It had been two months since Zay was brought into the mansion with Naomi's help, and much had happened since then.
The city of Harland assisted the Order of Restraint by providing labor to rebuild the mansion's walls and floors. They also helped repair the cracked ground, filling it with fresh dirt. A few individuals even went out of their way to use incantations to accelerate the growth of surrounding nature.
Zay had traveled to Harland twice to gather supplies when their food stocks were running low.
During that time, they discovered a room tainted with rot, where the body of a child lay. None of them knew who she was, but nonetheless, they built a headstone and placed it in the far-left corner of the backyard. They dug into the earth, laid her body within a coffin, and lowered it into the ground.
They then cleaned the room thoroughly and sealed it off, removing the door and replacing it with a wall to conceal it completely.
Two weeks ago, Rei had finally opened his eyes. At first, he could barely walk, but thanks to the natural recovery abilities of all Arbiters, the aid of the sacred artifact, and healing from the priestess Ira, he gradually regained his strength. Now able to walk on his own, he had already begun training with Zay again, adapting to the loss of one arm.
Though the adjustment was difficult at first, over the past week Rei had grown more comfortable with his sword, steadily regaining his control and precision with the blade.
...
Zay rose from his chair and closed his notebook, glancing down at everything he had written over the past two months while waiting for Rei's recovery. He slipped the notebook into his Arbiter Vault before straightening up. When he turned around, he saw Rei standing in the doorway. Rei stepped inside and left the door opened behind him.
"You've had… a while to think while I was basically dead, right?" Rei asked, settling on the edge of Zay's bed.
"Where is this going?" Zay replied, sitting back down so he wouldn't have to crane his neck.
"The last switch to leave—what are we going to do about that?"
Zay tilted his head slightly, his voice slow. "What about it?"
Rei sighed and gave a small nod. "I've taken the past week to think about it, even before I fell asleep. I'm not happy about what we have to do, but I know it's the only way. So… before I back out and start convincing you we shouldn't, let's just get it over with soon."
Zay closed his eyes and gave a single nod. "Let's go to Harland. There's a bar there—we'll have a few drinks, and then… tonight, we leave. I never planned to stay in this sequence as long as we have. I thought it would be a few weeks, maybe a month at most. It's been what? Nearly three months since we started this?"
Rei sighed to himself, glancing down at his missing arm before looking back at Zay. "I don't even remember when we entered, but today's May 7th. I think it was sometime in February? I'm not really sure."
Zay sighed and gave a small shrug. "Well, it's not like it really matters. We can't go back in time and change how long we've been here. What are you going to do when we make it back to Gyro?"
Rei raised his hand to rub his neck, blinking a few times. "I'm not sure. Since I've been gone so long, I doubt Ironcloud will just let me walk back in—especially now that my left arm's gone. They've probably already replaced me. I've been curious about some small islands, though. Maybe I'll spend my time sailing across the ocean… or just follow you, if that's fine. But what about you?"
Zay nodded along as Rei spoke, silently agreeing. After a few seconds of letting the silence linger, he sighed.
"I still plan to head back to Pluvialis—specifically Summitset. I want to say my last goodbyes to my family before I leave for good. I also need to tell them what happened to Silver… assuming they haven't already heard."
"Leave for good? Where do you plan on going after?" Rei asked, genuine curiosity in his tone.
Zay let out a quiet chuckle—not out of humor, but simply to break the silence. "I haven't gone into much detail about it yet, but soon there'll be… a rift of sorts, leading to a place called 'Varnis'. It's larger than Akser, far more dangerous, and much more diverse. Islands as vast as continents, underwater palaces… and a lot I won't be saying."
Rei slowly stood, looking down at Zay with wide eyes. "Can I join?" he asked without hesitation.
Zay immediately chuckled at his response. "I don't mind at all."
Rei gave a nod before starting toward the door. "When are we going to that bar?"
There wasn't an immediate answer. Zay stood, glancing over at Rei as he made his way to the doorframe. Then, walking past him, Zay tilted his head slightly—a subtle gesture for Rei to follow—signaling that they were going now.
"Let's go find Naomi, then the three of us will head to the bar… unless she wants to stay here." He kept walking as Rei fell in step behind him.
...
The two made their way down the staircase and arrived on the first floor. Zay glanced over and saw Naomi sitting beside Ira—surprisingly, she was reading a book, something Zay had never seen her do before.
He walked over and looked down at her. "We're heading to a bar in Harland. Do you want to join?"
