Chapter 217:Awkward again.
She opened her eyes again.
"...Why didn’t you tell me this first? It would have made things easier to understand."
Silver smiled sadly.
"Because... If I told you your original fate before you decided how you felt... I’d always wonder."
He met her gaze.
"I’d never know whether you stayed because you wanted to... or because you felt you owed me your life. I didn’t want that. I wanted your decision to be yours."
Ravenna stared at him for a long time. The anger and hurt she still carried hadn’t disappeared, but she understood something she hadn’t before.
He hadn’t hidden the truth to trap her, je had hidden it because he was afraid of losing her and, in trying to avoid that pain....He had caused another.
She let out a long, tired sigh.
"...I’m still angry with you."
"I know."
"I’m probably going to be angry for a while."
"I understand."
She looked at him.
"But..."
Silver waited.
"...Don’t mistake that for me wanting to leave."
His eyes widened slightly.
"I don’t."
"I told myself earlier..." She smiled faintly despite her red eyes. "...that I almost answered you immediately."
Silver blinked.
"...Really?"
She nodded once.
"That scared me because I realized... I loved you enough to forget how hurt I was." She laughed quietly. "...That would’ve been unfair to both of us."
Silver remained silent.
"I need time." She spoke calmly now. "Not because I don’t care about you, but because I do. I want to understand everything, to rebuild the part of my trust that cracked tonight. And..."
She stepped a little closer.
"When I finally answer your question... I want it to be because my heart is completely at peace."
Silver felt an enormous weight lift from his shoulders. He smiled.
"I’ll wait, no matter how long it takes."
Ravenna returned the smile.
"Good, because..."
She looked at the stars before meeting his eyes once more.
"...I still want you walking beside me tomorrow."
For Silver, that was enough.
....
Morning came quietly. There was no attack, alarm or distant roar of some enormous beast moving through the darkness.
Only the soft sound of wind passing through the surrounding rocks and the occasional footsteps of the contractors assigned to the morning watch.
Silver had spent most of the night outside. He had eventually returned to the campfire after his conversation with Ravenna, but he hadn’t gone back into their tent.
There had been no reason to. Ravenna had asked for time, he intended to give it to her.
When the first light of dawn appeared over the horizon, Silver was already awake.
He sat beside the remains of the campfire, staring at the faint orange line slowly spreading across the eastern sky.
He felt strangely calm. For the first time since obtaining the System, he had told someone the truth about it, and not just anyone.
Ravenna.
He had expected the weight of the secret to disappear immediately, it hadn’t but it had changed. It no longer felt like something pressing against his chest every time he looked at her.
He had given her the truth, now the decision belonged to her; that was enough.
Silver stretched his arms before standing. His body felt slightly stiff after spending the night on the patrol route and sleeping only intermittently.
He walked back toward their tent and found the entrance still closed. He stopped for a moment.
He almost knocked, then decided against it; instead, he began checking the vehicle; there was plenty to inspect after yesterday’s fights.
The crocodilian had left a deep bite mark around the front bull bar, while several hyena claws had scratched the side panels.
Nothing serious.
The engine was fine, the tires were fine and the suspension had survived. He crouched down and inspected the underside before standing again.
"You’re awake early."
Silver turned.
Ravenna stood behind him. She had already changed and was holding her hair loosely over one shoulder.
Her eyes were slightly tired but she wasn’t crying, at least, she didn’t look angry.
"Morning."
"Morning."
They stared at each other for a moment, then both looked away. Silver scratched the back of his neck. Ravenna folded her arms.
The silence became awkward. Neither of them seemed to know what they were supposed to say after everything that had happened.
Finally, Ravenna cleared her throat.
"Did you sleep?"
"A little, the cold wasn’t helping."
She frowned.
"You could’ve gone into the tent, I was just a little angry and shocked, that doesn’t mean I want you to start avoiding me."
"I didn’t want to bother you, you asked for space... it felt too soon."
"We already had the talk. It feels like you’re sulking outside by yourself. It makes me feel even worse, especially when we need rest at this moment."
