The bathing chamber was warm.
Steam drifted lazily through the small stone room, carrying the faint scent of the mountain herbs the System had rewarded Evan a few days earlier. The fragrance clung to the air—fresh, clean, with a hint of pine and wildflowers buried beneath the snow.
Evan leaned back against the smooth stone edge of the bath, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
"...This is nice."
The warmth soaked into his tired muscles. It had been days since he had truly relaxed. Ever since Leo and Milo had fallen ill, every little sound had made him tense.
He smiled to himself.
"They're finally getting better."
He could almost picture them downstairs.
Leo pestering Kael with endless questions.
Milo trying to climb onto Kael's shoulders.
Silas pretending to ignore the chaos while secretly watching over everyone.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"Our family is getting noisy..."
His smile lingered.
Then he washed the soap from his hair, gathered his robe around himself, and walked down the stone steps toward the main den.
...
Something felt...
Wrong.
Not dangerous.
Just...
Wrong.
The cave was unusually quiet.
Too quiet.
Normally, by this time, Leo and Milo would already be arguing over something ridiculous.
Kael would be patiently trying to settle the dispute.
Silas would sigh dramatically while pretending not to care.
Today...
Nothing.
Even the fire crackled more loudly than usual.
Evan slowed his steps.
"...Silas?"
No answer.
He rounded the corner.
Silas sat near the entrance.
His shoulders were rigid.
His hands rested on his knees, but they were clenched so tightly the knuckles had turned pale beneath his scales.
Leo and Milo sat together near the fire.
Neither of them was playing.
Neither of them was talking.
Milo hugged one of Kael's folded blankets against his chest.
Leo stared at the flames without blinking.
Evan's smile slowly disappeared.
"...What's with this atmosphere?"
No one answered.
His heartbeat skipped.
He looked around the cave.
His eyes stopped beside the fire.
Kael's bowl.
Untouched.
His sleeping fur...
Empty.
"...Where's Kael?"
Silas didn't answer.
Not immediately.
His jaw tightened.
The silence stretched until it became painful.
Finally...
"He left."
Evan frowned.
"...Left?"
Silas nodded once.
"He walked into the forest."
Evan blinked.
"I don't understand."
Silas closed his eyes.
Slowly...
Piece by piece...
He told Evan everything.
...
How the cubs had begged.
How Kael had refused.
How they had cried.
How he had finally given in.
How Silas had returned.
How fear had swallowed his reason.
How words spoken in panic had become knives.
"...You caused it once."
Silas repeated the sentence exactly as he had said it earlier.
His own voice sounded unfamiliar now.
Cold.
Cruel.
The cave fell silent again.
A single drop of water slid from Evan's damp hair.
It landed on the stone floor.
Tiny.
Almost soundless.
Yet somehow everyone heard it.
Evan lowered his gaze.
The towel in his hands stopped moving.
"...You said that?"
Silas didn't answer.
"...Silas."
"...Yes."
Evan looked at him.
There was no anger in his eyes.
Only sadness.
Deep...
Quiet sadness.
"You know what kind of person Kael is."
Silas swallowed.
"I know."
"He believed every word."
"I know."
"You were scared."
"...I was terrified."
Silence.
The fire crackled softly.
Outside, snow drifted past the entrance.
Evan sighed.
"I wish..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"...I wish you had trusted him."
Silas lowered his head.
For the first time since Evan had known him...
Silas couldn't meet his eyes.
His throat tightened painfully.
"I saw them rolling in the snow."
His voice cracked.
"I remembered how hot their little bodies were."
His fingers curled into fists.
"I remembered thinking..."
His breathing faltered.
"...that I might lose them."
The confession echoed through the cave.
"I wasn't thinking about Kael."
Silas laughed bitterly.
"I wasn't thinking at all."
He covered his eyes with one hand.
"I was only afraid."
Evan looked at him for a long time.
Then...
Very quietly...
"So was he."
Silas froze.
Evan continued.
"He was afraid too."
"He blamed himself."
"He spent two days watching the cubs breathe because he thought they'd stop if he looked away."
Silas slowly lowered his hand.
"He barely slept."
"He hardly ate."
"He thought he had failed us."
Evan's eyes glistened.
"And then..."
"...the person whose opinion mattered most to him told him he was right."
The words struck harder than any shout ever could.
Silas inhaled sharply.
His chest hurt.
Not from anger.
From regret.
Gods...
What have I done?
