Part 1 - Echoes of the Hunt
The boar was still steaming when they dragged it through the heavy gates of Stonehollow. Adrian walked slightly behind the carcass with his hands jammed deep into his pockets, trying very hard to look like he hadn't almost died five minutes ago. It wasn't working.
"Oi," one of the gate guards called out, squinting at the massive beast. "That yours?"
Eggnog didn't even slow down. "No, we just found it politely lying there waiting to be escorted home."
JJ the Milk Man snorted, nearly choking on whatever suspicious white liquid he was currently sipping from his small belt pouch. "Could've happened," he said. "Friendly boar. Happens all the time."
Zero said nothing, as usual. He just walked beside the massive carcass as if it weighed absolutely nothing, keeping one hand steadying the side of it. Adrian glanced at him sideways. Yeah. Still entirely unfair.
Stonehollow Guild Hall
The moment they pushed through the double doors, the ambient noise of the guild hall hit them clashing tankards, roaring laughter, and loud complaints. It was the usual daily chaos.
And then, the room went quiet. It didn't happen all at once, and it wasn't overly dramatic, but a distinct ripple of silence cascaded through the crowd as people noticed them. Eyes drifted toward the group, down to the steaming boar, and then snapped right back to the group.
"...No way," someone muttered from a nearby table.
"That's the Ridgeback, isn't it?"
"Thought that thing was supposed to be unkillable..."
Adrian scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Great. Mass attention. My absolute favorite.
They dragged the carcass forward and dropped it right in front of the main quest counter with a heavy, floor-shaking THUD.
The receptionist blinked at the monster, then blinked a second time at the four of them. "...You're telling me," she said slowly, "that you four actually took this down?"
Eggnog leaned casually against the polished counter. "Five, if you count his ego." He jerked a thumb backward toward Adrian.
Adrian didn't even look at him. "I'm counting your personality as a negative one, so mathematically, we're still at four."
The Milk Man wheezed with laughter, and Zero's stoic expression shifted just enough that he almost smiled.
The receptionist flipped frantically through her paperwork, clearly trying to match the reality sitting on her floor with whatever official report she had on file. "...This was listed as a hazard-level escalation request," she said, her eyes scanning the text. "Multiple failed attempts. Reinforced hide. High resistance to standard iron weapons..." Her eyes lifted back to them. "...And you killed it."
Adrian shrugged, completely deadpan. "It slipped."
Eggnog stared at him, utterly baffled. "You're seriously not going to explain that at all?"
"Nope."
Reward & Recognition
A heavy sack of coins hit the wooden counter with a loud clink. It was a decent amount—not exactly life-changing wealth, but certainly enough to matter.
The Milk Man immediately tried to count the split while still taking a sip from his pouch.
"Careful," Adrian warned, watching him fumbled with the silver. "You're going to invent milk currency at this rate."
"It's already a superior economy," the Milk Man replied without a single shred of hesitation.
But to Adrian, the money wasn't the real point of this victory. The looks were. It wasn't fear or awe quite yet, but it was something uncomfortably close to it: recognition.
Adrian leaned slightly against the edge of the counter, rolling his stiff shoulder. It still throbbed with a dull ache. His arm felt incredibly heavy—not necessarily injured, just utterly drained from the magic. Inside him, something shifted faintly. It wasn't pain, but more like a deep, internal pressure that felt entirely unfinished.
Right on cue, the status screen flickered into his vision:
— Skill Fragment Status —
Ice Spear: 52% Stability
Aqua Sphere: 38% Integration
Inferno Ball: 81% Efficiency
— Optimization Available —
He exhaled slowly, watching the text fade. His powers were still incomplete, still messy, and still not enough.
"Oi."
He looked up from his thoughts. Zero was watching him from across the table—not casually, and notably not silently this time. He was actually studying him.
"You held it," Zero said flatly.
Adrian blinked. "Held what?"
"The moment."
Adrian frowned, waiting for an explanation, but Zero didn't elaborate. Of course he didn't.
Eggnog cut into the silence, his arms crossed over his chest. "He means you didn't panic when it actually mattered."
Adrian considered the chaotic fight for a second. "...I definitely panicked a little."
"Less than expected," Eggnog countered.
"That's easily the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"Don't get used to it."
The Reality Check
The ambient noise of the room slowly returned to its usual roar. People finally turned away from the counter and their conversations resumed, but every now and then, a glance lingered. A second look followed him, accompanied by a quiet whisper.
