they both had time to rest before nightfall, and dahee tried to make full use of it. not that she ever really slept well anyway— she couldn't even remember the last time she got a full night's rest. instead, she lay tossing and turning, thoughts circling sora, chiyo, and minsun. were she and sora bound to suffer the same curse as the other two ? her chest ached with sadness too as she thought of minsun's cruel end, taken by those who only wanted her pain. but if anything, that grief only sharpened dahee's resolve: to help, to avenge minsun, and to see sora and chiyo find their peace at last.
when night finally came, dahee felt that usual sense of calm she always did under the moon, though something about tonight felt different, heavier. her eyes scanned the area, ears straining for signs of trouble, ptsd evident from the dungeon experience still haunting her. all she caught, though, were the soft rustles of small animals and, to her comfort, sora's sweet voice.
" we really did that huh ? chiyo and minsun made sure of it. " a smile found her lips as she nudged the other girl's elbow, marveling at the reality of soulmates— maybe it really did mean a bond from another life. " sacrifice . . well, if it's the blood of a virgin or something, i'd gladly give mine. " she joked, leaning into self-deprecation as always, not sure if sora shared that sense situation, but unwilling to pry too deep out of shyness. " you're so prepared right now though, look at you ! i'm proud. " it told her sora was taking this seriously. " snacks are a must. but honestly, if we took your snacks away, i'm not sure you'd even need chiyo. you'd just go full beast mode on your own. " she teased, snickering to keep the mood light in the middle of their grim situation.
" i'm sure, let's go. " daheee admits that having sora close made everything less frightening. " kinda cool if we find slenderman, not gonna lie. " after all, her lifelong fascination with vampires went hand in hand with her curiosity for other creepy beings. " besides, we can always call on chiyo and minsun to help us . . right ? " she raised her voice slightly, directing her words to the presence within, fully aware she was probably getting a mental side-eye in return.
" okay, anyways, lead the way. i'm guessing it's one of those things where we'll know we're in the right place once we see it ? " dahee asked, flashlight beam sweeping through the trees as the night deepened, the air pricking at her skin as they ventured further into the woods, knowing the blood moon would soon reveal itself.