CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER-193.

Veer looked at her with a mischievous grin.

"Why? Am I wrong? Or do you belong to another species?"

Kaya sighed, rubbing her temples like she was already too tired for this conversation.

"Forget it."

But Veer leaned in, feigning seriousness.

"No, how can I forget? I need to know, right? What’s our future going to look like? I mean... will our children end up as gorillas, vultures, or something else entirely?"

Her head snapped toward him so quickly it was almost threatening.

"What did you just say? Repeat it."

His grin widened, foolish yet taunting.

"Oh, you know... will they become vultures, gorillas, or some other species? I just need to be prepared."

Kaya narrowed her eyes, her voice sharp.

"It’s fine. That’s not something you need to worry about. The one who’ll be the mother of your children should be the one worrying."

Then she smirked, adding,

"And no matter what they are, they’ll still end up foolish and idiotic—just like you."

Veer shrugged, entirely unfazed.

"Well, what can I do? Guess their mother will just have to be the smart one."

He said it while looking directly into her eyes, his gaze lingering with a warmth that caught her off guard. Kaya held his stare for a brief moment before shaking her head. She didn’t have the energy to argue with this idiot—her cough wasn’t healed enough to waste breath on him.

Veer suddenly paused, his gaze settling on Kaya, who was still rubbing her temples. Without warning, he reached out, his fingers brushing against the space between her brows. With slow, deliberate motions, he began to massage the spot.

"Stop frowning so much," he said quietly. "You’ll turn into an old woman long before you actually get old."

Kaya glanced up at him, surprised. His touch was unexpectedly gentle, the steady pressure melting away the faint throbbing in her head. For the first time that day, the tight heaviness in her brow eased, replaced by a light, almost pleasant feeling.

She studied him for a moment, then asked seriously, "Where did you get the idea to sew it like this?"

Veer blinked, glancing down at his jacket as if checking for a loose thread. "Why? Is there something wrong with it?"

Kaya shook her head. "No. It’s just... different. How did you come up with the idea to stitch it like this? The leather, the way it’s cut—it’s unusual."

A faint smile curved his lips. "Well, it’s not like I stitched it myself. The idea just came to me. I was sitting there one day, and suddenly this design popped into my head. So I made it. Looks good, right?"

Kaya’s lips quirked into a small smile. "Yeah... it’s nice."

Veer, Cutie... and the others — they were all turning into mysteries in Kaya’s eyes. At first, she couldn’t figure Cutie out, but now Veer was an even bigger riddle.

Just the other day, Kaya had been doodling in the dirt with a stick, writing words for fun. She’d written "THE" — T-H-E — and thought nothing of it. But Veer glanced over and, without hesitation, read it aloud.

Kaya froze. In this world, no one read like that. Not ever. This was the first time she’d seen it happen.

She’d immediately asked how he knew. Veer had only shrugged, as if it were nothing, and said he didn’t know — he’d just looked at it, and the word had popped into his head.

Even then, Kaya couldn’t hide her surprise. How could someone here know something like that? The more she saw of Veer, the more she realized he wasn’t just strong or capable... there was something else. Something she couldn’t quite understand — and that made him all the more intriguing.

.

.

.

Traveling with Veer was... well, something else entirely. Walking on her own was like trudging along on foot; flying with Veer was like suddenly being whisked into the sky on a private plane. The difference was that stark.

Veer had a way of adjusting his speed for her — sometimes slicing through the air like an arrow, sometimes gliding slow and steady so she could breathe and take it in. And despite carrying her weight along with the bulging bags, his flight was smooth, almost effortless.

A journey that would have taken Kaya a month on foot, Veer finished in a single week. Along the way, the harsh bite of winter began to ease, the cold growing lighter, and the sun breaking through more often. The snow hadn’t completely melted yet, but most of it had given way, leaving behind a world touched by warmth and streaks of golden sunlight.

Their food supplies were running low, so Veer and Kaya decided to stop by a nearby tribe — a wolf tribe. The wolves lived high in the mountains, tucked away inside small caves carved into the rock.

When they landed on the tribe’s grounds, Kaya couldn’t help but stare. The mountain loomed large above them, dotted with cave openings, and the place was bustling. She’d seen the rabbit tribe, the lion tribe, and a few others before, but this... this was on another scale. There had to be at least a hundred, maybe a hundred and fifty people here.

Before she could take in much more, it became obvious the tribe knew Veer. Out of nowhere, someone slung an arm around his shoulders and practically pounced on him.

"Hey, idiotic vulture!"

A cheerful voice caught Kaya’s attention. She turned to see a man with dull black hair and matching eyes, his skin bronzed by years in the sun. Animal hide was draped across his upper body, much like Cutie’s, with another piece tied loosely around his waist. Two pointed wolf ears twitched atop his head, alert and playful.

Before Kaya could take in more, the man — about the same height as Veer — pounced on him from behind, locking an arm around his neck with a bright, toothy grin.

Veer, caught off guard, let out a short laugh before grabbing the man’s wrist to pry him off.