Soulbound: Dual Cultivation-Chapter 394: Food makes everyone happy

Lira was the first to notice Nyx sitting alone near the edge of the camp, her shoulders shaking as she tried and failed to keep her composure, and she immediately pulled Selene along without saying a word.

"Nyx," Lira said gently as she knelt in front of her, placing both hands on Nyx’s knees, "you are going to look at me now and take a breath, because whatever just happened in that tent does not get to swallow you whole."

Selene lowered herself beside Nyx and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, her voice soft but steady. "You went to him because you care, not because you were weak, and there is nothing shameful about that."

Nyx tried to speak but her voice broke, so she shook her head instead as tears slid down her cheeks. "He wouldn’t say anything," she finally managed, her words tumbling out unevenly. "It was like I wasn’t even his daughter anymore, like I was just another person he couldn’t afford to trust."

Lira exhaled slowly and reached up to brush Nyx’s hair back from her face. "Kings forget how to be fathers when fear digs its claws too deep, and right now fear has sunk its teeth into him."

Selene nodded in agreement, her expression thoughtful. "That does not mean he loves you any less, even if it feels that way in this moment."

Nyx let out a shaky laugh that held no humor. "It feels like the whole world is breaking apart, and everyone is pretending they are fine."

Before either of them could respond, a familiar cool presence drifted closer, and the ice belle appeared from between the tents, her small figure floating a few inches above the ground, her expression calm and oddly proud.

"I brought food," she announced, holding up her prize with both hands as if presenting a treasure.

Lira squinted at it first, then froze, then covered her mouth as the realization hit. "Is that," she began, her voice wavering, "is that a vulture."

Selene stared for a heartbeat longer before bursting into laughter so sudden and loud that it startled a few nearby soldiers. "You killed a vulture," she said between laughs. "Out of everything in the skies, you chose a vulture."

Nyx looked up through her tears, confusion giving way to disbelief, and then she saw it properly, the ragged feathers, the unmistakable hooked beak, and something inside her finally snapped in a different way as laughter bubbled out of her chest, mixing with the last remnants of her sobs.

The ice belle frowned, clearly offended. "I’m hungry and needed fresh meat," she said defensively.

Lira laughed harder now, wiping at her eyes. "You couldn’t find a rabbit or a deer or literally anything else that does not eat corpses."

"It is meat," the ice belle replied, tilting her head. "And it will roast just fine."

Selene leaned back, clutching her stomach as she laughed. "I cannot believe this is what finally made her smile again."

Nyx wiped her face and took a deep breath, still laughing softly as she looked at the ice belle. "Thank you," she said, her voice warmer now despite the absurdity of the moment. "I think I needed this more than you know."

The ice belle nodded once, completely serious. "Good. Then we should eat."

They all stared at the ice belle the moment the words left her mouth, the laughter hanging in the air as if it had suddenly forgotten where it was supposed to go.

Selene was the first to recover, her smile still wide but her eyes firm as she shook her head slowly. "No," she said, reaching out without hesitation, "we are absolutely not eating that."

The ice belle blinked, genuinely confused, tightening her hold on the bird. "Why not," she asked, her tone flat and offended at the same time. "It is fresh. I killed it cleanly."

Lira covered her mouth, trying and failing to suppress another wave of laughter. "That thing feeds on the dead," she managed to say. "It is not food."

Nyx laughed again, softer this time, wiping the last traces of tears from her cheeks. "I appreciate the effort," she added quickly, glancing at the ice belle, "but please do not ever bring us something like that again."

The ice belle frowned deeply, her brows knitting together as she looked from face to face, clearly trying to understand where she had gone wrong. "You were sad," she said, her voice lowering. "I brought food, food makes everyone happy."

"That thing will only cause her to remain sad," Selene replied, still smiling, though she was already prying the vulture from the ice belle’s hands.

Before the ice belle could protest further, Selene turned and hurled the bird as far as she could into the darkness beyond the tents, where it vanished with a soft thud.

The ice belle stared at her empty hands, then slowly lifted her gaze, her expression darkening like gathering frost. "You wasted it," she said coldly.

Lira lost the battle entirely and burst out laughing, doubling over. "I am sorry," she said between breaths, "I really am, but this is the most ridiculous thing that has happened all day."

Nyx laughed too, holding her sides, the sound freer now than it had been since she left her father’s tent. "I cannot believe a vulture almost became dinner," she said.

Selene wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and looked at the ice belle. "We will get real food," she promised. "Something normal. Something that does not stare back at you."

The ice belle’s lips pressed into a thin line. Without another word, she turned sharply and floated away, her small form radiating unmistakable displeasure as she vanished between the tents.

The moment she was gone, the three of them completely lost what little composure they had left, laughter spilling out again as the tension of the day finally cracked.

The ice belle vanished into the thin line of trees at the edge of the camp, her small figure swallowed by shadow and moonlight as her displeasure simmered into resolve.

"They laughed," she muttered to herself, her voice barely more than frost brushing bark. "They always laugh."

She crouched low, placing her palm against the earth, eyes closing as her senses spread outward like a slow tide. "This time," she said firmly, "I will bring something worthy."

A rabbit bolted nearby, its heartbeat fluttering like a trapped bird, and she opened one eye to watch it disappear into the undergrowth. "Too small," she decided. "They would say it is pitiful."

Further in, something heavier moved, branches creaking under its weight. She straightened, lips curling into a faint smile. "Better."

Moments later, the quiet shattered as she returned to the camp dragging a sizable wild boar by one hind leg, its bulk leaving a shallow trail in the dirt. She emerged from the trees with visible effort but unmistakable pride, her chin lifted as though she were presenting a trophy.

Lira was the first to notice. "By the heavens," she said, eyes widening. "Is that... is that a boar."

Selene stared, then burst out laughing again. "You went from vulture to that," she said incredulously. "That is quite the leap."

Nyx rose to her feet, surprise breaking through the lingering sadness on her face. "You caught that alone," she asked, genuine awe in her voice.

The ice belle dropped the boar at their feet with a dull thud and crossed her arms. "It does not eat the dead," she said pointedly. "It is strong and warm."

Lira clapped her hands once, delighted. "This," she declared, "this is acceptable."

Selene nodded, still smiling. "Very acceptable. I take back everything I said earlier."

The ice belle sniffed, though the edge of her annoyance softened. "You should," she replied. "I learn."

Nyx knelt beside the boar, running a hand along its coarse hide, then looked up at her with a small, grateful smile. "Thank you," she said quietly. "You did not have to do this."

The ice belle hesitated, then shrugged, her gaze flicking away. "You were still sad," she said. "Food helps."

Lira laughed gently this time and reached out, giving the ice belle a light squeeze on the arm. "You did good," she said warmly. "Very good."