Nathan held his breath, unsure what to do. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Nathan, where are you?"
Vega's voice echoed through the forest. Maia flinched and quickly pulled back.
"Oh, come on… now of all times?" she muttered under her breath.
A wave of relief washed over Nathan despite himself.
"I'm here, Vega! Is something wrong?" he called out, trying to mask the tension in his voice.
Moments later, Vega appeared. His cloak fluttered lightly in the wind, and the serious look on his face swept over both of them.
"So, this is where you've been," he said.
His eyes flicked from Maia to Nathan. A short silence followed — the air hung thick with a strange tension. Finally, he raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
Nathan curved a faint, uncertain smile. "Why were you looking for me?"
Vega replied, his tone steady but urgent again.
"Griffine and I are going to check the forest. People reported strange noises all night, and a few animals were found dead. It might be similar to what happened in that village we helped recently. Want to join us?"
Nathan stood immediately. "Of course. Let's go."
"They're waiting at the inn entrance," Vega said, glancing briefly at Maia.
"You go ahead — I'll catch up."
Nathan nodded and turned to Maia. "See you later, Maia."
His voice was firm as always, but his eyes were clouded with uncertainty. As he walked quickly toward the inn, he could feel his heart hammering in his chest.
Are we really… together now? Is this the right thing?
The faster he walked, the more tangled his thoughts became. Maia's face, her voice, every word she had said echoed in his mind — a mix of warmth and unease.
Can I really make her happy? My own mother abandoned me… could anyone truly love me?
A dull ache spread inside him — bittersweet, heavy. He felt both full and hollow at once, as if half of his heart had filled with light while the other half remained in shadow.
He lifted his head and took a deep breath. The scent of the forest filled his lungs as Griffine's distant voice carried on the wind. Nathan stood still for a few seconds.
Then a whisper slipped from his lips:
"I hope… I'm doing the right thing."
After Nathan left, Vega stood quietly for a few seconds, watching his back disappear. Then he tilted his head slightly, his tone low but curious.
"So… you're dating now?"
Maia was still staring dreamily in the direction Nathan had gone. A small smile curved her lips.
"Yes… I think we just started."
Vega raised his eyebrows.
"Wow. How do you even do that? After being cheated on before, how can you trust someone again so easily?"
Maia took a deep breath and looked down. Her tone was calm — surprisingly serene.
"Just because one person betrayed me doesn't mean everyone will. If I keep thinking that way, afraid of being hurt, I'll probably just attract the same thing again. But I don't think like that anymore."
After a short pause, she continued.
"I made mistakes in that relationship too. That doesn't excuse what he did, but instead of blaming him, I'd rather ask myself, what could I have done differently?"
Vega tilted his head, genuine admiration softening his face.
"If it were me… I'd probably shut my heart off to everyone. I really admire you, Maia."
Maia shrugged lightly, smiling warmly.
"Life's too short," she said softly. "I just want to feel things without overthinking. Besides, we're guardians — anything could happen to us at any moment."
Vega stayed quiet for a few seconds, eyes drifting toward the distance. His voice carried both surprise and reflection.
"You're right… But still, it's not the same for everyone. If I liked someone… I don't know if I could act like that."
Maia tilted her head and smiled knowingly.
"It's not about liking someone of the same or opposite sex. It's about you. I'm good at this kind of thing; you're good at fighting. We're all just trying to grow where we're weak."
Then her smile turned sly, half teasing, half serious.
"So… if Kael came and confessed his feelings, would you turn him down?"
Vega's face instantly flushed bright red; his eyes widened, breath quickened. For a moment, he seemed to picture it — and immediately looked away.
"Maia, what are you even saying? Don't joke like that. You know that would never happen."
Maia giggled. "How can you be so sure? What if it did happen?"
Vega's blush deepened. "Griffine's waiting — I'm leaving. You can go back to Aryel and Erin at the inn."
Without another word, he turned and walked off, too embarrassed to meet her eyes. Maia watched him go, then sighed and muttered to herself with a smirk,
"You should've come two minutes later, Kael… Now I'll have to set the stage all over again."
***
When Maia returned to the inn, she found Aryel and Erin sitting together at a table.
Aryel's cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel's; she was stuffing pieces of bread into her mouth, chewing with a look of pure peace on her face.
It had been a long time since Maia had seen her so relaxed and content. She smiled and walked over.
"Hey," she greeted, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
Aryel's mouth was still full; she only nodded in response. Erin smiled faintly and turned back to her plate.
"Should we order you something too? Aren't you hungry?"