Adrian looked down at his own hand and flexed his fingers carefully. Fire didn't accidentally burst out of his palm, which was good—that would have been incredibly awkward to explain to the guild.
His thoughts drifted away from the crowded hall, heading back to the farm fight. He remembered that exact split second when the armored boar couldn't move, when it got stuck in the mud, and when everything clicked just long enough for him to survive.
Then, his mind drifted even further beyond that minor victory, traveling back to a much heavier, darker, and faster memory: the Dread Wolf.
He exhaled a quiet, cold breath into the warm guild hall. "...That thing would've absolutely killed all of us."
Eggnog didn't argue. The Milk Man didn't crack a joke, and even Zero didn't move an inch. A heavy, sobering silence fell over the group.
"Yeah," Eggnog said finally, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. "It would have."
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly at the confirmation. His Inferno Ball was becoming reliable, strong, and controlled. But against a threat like that? It wouldn't even be close to enough. He pushed himself off the edge of the counter and adjusted his cloak.
"Alright," shaking off the chill of the memory. "What's next?"
Eggnog raised a brow. "You literally just got paid. Most normal people take a moment to celebrate."
"I'm celebrating by planning how not to die next time," Adrian said. "Feels a lot more productive."
The Milk Man lifted his pouch in a solemn toast. "To survival."
Adrian gave a sharp nod. "To slightly improved survival."
Foreshadowing Shift
Just as they turned to leave the counter, the heavy wood of the guild doors creaked open violently. A merchant stumbled blindly into the hall. He was covered from head to toe in thick road dust, his chest heaving as pure panic leaked from his voice.
"Help!" he gasped, collapsing slightly against a nearby bench. "We need guards an escort on the Shadowfen road something's out there!"
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The ambient laughter vanished, replaced by an immediate wall of tension, fear, and grim recognition.
Adrian didn't even need to ask what the man had seen out on the road. He already knew. He let out a long, tired sigh.
"...Of course it is."
Part 2 - The Merchants' Road
The road out of Stonehollow was quieter than usual—too quiet. Adrian noticed it first, which, admittedly, wasn't saying much. His usual level of awareness tended to hover somewhere between "mildly alert" and "actively thinking about food," but even he could tell that something was deeply off.
"Why is it so... empty?" adjusting his cloak as he walked.
Beside him, Benjamin Dazzle strode forward with exaggerated confidence, his staff gripped tightly in his hand. His robes billowed dramatically behind him despite the fact that there was absolutely no wind.
"Ah!" Benjamin declared. "You feel it too, my magically inclined companion! The tension! The suspense! The unmistakable aura of impending doom!"
Adrian blinked. "...Or there's just no people."
Benjamin stopped dead in his tracks. "...That too."
Behind them, a small caravan creaked slowly along the dirt path. It consisted of two wagons, a handful of terrified merchants, and a single mercenary guard who looked like he deeply regretted every single life decision that had led him to this moment. Kazer padded gracefully alongside the group with his ears alert, while Jok was currently attempting to squeeze himself inside a wooden supply crate. He did not fit, but he clearly did not care.
Adrian glanced back at the creature. "...Is he actually supposed to be doing that?"
"He is expressing himself," Benjamin explained proudly.
Jok let out a low hiss at a nearby sack of grain.
"...Right."
The merchant leading the caravan, a stout man with a thick beard and incredibly nervous eyes, leaned in closer to Adrian. "You're sure... you two are enough to protect us?" he asked quietly.
Adrian opened his mouth to give a realistic answer, but Benjamin beat him to it.
"Not only are we enough," the wizard said, raising a single finger dramatically into the air, "we are entirely overqualified!"
Adrian gave a slow nod. "...I have absolutely no idea if that's actually true."
The merchant did not look reassured.
They traveled for hours as the road curved closer to the jagged edges of Shadowfen. The air grew noticeably heavier, thick with damp mist and a strange, primordial energy. Adrian felt it again that bizarre, deep internal pull, as if the forest itself were actively watching and judging him.
"...Still incredibly rude," he muttered to the trees.
"What was that?" Benjamin asked, glancing over.
"Nothing."
By late afternoon, they finally reached the trade crossing, and the caravan ground to a sudden halt. The area was littered with broken carts, shredded luggage, and massive claw marks that formed deep gouges in the earth.
"By the gods..." one of the merchants whispered, paling.
