Olivia POV
The sound of hurried footsteps filled the guild hall.
Olivia's heart pounded as she pushed open the heavy wooden doors, Alex right behind her.
The scent of ale and parchment mixed in the air.
The moment she spotted the reception desk, she made a beeline for it, her shoes hitting the floor in a quick rhythm.
"Excuse me!" she called out, slightly breathless. "Has Soren—has Soren been found?"
The receptionist looked up from her paperwork.
For a moment, the usual warmth in her expression faltered, and her fingers paused over the page, hesitating before giving a small nod.
"Yes… she's safe. She came back around a week ago."
Olivia's breath caught in relief, but it didn't last long, not after she noticed the look on the receptionist's face.
There was hesitation, something uneasy in the way her lips pressed together.
"Soren's… alright?" Olivia asked carefully.
The receptionist glanced toward the door to the tavern next door, where the inn was located.
"She's in her room," she said after a moment. "You can find her there, second room from the end of the hallway."
Olivia exchanged a look with Alex.
He frowned slightly, already sensing the same thing she did: that something wasn't right.
They both nodded to the receptionist and rushed toward the stairway.
The tavern was as lively as ever; clinking mugs, laughter, the sound of boots and chatter filling the space, but all of it blurred into background noise for Olivia.
Her mind was too occupied by the image of Soren, by the uncertainty in the receptionist's tone.
They climbed the stairs quickly, and as soon as they reached the hallway, Olivia turned to Alex.
"What do you think happened?" she asked quietly, her voice tense.
Alex shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"I don't know."
Olivia looked down for a moment.
"We should have come back sooner…"
There was a short silence between them before they reached the room the receptionist had mentioned.
Olivia stopped in front of it, her hand hovering over the door.
She hesitated for a moment, then gently knocked.
For a few seconds, there was nothing.
Then came a faint rustling sound, followed by slow, dragging footsteps approaching from the other side.
When the door opened, Olivia felt her heart drop.
The person who stood there barely resembled the bright Soren she remembered.
His white hair, usually neat and soft-looking, was tangled and dull, falling messily over his face.
His skin was pale, his cheeks sunken slightly, and dark circles clung heavily under his crimson eyes.
His lips were cracked, and his expression… it wasn't emotionless, it was empty.
"...Olivia?" His voice came out raw, cracked and hoarse.
It sounded like it was painful even to speak.
Olivia's breath hitched.
"Soren…" She took half a step forward before catching herself. "Can I come in?"
Soren didn't answer right away, his gaze dropping to the ground, and his fingers twitching slightly at his side.
After a long moment, he gave the smallest of nods and pulled the door open a little wider.
It was only then that his gaze flicked up and caught sight of Alex standing beside her.
In an instant, the faint light in his expression vanished.
His eyes widened, and before Olivia could say anything, the door slammed shut, the sound echoing sharply throughout the hall.
Olivia blinked, startled, staring at the closed door for a second.
Then she turned to Alex, who had frozen mid-step.
"I… think it's because you're here," she said softly.
Alex's brows furrowed, but after a brief pause, he nodded.
"Yeah. I'll wait downstairs."
He turned and walked off without another word.
Olivia watched him go for a moment before facing the door again.
She knocked lightly.
"Soren, Alex is gone. It's just me now."
There was silence again, long enough that Olivia began to wonder if he would even answer.
Then, the lock clicked faintly.
The door opened just a sliver at first, a pale hand appearing in the gap, before it opened fully.
Soren peeked out cautiously, eyes darting to the hallway before finally letting Olivia in.
The air inside the room was heavy.
The curtains were half-closed, letting in only a dim light that fell across a space in disarray.
Clothes were scattered across the floor; the blanket on the bed was twisted and half-hanging off the side.
There was no sign of care anywhere, not in the room, and not in him.
Olivia's chest tightened.
She walked inside slowly, taking a seat at the small desk chair while Soren sat on the bed, pressing himself against the wall, as if he needed that distance between them to breathe.
For a while, neither spoke.
The only sound was the faint creak of the chair when Olivia shifted.
Eventually, she took a quiet breath and decided to start somewhere, anywhere.
"It's been a while," she said gently. "Alex and I… we were in a neighbouring town. We saw your missing person request and came straight back here."
Soren didn't respond.
His eyes stayed fixed somewhere on the floor, empty and unfocused.
Olivia hesitated, then tried again, this time with a softer tone.
