The industrial elevator plummeted toward the depths of Vallum. Inside the metallic cabin, the silence was thick, interrupted only by the wailing of the gears and the pressure punishing the eardrums as the altitude dropped, prolonging every second within that machinery.
— Urgh... aaah...
Hanna grumbled, her fingers twitching against the skin of her earlobe, an electric irritation running through her body.
— What is it, Hanna?
Arthur asked.
— The noise of this thing is bothering me...
Arthur sighed, gently pulling her in front of him and, without saying a word, covered her ears with the palms of his hands. The vacuum generated between his hands and Hanna's skin isolated the external chaos, creating an oasis of absolute silence for the girl.
...
— It seems you and Hanna are getting quite close. You've been very careful with her, Arthur.
Alice observed the scene. Her hands slid along the strap of her backpack, her eyes fixed on the floor vibrating beneath her feet.
— You think so? Sometimes I don't even notice it.
He smiled.
— That's just it... sometimes, when we don't notice what is right before us, it's because it has become as natural as possible.
She said calmly, her fingers drumming against each other.
— Yeah... maybe you're right. And that applies to you too, you know?
Alice turned her head, her eyebrows slightly raised in silent questioning.
— What do you mean?
— You don't look at Hanna with that same suspicion as before. You've started treating her like... one of us. Even your fights now seem more innocent. You don't notice, but that has become natural for you too.
Arthur's words drew a rare and genuine smile from Alice, something that seemed to shine against the dimness of the cabin.
— Actually... since Darian's attack, I feel our bonds have strengthened, even in such a short time. You've even managed to express yourself more. I'm happy for that.
...
— Maybe you're more right than I'd like to admit. Just don't let Hanna hear... she'd use it to torment me for the rest of my life.
She paused, her gaze lost in the void for a moment.
...
— Arthur, as much as I'm not good with words... I like you. And I like Hanna, though in my own way. Truly... it had been a long time since I smiled genuinely, whether listening to your nonsense or lecturing her.
Alice sighed, turning her body toward Arthur. The confession hung in the air like a mist.
— When our contract finally ends, I will go my own way. I have plans that need to be fulfilled. We won't see each other... at least not anytime soon. But I want you to know that every second here was special to me.
Arthur felt a tightening in his chest. The idea of Alice's departure was a silent blow, but he respected her independence. He didn't make a long speech; he knew Alice preferred essence over exaggeration.
— Every moment, as short as it lasted, was already incredible, and I am eternally grateful for your help. And we will certainly see each other again... and this time it will be so we never leave again.
Hanna, who until then had been floating in her own world of silence, noticed the exchange of glances and pushed Arthur's hands away.
— What are you two whispering about over there, huh? You have this terrible habit of excluding me, taking advantage of my vulnerability!
Arthur moved his hand just enough for her to hear.
— We were discussing how to approach Caerius.
Alice regained her habitual posture in the blink of an eye, responding quickly.
— Conversation doesn't always work, unfortunately. If it doesn't, I think we'll have to resort to threats.
Arthur said, almost a whisper amidst the metallic sound.
— That stays as a last resort; we can't afford to threaten someone from an area we've never been to. One false step and the entire population turns against us. Let's try dialogue and bribery to the utmost first.
Alice explained, and Hanna rolled her eyes, sticking out her tongue.
— As if we couldn't handle a bunch of nobodies. But since you prefer the boring way, I'll let you try.
GRRRNN!
— It's stopping, hold on tight. We don't know if the entrance is a door or—
KLANG!
The elevator ground to a halt, hitting all at once. The impact shot up through the legs of the three, violently destabilizing them.
— Urgh, dammit! We paid a fortune for this shit and we still take a fall like that?
Arthur stood up, slapping his hands against his clothes and shaking off the rising dust. Before any other reaction from Alice and Hanna, the dust settled as quickly as it had risen.
Above them, the tunnel they had descended through was an abyss of darkness with no stairs or structures. Only massive steel cables held the platform. Preventing any living being from ascending.
— Never mind the fall. The problem is we paid eight thousand to simply HAVE NOTHIIIIIIING. WE WERE SCAMMED!
Hanna shouted, her voice echoing through the desolate vastness where they had disembarked.