Naomi closed her book with a nod, setting it down on the table in front of her before standing. Ira glanced up at them, her eyes lingering briefly on Rei's missing arm before shifting between Zay and Naomi. Without saying anything, she returned to her book. She had considered asking to join them, but as a priestess, she knew it was strictly forbidden for her to enter any bar for any reason.
Zay gave her a brief look before turning and walking toward the door. Rei and Naomi exchanged a glance, then followed after him.
Stepping outside, the three of them spotted Kade—the guard who had taken a week off a few days before the attack two months ago due to a family matter.
Kade was stationed at the front gate, a carriage ready behind him. "I went ahead and gathered everything you asked for, Zay. It took a month, but Larry finally finished the katana you ordered. I also managed to track down that Scorched Ale you wanted… though I had to use all fifty silver to get it since it ended up being sold at an auction."
Zay looked up at Kade and gave him a nod. "Thank you for acquiring it all for me." He turned to Rei. "I figured you'd want a new katana, so last month, a few days before you woke up, I placed an order for one."
Rei's eyes widened slightly. "Why… did you do that? Wouldn't it have been a waste if I had died?"
Zay rested a hand on Rei's shoulder and shook his head. "I ordered a new katana because I knew that once you woke, whenever that might be, you'd want one. I never doubted you would get up from that table. I know you, Rei. You're not the type to let death take you so easily. Now, come on, we're wasting time standing around. Let's go."
Rei shook his head in disbelief, though he couldn't help but feel grateful that someone had that much trust in him. He gave a nod, and the three of them climbed into the back of the carriage. Kade closed the door before taking his seat on the coach box. Grabbing the reins of the horses they had recently purchased, he gave them a whip, and they started forward before breaking into a gallop.
...
The three of them sat down at a table in the corner. Zay sighed before glancing up at both Rei and Naomi as they both sat beside each other across the table from him.
He was about to speak when someone approached, a woman dressed in a black-and-white dress with black heels, her hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Welcome to Ocean View's bar. What can I get you all? We're having a special deal for the next month if you're interested. You can get fish, a bowl of soup, and any drink for 15 silver!"
Zay looked up at her and noticed her eyes were light brown, she had long, pointed ears similar to an elf's, though shorter. An all-white tail swayed gently behind her. "I'll take the special. What kind of fish and soup is it?"
She smiled and nodded. "Salmon, and the soup is pumpkin soup with boar meat on the side."
Zay gave a small nod. "I'll take that then. For the drink, do you sell Flameberry Brandy? If so, I'll have that."
The woman closed her eyes for a moment, tapping her foot lightly on the wooden floor. After a few seconds, she nodded. "Ah! We do have that!"
She jotted down the order, the special with Flameberry Brandy, before turning her gaze to Rei. "And for you?"
"I'll just take the same thing. It sounds good."
She nodded again and marked a "2" beside the order, then looked to Naomi with a friendly smile. "What can I get you?"
Naomi glanced down at the table for a moment before meeting her eyes. "Can I wait to order for a few minutes?"
"Of course you can, darling! I'll get these orders started and bring out your drinks in just a moment!" the woman replied warmly, humming to herself as she walked toward the counter, where the kitchen door was set behind it.
Naomi looked up at both Rei and Zay before sighing softly. "I want her blood... it was sweet," she muttered to herself—loud enough for them both to hear, yet quiet enough that they barely caught it.
Rei glanced over at Zay, about to speak, but decided against it. 'Did I ever ask about that? I can't remember... but I guess I already have my answer. The black wings from that clinic, her terrifying precision with aura, the emotionless expressions, the lack of interest in anything... she's a vampire, right? How did I not put it together earlier?'
A faint chuckle escaped him as the answer to a question he had carried for a long time finally settled in his mind. He glanced down at his missing arm, and the chuckle faded, his expression darkening slightly.
'At least I'm right-handed... but damn. I can't believe I did that.'
His eyes suddenly shot open as he looked between them. "Did either of you get that book?"
Naomi rolled her eyes before pulling both the chalice and the book from beneath the table, setting them on top.
Zay's gaze fell to the two items. He shook his head, though a faint smile touched his lips. Reaching forward, he took the Book of the Dead, his eyes lingering on its cover. "It seems they must have accidentally dropped these..." he said with a faint smile, before passing it back to Naomi.
"Can you do me a favor and put those away?" Zay asked with a smile. Naomi nodded, taking both items and sliding her hand beneath the table, shadow tendrils emerged to take the chalice and the book.
Rei sighed, looking up at Zay. He tilted his head, gave a small shake, and then let a faint smile cross his lips.