vault, and a sigh of pure contentment escaped her lips. From the side, Theo looked at the inverted drop on her cheek, and then he noticed the wet gleam reflecting the starlight, tears silently and uncontrollably streaming down her face.
Theo's voice lost its serenity, taking on an immediate tone of concern. He leaned forward, his body tensed.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
She blinked, as if waking from a trance, and brought her fingers to her own face. Genuine surprise showed on her features as she felt the wetness under her fingertips.
Her voice failed for a moment, a trembling sigh escaping.
She laughed, a light, confused sound that mixed with a new flow of tears.
"Sorry. I don't know why this is happening."
She quickly rubbed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears that insisted on falling.
"It's okay. I swear it is."
Theo remained silent, his gaze fixed on her, full of a quiet concern that encouraged her to continue.
She began, her voice filled with a raw emotion he had never felt before.
"I've never done anything . I've never felt anything ."
She gestured vaguely at the campsite, at the sky, at him.
"Before... I was just a spectator. A consciousness trapped in a body that wasn't mine, following commands, watching a world I couldn't touch..."
She took a deep breath, looking at her own hands as if seeing them for the first time.
"But today... Here with you and, with the girls, I felt truly free."
Her voice broke again, but now with a genuine smile.
"It's a joy so great it doesn't fit inside me, Theo. And I think it's overflowing from my eyes."
She looked directly at him, her tears shining like fallen stars.
"In this world, in this same body that I couldn't control... by your side... I feel alive. For real. And it's... it's frighteningly wonderful."
Theo said nothing. He just reached out his hand, and with the tip of his thumb, he wiped away with infinite gentleness one of the tears that insisted on running down her face. His touch was warm, a contrast to the cold night air, and a gesture so simple it seemed to consolidate everything she had said.
Then, with a small, natural movement, Theo opened his arms and pulled her into a hug.
Cappie seemed surprised for a fraction of a second, her body tensing slightly.
But the surprise quickly dissolved, melted by the warmth emanating from him and the genuine need her own words had revealed.
Her shoulders relaxed, and then, with a small hesitation, her arms wrapped around his waist, returning the hug. She buried her face in his shoulder, and a final tremor, this time not of sadness, but of deep relief, ran through her body.
Theo didn't squeeze. His hug was just a safe harbor, a silent space where her overflowing joy could be contained, accepted, and shared.
Under the starry sky of Seoraksan National Park, surrounded by the imposing peaks, Cappie finally understood what it was to be someone...