Emilia: "Where… am I?"
Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, as she blinked into the whitewashed hospital room. The sterile smell burned her nose, sunlight slipping through the blinds.
Henry: "B-big sisss!"
Before she could adjust, Henry flung himself onto her, burying his face into her shoulder, sobbing like a child.
Emilia: "Ouch, you dumbass, get off me!"
Her fist cracked against his head, shoving him away. Henry stumbled, holding his face with tears in his eyes.
Emilia: "Can't you see I'm hurt?"
Her scolding cut the moment short. She turned, eyes sharp, at the two boys seated casually at the table. Jack lounged back, sunglasses on, legs crossed. Lenny leaned forward with a nervous grin.
Emilia: "So now you're here. We could have needed you."
Her words cut like a blade, directed straight at Jack.
Jack: "Can't change it now. After all…" —He lowered his shades, revealing cold eyes— "You managed to beat him without me."
Emilia: "Yeah? But someone died."
The silence was suffocating.
Jack didn't flinch. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees.
Jack: "From what I've heard… you encouraged him to fight an enemy way above his league."
The words hit Emilia like a bullet. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She snapped her gaze to Henry—who stared silently at the floor, jaw clenched.
Her heart sank.
Emilia: "I-I didn't mean to…"
The air in the room thickened with grief. For the first time since the battle ended, Daniel's absence pressed down on them like an invisible weight.
Jack broke the silence with a sigh, rubbing his temple.
Jack: "You can't change what happened. But you can decide what to do with it."
Lenny nodded firmly.
Lenny: "Yeah."
Emilia lifted her head, blinking back tears. Slowly, she managed a fragile smile.
Emilia: "…Yeah. Thank you."
But her voice softened again.
Emilia: "But… who are you two, really?"
Jack opened his mouth—
Jack: "I'm—"
—but Lenny cut him off, practically jumping to his feet.
Lenny: "I'm Lenny, and this is my big bro Jack!"
The room went still. A beat passed.
Then Henry burst into laughter. Emilia followed, her chuckles spilling over until tears streamed down her cheeks. Even Henry, still red-eyed, leaned against the bed frame laughing.
Lenny looked around, utterly lost.
Lenny: "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Emilia: "No, it's nothing." She wiped her eyes, still giggling.
For the first time in years, her laughter wasn't forced. It was real.
Emilia: "But… what happened after the fight?"
Her tone shifted again, suddenly serious.
Henry's smile faded.
Henry: "The police came. I… left as quick as I could. I had no choice."
Her blood boiled. She grabbed Henry's shirt, yanking him close.
Emilia: "What do you mean you had no choice? You left Danny back there?!"
Henry froze, his eyes wide. His hands shook.
Henry: "I… I didn't know what to do…"
Jack cut in sharply, his voice firm.
Jack: "It's not his fault. We've got bounties on our heads. That's the only reason we came to you."
Emilia blinked, letting Henry go.
Emilia: "…What?"
Lenny nodded nervously.
Lenny: "It's true. We're all wanted now. Henry said you might help."
Emilia: "Why? Why do you have bounties in the first place?"
Lenny scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly. He pulled something from his pocket—a glowing blue stone.
Lenny: "I took this from a fraud trader. Thought I could sell it. But then we got attacked by this crazy mud guy…"
Emilia's face paled.
Emilia: "Mud… guy? You don't mean Balte?"
Lenny: "Yeah! That was his name. You know him?"
Her jaw tightened. Balte. The sadistic mercenary. A monster who played with prey before killing them. And they survived him?
Emilia: "And… what happened to him?"
Jack's smirk returned.
Jack: "We got him good. Haven't heard from him since."
Emilia: "Wait… You actually beat him?"
Lenny puffed out his chest.
Lenny: "Yep. Big bro and Henry beat him down!"
For once, Emilia was speechless. Then—out of nowhere—she laughed again, shaking her head in disbelief.
Emilia: "Sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me today…"
But she knew. For the first time in years, her heart wasn't heavy with dread. Since Henry's return, she had felt something she thought she'd lost forever—hope.
She glanced at Henry. He rubbed his head, embarrassed, caught in her headlock as she pulled him in tight.
Emilia (thinking): Thank you, Henry. You really are my hero.
Back at the Harbor…
The group walked the docks toward their ship. The sea breeze carried salt and gull cries. The Boss was gone, Daniel was gone, but their path continued.
Emilia strode ahead with a bucket. She stopped before Henry, who lounged lazily in a chair.
Emilia: "Phone."
Her tone was cold.
Henry blinked, confused, but obeyed—placing his phone carefully at the bottom of the bucket.
She moved on to Lenny, who was happily gaming on his device. He froze at her glare. Without hesitation, he gently set his phone in as well.
Then she turned to Jack.
Jack: "Don't have one."
His shades slid down his nose, cool as ever.
Henry sat up.
Henry: "What do you even want with them?"
No answer. Emilia hurled the bucket into the ocean.
Henry/Lenny: "NOOOO!"
Both screamed, faces twisted in agony as their phones vanished beneath the waves.
Henry: "Why would you do that?!"
Lenny: "Yeah, you evil witch!"
Emilia: "You idiots have bounties. They'll track you through your phones."
Henry froze, guilt washing over him. Lenny's shoulders slumped.
Lenny: "Makes sense… but you could've warned us first!"
Jack yawned.
Jack: "Now that our little errand's done… What's next, boss?"
Henry blinked. Jack's sarcastic smirk didn't hide his curiosity.
But Emilia stiffened. The word "boss" made her heart jolt—echoes of the man she killed still clawing at her.
Henry: "I actually planned to visit someone."
Jack: "Great. Another one."
Lenny: "Who?"
Henry's eyes softened.
Henry: "A friend I promised to visit… once I started my adventure."
The sea breeze grew colder. The horizon seemed wider. Their journey was only beginning.