It was a plain of packed earth, surrounded by mountains of twisted metal and decomposing organic waste. In the high ceiling, industrial floodlights cast a white and implacable light upon the ground. Likely a...
— Junkyard. Our gateway to Morrow-en is a junkyard. How pleasant.
Alice grumbled, bringing her fingers to her nose and pinching it.
— Great, I'm certain that bitch sabotaged us. We're going to spend the rest of our lives dumped in a pile of shit!
Hanna kicked a screw that lay in the middle of the platform.
SLAP!
Arthur silenced her with a slap to the back of the neck.
— Try to stay calm, you lunatic. Look there... if we focus our vision, we can see lights coming from the horizon. It's clearly just the city's junkyard, and not a Vallum junkyard. The problem is it looks quite far. Alice, how many supplies do we still have?
— Enough for a few hours of walking. That's in the best-case scenario. If we count the glutton over there, it shouldn't last more than a few minutes.
— Better than nothing. Did you hear that, Hanna? Mouth shut and stomach controlled.
Arthur said, closing her mouth and poking her stomach.
— Whatever, it's not like I wanted anything from the little princess anyway.
Hanna huffed, setting off ahead and kicking up dust with every firm step.
---
A few minutes ahead, Hanna stopped... already grumbling with her hand on her head.
— I'm so hungry...
— But only forty minutes have passed at most. Weren't you the one who didn't want anything from Alice?
Arthur mocked her, stopping by her side.
— If you aren't helping, don't get in the way, Arthur! It's just that this light is too strong... it's giving me a headache. If it weren't for that, the incredible Hanna here would have her vigor at its peak. And you know how my anomaly works, yet you keep making fun!
She tried to stay upright while staggering a bit.
— I have to admit... these lights give off an absurd heat.. I wonder if Morrow-en is full of these lights? Further ahead the lighting doesn't seem so fluorescent.
Arthur asked Alice while resting his hand on Hanna's shoulder, steadying her.
— I don't think so. The lighting coming from there must be from house lights and lamp posts. These floodlights probably serve as an artificial sun until near civilization.
While she spoke, Alice felt a prick of vertigo. Her thoughts were becoming clouded, her vision slightly blurred.
— But it would be better if we had a way to get there faster... we would save unnecessary time down here.
"Not just that... I'm feeling vertigo just being in this area. Could there be some kind of toxic gas to keep residents away from the belt? But Arthur and Hanna don't seem affected. I hope they aren't, otherwise... they'll start to panic and delay us even more. Dammit... we need to get out of here."
Alice stood still, her head held high as she looked at the ceiling while her thoughts raced, her vision already starting to get half-blurred as she tried to find a solution.
"My body feels limp..."
— We can use the dummy here as transport, can't we?
Hanna's voice cut through Alice's daydream.
She rested her eyes on Hanna and then on Arthur; Hanna was clearly referring to Arthur's anomaly as a means of locomotion.
— When he fought that son of a bitch Darian, he made some very fast lunges in a short time. What if he keeps doing that until we get there?
Hanna finished speaking, giving Arthur a few pats on the back.
— It's a good idea, Hanna. But he would arrive alone. How would we keep up?
— Oh, that's easy! We'll ride on his back!
... ...
— You want to make me a pack mule?
Arthur stopped, indignant, asking a question even though he already knew what the answer would be.
— Pretty much.
Hanna replied, her smile cynical.
Alice thought... that would wear Arthur out, as they didn't yet know the general drawbacks of his anomaly. But on the other hand... she and Hanna would arrive quickly, and they could make up for the boy's fatigue.
— As much as I hate to admit it... it's the most plausible option. Arthur, can you do this?
Arthur looked over at Alice, noticing how she struggled a bit to breathe... her lips starting to get dry.
— I don't even have fifty percent mastery over my anomaly yet. Last time was pure instinct. The next day, I couldn't even feel my legs.
He explained, even without considering the idea of refusing.
— Numbness comes from raw effort in the muscles. Try to channel the vacuum only into the soles of your feet for the impulse. Reduce the impact on the rest of your legs. I also don't want you to get hurt for nothing; if you can at least get us within two kilometers of the destination, that's enough...
She inhaled.
Arthur looked at his own feet and then at the horizon.
— ... Alright, I can try.
