Aldana Candi lowered her head, looking at the hand lightly held by Philip Shaw. After a moment, she softly replied, "Mm."
Her mood was tranquil, like a small feather drifting down gently from mid-air, finally settling peacefully on the ground.
*
This time, Philip Shaw woke up after just two hours of rest.
He slowly opened his eyes, only to hear Aldana Candi ask, "Awake?"
His dense, long eyelashes, like a butterfly's wings, fluttered open, his gaze landing on Aldana Candi's face, suddenly brightening. He seemed very happy, gently asking, "You've been sitting here all along?"
Aldana Candi lifted the hand he was holding, lightly laughing, "With you holding me like this, where could I go?"
He slightly tugged at the corners of his mouth, seemingly unable to suppress his smile, yet he tried to press it down to contain his laughter.
"If I had known earlier..." he murmured very lightly, suddenly closing his eyes.
"What?" Aldana Candi didn't catch it, lowering her head to ask.
