Chapter 9 – Tent Talks and Teasing

The fire flickered quietly, casting long shadows across the stone walls of the cramped dungeon camp. The cold of the underground crept into the tent, but there was a warmth between us, the kind that only came after surviving an unexpected catastrophe together.

I shifted awkwardly on the small pile of blankets I had been given, trying not to accidentally make eye contact with either of my companions. The silence between us had been comfortable earlier, but now it was like the calm before a storm. And I had a feeling I was the one about to be caught in the downpour.

Lina was in her usual firebrand mood, sprawled out with her arms behind her head, staring at the roof of the tent with a casual grin. Iris, sitting opposite me, was reading some book in her usual silent, almost emotionless way. She was the type of person who could make even the most ordinary activity look like a solemn ritual. But I could feel her gaze flicker occasionally over to Lina, and something about the way she looked at her made me think I was in for some trouble.

"So," Lina said, breaking the silence with a mischievous smile, "who do you think likes you more, MC?"

I froze, almost dropping my water bottle. "W-What?"

Lina's grin only grew wider. "I mean, you've got me, all fiery and passionate, and then we've got Iris, the ice queen. Bet she's got some hidden feelings under that cold, emotionless exterior of hers."

My face went redder than Lina's hair. "Uh, I-I don't think that's—"

"Oh, come on, MC," Lina teased. "You're the one who's been running around with us, causing chaos, getting trapped in caves. You know there's something going on. You're that guy."

"I really don't think—" I stammered, but it was no use. I could see the gleam in Lina's eyes, the kind she got when she was about to start some kind of harmless—but still annoying—banter.

Iris didn't look up from her book, but I noticed the edge of her lips twitch, and the air around her seemed to cool down ever so slightly. Was that… jealousy?

Lina's eyes twinkled with amusement as she leaned forward, her voice dropping into a sing-song tone. "I mean, who do you think would make a better... partner, MC? Me with my fire, or Iris with her cold, unfeeling time-stopping powers?"

I blinked, trying to process the ridiculousness of the question. "I-I'm not even—"

Before I could finish, Iris closed her book with a decisive snap and looked directly at me. Her eyes, normally so unreadable, now held a glimmer of something I couldn't quite place—something dangerous, and maybe... a little possessive?

"You're really pushing your luck," Iris said quietly, her voice smooth but with a sharp edge to it. "You know, I could stop time right now and make you regret this whole conversation, Lina."

Lina laughed, obviously enjoying every second of it. "Oh? You really gonna do that, Iris? You'd be stuck in time, too, remember? Unless you have a way of freezing just him."

"I'll find a way," Iris muttered under her breath, her tone cold, and maybe a little too serious for my liking.

I swallowed nervously. Was this what it felt like to be caught between two forces of nature? Lina, fiery and unpredictable, and Iris, cold and calculating? And here I was, the idiot who had somehow managed to get himself in the middle of it all. How had this escalated so quickly?

Lina leaned back, flashing a teasing grin at Iris. "Ah, don't worry, Iris. I wouldn't let MC off so easily. Not when I'm around."

"I don't need you to protect me, Lina," Iris shot back, her expression softening just a fraction. "But I'll keep you from burning the place down."

"Fine, fine," Lina said with a dramatic sigh. "I'll let you win this round, Iris. But remember, I'm always a fire away from causing more trouble."

Iris didn't respond but gave her a long, level stare before finally looking at me. "I'm... not jealous."

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, okay."

"Not at all," Iris said, her voice suddenly much softer, as though she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else. She wasn't doing a great job of it. "It's just... if you're going to choose someone, I'd prefer it if you didn't end up in trouble."

I wasn't sure what to say. The way she was speaking, the faint blush on her face, told me everything I needed to know.

Before I could comment, Lina interrupted, winking at me. "Don't worry, MC. I'm sure she'll come around. Just be careful with her time powers, okay? I'm not sure how long she'll let you breathe in this timeline."

Iris shot Lina a warning look, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. It was so subtle, it almost went unnoticed. But I caught it. And that was enough.

"Well, whatever happens," I said, trying to make light of it, "let's just focus on getting out of here first."

Both girls fell silent, the mood shifting slightly. It wasn't a dramatic shift, but it was enough to clear the tension hanging in the air. For now, we were in this together. Whatever weirdness had been building between us, whatever awkward feelings, we still had a dungeon to escape from.

"So…" I began awkwardly, "how exactly are we going to get out of here?"

Iris, who had been silent for the past few moments, finally looked up. "I'll use my time magic to slow the passage of time in a small area. We can move faster than the world around us. It'll be easier than waiting for the dungeon to reset."

I blinked, feeling a strange sense of relief wash over me. "Wait, you can do that?"

Iris only nodded. "I can. But after this, you owe me a favor."

Lina grinned. "Ah, so it's settled then. MC's going to be in debt. I love how this works out."

I groaned, rubbing my forehead. "This is not how I thought my day was going to go."

"I'm sure it's going to get better," Lina said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just wait. Maybe you'll get even more favors to repay."

"Well, as long as we don't get stuck in here for another week, I'll be fine," I muttered, feeling the weight of the whole situation crash down on me.

With one last, almost affectionate glance from Iris, she stood up, her expression serious again. "Get ready. It's time."

End of Chapter 9