Zane stepped out of the crumbled archway of the ruins, sunlight leaking through the forest canopy like lazy ribbons of gold. The moment his boots touched the soft earth, he let out a long breath.
"Alright... so now what?"
Ace, still curled comfortably on his shoulders, gave a soft chuff.
Zane glanced sideways at him. "You got any bright ideas, fluffball?"
The word echoed faintly in Zane's mind, like a whisper reverberating through a deep well.
Zane blinked. "Did you just—?"
Zane groaned. "Seriously? I've got a talking shadow cat now and that's the first thing you say?"
Ace responded by letting out a pathetic-sounding whimper, nuzzling against Zane's neck.
Nyx giggled. "Well, he is a Void Lynx. They have bottomless stomachs. Didn't you read his status?"
"I skimmed it!" Zane huffed. "Didn't say I was adopting a portable black hole."
"Okay, okay! I get it!" Zane muttered. "Let's find something edible before you start chewing on my ears."
He trudged forward into the woods again, adjusting his grip on the End Blade and casting glances around for anything that looked remotely like food.
"...Why do I feel like my life's about to become a weird combination of babysitting and beast slaying?"
Nyx snickered again. "Because it is."