The warm glow of late afternoon filled the Adventurer's Guild in Asteria as Fenra approached the counter. Her hand trembled as she placed the gem of the viper on the receptionist's desk.
"Well done," the receptionist said with a polite smile. "Your quest is complete."
But there was no joy on the faces of Fenra, Silvia, or Shekiah. The three girls stood silently, their eyes shadowed with grief.
The receptionist's brow furrowed. "What's wrong? You should be celebrating your success."
Her gaze shifted between them… then she noticed.
"Wait… where is he?"
Fenra's lips trembled, and she slowly shook her head. Silvia and Shekiah followed, silent tears glistening in their eyes.
The receptionist gasped, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I… I'm sorry." Around the guild, murmurs started to rise.
One adventurer at a nearby table muttered, "Damn… they must've lost someone to the monsters."
Another added quietly, "That's the worst part of being an adventurer… watching your friends die right in front of you."
"I'm sorry for there loss," one adventurer said, looking at them with pity.
The receptionist collected their adventurer cards, her hands hesitating as if afraid to break the fragile silence. "You can rest now," she said softly.
Fenra, Silvia, and Shekiah left the guild without another word, their steps heavy.
The innkeeper's warm smile faltered as she saw them enter. She didn't need to ask; their faces told her everything. The cheerful chatter of the inn dulled into quiet sympathy as they passed.
Fenra headed straight to her room, collapsed onto her bed, and buried her face in her pillow. Hot tears soaked the fabric as memories of Raizo overwhelmed her—the boy who had believed in her when no one else did… the boy who had saved her village with his own hands.
Silvia, in her own room, hugged her knees and let her tears fall, remembering Raizo's quiet smile and his promise to help her find his brother and sister.
Even Shekiah, who had only known Raizo for three months, felt a sharp ache in her chest. He had treated her as an equal, never pushing her away, always making her feel like part of a family.
In the solitude of their rooms, their voices whispered in unison:
"I miss you, Raizo…"
Meanwhile, Raizo trudged along a dirt path beneath the pale moonlight. His legs ached with every step, his body begging to rest, but he refused to stop.
I have to keep moving… I have to get back to them.
Hours passed until the lights of Asteria finally appeared in the distance. He approached the city gates, where two guards stood on duty.
"Halt!" one of the guards barked, pointing his weapon at Raizo. "Who are you?"
Raizo calmly reached into his pocket and held out his adventurer card.
"A… an adventurer?" the guard said, narrowing his eyes. "Tell me, why are you returning alone at this hour? Are you even human—or just a demon pretending to be one?"
Raizo exhaled slowly, his voice steady. "I'm no demon. My name is Raizo."
The guard stiffened. "What did you just say? There's no way you're—" He stopped, exchanging a look with his companion. "His party reported he fell off a cliff in the Forest of Alscort. You expect us to believe you're still alive?"
"You have to believe me," Raizo said, his crimson eyes unwavering.
"Or… you're just a demon trying to trick us," the guard muttered.
Raizo held up his adventurer card again. "Look. I'm Raizo. If that's not enough, ask me about my party."
The guard paused, then nodded. "Fine. If you're really him, tell me their names."
Raizo sighed. "…Fenra, Silvia, and Shekiah. Our party's name is Dilhaze. We're C-rank adventurers."
The guard's eyes widened. "Wait… you really are him." He turned to the other guard. "Open the gate! Raizo's back!"
The gate creaked open, and Raizo inhaled the cool, familiar air of Asteria. "I'm home," he whispered as he stepped through.
It was late when Raizo saw the light in the inn he pushed open the inn's door. The innkeeper looked up and, instead of surprise, smiled softly.
"Welcome back, young man," she said warmly.
Raizo blinked. "Wait… how do you know I survived?"
The innkeeper chuckled gently. "I just knew you'd return. A heart like yours doesn't get snuffed out so easily. I've kept a meal ready just for you."
A genuine smile crossed Raizo's face. "Thank you."
"Where are they?" Raizo curious face
The innkeeper smile "Don't worry they are in there rooms laying down they are sad that they thought you've die , don't do that again to them uh"
Raizo smile softly After eating, exhaustion overtook him. He climbed to his room and collapsed onto the bed, letting himself drift into sleep.
Sunlight spilled through the windows of the inn. The main hall buzzed with chatter as adventurers shared stories and laughter—except at one table.
Fenra, Silvia, and Shekiah sat in silence, eating slowly, their eyes still shadowed by sorrow.
Then, footsteps echoed on the stairs.
"Good morning, you three," a familiar voice said.
Fenra froze, her fork slipping from her hand. "…That voice…"
Shekiah's ears twitched. "It… it sounds like Raizo."
Silvia's lips trembled. "We .. must be dreaming…"
Around them, the other adventurers fell silent, their eyes widening as Raizo stepped into view.
"Good morning," the innkeeper greeted warmly. "Glad to see you up."
Raizo walked up behind his party, smiling faintly. "I said, good morning, you three."
"Hey, can you sto—" Shekiah turned, her words dying on her lips. Her eyes widened, a single tear rolling down her cheek
Silvia turned next, rubbing her eyes in disbelief. "No way… Raizo…?" Tears streamed down her face.
Fenra, still not looking back, sniffed the air. Her eyes widened. "…That scent… It's Raizo's scent." Slowly, she turned.
The moment she saw him standing there, smiling softly, she shot to her feet, knocking her chair over. Tears welled in her eyes.
Raizo closed his eyes and said quietly, "I'm back, you three."
The three girls stumbled toward him, crying openly now.
"No way… you're not him," Fenra said through tears, clenching her fists.
Silvia shook her head. "We saw you fall off that cliff!"
"Yes!" Shekiah added, her voice trembling. "How… how can this be?"
Raizo sighed. "Fine. Fenra—who was it that saved you from bandits? Who protected your village?"
Fenra's breath caught. "Only Raizo could know that…"
Without another word, she threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. Silvia and Shekiah followed, clinging to him as though afraid he'd vanish again.
Raizo stood stunned for a moment, then smiled softly and wrapped his arms around their shoulders.
"He's back," one of the adventurers whispered.
"Unbelievable… he actually survived that fall," another muttered.
The innkeeper and the waiter wiped away tears as they watched the reunion.
"I missed you three," Raizo said softly.
"And we missed you too," they said in unison.
"Don't ever do that again," Fenra muttered, still clinging to him.
Raizo chuckled. "Sorry. But if any of you were ever in danger again… I'd do it all over, just to save you."
The three of them blushed faintly, still hugging him as though they'd never let go.