Maia was still a little tense from her interrupted moment with Nathan, but her stomach didn't care much about her feelings. Right then, a loud growl came from her belly. She gave an embarrassed smile and shrugged.
"I guess I am hungry," she admitted.
Erin chuckled and raised her hand, calling out to the elderly woman behind the counter.
"One more portion, please, auntie! Looks like our friend's stomach is singing!"
The woman smiled. "Right away!" she said, heading back to the kitchen. By the time Aryel finally managed to swallow her last bite, she lifted her head and sighed with a smile.
"The true meaning of life… warm bread," she said in a serious tone.
Erin burst out laughing, and Maia couldn't help but join in.
***
By the time Griffine, Lucien, Kael, Vega, and Nathan reached the heart of the forest, the air had grown thick and heavy.
Even the wind had gone silent.
Lucien stopped abruptly when he spotted a cave half-hidden in shadow ahead. His eyes narrowed.
"There," he said in a low voice, and without hesitation, quickened his pace.
While the others advanced with caution, Lucien was already swallowed by the cave's darkness. The stench hit him immediately — sharp, rotting, vile. His throat burned, but as he drew his sword, there was not the slightest hint of hesitation.
Mutated, half-conscious creatures twitched across the stone floor.
Lucien's gaze darkened. His blade sliced through the air and the first strike landed clean.
The ringing of steel echoed through the cavern, followed by shrill, inhuman screams that bounced off the stone walls and spilled outside. The others flinched at the sound.
Kael drew his sword at once. "Hey! You planning to hog the whole feast for yourself?"
Vega frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously… how many could he have taken down already?"
Griffine shot them both a sharp glare. "Enough talk — move!"
His command snapped them into action. As the three rushed in, the metallic tang of blood and the buzz of raw magic filled the air.
Lucien's sword was already drenched in crimson, yet his expression remained cold and unreadable. Vega caught sight of him through the darkness — and a shiver ran down his spine.
Lucien's eyes glowed faintly, a blue gleam flickering like firelight within the black.
Nathan, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. He simply bent down, collecting the glowing cores that fell from slain monsters as though it were routine.
Kael planted his bloodstained sword into the ground and exhaled heavily.
"Damn… he really earns that four-star rank," he muttered, shooting Lucien a sidelong look. Then, with a crooked smile, he added, "At this point, I can't tell which one's the real monster."
Lucien didn't bother replying. He simply tore the core from another corpse and moved on to the next.
The cave soon fell silent again — only the steady drip of blood remained.
Every corner was littered with severed limbs and pools of dark, viscous fluid. The sight made everyone's stomach twist… everyone except Lucien.
Even Griffine, hardened by years of combat, found himself silently watching the young man in disbelief. Lucien's movements were precise, calculated, merciless — and he hadn't even used magic.
"He doesn't even need it…" Griffine murmured under his breath.
At that moment, Lucien lifted his head and met Griffine's gaze. He didn't say a word, didn't even move — yet the coldness in his eyes was enough to pierce through the darkness itself.
By the time they returned to the inn, midnight had long passed. The halls were silent, lamps dimmed, and only the faint hum of wind outside broke the stillness. None of them spoke.
After a quick wash to rid themselves of the day's blood and grime, each retreated to their rooms. Within minutes, the inn was filled with nothing but the sound of steady breathing — deep, exhausted sleep that came after far too many restless nights.
***
As the morning sun rose, Aryel went to the open field behind the inn to train alone. It was the only way she could clear her head.
I wish Kael or Vega were here. Training alone is so boring, she thought. After a while of practicing spells, she decided to sit and meditate. Maybe she could make some progress with her light power.
But during meditation, all she could see in her mind was Lucien's face. The harder she tried not to think about him, the more vividly that moment in the carriage replayed in her mind.
Eventually, she gave up resisting and just let her thoughts flow. Facing her own emotions was never easy. For the first time, something was happening beyond her control and it bothered her. Then, Vega's words echoed in her mind:
"Accept your feelings, don't run from them."
It was easy to give advice… but living by it was a completely different story. Suddenly, she found herself laughing out loud. And the moment she opened her eyes—her face turned crimson.
Lucien was standing right in front of her. Am I hallucinating? Is this part of my meditation? she thought, blinking rapidly. But no matter how many times she blinked, the image didn't disappear.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Lucien said with a warm smile.
Aryel flushed even redder.
"I was just… meditating, and something funny crossed my mind. I couldn't help it," she stammered.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you not supposed to think of anything while meditating? Or am I mistaken?"
