Andromeda adjusted the worn leather straps of her pack, her movements precise and economical. The setting sun cast long shadows across the obsidian grasslands, painting the landscape in hues of deep purple and burnt orange. In the distance, the Ash Mountains loomed, their slopes cloaked in the skeletal silhouettes of ancient trees.

"We should make camp soon," she said, her voice barely a murmur against the wind. "even though it isnt seeding season, the obsidian blades will be sharper than usual with the night's chill."

Pag, his brow furrowed in thought, glanced back at her. "You seem to know a lot about this area," he observed, his gaze sweeping over the desolate landscape. "More than Toula, even."

Andromeda's lips curved into a wry smile. "These grasslands hold many secrets," she replied, her voice carefully neutral. "Some best left undisturbed."

"Secrets?" Pag pressed, his curiosity piqued. "What kind of secrets?"

Andromeda hesitated, her gaze drifting towards the Ash Mountains "They are of no consequence now," she said finally, her voice taking on a steely edge. "The past is gone, and I am focused on the present."

Pag studied Andromeda as she moved about the campsite, her movements fluid and silent like a predator moving through its natural habitat. The firelight danced across her features, highlighting the sharp angles of her face and the intense focus in her eyes. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was holding back, her past a tangled web of secrets she was reluctant to unravel.

"You move like a warrior," he observed, breaking the silence.

Andromeda paused, her hand hovering over the quiver of arrows slung across her back. "It was a necessity, where I come from," she replied, her voice low and guarded.

"Soohan," Pag prompted, remembering her evasiveness earlier. He was determined to break through her walls, to understand the experiences that had shaped her into the formidable woman she was.

Andromeda stiffened, her gaze hardening. "It's not a subject I care to discuss," she said curtly, turning away from him to set up the fire.

Pag, however, refused to back down. "You said it was a necessity," he pressed gently. "To be a warrior, in Soohan. What did you have to fight for?"

Andromeda remained silent for a long moment, the only sound the crackling of the fire as it sprung to life and the mournful cry of a night bird in the distance. Pag wondered if he had pushed too far, if her silence was a sign that he should abandon his inquiries. he then mentally groaned at his failure to offer to make the fire for her.

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Finally, she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "Soohan is a land of shadows and whispers," she began, her gaze distant, as if lost in memories. "Where loyalty is a fickle thing, and power is a dangerous game."

She continued, her voice gaining strength as she spoke. "I fought for my family, for my people. For a future free from the tyranny that had gripped our land for generations."

Pag listened intently, captivated by the raw emotion in her voice. Her words painted a picture of a land teetering on the brink of chaos, a land where survival depended on strength, cunning, and unwavering loyalty to one's own. It was a world away from the sheltered life he had known before Ludere Online.

"What happened?" he asked softly, his curiosity tempered by the hardships she had endured.

Andromeda's gaze snapped back to his, her eyes flashing with a mixture of pain and defiance. "Some battles," she said, her voice tight, "are best left unfought. Some memories, best left buried."

And with that, she turned away from him, her silence a clear indication that shewas done for the time being. Pag, bit his lip asnd did the smart thing, respecting her boundaries. He leaned back against a moss-covered boulder, its lichen the color of muddy ashes, his mind racing with unanswered questions, and a suspicion building. As he watched her silhouette outlined against the dying embers of the fire, he couldn't shake the feeling that Andromeda's story was far from over, that the secrets she guarded held the key to unlocking not only her own past but also the mysteries surrounding the game and the strange events that had drawn them all together. Someone wanted him to take a very specific path. the question was why and where did the path end?

He understood the instinct to protect one's past, to shield the heart from old wounds. But he also knew that secrets had a way of festering, of poisoning the present with their unspoken weight. He wanted to know her story, not just for the sake of his own curiosity but because he sensed that her past held clues to the mysteries surrounding them all.

"I won't pry," he said finally, his voice soft against the backdrop of the night. "But if you ever feel like talking, I'm here to listen. No judgment, just..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "Just someone who understands the weight of secrets."

Andromeda turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting his for a fleeting moment. In the firelight, he thought he saw a flicker of gratitude in her eyes, a silent acknowledgment of his understanding. But her expression quickly shifted, her walls rising once more.

"The road ahead is long, and fraught with danger," she said, her voice regaining its usual stoicism. "We should rest while we can. The obsidian blades will be waiting for us come morning."

Pag nodded, accepting her retreat for now. He knew that trust was not earned overnight, especially not for someone like Andromeda, who carried the scars of past battles on both her body and soul. He settled back against the boulder, the warmth of the fire a welcome contrast to the growing chill in the air.

As he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but replay Andromeda's words in his mind. "Soohan is a land of shadows and whispers," she had said. He thought of the whispers he had heard in the game, the rumors of conspiracies and hidden agendas that seemed to follow them like phantoms. He couldn't shake the feeling that her past, her connection to Soohan, was somehow intertwined with the very fabric of the game, its secrets woven into the very code that gave it life. He knew he would have to tread carefully, respect her boundaries, but he was more determined than ever to uncover the truth, not just for the sake of the game, but for Andromeda herself, who deserved to be free from the shadows of her past.