— Nice! I knew you wouldn't be a coward now.
In an instant, Hanna jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist. Alice followed suit, using Hanna as support.
— Everything alright there, Arthur? Can you move?
Arthur moved his feet to test, taking short but firm steps.
— I can... but... Alice, how much do you weigh? You climbed up and—
BAM!
Alice punched the top of his head.
— Shut up and move.
Arthur grumbled but followed the command.
He leaned his torso forward a bit more, dragging his left foot back at the same time.
"Okay... it's almost the same as using the vacuum in my fists..."
Concentrating, he channeled the pressure, expelling the air under the soles of his boots.
The dust and scrap around the sole of his foot began to be repelled, while at the same time trying to re-occupy the space where they were and expel Arthur from there.
Sshhhhhh...
Veins began to trace along his foot, and in the second after:
K-THOOM!
The vacuum from Arthur's feet collapsed and the air returned with the force of a hydraulic press. The impact was violent enough to create cracks and craters at the starting point.
— HOLY SHIT!!
Hanna screamed, gripping his shoulders tightly when she was almost thrown off.
Arthur didn't stop at the first impulse. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the air was repelled again, followed by another violent blast.
Zwip-DUM! ... Zwip-DUM! ... Zwip-DUM!
He was acting like a stone skipping over the surface of a river, knowing that at any moment he could sink.
Hanna smiled with excitement, fascinated by Arthur's anomaly.
— Well... nothing too much, but still... it's incredible. You have my approv.... EYIIII!!
Hanna almost fell with another of Arthur's impulses, clearly done on purpose.
— Arthur, stop playing around. And don't go so fast.
Alice said, but a sense of relief took hold of her.
"This is good... the speed of displacement is making this gas dissolve around us. At least it won't make my situation worse.."
... ...
On a stronger impulse, Alice lost her balance. Before falling...
SHRRK!
A curved baton emerged from Hanna's rib, wrapping around Alice's waist and pulling her back.
— Don't get too comfortable!
She shouted against the rushing wind, shortening the baton a bit to pull Alice further up. Alice let out an imperceptible laugh, leaning back on Hanna.
---
...
While the trio crossed the desolate land, Morrow's Rest teemed with its noisy routine. At the counter, Helvik cleaned with a flannel in a methodical calm, while Nemis observed the reflection of her face in the cognac.
— How is young Halvorn, Nemis? Sometimes he passes by the bar door; his countenance is even more radiant than before.
Helvik asked calmly, his hands moving the flannel quietly over the counter with a monotonous calm, even though it was already impeccably clean.
— I think... it's halfway there...
She took a long sip of her cognac.
— ...He had that talk with old Din, I think it was the reality check he needed... since the tragedy with Naeris happened. You know... hearing that from her own father is comforting. He still gets a bit down about it, it's normal... not everyone gets over something from one moment to the next.
Helvik smiled, pouring her another shot.
— Insistence brought him this far. But, as you said, it's only halfway.
Nemis looked at her drink.
— We were only the means; the nail in the coffin is being his path from now on. I just hope... it wasn't in vain.
She let out an exasperated sigh while holding the glass and bringing it to her lips, until—
CLANG-CRASH!!
The crash outside made a customer's beer overflow.
One of the grumpy men grumbled inside the bar, the other customers standing up almost at the same time and heading outside.
— Could it be a street fight? I just hope they don't throw anything against my bar.
Helvik laid his bartender tools on the counter while straining his vision to try and see over the crowd at the entrance door.
Nemis, however, continued to take her shot without even looking back.
— OUTSIDERS!
One of the men in the crowd shouted from outside, the sound reverberating until it reached the ears of Nemis, who finally stood up last.
She took firm steps toward the door, pushing through the wall of flesh.
— Get out of my way!
She growled through gritted teeth.
"Outsiders?! That means they are people coming from Vallum. Dammit!" She thought, passing the last person and seeing the scene that was making everyone around swarm:
Arthur, Alice, and Hanna completely splattered. Tangled in the middle of piles of scrap metal that were inside a crate belonging to a local resident who collected directly. It was a scene...
— HUMILIATING!
Hanna was the first to raise her voice while Arthur remained with his face buried in the rubble.