Aryel smiled faintly. "You're right. Let's just say it turned into a bit of inner reflection. Anyway, what are you doing here so early? Didn't you come back late last night?"
Lucien shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."
Then he slowly sat down beside her.
"I came out here for some reflection too," he said with a small smile.
Aryel tilted her head. "Something wrong?"
Lucien chuckled. "Did I ask you that first? Someone's a little too curious, aren't they?"
He laughed aloud, and Aryel couldn't help but smile back.
"I just meant if something's bothering you, I'd listen," she said softly. "Of course, you don't have to talk about it."
Lucien took a deep breath.
"I'm scared," he admitted quietly. "I'm terrified of the darkness inside me… that one day it'll take over and I won't be able to stop it."
He paused, then looked directly at Aryel, who was listening intently.
"…But I guess I can tell you that. After all, you stole my first kiss — we're pretty close now."
Aryel's face turned bright red. "You stole my first kiss! Why are you even bringing that up right now?"
Lucien burst out laughing. "You're still hung up on that, huh? It was just an accident. Nothing that should mess with our friendship. I just wanted you to know that."
As Aryel rushed to respond, her voice came out more anxious than she intended.
"I'm not hung up on it—you've got it wrong," she said quickly, but her tone betrayed her.
Lucien laughed again. For some reason, being around Aryel made him feel strangely at ease.
Trying to steer the topic elsewhere, Aryel asked,
"Also, how is that your first kiss? Didn't you say you had someone before?"
Lucien chuckled. "You were actually listening? I didn't say I had a relationship. I said she thought there was one."
Aryel frowned. "So you just let her believe whatever she wanted? Isn't that kind of cruel?"
Lucien sighed. "You're right—it probably was. But back then… I wasn't strong enough to fight certain things."
"How long ago was that?" Aryel asked curiously.
Lucien smiled and shrugged. "I was seventeen. About four years ago. Then school ended, I joined the guild, and I never saw her again. I just hope she doesn't still think we're together," he added, laughing.
Aryel laughed too. "If she does, that means I accidentally kissed a man who already had a girlfriend."
They both burst out laughing. The ice between them had completely melted. Without realizing it, they had drawn closer to one another.
Lucien smiled. "I'm guessing you were waiting for a training partner. Want to spar together?"
Aryel blinked in surprise. "Sure—but only if you're ready to get beaten up."
Lucien grinned. "Princess Aryel can do whatever she wishes. I'll gladly take the beating."
"I told you not to call me 'Princess,' didn't I?" Aryel shot back.
Lucien just gave a wide smile, then stood up and offered his hand. Aryel took it and rose quickly to her feet. Together, they began their training.
Lucien swung his sword against Aryel's ice attacks, deflecting them one after another.
Once Aryel tested his speed and reflexes, she increased her pace—then, with a quick motion, tried to block him using earth magic from below.
Lucien reacted instantly, dodging just in time. He was startled; he hadn't expected her to use her second element.
While he was still surprised, Aryel unleashed fire arrows toward him. Lucien avoided them, but before he could recover, she used wind magic—lifting him suddenly into the air.
Lucien hung there, suspended midair.
"Wow, Princess! You've really surprised me! Can you use all the elements? Come on, let me down! I surrender!"
Aryel smiled playfully.
"Giving up already? You could easily land if you just used your magic power."
Lucien shook his head. "I told you—I don't use it."
Aryel raised her energy, and Lucien began spinning higher in the air.
"Come on, stop being stubborn and use your power," she called out.
"If anything happens, I'll save you. How long can you keep running from yourself?"
Lucien had promised himself he wouldn't use that power. But Aryel's words echoed in his mind: How long can you run from yourself?
In that instant, he stopped resisting. He decided to call upon the darkness within him. His eyes flared a deep crimson as black energy swirled around his body—pushing back against Aryel's magic.
He descended to the ground and stepped toward her.
Those red eyes were fixed on Aryel. She flinched for a moment, but she had made a promise—to stop him, no matter what.
She took a slow step forward and reached out her hand. The moment their hands touched, a wave of warmth shot through her body.
She gasped—was this… her light power?
She stepped closer, holding his hands tightly. As she imagined channeling her inner light outward, a radiant beam surrounded them both.
Lucien's eyes widened in shock. What's happening? The dark energy around him dissipated instantly.
"Hey, Aryel! Are you okay?" Lucien's voice broke through the glow.
"Lucien… I finally used my light power," she whispered weakly.
And with that, her body went limp. Before she could hit the ground, Lucien caught her in his arms.