Strike back

I said in a low voice "I saw that you were crying during our battle in the maze."

He responded with a furrowed brow, and his voice was quiet "I thought you were dying. I made a fool of myself. You owe me my tears."

I smirked, but deep down I felt an unsettling warmth, knowing that he cared for me. He was truly my best friend, I was grateful to have him by my side and beside Bridget, Shan was the only male friend I could trust.

I responded with a voice barely above whisper "I won't cry for you."

He lightly chuckled and said, "You heartless bastard," in a joking way.

It was hilarious that we could still be teasing each other even in this situation, however, something diverted my attention, interrupting our conversation.

At that moment, I heard an explosion of blue particles sparkling in the sky, like fireworks, and the sound of people screaming and shouting as if they were fighting for their lives.