Adrian crouched down, running his hand along one of the ragged furrows in the dirt. The marks were deep and incredibly heavy, clearly not made by anything small or uncoordinated.
He stood back up, his expression hardening. "...That's definitely not a boar."
Benjamin's usual grin faded slightly as he stepped up beside him. "No," he agreed, his eyes scanning the tree line. "It is not."
Kazer let out a low, vibrating growl from his chest, and Jok froze—completely still for once. That sudden lack of movement from the chaotic creature was more concerning than anything else.
A sharp gust of wind tore violently through the clearing, bending the tops of the trees and causing the thick mist to shift. And then, everything fell into complete, absolute silence. The stillness was suffocating.
Adrian's heart started pounding against his ribs. "...Why does it feel like something just hit pause on the world?"
Benjamin whispered, his voice entirely stripped of its usual dramatic flair. "Because something powerful just entered it."
A massive shadow moved between the trees. It was large far too large...and the ground trembled slightly with each heavy step it took. The terrified merchants began backing away toward the wagons.
"No... No, no, no—" one of them stammered, dropping his crate.
Adrian stood up slowly from his crouch, his hand lifting out of pure instinct. Mana gathered rapidly beneath his skin, a faint glow beginning to form in his palm. He wasn't casting yet, but he was entirely ready.
Then, a sudden blur of silver and green cut through the air. Wind spiraled around the crossing, sending dry leaves scattering in every direction, and suddenly, she was there.
It was Elena.
She stood firmly between the vulnerable caravan and the dark forest, her hair flowing like moonlight. Her eyes were sharp, focused, and intensely alive.
Adrian froze in place. This time, time didn't just feel slower...it stopped completely.
"...wow," he said softly to himself.
Brilliant. That was all his brain could possibly come up with. After days of constantly thinking about her, searching for her, and almost dying in his attempts to find her, his grand, heroic internal dialogue amounted to a single syllable. Oh.
Beside her, a creature landed lightly on the dirt, its wings folding with a soft, leathery rustle. Bright blue eyes scanned the dark forest. It was Sky, and he was noticeably smaller than Adrian had expected, but the air immediately surrounding the creature crackled with an undeniable magical energy.
Elena didn't look back at the caravan. "Why are you here?" she asked, her voice calm, firm, and cutting right through the silence.
Adrian blinked, snapping out of his daze. "...Merchant escort?"
"...You chose the worst possible time," Elena said.
"Yeah, I'm heavily getting that."
Before another word could be spoken, the trees at the edge of the clearing exploded outward, and the monster finally stepped into full view. It was the Dread Wolf. It was massive and towering, its fur as dark as a moonless night and streaked with faint, glowing lines that looked like literal cracks in reality itself. Its burning eyes locked directly onto Elena. Instantly, the air grew even heavier, making it physically harder to breathe.
Adrian swallowed hard. "...That's definitely bigger than I remember."
Benjamin stepped up beside him, his voice surprisingly serious now. "Yes," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on the beast. "Because last time... we were much farther away."
"...Great."
The Dread Wolf moved. It was fast—far too fast—becoming a seamless blur of claws and pure fury as it charged straight for Elena.
"MOVE!" Adrian shouted.
But she didn't budge. Instead, a massive vortex of wind exploded outward from her position. The powerful burst twisted the beast's trajectory just enough that its razor-sharp claws tore through the dirt right beside her instead of through her. The sheer impact shook the entire clearing.
Sky launched upward into the air, his wings glowing brightly as he released a concentrated pulse of magical energy that struck the wolf's flank. The creature staggered for a mere half a second before unleashing a deafening roar. It was louder and angrier than before.
Adrian's heart slammed violently against his chest. This thing is on an entirely different level, he realized. Tier 3. No question. And they were absolutely not that level. Not even close.
Elena glanced back briefly, her sharp eyes meeting his. "...Leave," she said. It was simple, direct, and entirely final. "You'll die here."
Adrian opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "...Yeah, that sounds about right," he admitted.
Benjamin blinked at him in utter shock. "You're actually agreeing with her?!"
"I'm being realistic!"
The Dread Wolf lunged a second time, moving even faster and deadlier than before. This time, it went straight for Elena's throat. Adrian's body moved completely before his brain could even think to stop it. Mana surged violently through his veins as his hand lifted.