— You stupid idiot! Didn't you hear what I said? You weren't supposed to go so fast! Now we're completely thrown in the shit because you didn't know how to brake!
Arthur finally stood up, looking at Hanna with an incredulous expression while pointing his finger at her face.
— WHAT?! First of all, the one who told me not to go so fast was Alice, and you were the one who kept saying "Hey, get more impulse there Arthur." And it's not my fault we crashed, you're the one who weighs a whole ton!
Hanna's eyes widened, flushing in fury.
— Why you... you damn ungrateful wretch. Why don't you take that argument and shove it up your—
Alice silenced Hanna's mouth with an empty soda can she found in the trash.
— Be quiet, especially you. I'm stressed enough already.
While Hanna still tried to argue her side, Nemis looked at the trio with an expression of surprise and confusion.
"How did they come all this way walk... no, running?"
She thought while looking to the side and seeing further back mini-craters from Arthur's footprints.
"How...? And this face... isn't this boy the—"
Before she could finish the thought, her body acted first. She took a few quick steps forward and stopped in front of Arthur.
— Go away, now.
Arthur lifted his chin to look at Nemis, who was invading his personal space.
— Hey, calm down. No need for that to—
He tried to argue, but was completely cut off by the woman's repeated voice.
— Go away, don't make me repeat myself.
She grabbed his arm with force. She expected resistance, violence, but he only looked at her with surprise.
"Is this really the anomalous one that the HU said is brutal and savage? He doesn't even react..."
— You three are going to disappear from here, especially you. You aren't going to bring any more trouble down here.
And then, before she could drag Arthur with her, Alice intervened.
She grabbed Nemis's wrist, but not with real force.
— Please, let him go. We didn't come to cause trouble. We're looking for a boy named Caerius.
She informed and explained their reason for being there all at once.
— If there's one thing I hate... it's having to repeat the same thing over and over. You aren't going to look for anyone here, turn around and leave.
Nemis repeated, but Alice refused once more... holding onto her wrist.
...
— Like I said...
PÁ!
Nemis's fist hit Alice's face with the force of a hammer.
— ... I hate having to repeat myself.
The mercenary recoiled, spitting blood. The crowd in the bar erupted in shouts and bets.
— AEEEEEE, NEMIS! GO ALL OUT ON THAT STUCK-UP GIRL!!
One of the men bellowed, his hoarse voice cutting the air.
— HEY, I BET A BEER AND A PACK OF CIGARETTES THAT NEMIS ENDS THIS IN THREE MINUTES!
Another informed.
The area remained chaotic. Alice rubbed her face with the back of her hands, feeling the sting of the blow, and spat blood on the ground.
Hanna, still with the soda can in her mouth, spat it away, watching the scene in shock.
— Ow... that was a big punch. Even for me.
But Arthur had a different reaction.
Arthur, however, had a different reaction. He rose from the scrap metal with heavy, irritated steps, walking toward Nemis. She spun her body toward him, marking him as the next target.
— Stay out of it, Arthur.
Ordered Alice. She didn't raise her arm to stop him as she usually did; she just took the backpack off her back and threw it to him.
— Dammit, Alice, she punched you in the face! Are you seriously going to let this happen...
Arthur was silenced by her look. Alice assumed her combat stance, her eyes fixed on her opponent.
— You said you don't like to repeat yourself, and I don't like to insist. And if there's one thing I've done lately, it was that. I didn't come here for nothing... I'm only leaving after talking to Caerius.
... ...
— ... I'm not open to negotiating. I'm going to make you go back up... even if it's by force.
Before Alice could respond, Nemis advanced. She delivered a lateral punch with her left fist while using her right arm to anticipate any counterattack.
"She's fast and strong..."
Thought Alice, blocking the frenetic sequence of blows. She recoiled a bit, using lateral jumps to maintain distance, while Nemis implacably closed the space. Alice saw an opening: she jumped forward, grabbing Nemis's trapezius with one hand to unbalance her opponent's weight, while at the same time applying a sweep with her right leg.
"Perfect... if I can immobilize her like I did with Hanna that time, she won't—"
But Alice didn't count on Nemis's combat cunning. Taking advantage of the gravity of the sweep itself, Nemis gave herself to the movement; before Alice's leg completed the arc, she used the lateral support to perform a flip, freeing herself from the fall and Alice's grip in an acrobatic spin.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Nemis delivered a direct punch to the pit of Alice's stomach. The mercenary grit her teeth, the air escaping her lungs, while sweat began to visibly run down her face.
