Blood Rain's Unknown Territory

Grace wasted no time and immediately opened her eyes, pulling her focus away from the scan. Rune's face was pale, and beads of sweat were glistening on his forehead as he kept his eyes shut. His brows were furrowed in concentration.

"Rune, stop," she said firmly and her hands tightened around his. "You have done enough."

"I can keep going," he replied, though his voice was faint, making his exhaustion very evident.

"No, you can't," she insisted in a serious tone, leaving no room for argument. "Pushing yourself further won't help anyone."

She felt him hesitating, and noticed how he pressed his lips into a thin line. But as she gave his hands another squeeze, he finally let out a deep exhale and opened his eyes. His grip on her hands loosened slightly but he didn't let go.

"Fine," he muttered, though the corner of his lips twitched upward in a tired smile. "You win."