"We were doing requests, mostly small ones. Alex and I wanted to get more experience before classes started again, you know? We helped some villagers, hunted monsters, even cleared a small dungeon." She smiled faintly. "I was scared a lot. There was this one time when a boar almost ran me over, but Alex pulled me out of the way at the last second."
Still no reaction, but she pressed on anyway.
"Though I saved him, too, once. He doesn't like admitting it, but he would've gotten eaten if I hadn't cast that barrier." She let out a small giggle, trying to sound casual. "I wish you'd been there. If I had known you were adventuring too, we could've done it together."
For a fleeting moment, Soren's eyes twitched, not quite a reaction, but a flicker.
Olivia caught it.
She smiled softly and kept talking, telling small stories, little things that had happened during their quests; the villagers they met, the monsters they fought, the way Alex had grown.
Bit by bit, she watched his expression shift.
He wasn't smiling, but his eyes no longer looked as blank.
There was something there now, faint, but real.
When she noticed that small change, she let her divine power gather in her hands.
Silver light shimmered faintly, wrapping around her palms like a gentle glow.
She raised her hand slightly, keeping her tone warm and even.
"Quiet thy storm, still thy heart. In the name of Aryn, peace shall find thee. 「Mental Care」"
The divine light washed over Soren like a wave, soft and faintly warm.
His shoulders relaxed slightly, not completely, but enough that Olivia noticed.
His eyes closed halfway, and his breathing deepened bit by bit.
She waited a moment, then spoke quietly.
"Soren."
His eyes opened again, slowly, and this time, when he looked at her, their gazes met.
"You don't have to tell me what happened," Olivia said softly. "Just breathe. I'll keep casting this on you when things get too hard. Alright?"
He didn't answer at first.
Then, slowly, he nodded, his lips parting slightly.
"...I can breathe now," he whispered.
But even as he said that, his hands were trembling faintly, his nails digging into his sleeves without him realising.
Olivia gave a small, sad smile.
She could tell that whatever had happened, the incantation could only hold it back, not erase it.
After a few moments, she stood, brushing her skirt lightly.
"You should rest," she said quietly. "I'll come by again later, okay?"
Soren didn't respond, but she saw the faintest movement of his head, a nod.
She gave him one last look before heading to the door and stepping out, closing it softly behind her.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, the familiar murmur of a tavern filled her ears: clinking glasses, soft laughter, and the low hum of voices blending together.
It felt distant, almost unreal, after the stillness of Soren's room.
Olivia exhaled quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she scanned the room.
Her eyes landed on Alex.
He was sitting at one of the tables near the corner, surrounded by a group of women.
At first glance, they looked relaxed, chatting with drinks in hand, but something about their posture told her they were more than just travellers.
Olivia's chest tightened slightly.
She took a breath and walked over, her steps hesitant but steady.
Alex noticed her halfway there and waved her over.
"Liv, come here," he said. "You should meet them, too."
As she reached the table, a few of the women turned to glance at her.
Their gazes were curious but not unfriendly.
"This is Witch Hunt. Soren's party members."
Olivia blinked.
"His… party?"
The one sitting closest to Alex smiled softly.
She had long purple hair and gentle green eyes, the kind that radiated motherly warmth despite the faint exhaustion in her expression.
"That's right. I'm Morrigan, the leader."
Olivia nodded politely.
"I'm Olivia. I'm… a classmate of Soren's from the academy."
Next to Morrigan, a blonde-haired woman leaned forward with a bright grin.
"I'm Alice!" she said cheerfully. "Nice to meet you~"
On her left, a hooded figure lifted her hand slightly in greeting but said nothing, her face hidden in shadow.
A blue-haired cat beaskin sitting across from Olivia gave her a small wave, her yellow eyes glinting playfully.
"Soni," she introduced herself.
And lastly, a green-haired elf leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, her tone dry but casual.
"Hannah. Guess that makes all of us."
Olivia smiled faintly, though her nerves didn't quite settle.
She couldn't help but notice how comfortable Alex looked among them, maybe too comfortable, and that small, sour feeling crept into her chest.
Morrigan noticed, too, perhaps, because her tone turned a little gentler when she spoke again.
"We called Alex over when we heard he knew Soren," she explained. "I wanted to talk to you both."
Alex nodded.
"Yeah, she said she had something important to tell us."
Olivia's cheeks tinged pink ever so slightly at the fact that she had been caught, but she quickly composed herself.
"What is it?"
Morrigan hesitated.
Her fingers brushed the rim of her mug, tracing idle circles as she gathered her words.
