"I... will be leaving... on my own." Aether felt his heart beat like crazy; he hated it. He hated moments like this; he wanted to never be in a position like this ever again. But he also knew that he needed to do this.
He couldn't just ignore it.
Sofia's smile fell completely, but not because she was disappointed or mad, but rather because she was confused by his decision. "You want to leave? But why? You're safe with us, and we are making good progress."
"Well." Aether put his hand on the back of his neck. "Sure, I'm safe, but that isn't a priority for me. Ever since I awakened, I've only been in dangerous situations; I got used to it to a certain degree. I'm not scared of being alone in this place."
He looked away to the people in the camp.
"And sure, progress is happening. But not fast enough."
