After they finished their late lunch, Kyra sat quietly for a mont, gathering her thoughts. The al had been warm and comforting, but now the weight of sothing she had been thinking about since their recent combat weighed heavily on her mind. She knew she couldn’t keep it to herself any longer.
Taking a deep breath, Kyra finally decided to speak up. "There’s sothing I’ve been thinking about..." she began, her voice calm but serious. She looked at Lucas and Damon, her eyes reflecting the determination behind her words.
As she spoke, both Damon and Lucas felt a wave of nervousness wash over them. Kyra looked unusually serious, her expression unreadable, and that only added to their anxiety.
Lucas, trying to stay composed, couldn’t help but think that Kyra might be about to say she was accepting Damon as her mate. To him, that seed like the only possible explanation for the serious conversation she was about to have.
On the other hand, Damon’s thoughts raced back to the letter Kyra had received earlier. His mind churned with concern, considering the possibility that the letter’s contents were more significant than they initially thought. Judging by the handwriting and the tone of the ssage, Damon suspected that the beastman who wrote it might be both powerful and highly skilled. The thought of a potential threat lurking made his nerves tighten, but he kept his composure, waiting for Kyra to reveal what was on her mind.
"I also want to go to Silver Peak Mountain," Kyra said suddenly, her words shocking Damon.
Lucas, who had never been there himself, felt a jolt of concern. He had heard rumours about Silver Peak Mountain during council eting, and from everything he’d gathered, the place sounded incredibly dangerous.
"No, little thing, that place is too dangerous," Damon said firmly. "town warrior group will be descending the mountain soon, but the risks are enormous. The climate there is harsh and treacherous; it’s not safe for you. We’ll be taking every safety precaution we can, but it’s still incredibly risky."
The front side of the mountain was relatively safe, but their mission required them to cross the entire mountain and descend to the other side, which led directly into a dense and perilous forest. The climate on the other side of Silver Peak was completely different from the area they were in now. Here, it snowed heavily, but there, it rained constantly and harshly, creating a thick, ever-present fog. No one truly understood why the climate was so extre—so thought it was due to the snow lting, but there was no definitive explanation.
The rain on that side was not only dense but relentless, making the environnt almost uninhabitable. The fog was so thick that visibility was near zero, and the harsh conditions were too much for most to endure. Females, in particular, struggled to survive there, as the cold and dampness were beyond what their bodies could typically withstand. Damon and his kind were only able to endure it because of their hard body and higher rank, which allowed them to withstand such severe climates.
Damon had also heard rumors about a strange beast that lived deep within the forest on the other side of the mountain. It was said to be sothing few had ever seen and even fewer had survived to tell about. However, the warrior group was only planning to explore the lower area of the mountain, as going deeper posed an even greater risk.
"You’re also going, right?" Kyra asked suddenly, her eyes locking onto his face.
Damon hesitated for a mont, but then he looked into her eyes and nodded. "Yes," he confird.
The thought of leaving her behind in safety was comforting, but the idea of her facing that mountain’s dangers haunted him. "But little thing," he continued, his voice softening, "I’m going because it’s my duty. I can’t let you face that kind of danger. I need you to stay safe, here, where I know you’ll be okay."
Kyra’s gaze didn’t waver. There was determination in her eyes, sothing Damon recognized well. He knew this conversation was far from over.
"I have healing abilities, and I want to help everyone. I also have my thunder ability, and I want to upgrade it so I can use it more effectively in danger. You have no idea how scared I was when that female pushed into the portal, and I ended up in this unfamiliar place. I didn’t know how to use my powers... Yes, I’m not perfect or powerful... No, I’m not a lab product... not a lab product... I have emotions too... I feel too... Am I not allowed to do anything I want... I’m not a lab product," Kyra suddenly began to mutter, her voice breaking as tears stread down her face.
Damon was taken aback, not entirely understanding what she was referring to, but he could see that she was overwheld and in deep emotional pain. His heart ached seeing her like this.
Lucas, feeling a sharp pang of sympathy, imdiately moved to embrace Kyra. At the sa ti, Damon joined in, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug.
Damon and Lucas exchanged a brief, cold glance, they quickly looked away, their focus shifted entirely to Kyra, who was in distress.
Kyra, sobbing uncontrollably, clung to them tightly. "No one treated like a human there... The doctors used to order around, telling to do this or that. I wasn’t even good at dicine and aids, but I was forced to learn... I don’t like being treated like a lab product... like I don’t have emotions..." Her voice trembled, breaking between hiccups and sobs. "*Hiccup* *hiccup* I—I..."
Even so of her friends had joked about her being a lab product, thinking it was funny. Kyra had learned to smile along with those remarks, but each ti it left her feeling more insecure. Their laughter only deepened her sense of being dehumanized, and she had grown accustod to hiding her discomfort.
"Shh... Ky-ky, it’s okay. You’re not a lab product; you’re just you. You’re incredible, kind, and beautiful," Lucas whispered, his lips brushing her head gently.
Kyra looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. "What else...?"
Damon took a deep breath, his gaze softening as he turned her face towards him. His thumbs gently rubbed against her tear-streaked cheeks. "You’re you... you’re living... you’re breathing... you have your own thoughts, too. You’re compassionate, brave, and unique. Don’t ever doubt that."
Kyra shifted to face him more directly, her eyes searching his for reassurance.
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