"...Did Soren tell either of you what happened?" she asked finally.
Alex turned to look at Olivia.
Olivia's chest tightened again.
She shook her head quietly.
"No. He didn't."
For a moment, silence sat between them.
A few of the other women exchanged confused looks.
"Wait," Alice said, frowning slightly. "He?"
"I thought Soren was a girl," Soni added, ears twitching.
Morrigan sighed faintly.
"I suspected as much for a while," she said simply. "But that's not what matters right now."
The others fell quiet.
Morrigan's tone turned serious, and even the noise of the tavern seemed to fade around them.
"The night Soren returned," she began, "I went to check the Goblin King's Nest, the dungeon he had been reported to have entered."
Hannah's eyes narrowed.
"By yourself?"
It seemed as if the rest of Witch Hunt were also learning this for the first time, as they also seemed surprised by Morrigan's words.
Morrigan nodded.
"I couldn't just sit still. Even if it was only temporary, he was still a part of my party." She paused briefly, then continued. "What I found there… were eight human corpses…"
Olivia froze.
Her fingers tightened around the hem of her skirt, her knuckles pale.
"Each of them died differently," Morrigan went on quietly. "Some by fire, others by lightning, some by blades. None of it was consistent."
Her voice lowered further.
"When I looked closer, I realised… those men were regulars at this guild. Adventurers. Ones who had made comments to Soren more than once."
Olivia's expression darkened.
"Comments?" Alex asked.
Morrigan nodded again, slowly.
"They harassed him. Constantly. Nobody paid it much attention because it's a common occurrence here. I tried to stop them a few times, but…" she exhaled sharply. "You can guess how much that did."
Olivia felt her stomach twist.
She remembered Soren's empty gaze, the way he reacted to Alex's presence.
"When I checked their belongings, I found a small blade coated in sleeping poison… and it was covered in blood."
Morrigan looked down for a moment, her fingers tightening around her mug.
Alex leaned forward.
"What are you trying to say?"
There was another pause.
Morrigan's lips pressed together, trembling slightly before she finally spoke.
"I can't say for sure what happened, but from what I've seen… from how he's acting now…" Her voice softened, careful and slow. "...I think they might have hurt him. In a way that won't heal easily."
The table fell completely silent.
Even Alice's usual cheer was gone.
Soni looked away, her tail curling tightly around her waist.
Hannah muttered something under her breath, her expression hard.
Amber, still silent under her hood, lowered her head.
And Olivia's throat tightened painfully.
Her heart pounded, and for a moment, she couldn't find any words.
"A-Are you saying… that they…?" She forced out the question between her trembling lips.
Morrigan stopped her gently.
"I don't know for certain, but if I'm right… his reaction makes sense. The fear, the avoidance, the silence…"
Olivia could barely breathe.
Her hands were trembling on her lap.
The image of Soren's cracked lips and dull eyes flashed in her mind again.
"He shouldn't have had to go through that," Morrigan murmured, her voice breaking slightly.
She looked up, meeting Olivia's gaze.
"We promised to protect him. That was the whole point of him joining Witch Hunt, but we failed."
Alice's hands tightened around her mug, her expression fierce.
"If I'd known they were going to do something like that—!"
"We should have noticed sooner," Hannah said gruffly, clicking her tongue, though her tone was thick with guilt.
Soni nodded faintly, her usual grin gone.
"Yeah. That's on us."
Olivia shook her head slowly.
"You… couldn't have known." Her voice wavered despite her best efforts to keep it steady. "You were trying to help him."
Morrigan smiled faintly, but there was only guilt hidden within.
"Maybe. But intentions don't matter when the result is the same."
The silence that followed was heavy.
After a long moment, Alex, the one with the least connection to Soren, leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with one hand.
"...What are you going to do?" he asked.
Morrigan exhaled quietly.
"Nothing that would make things worse for him. He needs space and people he trusts. If that's you two, then please… look after him."
Olivia nodded weakly, her throat tight.
"I will."
Morrigan gave her a small, grateful nod.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry."
The conversation ended there, but the weight of it lingered.
Olivia sat in silence as the others slowly drifted into small talk, trying to move past the tension, but her thoughts stayed fixed on one thing: Soren's trembling voice and his broken whisper.
– I can breathe now
The words replayed in her mind over and over, each repetition twisting deeper into her chest.
She clenched her hands on her lap and looked toward the stairway, her heart aching.
All she wanted, more than anything, was to make sure he could keep breathing tomorrow, too.
————「❤︎」————