Charles and Nora sat on a wooden bench at the outskirts of the village, away from the bustle of the streets where women strolled with their children.

The bench was under the shade of a large tree, and the cool air offered some relief from the afternoon heat.

In front of them, the ice cream tubs rested on the bench—Charles's chocolate tub still half-full, Nora's mint tub completely empty.

Charles held a plastic spoon, stirring the melted ice cream while gazing at the horizon, where the sun painted the sky a soft orange.

The cries and laughter of children drifted from the distance, a constant noise that was starting to grate on him.

He glanced at Nora out of the corner of his eye.

She was leaning back against the bench, arms crossed, her expression relaxed, though her gray eyes were fixed on her empty mint tub, as if considering licking the remnants.

Charles hesitated about asking more questions about the village.

He wanted to know why there were so many kids, but something held him back.

He remembered the Custodian from earlier, with his suspicious glare.

Nora might be scatterbrained and sarcastic, but she wasn't dumb.

If he started asking too many obvious questions, she might get suspicious, and that was the last thing he needed right now.

The blue system arrow still glowed in his vision, pointing toward the Stormy Forest cave.

That was his goal, not getting tangled up in how this village worked.

Charles was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Nora leaning toward him, one eyebrow raised and a mischievous smile on her lips.

"What's up, Rian? You gonna finish that ice cream today or save it for tomorrow?" she asked, her tone a mix of teasing and curiosity.

She pointed at the chocolate tub with a finger. "Because, come on, you've barely touched half of it, and I'm already done with mine. What's the deal? Don't like it?"

Charles blinked, caught off guard, and looked down at the tub.

The chocolate ice cream was slowly melting, forming a brown puddle at the bottom.

"Didn't your brain freeze from scarfing down all that ice cream so fast?" he shot back, his tone mocking.

Nora let out a loud laugh, leaning forward with her hands on her knees.

"Ha! Brain freeze? Please, Rian, that's nothing," she replied, her tone smug.

She tapped her forehead with a finger. "My head's made of steel. Besides, mint ice cream is refreshing, not like that heavy sludge you picked."

She paused, eyeing Charles's tub with a look that was half greedy, half challenging.

"So, what? You gonna finish it or give me some? 'Cause if you don't want it, I've got no problem helping you out."

Charles sighed, looking at the chocolate tub with a mix of resignation and exhaustion.

"No way I'm eating all this now," he said dryly. "It's too much. And honestly…"

He lowered his voice, glancing toward the village streets where the children's cries still echoed.

"I wanna get out of this place as soon as possible. Between the screaming kids and the guards… I've had enough."

Nora raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

"What, already fed up with the little monsters?" she said, her tone sarcastic. "I thought you said you could handle them. What happened to 'they're just being kids'?"

Charles rolled his eyes, but before he could reply, a sudden movement interrupted him.

A small boy, no older than five, ran toward them from the street.

His messy hair and dirty cheeks gave him a mischievous air.

Two other kids trailed behind him, laughing and stumbling over each other.

The first boy stopped in front of Charles, pointing at the ice cream tub with a brazen finger.

"Hey! Can I have some of that?" he asked, his shrill voice making Charles blink in surprise.

The other kids stopped beside him, eyeing the ice cream with gleaming eyes.

Charles looked at the boy, then at the tub, and finally at Nora, who had immediately furrowed her brow.

Her expression was a mix of annoyance and disgust, as if the boy's mere approach was a personal offense.

Without overthinking it, Charles made a snap decision.

He grabbed the half-full chocolate tub and handed it to the kid.

"Here," he said, his tone casual. "It's all yours."

The boy's eyes widened in shock, clearly surprised, and he grabbed the tub with both hands.

The other kids behind him let out excited squeals, crowding around the tub as they ran off, laughing and shoving each other.

Not one of them said thank you, but their laughter filled the air as they vanished down the street.

Charles turned to Nora, expecting some reaction, and what he saw caught him off guard.

She was staring at him with an expression he couldn't quite read: her lips were pressed tight, her eyes narrowed, and there was a hint of sadness on her face.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked, her tone slightly annoyed but also tinged with hurt, as if he'd taken something important from her.

Charles blinked, confused.

"What? I just gave them the ice cream," he said, shrugging. "I wasn't gonna eat all that, Nora. Besides, I was looking out for our health. That stuff's pure sugar."

Nora let out a huff, crossing her arms tightly.

"By the gods, Rian, ice cream is super nutritious!" she exclaimed, her tone half indignation, half disbelief. "It gives you energy, strength. And you just hand it over to those brats without a second thought? If you didn't want it, you could've given it to me!"

Charles couldn't help but laugh, though Nora's reaction threw him off.

"Are you seriously mad about this?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, Nora, they were just kids. It's not a big deal."

Nora stared at him, her expression serious, which didn't match her usual playful vibe.

"You don't get it, Rian," she said, lowering her voice. "Now every time those kids see us eating ice cream, they'll come running to beg for more. They'll think you'll always give them your food. And trust me, you don't want a horde of kids chasing you all the time."

Charles rolled his eyes, clearly skeptical.

"You're being dramatic," he said, his tone teasing. "They're just kids. They're not gonna form an army to steal our ice cream. Besides, we're probably not coming back to this village anytime soon, right?"

Nora sighed, shaking her head as if dealing with a stubborn child.

"You'll see I'm right," she said, her tone mixing warning and resignation. "Those little monsters don't forget. And when you least expect it, they'll be after you for more."

Charles laughed again, but he couldn't help glancing down the street where the kids had vanished with the ice cream tub.

For a moment, he wondered if Nora was right, but he brushed it off.

They were just kids, after all.

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