---
A tiny hand tugged at Evan's sleeve.
"Mama..."
Leo.
His voice was very small.
Evan immediately knelt beside him.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
Leo hesitated.
His lower lip trembled.
"...Is Uncle Kael mad at us?"
Evan's heart clenched.
"No."
Leo looked unconvinced.
"...Then why did he go away?"
Before Evan could answer...
Milo whispered...
"We lied."
Everyone turned.
Milo hugged Kael's blanket tighter.
"We weren't really sad."
His tiny voice shook.
"We only said Uncle Kael didn't love us because..."
He sniffled.
"...because we knew he'd say yes."
Leo covered his face.
"We tricked him."
"We made him take us outside."
Tears rolled down Milo's cheeks.
"If we hadn't done that..."
"...Papa wouldn't have shouted."
The cave became painfully quiet.
Silas stared at the floor.
His chest felt impossibly heavy.
He wanted to tell them...
No.
It wasn't your fault.
It was mine.
But the words wouldn't come.
Because...
Wasn't it true?
If he had stopped.
If he had listened.
If he had trusted Kael.
None of this would have happened.
Evan gathered both cubs into his arms.
"No."
His voice was gentle.
"Listen to me."
They looked up.
"You made a mistake."
Both nodded miserably.
"But making a mistake..."
He brushed Leo's tears away.
"...doesn't make you bad."
He kissed Milo's forehead.
"And it doesn't mean Uncle Kael stopped loving you."
Milo whispered...
"...Really?"
Evan smiled sadly.
"I think..."
He looked toward Kael's empty bedding.
"...he loves you so much..."
"...that he forgot to take care of himself."
The cubs began crying again.
This time...
Even Silas couldn't stop the sting behind his own eyes.
--- Time passed slowly -----
Nobody spoke for a long while.
The fire crackled quietly in the center of the cave, throwing wavering light across the stone walls. Shadows stretched and shrank with every flicker, making the empty sleeping place near the wall seem even more noticeable.
Kael's blanket was still folded neatly.
His wooden bowl still rested where he had left it.
Nothing had moved.
It was as though the cave itself was waiting.
Evan slowly stood, carrying Leo and Milo with him until they settled beside the fire again. Neither cub complained. Their tails drooped, ears lowered against their heads.
Usually, they couldn't sit still for more than a few heartbeats.
Today...
They didn't move at all.
Evan walked to the cooking area out of habit.
"I'll prepare dinner."
No one answered.
He reached automatically for four wooden bowls.
His fingers stopped halfway.
Four.
He stared at them.
For a few seconds, he simply stood there.
Then, with a faint sigh, he quietly returned one bowl to the shelf.
Silas noticed.
His chest tightened.
He opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
---
The stew simmered gently.
Its familiar aroma slowly filled the cave, but somehow it wasn't comforting tonight.
Even the smell seemed lonely.
Leo climbed onto one of the stone stools, hugging his knees.
"Mama..."
"Hm?"
"Will Uncle Kael be cold?"
Evan stirred the pot without looking up.
"...It'll be cold outside tonight."
Leo lowered his head.
"He forgot his blanket."
Silas closed his eyes.
Enough.
He couldn't bear another sentence like that.
---
Dinner was ready before anyone realized it.
Evan placed three bowls on the table.
Then he hesitated.
Without saying anything, he filled a fourth bowl.
He carried it to Kael's usual place beside the fire.
Silas watched silently.
Leo looked up.
"Mama?"
Evan smiled faintly.
"In case he comes home hungry."
No one questioned him.
Somehow...
Leaving that bowl there felt right.
---
They ate.
Or at least...
They tried.
Leo poked at his vegetables.
Milo managed only a few bites before quietly placing his spoon down.
Silas barely touched his own meal.
Evan noticed everything.
He said nothing.
Sometimes silence was kinder than forcing words...
After dinner, the cubs curled together beneath a blanket.
Neither of them wanted a bedtime story.
Neither asked for wooden toys.
Leo simply whispered,
"...Can we leave the fire burning?"
Evan brushed a hand through his hair.
"Of course."
"What if Uncle Kael comes back after dark?"
Evan smiled.
"Then he'll see the light."
Leo nodded sleepily.
"Good..."
Within minutes, both cubs drifted into an uneasy sleep.
---
Silas remained sitting near the entrance.
Outside...
Snow continued falling.
Not heavily.
Just enough to erase footprints.