For the first time in his life, there was no hesitation, no delay, and zero instability. A perfect, blinding sphere of fire formed instantly in his palm bright, incredibly condensed, and perfectly controlled.
The wolf was inches away from Elena, its claws extended and her death seemingly certain. Adrian threw the magic with everything he had.
"INFERNO BALL!"
The sphere shot forward like a comet, moving faster, cleaner, and significantly stronger than any of his previous attempts. It slammed directly into the wolf's flank and exploded. Fire burst outward in a highly controlled blast not wild or unstable, but perfectly focused on the target.
The Dread Wolf unleashed a deafening roar, and this time, it was a sound of actual pain. The massive beast staggered as fresh burn marks spread across its side. It was real, undeniable damage.
A stunned silence fell over the clearing for a fraction of a second. Even Elena froze. She turned her head and looked back at Adrian really looked at him this time.
"...You actually hurt it," she said quietly.
Adrian blinked, his hand still smoking. "...Yeah, I'm honestly kind of surprised too."
The wolf snarled, its burning eyes narrowing. It was much angrier now, and its focus had shifted. It was no longer looking just at Elena; it was locked onto him.
Benjamin slowly leaned toward Adrian, his voice dropping to a tense murmur. "...Congratulations. You are now officially on its hit list."
Adrian let out a long sigh. "...Of course I am."
Elena stepped forward again, a powerful gale of wind gathering around her form while Sky circled high above, his wings glowing brighter by the second. "This still isn't enough," she warned, not breaking her gaze from the beast. "You cannot fight a creature like this yet."
Adrian nodded in immediate agreement. "...Yeah, I pretty much figured that part out the moment it tried to turn me into paste."
The Dread Wolf crouched low to the earth, pooling its energy and preparing for another attack one that would undoubtedly be stronger and far deadlier.
Elena's voice cut sharply through the mounting tension. "Go. Now."
This time, Adrian didn't waste a single breath arguing. He reached out and forcefully grabbed the wizard's robed arm. "We're leaving."
Benjamin blinked in surprise. "...We're actually leaving?"
"Yes. That is precisely what the word 'go' means."
"...I honestly thought we'd engage in more dramatic banter first."
"Not today."
They began pulling the panicked merchants back toward the safety of the path with urgent speed. Kazer ran circles around the wagons to herd them, while Jok surprisingly helped the effort by dragging a terrified merchant by the sleeve while fiercely hissing at the forest as if the trees had personally offended him.
Adrian glanced back just once over his shoulder. Elena stood entirely alone against the towering Dread Wolf, wind swirling violently around her as Sky glowed fiercely at her side. She looked small compared to the ancient beast, but she was completely unyielding.
"...I'll come back," Adrian muttered under his breath. He didn't say it to Benjamin, the merchants, or even to her. It was a quiet promise strictly to himself.
The wolf roared, the entire forest shook to its roots, and Adrian ran.
Part 3 - The Flame That Reached Her
They didn't stop running until the thick canopy of the forest finally began to thin, until the damp air felt normal again, and until that suffocating, invisible pressure finally lifted from Adrian's chest. He bent forward, resting his hands firmly on his knees as he breathed heavily.
"...Okay," he panted between ragged breaths, "I officially vote we never do that again."
Benjamin, somehow, was still standing upright, though he looked slightly less theatrical than usual. "I second that motion," he said, adjusting his robes. "Wholeheartedly. Enthusiastically. With absolutely zero intention of revisiting that nightmare creature anytime soon."
Behind them, the escorted merchants were in various states of panic, intense relief, and near-tears. One of them stepped forward and suddenly grabbed Adrian's arm. "You—you drove it back!"
Adrian blinked, gently pulling his arm away. "...I definitely did not."
"But you hit it!"
"I did that, yes," Adrian admitted. "The running away part was more of a group effort, though."
They escorted the remainder of the caravan the rest of the way in tense, suffocating silence. No one cracked a joke, and even Jok behaved himself perfectly. Honestly, the creature's sudden cooperation was the most unsettling part of the entire trek.
By the time they finally returned to the safety of Stonehollow, the sun had dipped low beneath the horizon, casting long, dramatic shadows across the town's stone buildings. The moment they stepped through the heavy gates, word of the encounter spread. It traveled fast—far too fast.
"Those are the ones who were on the road—"
"They saw it—"
"They actually fought it—"
"And they survived?"
Adrian slowed his pace, his eyes darting toward the murmuring crowds. "...I really don't like this."
