MAIN HALL TENT- An hour later-
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The room is already thick with warmth, steam, and exhaustion when Kyle hobbles in — and the moment he appears, every head lifts. Even the fire seems to pause. But the one who moves first is Rebecca. She doesn’t run — she launches. A gasp breaks out of her chest, hands flying to her mouth as tears instantly well. She nearly knocks over Blake’s rice bowl as she rushes across the hall.
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She drops to her knees in front of Kyle, cupping his bruised face with trembling hands.
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Rebecca (voice cracking, laughing, half‑crying):
“You idiot… you absolute idiot… you scared me to death…”
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Kyle smiles sheepishly, leaning his forehead to hers.
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Kyle:
“Sorry love. I slipped.”
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Rebecca:(shakes her head)
“ Did you slip off a mountain cliff?”
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Everyone smiles, some chuckle softly — the kind that comes from relief, not humor.
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The Hall Settles Again.
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Lilly continues healing Paul, her glowing fingertips pressing gently into each wound. Paul winces, then melts.
Rose finishes wrapping Metro’s ankle, her smile bright enough to warm the whole hall.
Metro tries not to stare at her too long. But fails.
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Kathryn and Ana grind herbs with rhythmic focus, their vials lining up like tiny soldiers by the fire. Blake hands out bowls of steaming food, making sure everyone else is fed before he finally sits beside Kathryn and devours his second helping.
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Silence settles — a peaceful, tired air. Kyle limps further in, Rebecca glued to his side, one arm around his waist.
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Kyle:
“Thanks again, guys. My wife would kill me if I’d frozen to death over a twisted ankle.”
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Paul, lying on his side with his head in Lilly’s lap, raises a hand weakly.
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Paul:(smiling)
”Next time you twist an ankle, twist it near a tavern.”
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Everyone lightens.
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Archeus: (cracks a smile)
“No more hunting for anyone, not without a compass and map.”
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The smiles fade over time and the hall returns to that gentle, quiet.
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Paul:(looks sternly at Lilly)
“Pass me an apple cider.”
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Lilly looks worried..
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Lilly:
“Paul, your fully healed... How about some water, I bet your dehydrated.”
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Paul:(looks displeased)
“Lilly, I was out in the cold for hours, starving, thirsty.”
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Beat.
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“I almost died by 12 wolves…”
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The words land.
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He looks at her eyes sparkling.
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‘All I'm asking for, is an apple cider.”
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Lilly’s hand trembles as she moans faintly, passing him a full mug, the warm cider steaming between them. Paul takes it gently — far more gently than a man built like him should be able to.
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For a moment, neither speak.
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The fire burns.
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Paul lifts the mug.
His eyes glow green — faintly eerie, almost toxic.
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PAUL(stares at Lilly)
“…thank you.”
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He drinks slow, letting the heat settle into his chest. His shirt lays discarded beside him, ripped to shreds. Paul stares at the woven carpet beneath his boots — tracing the patterns like they were telling him something he wasn’t ready to hear.
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Lilly sits there, breath unsteady, watching him with a mix of worry and something softer.
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Outside, the wind shifts. Rattling the beads and drapes softly. Snow taps against the shutters. The world outside feels impossibly far away.
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and then Add to home screen.