The night wrapped itself around the forest like a thick, suffocating blanket, the rain falling in heavy sheets that drummed against the stone roof of the abandoned hut. Vyren was sitting on the cold stone floor, shivering violently, trying to curl into himself for warmth. The silence inside was only broken by the occasional rustle of the wind and the harsh rhythm of his chattering teeth.
This is ridiculous, Vyren thought bitterly, rubbing his arms. I can't believe I'm stuck here. It's freezing, I'm stuck pretending to be blind, and I still don't know why the hell I'm even here.
His mind kept spiraling. The fact that Chandrel had been so insistent on him staying still, the way he moved through the world as if everything was just a faint suggestion of space—Vyren had never met anyone like him.
But Vyren wasn't exactly thrilled about the whole "being stuck in a hut" thing. His body ached from the cold, and he was starting to feel like he might be frozen solid at any second.
This is just great, Vyren thought again. Freezing my ass off, pretending to be blind, and waiting for some kind of miracle...
He glanced toward the door. There was no sign of Chandrel. It's cold. I'm hungry. I swear if he doesn't come back soon—
And just as that thought crossed his mind, the door creaked open.
Vyren didn't move at first. For all he knew, it could be wild animals or some other random threat trying to sneak into the hut. But the second the door swung open, a figure appeared in the doorway, dark and soaked through by the rain.
Chandrel.
Vyren blinked, trying to stop himself from doing anything weird—like turning his head to see who it was. After all, he was supposed to be blind.
But the cold was impossible to ignore, and Vyren could hear the heavy, wet footsteps on the stone floor as Chandrel entered, dripping water onto the ground.
Chandrel stopped in front of Vyren, a strange silence settling between them.
I can't see him, Vyren thought. I mean, I can't… wait. Damn it. I know what he looks like. Why do I keep thinking I can't see him?
His mind was getting tangled in knots, but Chandrel's next words pulled him back to the present.
"You're freezing."
Vyren's heart skipped. He couldn't see him, so how the hell did Chandrel know? How could he possibly tell? His voice was low, but Vyren could hear the concern in it.
What the hell is going on? He shouldn't know... Vyren thought. He can't know.
The internal confusion didn't show on his face, but Vyren's teeth were chattering so loudly that he had to swallow a few times to keep from laughing. How could he be so obvious?
"I—uh, no, I'm fine," Vyren said, rubbing his arms as nonchalantly as possible. "Just... just a little cold. Happens."
But Chandrel, oblivious to the pretend blindness, didn't argue. Instead, there was the briefest moment of silence, and then Chandrel was moving toward the back of the hut.
Vyren frowned, his gaze tracking the movement even though he couldn't technically "see." The sounds of Chandrel rummaging around filled the silence, and Vyren's mind raced. Was this going to be like every other time? He'd pretend to be blind, and Chandrel would somehow not notice?
And then, just like that, Chandrel returned. He had a blanket—one thick enough to cover a small army—and he placed it gently around Vyren's shoulders. Vyren felt the warmth immediately, and it was so welcome that he could barely suppress the sigh of relief that escaped his lips.
Okay. So... he's not completely oblivious, Vyren thought. Or maybe he just really likes blankets. I don't know.
"Don't do that again," Chandrel said softly, his voice suddenly calm but firm.
Vyren blinked. "Do what again?"
"You're cold. And you're… well, blind. You shouldn't be sitting in the cold like that."
Vyren, of course, didn't respond. Chandrel didn't know that Vyren could see perfectly fine. And Vyren wasn't about to let Chandrel know that he was, in fact, pretending.
God, this is confusing, Vyren thought.
"So," Vyren said after a long pause, "What's the plan? You gonna train me how to fight tigers next?"
"Next time, you follow my orders," Chandrel said, his tone hardening just a little. "Otherwise, I'll leave you for the tigers. And if they don't get you—"
He stepped back, voice dropping into something dangerously quiet.
"…I will."
Vyren stared at the ground, feeling both nervous and a little amused. He could hear the underlying threat in Chandrel's voice, but there was something so matter-of-fact about it that Vyren couldn't help but laugh under his breath.
"You're full of surprises," Vyren said.
"I'm not here for your entertainment," Chandrel replied, his voice suddenly colder. He turned away from Vyren and started to walk toward the door. "Stay here. I'll be back soon."
Vyren frowned at his retreating figure. Stay here? Yeah, okay...
But this time, he obeyed. For now, at least. Chandrel had a way of getting under his skin, making him want to stay. But Vyren wasn't about to make it easy.
He was stuck in a world where he couldn't even be honest about his own sight, and the guy who was blind kept getting closer to seeing through all of his nonsense.
Vyren pulled the blanket tighter around himself and settled in, preparing for whatever came next. He had a feeling it wasn't going to be as simple as surviving tigers.