The shadows were lengthening as conversations filled the air, a subtle tension hovering over Kai and Aria. Time seemed to have slipped through their fingers, leaving them anxious about the rapidly approaching darkness. Moving closer, Kai inquired in a hushed tone,

"Your thoughts, Aria?"

A fog of confusion clouded her face as she replied, "What do you mean?"

"The village... do you think we'll make it there before twilight takes over?" There was an urgency in his voice.

Pausing for a moment, Aria's intuition presented her a grim realization. "Even with our best efforts, I doubt we'll reach the village before nightfall."

Kai's countenance was etched with concern as he calculated their limited progress. "Given our current pace and time constraints, with these Sunrunners barely managing 30 KM/hr, we're unlikely to cover the remaining 100 kilometers in daylight."

Aria sought to soothe his worries. "Let's not dwell on that now; perhaps fortune will favor us on this journey."

Reluctantly nodding, Kai decided to leave the matter to fate as they continued onward. Soon enough, Yuta and Ken joined their conversation astride a shared Sunrunner.

Yuta directed his curiosity toward Kai. "It's strange, really--after more than a week together, we still know so little about you two. How is it that you were found nearly lifeless in that desolate wasteland?"

Panic flashed through both Kai and Aria's eyes at the question; an unsettling mix of fear and confusion bubbled beneath their carefully composed expressions. Aria considered her response carefully.

"My dear Yuta," she began with measured calmness lacing her voice, "we're simply travelers seeking nourishment and shelter from place to place. Weak from hunger and thirst, we lost consciousness in that barren land."

With a sense of eeriness in his voice, Yuta probed further, "What could have possibly caused such carnage upon your bodies when Sora-san and the others stumbled upon you?"

Aria responded with an unnerving calm, "Perhaps while we were unconscious, wild beasts sought to make us their prey before Sora-san and the others came to our rescue."

Unsatisfied, Yuta persisted in his inquiry, "But why the blood when Sora and the others found you?" As they grappled with these unsettling questions, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air behind them. The chilling cry sent shivers down their spines and left most rooted in terror.

Kai, Aria, and the others couldn't help but fear that the horrifying scream belonged to Ava and Keiji.