Chapter 69: Chapter 69 | Canidae Kingdom

Across the room, Medea lounged on a chaise, her staff resting beside her. "It's nice to see some competent healers for once," she remarked, watching as Neal grimaced under the care of a particularly stern healer. "Not that I don't enjoy patching you all up myself, but it's exhausting carrying this group."

"Maybe if you didn't wait until we were half-dead to help, it wouldn't be so exhausting," Neal shot back, earning a chuckle from Jinzo.

Meanwhile, I sat in a quiet corner, letting a healer clean a cut on my shoulder. My gaze drifted to Jayla speaking softly with one of the healers. She caught me looking and smirked.

"Don't tell me you're getting sentimental, Xavion," she teased, her tone light but her eyes serious.

I shook my head, managing a small smile. "Just... wondering how you grew up here and still turned out like this."

She laughed, the sound genuine for the first time in days. "It's a gift."