We made a successful retreat back into the slums, but the wound caused by the silver bolt throbbed with an agonizing intensity that I had never experienced before.

"Damn it!" I hissed through gritted teeth, gripping the area around the wound. "Why is my wound not healing?"

"Silver weapons will stop all regenerative properties of a demon for 13 days." Iu said.

 "That for the info google! I can't believe it's this painful." I winced.

Iu glanced at me with a mix of concern and annoyance. "You should have been more careful, psycho. We can't afford for you to be injured like this, especially with those demon hunters on our trail."

Iris, sensing my distress, moved closer to me and gently touched my arm, her eyes filled with concern. "Sol... hurt?" she asked in her simple, childlike manner.

"Yeah, Iris, I'm hurt," I admitted, forcing a weak smile for her sake. "But don't worry, it's just for a little while. I'll be back to my usual, annoying self soon enough."

Iu rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, directing a biting remark at Sol. "You always have to make things difficult, don't you, psycho? It's a miracle you've survived this long."

Despite her harsh words, she knelt beside me and began to carefully examine the wound. She may have had a sharp tongue, but she does have a soft side, and that side has been showing up more and more lately.

"You're lucky I know a thing or two about treating wounds," she said, her tone slightly softer. "Hold still and try not to whine too much."

I smirked in response, doing his best to ignore the pain. "I'm touched by your concern, Iu. Really, I am."

Iu sighed and shook her head, focusing on cleaning and bandaging the wound. "Just shut up and let me work. The sooner I'm done here, the sooner we can all move on."

***

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling a bit disoriented. I quickly realized my head was resting on Iris's knees. I blinked in surprise and looked up at her.

"Hey, Iris... What's going on?" I asked, still feeling groggy.

Iris smiled down at me, her expression innocent and pure. "You sleep. Sol head on Iris knees. Feel better?"

I couldn't help but smile at her simple, child-like response. "Yeah, thanks, Iris. I do feel a bit better."

Iris continued to smile, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Sol hurt? Iris help?"

I patted her hand gently, appreciating her kindness. "You're already helping, Iris. Just being here with you and Iu makes things better. Thank you."

Iris beamed at the praise, clearly happy to be of assistance. Despite her limited understanding, she was doing her best to be there for her friends, and that meant more to me than I could express.

Q: Do you want a knee pillow from Iris?