ENERGI: THE PRIMORDIAL CONDUIT[OP MC, APOCALYPSE, SURVIVAL, AND LITRPG]

Kael sat on a chair, still surprisingly intact, with his sister in his embrace. A small round object rolled within his hand, his thoughts indecipherable.

Time passed slowly.

About an hour later, a figure jumped out of his shadow behind him, but Kael didn't react to his friend's presence.

He just sat there.

Still.

Waiting.

Nathan, sensing the atmosphere, simply stayed quietly by their side.

A few moments later...

Many figures entered the room.

Natalie, Nathaniel, Sophia, and...

A massive Ruinsteed.

The beast walked toward Kael, the aura around it completely restrained. Reaching him, it let out a soft breath, that gently ruffled Rose's hair.

Then its crimson eyes fell upon Kael, but the latter showed no reaction, his gaze still fixed ahead as though lost in space.

The towering beast stared at him for a while before shifting to the side and gracefully lowering itself onto the ground, with the elegance of a noble steed.

Sophia was the next to move. She arrived before Kael and quietly held Rose's hands.

A golden glow suffused their hands, and a few breaths later, she let go.

Only then did Kael show his first reaction.

"How is she?" His voice came out rough and weary.

Sophia gently shook her head.

"There is no harm to her body. What was injured was her mind. I have done what I can, but my mind-healing skill isn't as strong as healing physical injuries."

Whether Kael was surprised that the little girl before him could now heal injuries of the mind, the kind far harder to recover from, he showed no indication on his face.

He merely nodded in thanks before returning to what he had been doing.

Waiting.

Natalie moved to the Ruinsteed's side and, without hesitation, plopped down beside it, softly leaning against its body.

She tucked her legs close and buried her head between her knees.

Kael noticed the sight, shifted his gaze toward her, and sighed inwardly.

'Alice...'

Emotions swirled within his eyes, but when he felt his sister shift into a more comfortable position, he pushed those thoughts aside for now.

Nathaniel stood to the side, hesitating for a long while.

Finally gathering as much courage as he could, he walked toward Natalie, only to be stopped in place by a single stare.

Despite lying down, the Ruinsteed still towered over the young boy. Nathaniel felt as though he had been placed before an ancient beast and he didn't dare move a muscle, cold sweat already soaking his body.

It wasn't until the Ruinsteed snorted, looked away, and gently rubbed the side of its head against Natalie that Nathaniel collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Nathan couldn't help but chuckle from the side, an amused light flashing within his eyes.

'Girls truly make us boys find courage we never knew we had.'

_________

Half a day later, Rose suddenly sat upright with a jolt, her eyes quickly sweeping across her surroundings. Her muscles tensed, and her hands instinctively rose into a posture that would allow her to summon her sniper rifle at a moment's notice.

Only after sweeping the area with both her eyes and perception did she freeze.

'That's right.'

'I'm back.'

She saw her friends seated around different parts of the room, each with a small plate of roasted chicken before them and different drinks she easily surmised had been purchased directly from the system store.

Many eyes shifted toward her.

Rose returned their gazes before quietly leaning back once more.

Only then did she realize the chair she was sitting on felt warm.

Her perception wrapped around her, allowing her to trace the contours of Kael's face, observe the worry hidden within his eyes, and sense the slight tension running through his body.

The closeness felt weird...

Yet strangely comforting.

'I missed this.'

A teardrop slid down her face, and she rested her back against Kael's chest once more, adjusting herself slightly until she found a comfortable position.

Kael slowly raised a hand, lingering for a moment, before an item appeared within his grasp.

It was a carton of chocolate milk.

Her favorite.

Whenever her birthday drew near, he would quietly save whatever allowance he could whenever their parents had some to spare, just so he could buy one for her.

Of course, the shameless system sold it for a whooping price of fifty coins. But he hadn't hesitated for even a moment.

Such a drink, in the present apocalypse, was a luxury only the truly powerful could afford.

Rose stared at the drink before her for a long while before opening her mouth.

"What? Do you still think I'm a child?"

Yet before Kael could react, she had already snatched the chocolate drink away, pushed the straw in exactly the way she remembered doing as a child, and took a sip.

A soft smile slowly blossomed on her face as those precious memories resurfaced.

Soon after, the quiet sound of sipping filled the room.

Only then did the weight pressing upon Kael's heart begin to lift.

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