— AEEEEEE!!!!! THAT'S OUR NEMIS!
— TKS... USELESS OUTSIDER! I BET A PIECE OF MEAT ON YOU! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO RETURN THE TRUST?
The audience continued to be hysterical.
— Alice is taking a bad beating... what's gotten into her? Dammit...
Hanna commented while crushing a small can in her hand, still half-disbelieving at seeing the mercenary so against the wall.
Alice tried to recoil a few more steps, trying to maintain as much distance as possible.
— Notice? Besides fighting on my turf, you're being forced to fight in my style. If you get close, you get beaten.
Nemis continued with her armed position while taunting Alice.
"Shit... I'm terrible at close-range hand-to-hand combat... that's why I usually opt to take down and immobilize. But how do I do that with someone who fights at short range? And this gas has left my senses and body limp..."
Alice breathed with difficulty, sweat stinging her eyes.
Nemis noticed her gaze dropping to the hilt of the Seraphim at her waist.
— If you resort to the weapon, maybe your chances will increase. Who knows, if you do that, I might consider listening?
Nemis taunted further.
...
— I don't need it at the moment. I'm going to beat you in hand-to-hand so you have no excuses later.
Alice wiped the falling sweat with the collar of her shirt.
Nemis spat to the side and charged again. The exchange of punches restarted, and Alice was pushed against the wall once more. Nemis was clearly heavier and stronger.
Hanna, furious, began to advance as a blade ejected from her palm, but Arthur held her firmly by the shirt.
— Stop, Hanna. Alice said not to get involved.
— She's taking a bad beating, Arthur! She's clearly not in the best condition, it's unfair!
Hanna tried to advance again but stopped upon meeting Alice's warning look. She paused, sitting down beside Arthur with a bitter expression.
— If we get involved, the fight becomes a free-for-all. There's nothing to be done, as much as I hate seeing this.
Arthur clenched his fists tightly, containing his own impulse to interfere while his legs began to visibly give way.
Nemis continued the pressure. Alice dodged a punch, but Nemis used her own arm to pull her back, preparing a direct cross to the face. At the last millisecond, Alice pressed her body against Nemis's and used her forehead to absorb the impact. The dry crack of Nemis's fingers hitting Alice's hard skull made the suburb woman groan in pain.
Alice didn't miss the chance. She wrapped her arms around Nemis, interlocking her fingers in an iron grip behind her back. And then...
WHACK!!
Alice collided her forehead with everything against Nemis's, holding her in place.
— YES, ALICE! HOLY SHIT!
Hanna and Arthur shouted in unison.
The people of Morrow-en looked on in disbelief. To them... Nemis was like a suburb Alice.
— COME ON, NEMIS! DON'T GO EASY!
The crowd shouted with greater fervor.
— That's a dirty move...!
Complained Nemis, trying to free herself from the hold.
— Dirty? I'm just fighting in the suburb style.
She tried to apply a suplex, but Nemis was stubborn, planting her feet on the ground and using her weight as an anchor. Alice tried to kick her legs to remove the support, but Nemis stepped on Alice's feet, locking her.
They were two hydraulic presses disputing who would break first.
— YOU CAN DO IT!
Arthur shouted, and Alice's next move caught Nemis off guard.
Alice then feigned that she would try to lift her again. Nemis steadied her position, but Alice spun her body sharply 180 degrees, forcing Nemis's feet to leave the ground for a brief instant. It was enough. She lifted Nemis and threw her over her own body in a perfect suplex. The impact of Nemis's head on the floor echoed.
— Dammit... ah...
Nemis lay disconcerted, stretched out on the floor.
Alice gave no time for recovery. She moved quickly behind her, closing a rear-naked choke, but without applying the lethal squeeze.
— It seems I won... so you're going to list...
Alice was interrupted by the woman's insistence.
— I'm still conscious... don't underestimate me!
She tried in every way to free herself from Alice's grip, who held on as tight as possible.
— I'm going in! Alice is weak!
Hanna generated a curved blade from her elbow, ignoring Arthur as she walked.
