Tessa stood frozen in the middle of the guild hall, hands clenched at her sides, heart hammering in her chest as Saria Thorne emerged from the back room, now fully armed. Her long coat fluttered as she adjusted the sword on her back, an unmistakable aura of strength surrounding her.
As she passed Tessa, she paused.
Gently, she placed a hand on Tessa's head, fingers threading into the girl's tangled hair for just a moment. Her voice was firm, but not unkind.
"You did well, Tessa. Go home. Your mom's going to be fine, I swear it."
Tessa looked up at her, lips trembling, eyes red. "Promise…?"
Saria smiled faintly. "On my honor as an adventurer."
And with that, she turned and bolted from the guild, wind catching her coat, her figure disappearing down the road toward the forest, like a sword drawn in silence.
Meanwhile…
Tessa walked the dirt road home with slow, uneven steps. Her body ached, her mind swirled, and the weight of everything began to crash down now that the urgency had passed. She'd run for her life. Left Liora behind. Begged for help. And now… all she could do was wait.
Her hands trembled, still smudged with sweat and dirt. Her boots felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.
When she reached the front steps of their home, she took a long, shaky breath and pushed the door open.
Inside, Aria was sitting at the table, coloring with a half-eaten snack in front of her. Mia was nearby, reading over a book, likely part of Aria's lesson plan.
The moment they both looked up and saw Tessa in the doorway,
"Tessa!" Aria gasped, hopping off her seat.
"You're back already?" Mia stood quickly. "What happened? Why are you alone?"
Tessa took a few faltering steps forward.
"The mission… There was an S-Rank monster. Liora, Garth, Nellie, they're still fighting it."
Aria's expression shifted instantly, her small hands clutching her dress in fear.
Tessa knelt down, hugging the little girl tightly, her voice cracking.
"I ran as fast as I could. I got help. Saria… she's going. She's going to save them."
Mia placed a gentle hand on Tessa's shoulder, steadying her. "Come sit down. You've done more than enough."
Tessa nodded weakly and let herself be led to the chair. Aria crawled onto her lap and buried her face in her shoulder.
Outside, the forest loomed distant, but for now, in this small home filled with the scent of parchment, tea, and quiet concern, they could only hold onto each other…
…and wait for the ones they loved to return.