The afternoon had been spent wandering Castle Town with Susie and Lancer.

Lancer insisted on carrying an absurdly tall stack of wooden crates, proudly declaring they were "100% balanced."

Neither you nor Susie believed him.

Trying to fill the silence, you blurted out, "Do fish get thirsty?"

Susie stopped walking.

She stared at you for a long second.

"...You're lucky you're funny."

"I-I was just ask—"

SMACK!

Her palm cracked against your bare upper arm.

"Quit saying dumb stuff!"

It was meant as one of her usual rough swats.

Instead, a sharp ache spread through your arm. You instinctively grabbed the sore spot, blinking rapidly as your eyes watered.

Then—

CRAAASH!!

A deafening bang echoed through the hallway.

"LANCER?!"

Without even thinking, Susie spun toward the sound.

Her hand shot out and seized your bare arm to pull you with her—

Right on the exact spot she'd just hit.

Her sharp nails bit into your skin.

Pain flared through the already bruised area as she tightened her grip instinctively, hurrying toward the noise.

"Lancer!"

She broke into a run, dragging you after her.

Your breath hitched.

The harder she pulled, the tighter her hand closed.

Her nails pressed deeper, leaving narrow crescents in your skin before one scraped enough to break the surface. A sharp sting shot through your arm, and you instinctively reached for her wrist, trying to ease the pressure.

She never noticed.

Her eyes stayed locked on the hallway ahead.

"Lancer! Answer me!"

Another hurried tug.

Her grip tightened again.

Fresh stinging spread across the same spot as another nail nicked the skin. You bit hard on your lip to keep from crying out, your arm trembling as you struggled to keep pace.

They rounded the corner.

Broken crates were scattered across the floor.

Lancer sat in the middle of the mess, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hehe... I dropped 'em."

Susie immediately let go of your arm and rushed over.

"Dude! I told you not to carry all those!"

She crouched beside him, already checking the mess and helping gather the fallen boards, completely focused on him.

You remained where you'd stopped.

Your arm throbbed relentlessly. Thin, red crescent-shaped scratches marked the place where her nails had dug in, with a couple of tiny beads of blood welling at the deepest nicks. You instinctively held your arm close, trying not to brush the tender skin.

Lancer looked up while reaching for another crate.

His eyes drifted past Susie.

They landed on you.

He noticed the way you were clutching your arm, the watery shine in your eyes, and the fresh scratches standing out against your skin.

The grin slowly slipped from his face. He quietly looked from you... to Susie, realizing she still hadn't noticed.