The place was pure chaos, with the people of Morrow-en in an uproar.
Until...
Tuc!
The sound of firm footsteps made the euphoria wither. Helvik's voice cut through the environment:
— Enough noise and mess at my bar door...
Everyone was looking toward him, especially Arthur, Alice, and Hanna.
— The bar will close early today... so—
Before he finished, the crowd was already shuffling back inside amid laughter and grumbles, as if that were their natural habitat.
...
— Could you release her? Not only will she listen to you... but I will too.
Alice hesitated, fearing her last strength had been spent in vain.
— She won't attack. You have my guarantee.
...
Alice sighed and released Nemis, who stood up quickly, hand on her injured neck. Arthur and Hanna ran to Alice. Arthur knelt in front of her, his trembling hands touching the mercenary's bruised face with pure concern.
— If that eye-patch lady tries any funny business, I'll run her through. You understand?
Hanna growled as she stood between Arthur and Helvik.
— She won't do anything.
Helvik repeated patiently.
—... I'd even invite you in for a drink... but the bar is full. And I don't think another commotion right now would help. So let's start right here: Why did you come here?
Helvik was short and direct, without much beating around the bush. He also wasn't very confident or comfortable with the idea of Vallum residents having descended to Morrow-en.
Hanna retracted her blade, relaxing minimally.
— These bastards came after Caerius.
Nemis intruded, not giving the three the right to speak.
— Yes, we need his knowledge for a mission. I know it doesn't sound very reliable... but I ask that you listen to me.
Alice said, her voice a low whisper while Arthur tended to her wounds, though she showed almost no trace of pain.
...
— Alright, speak.
Helvik was all ears at that exact moment...
— To start: We came for Caerius, as I said before. I know it will sound crazy... but we need him to access the security system of one of the HU headquarters and disable it. This isn't a favor; of course we will pay for the service. After he does that, his job ends... nothing more than that.
Alice explained in her single speech, summarizing much of the idea she had in her mind and trying to make it sound less like a suicide note.
— Aaah, sure. How didn't I think of that before? Two weird anomalous types, and one of them has his face plastered all over Vallum. And they mysteriously come to Morrow-en looking for work. Even if you pay... do you think any amount compensates for the danger of messing with the damn HU? It's poking a tiger with a short stick.
Nemis began, a vein popping in her forehead.
— The headquarters is likely old and hasn't had maintenance on the security system for a long time.
— Even if it's old, it's Humans Upper! It's like being bitten by a snake and hoping it doesn't have venom. It's long-term suicide, understand?!
Nemis continued, her voice assuming a grave and loud tone with every syllable; the idea in her head of messing with the HU was absurd. Not just for the danger she knew wasn't fictional, but for having experienced it firsthand...
— Did you come only for that? There must be something worth millions inside.
Helvik said, his eyes passing from Alice to Arthur. He knew they were after more than valuable objects.
— What we want there is beside the point, as it goes beyond the limit you need to know. What matters is the limit involving Caerius. He is someone dear to you, isn't he?
Alice spoke again as she stood up, with bandages on her face that Arthur had made.
"They aren't a threat... but what they can trigger is. But... I don't have much of a choice..."
— Haaaa... okay. What are your names?
— My name is Alice, this is Arthur, and this one beside him is Hanna.
Alice replied, her eyes fixed on Helvik.
— ... Caerius doesn't live far from here, but he's likely at his workplace now. Just follow this path.
Helvik informed them, explaining in detail the steps the three should follow, and the description of the warehouse where Caerius works alongside Rusk.
Nemis said nothing, but her fingers visibly contracted into clenched fists.
— Take care.
Helvik finalized, turning his back and heading toward the bar entrance.
— Hey! Thanks for letting us know the location!
Arthur shouted, and Helvik looked over his shoulder... seeing the same expression as his little Caerius.
He didn't respond back; he just nodded his head and ended any attempt to prolong the conversation there.
... ...
— Damn, that was a nasty beating you took. Are you better?
Hanna asked, giving some rather rough pats on Alice's back.
— I didn't get beaten, I just don't do as well without the Seraphim; I master Iaijutsu... not boxing. And yes, I'm fine.
Alice looked at Arthur. The rebound effect of using the anomaly had finally hit him; his knees were bent and he could barely stay upright.