Benjamin, on the other hand, immediately straightened his posture and flashed a proud grin. "I, my friend, absolutely thrive in this environment."
They didn't even make it halfway to the guild hall before a loud voice cut directly through the busy street, calling out to them: "Is it true?!"
Adrian didn't even bother to turn around. "Probably not!" he called back over his shoulder.
Inside the guild hall, the sheer volume of noise hit them like a solid wall. Adventurers were gathered in tight clusters, their voices overlapping in a frantic hum as questions flew across the room. Behind the main counter, the receptionist looked like she was actively reconsidering every single one of her life choices.
"You actually encountered the Dread Wolf?" she asked, trying her absolute best to sound calm.
Benjamin stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "We did far more than encounter it."
Adrian let out a long sigh. "...We ran from it."
"We strategically repositioned," Benjamin corrected smoothly.
"...Someone hurt it."
The voice didn't come from the crowding adventurers, and it didn't come from behind the desk. It came from the side. Adrian turned toward the sound, and there she was—leaning casually against one of the heavy wooden pillars as if she'd been standing there the entire time.
It was Lyra. Her fox ears twitched slightly, her glowing guitar was slung securely across her back, and her eyes were sharp. Far too sharp.
"...You felt it too, didn't you?" she asked, her gaze locking onto him.
Adrian blinked. "...Felt what?"
"That sudden spike of magic," she said simply, stepping away from the pillar. "Fire. Clean. Incredibly controlled." She tilted her head slightly, a knowing look crossing her features. "...That was you, wasn't it?"
Adrian hesitated, trying to formulate a safe answer, but Benjamin did not.
"Of course it was!" the wizard declared proudly. "My esteemed magical colleague has begun to truly blossom—"
Adrian immediately raised a hand to cut him off. "Let's absolutely not use the word blossom."
Lyra's grin widened. "Blossom's good," she teased. "Very poetic."
"...I heavily regret everything."
The receptionist leaned forward slightly over the polished counter, her brow furrowed. "You actually managed to damage a Tier 3 creature?" she asked, demanding confirmation.
Adrian scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "...A little."
A fresh wave of murmurs instantly spread through the crowd. This time, the whispers traveled faster and grew much louder, because every single adventurer in that room understood exactly what that meant.
Tier 3 monsters didn't just... get hurt. Not by E-rank adventurers, and certainly not by people like them. A heavy, suffocating silence settled over the entire guild hall.
Then, a harsh voice cut through the quiet. "Who helped you?"
Adrian froze. The voice was deeper and older than the others. A man stepped forward from the back of the room, wearing heavily worn armor and bearing deep scars across his face. He had eyes that had clearly seen far too much.
"You didn't survive that creature alone," the veteran said flatly.
Adrian hesitated for a fraction of a second before giving the only answer he could. "...Elena."
The reaction across the room was instantaneous. A collective shift rippled through the crowd—it wasn't fear or surprise, but something much deeper: recognition and absolute respect.
"The Guardian of Shadowfen," someone whispered from a corner booth.
"She's still alive..." another muttered.
Benjamin nodded proudly. "Very much so," he chimed in. "And quite capable, I might add."
The scarred man studied Adrian for a long moment, measuring the young man's demeanor against the legendary name. Finally, he gave a slow, solemn nod. "...Then you were incredibly lucky."
Adrian let out a dry huff. "Yeah. That's definitely one word for it."
Later much later, when the frantic noise had finally died down and the guild hall returned to something resembling its usual chaotic normal Adrian stepped outside.
The night air was cool, quiet, and peaceful. The tranquility felt completely wrong after the sheer terror of what had just happened on the road. He leaned his back against the stone wall of the building, staring up at the unfamiliar stars.
He looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers into the cool breeze. "...I actually hit it," he muttered quietly to himself.
It hadn't been a guess, and it hadn't been luck. He'd felt it the control, the precision. For once, his magic had actually listened to him.
"You did more than that."
Adrian stiffened slightly. He didn't even need to turn around; he already knew who it was. Elena stepped into full view, as silent as ever. Sky was perched lightly on her shoulder, his wings glowing faintly against the darkness of the night.
Up close, she looked tired. Not weak, just... worn down by the weight of everything.
"...You shouldn't be here," she said flatly.
Adrian snorted softly. "You keep saying that."
"And you keep ignoring it."
"Seems to be a pattern for me."