Every passing minute made finding Kael more difficult.
His fingers tightened around his knees.
He kept replaying the scene.
Kael standing barefoot.
Head lowered.
"I... caused it..."
Gods...
How frightened had he been?
Silas had been so consumed by protecting the cubs that he hadn't seen the fear written all over Kael's face.
He only saw it now.
Too late.
---
Evan quietly sat beside him.
For a while, neither spoke.
The wind sighed softly outside the cave.
Finally...
Evan broke the silence.
"When I first came here..."
Silas turned slightly.
"...I thought you hated me."
Silas blinked.
"What?"
Evan smiled to himself.
"You barely spoke."
"You watched me all the time."
"You frowned whenever I tried something new."
Silas looked away awkwardly.
"I was... cautious."
"I know."
Evan leaned against the stone wall.
"But eventually I realized something."
Silas waited.
"You weren't watching because you disliked me."
"You were watching because you were afraid something would happen to me."
A small smile tugged at Silas's lips.
"...Maybe."
Evan's expression softened.
"I think that's what happened today too."
Silas's smile disappeared.
"I wasn't angry."
His voice was barely audible.
"I was terrified."
"I know."
"I saw them laughing..."
He swallowed hard.
"...and all I could think about was their fever."
His hands trembled slightly.
"I didn't even ask Kael what happened."
"I just..."
His shoulders slumped.
"...accused him."
The words tasted bitter.
---
After another long silence...
Silas spoke again.
"Evan."
"Hm?"
"There is something I've wanted to ask."
Evan looked at him curiously.
Silas hesitated much longer than usual.
It wasn't like him.
Finally...
"...Do you..."
His voice caught.
"...have feelings for Kael?"
The question hung quietly between them.
Even the fire seemed to pause.
Evan blinked.
"What?"
Silas gave a helpless laugh.
"It sounds foolish."
"No..."
Evan looked down at his hands.
"I've... never thought about it like that."
Silas remained silent.
Evan searched for the right words.
"When I look at Kael..."
He smiled faintly.
"...I don't see a stranger anymore."
"I don't see a guest."
"I just..."
He laughed softly.
"...expect him to be here."
Silas listened carefully.
"I worry if he eats."
"I wonder if he's warm."
"I catch myself making enough food for him without thinking."
Evan looked toward Kael's empty sleeping place.
"...When he smiles..."
"...the cave feels brighter."
His voice became quieter.
"But is that love?"
He shook his head gently.
"I don't know."
"I only know..."
"...that I feel safe when he's nearby."
Silas closed his eyes.
Safe.
The same word he himself would have used.
"...I see."
Evan looked at him.
"What about you?"
Silas didn't answer immediately.
The wind carried another swirl of snow across the entrance.
Finally...
"I don't know either."
He laughed bitterly.
"I only know..."
"...when I thought he might never come back..."
"...it hurt."
His hand pressed unconsciously against his chest.
"More than I expected."
Evan watched him quietly.
Silas had always been honest with himself.
Seeing him confused...
Somehow made the truth clearer.
---
A log shifted in the fire.
Tiny sparks floated upward.
Silas suddenly stood.
His movement startled Evan.
"I'm going."
Evan looked up.
"Now?"
Silas nodded.
"If I wait until morning..."
He looked toward the snow outside.
"...his trail will disappear."
He walked towards the cave corner
Only a thick winter cloak hanging there
He draped it over his shoulders.
Evan rose as well.
For a moment...
Neither moved.
Then Evan stepped closer.
Without thinking, he reached up and adjusted the crooked collar of Silas's cloak.
It was such a small gesture.
Yet it made Silas's chest ache.
"...Bring him home."
His voice was soft.
Not an order.
Not a request.
Just...
Hope.
Silas rested his forehead briefly against Evan's.
"I will."
He glanced toward the sleeping cubs.
Then toward the empty bedding.
His gaze lingered there.
"...Our clumsy family member..."
A faint smile appeared despite everything.
"...always chooses the worst time to wander off."
Evan smiled through damp eyes.
"He learned from you."
Silas snorted quietly.
"...Probably."
He took one last breath.
Then stepped into the snow.
The cold wind swallowed him almost immediately.
Evan remained standing at the cave entrance long after Silas disappeared from sight.
Snowflakes drifted silently through the darkness.
He whispered into the empty night—
"Come back safely."
He wasn't sure whether he meant Silas...
Or Kael.
Perhaps...
Both.