— The rebound took a while, but it arrived. That's what happens when you get too excited.
She took a few steps toward Arthur, holding him lightly.
— Can you manage to walk a bit more?
Alice asked.
— Yes, I can manage. It's not that far.
But he could barely move.
— Tks... I'm not in the best condition either, so I can't even carry you. Maybe it's better we stop to rest before we go and—
HUP!
Hanna positioned herself in front of Arthur with a decisive movement. Before he could formulate any protest or try to balance himself on the legs that no longer obeyed him, she pulled him up, hoisting him onto her back with an almost aggressive ease.
— There, problem solved! You two are a pair of wrecks.
She turned her face slightly toward Alice, displaying a victorious smile.
— Let's go!
Hanna began to take long, firm steps, completely ignoring Arthur's whispered requests to be put on the ground. Alice watched the scene for a second; she leaned down to pick up the backpack Arthur had dropped and settled it on her shoulders. A discreet and rare smile appeared at the corner of her lips, softening her expression of fatigue.
— Just try not to drop him, okay?
She said, before following after them.
"... It's almost close."
---
Inside the bar, the sound of the crowd seemed muffled by the worn walls, but the tension between Helvik and Nemis was clear. She questioned him, her voice loaded with a frustration bordering on despair:
— What were you thinking, Helvik? A little more and they would have given up, they would have gone away.
The bartender continued his task, the movement of the flannel over the counter being the only constant thing in that place.
— That is his job. We can't decide if he wants to do it or not. He is the one who decides.
...
— ... I saw in that trio a bit of the boy from before. Maybe it's destiny placing them face to face so he has the necessary shock.
Helvik explained calmly.
— Another shock? You think his conversation with the old man wasn't enough... ah... you want to make him confront the past one last time so...
— So that he can make a decision. And, from that, change the course of his life. But it's up to him to decide if that course will be good or bad.
Helvik completed her thought, his voice firm.
Nemis held her glass, bringing it to her lips to down the cognac all at once, but she hesitated. The burning liquid stopped millimeters from her mouth.
— I know you're worried; I am too. But Nemis... you are the one who should know most of all that our role in this matter has already ended. You said we were the means for the nail in the coffin of Caerius's trauma, right? But how do you want that coffin to close if you want to prevent him from making his own decisions?
The question hung in the air, heavy. Nemis remained static, holding the glass in the air, plunged in thought.
— I think I caught that habit from Naeris of breathing down this kid's neck. And... I ended up doing it all the time... questioning his self-punishment. The choice to shut himself in this junkyard to stanch a guilt, sacrificing his entire future for something that... has already been forgiven by all of us, understand?
...
— I'm happy to see him finally trying to get better, dammit, Helvik... Even today he was talking to me about going on with a hacker career, of taking it forward... something I hadn't seen him talk about in years. I'm just... afraid that this Vallum trio will be the point that makes him regress. That he sinks again. I don't want that. I don't want it all to have been in vain.
There, at that moment, Nemis finally let show what she kept under her armor of aggressiveness. Unlike Caerius, whom everyone knew was sinking in the mud, Nemis's pain was silent and invisible. She had already overcome the loss of Naeris, understood the context, and had been the first to forgive the boy. But the suffering that consumed her was that of seeing the only one she considered a brother — the only one she had left — wasting away in a pathetic and lonely way.
She couldn't bear to lose someone for a second time. She was willing to do anything to prevent a new tragedy.
— I understand you. But, Nemis... the boy has already had our forgiveness, but he still hasn't fully forgiven himself. What's left for us is to trust. He's already been through the worst. He is strong and will know how to deal with those three. I just want him to face Vallum again, but this time, with a new vision. Then, from there, we will truly have... the last nail.
...
— ... Alright... I will trust. I just hope it's not a decision I regret, Helvik. Now, serve me another glass. This day was unexpected.
She finished the gulp of cognac and pushed the glass toward the bartender. Helvik let out a long sigh, perspiring a silent worry but inhaling a contained relief.
The bar remained the same — noisy, dirty, and chaotic — but now it carried a hint of lightness. It was a fragile sensation, like the weight of a feather trying to stay stable in the middle of a gale.
...
"Naeris, guide the boy from up there. Please..."