She studied him intently, her sharp eyes scanning his posture as if she were trying to solve a complex puzzle. "...You've gotten stronger," she noted.
Adrian shrugged. "Trying not to die tends to be an excellent motivator."
Sky shifted slightly on her shoulder, his feathers rustling as his bright eyes locked onto Adrian. He was watching and judging and probably remained entirely unimpressed.
Elena stepped a fraction closer. "...That spell," she said, her voice dropping lower. "That wasn't luck."
Adrian hesitated Slightly. "...No."
"It was controlled."
"...Yeah."
"It actually hurt it."
"...I noticed."
A heavy silence stretched between them. It wasn't awkward, just loaded with the reality of their situation.
"...You still can't fight it," she said finally.
There it was. It was blunt, honest, and annoyingly accurate. Adrian exhaled slowly, letting his shoulders drop. "I know."
That confession surprised her, if only just a little.
"I'm not stupid," he added. "That thing... it's on a completely different level."
Elena gave a slow, solemn nod. "...Then stay away from it."
Adrian looked at her really looked at her this time. "...No."
She frowned, her expression hardening. "You will die."
"Yeah," he said, meeting her gaze. "That's already been firmly established."
"Then why—"
"Because you can't beat it either."
That completely stopped her. It wasn't because he was wrong, but simply because he had the nerve to say it out loud.
Adrian pushed himself off the stone wall, stepping closer to her. His movement wasn't aggressive; it was just firm and absolute. "You're holding it back," he said. "Buying time. Keeping it away from the town and its people." She didn't deny a single word of it. "Which is great," he added. "Very heroic. Love that for you. But..."
"...But?"
"But that thing isn't just going to pack up and leave," Adrian said. "Not unless someone actually takes it down for good."
Sky let out a soft, low sound from her shoulder, almost as if in agreement. Elena's gaze narrowed slightly. "...And you think that someone is going to be you?"
Adrian paused, calculating his next words. Then, he looked her dead in the eye. "...Not yet."
That answer surprised her more than anything else he'd said so far.
"But I will be," he continued, his tone unwavering. "Eventually." He shrugged lightly, trying to ease the gravity of his own words. "Hopefully before it kills me."
For a fraction of a second, she almost smiled. It was just barely there, a ghost of an expression, before her stoic mask slipped back into place.
"...You're entirely reckless," she said.
"I've been told."
"Multiple times."
"Usually by you, actually."
The silence returned, but it felt softer this time.
"...Then get stronger," Elena said finally.
Adrian blinked, taken aback. "...That's it? That's your advice?"
"That's it." She turned slightly, preparing to leave as Sky spread his glowing wings. "...Because next time," she added over her shoulder, "I might not be there to pull you out."
Adrian nodded slowly, a quiet determination settling deep into his chest. "...Then I'll make sure I don't need saving."
She glanced back one final time. "...Good."
And just like that, she was gone, vanishing into the cool night air as if she'd never been standing there at all.
Adrian stood there for a long moment, simply staring at the empty space she had left behind. Then, he let out a long breath. "...Well," he muttered to himself, "that went slightly better than expected."
"You're in love."
Adrian jumped, nearly spinning on his heel. "What—?!"
Lyra was sitting on a wooden barrel nearby, swinging her legs casually with her glowing guitar resting in her lap. She was grinning as if she'd just stumbled upon her absolute favorite kind of chaos.
"I am not," Adrian denied immediately.
"Mm-hmm."
"I'm not."
"Sure." Lyra Grinned
He pointed a defensive finger at her. "You literally stab things for fun."
"Correct."
"I don't trust your judgment on human emotion."
"Also correct."
Lyra laughed a bright, unhinged sound. "Relax," she said, hopping down from the barrel. "I like her."
"...That is somehow so much more concerning."
She stood tall, stretching her arms slightly. "...You're gonna fight that nightmare creature again, aren't you?"
Adrian didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Lyra's smirk widened. "Good," she said, her ears twitching with excitement. "I was starting to get incredibly bored around here."
Adrian sighed deeply, rubbing his face. "...Why are all the people around me like this?"
From somewhere further down the dark street, Benjamin's voice suddenly rang out through the night air. "Because destiny has chosen you, my esteemed colleague!"
Adrian didn't even bother to turn around. "...I heavily hate destiny."
But despite himself, as he walked back toward his lodgings with his chaotic companions trailing behind him, a small smile touched his lips. Just a little.