Corrupted III

She paused for a moment before adding, "It's better if you two forget about it. This won't be the first time you witness something like this… and it won't be the last."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Asher and Serena standing in silence.

Serena clenched her fists. "Forget about it? How are we supposed to forget?"

Asher didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at the distant villagers being led to their new shelter, their faces hollow with grief.

"She's right," he said finally. "This is just how the world works."

Serena turned to him, eyes filled with anger. "That's a terrible excuse."

Asher gave a small, humorless chuckle. "It's not an excuse. It's reality."

Serena bit her lip but said nothing.

They returned to the inn and began having lunch. Asher ate in silence, while Serena barely touched her food, lost in thought.

"How can you eat so soon after everything that happened?" she asked, staring at him.