Silver sighed, trying to stop himself from retortinh.
"Still..." He smiled faintly. "I thought giving you space was better, so you can clear your mind without me being a constant sight."
Ravenna didn’t answer immediately, then she nodded after a while.
"...Thank you, but next time; don’t torture yourself when you have a perfectly good bed."
Those words eased something inside Silver. He smiled.
"Okay next time, I’ll jump right next to you. It wasn’t easy sleeping upright."
Another silence followed, this time, however, it wasn’t quite as uncomfortable. They simply stood beside the vehicle while the camp slowly came alive around them.
People began packing their sleeping equipment. The convoy was preparing to leave.
Ravenna eventually walked toward the back of the vehicle.
"I’ll pack the supplies, just finish whatever you’re doing."
Silver nodded.
"I’ll check the fuel."
They separated, and somehow, everything fell back into place. Silver checked the engine while Ravenna organized their food. He inspected their ammunition while she checked their water.
He secured the storage containers while she inspected their medical supplies. Neither needed to ask what the other was doing since their routine was almost automatic.
It was strangely reassuring. Whatever had changed between them emotionally, their partnership hadn’t disappeared.
If anything, the experience had made Silver realize just how deeply their habits had become intertwined. He finished securing one of the storage compartments and looked over.
Ravenna was standing beside the vehicle, staring at something in her hands.
Silver frowned.
"What is it?"
She looked up.
"Nothing."
He walked closer.
"It’s just..."
She glanced down again. There was a small flower in her hand.
Silver smiled.
"Oh." Ravenna looked at him. "You’re a fast one, is an apology or..."
"You could call it that. I’m also trying to worm my way into yourr heart."
She chuckled, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Thats so cheesy... You’ll have to try harder than this if you want my whole heart. A flower won’t cut it."
Silver smirked.
"How about two?"
"Too little."
They both chuckled at that.
"Three then."
"A truck full won’t work. I want to see something."
"I’ll wow you, just wait and see."
She chuckled, her eyes lighting up.
"Where did you get this much courage. You were like a wooden block this whole time."
Silver glanced at the guards. Ravenna raised her eyebrow.
"Don’t tell me..."
"I learnt from the experts... I can confidently say it worked."
He had spent half of the night seeking relationship advice and how to get past the wall that had obviously built between them again.
He knew he had to break the ice somehow before things went Special, just more proactive than he was comfortable.
From hearing the other men experience, he came to realise that he had been putting Ravenna at arms length this whole time.
Their day to day conversation had been surface level at best. He had grown a little arrogant and narcissist when he knew that Ravenna would never leave him.
This was a lesson. He had to stop treating Ravenna as an aquintance and more of a lover, being too brittle in a relationship isn’t the best idea.
"So, did the flower work?"
Ravenna stared at the flower, then at him. For a moment, Silver wondered whether he had made a mistake.
Then rolled it softly between her fingers.
"It’s pretty, good but you still won’t wiggle out of this."
She continued turning it between her fingers.
"It suits you, any colour does."
Ravenna’s cheeks became slightly warm. Silver immediately realized how that sounded.
"I mean..." she laughed softly. "I know what you meant, but it’s kind of embarrassing when you say it like that... it’s weirdly good and still cringe."
The awkwardness returned, but this time, it wasn’t unpleasant.
Ravenna carefully tucked the flower into a small section of her equipment rather than putting it away.
Silver noticed but said nothing. A familiar chime suddenly sounded inside his mind, his expression remaining neutral.
[System Notification]
{Relationship Event Detected.
Event: Honest Revelation
The Host has voluntarily disclosed significant hidden information to the Target.
The Target has acknowledged the truth without terminating the relationship.
Relationship Stability: Maintained}
Silver’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Another notification appeared.
{Emotional Analysis}
Target: Ravenna Arkland
Current Emotional State:
• Conflicted
• Hurt
• Relieved
• Trusting
• Emotionally attached
Affection: 43→ 48
Silver’s expression softened.
Five more points.
Despite everything, her feelings hadn’t disappeared.