The two kept walking, their footsteps echoing faintly on the cobblestone streets. The once-lively town had fallen silent, with only the occasional creak of a swinging lantern in the night wind.
"Keep your mouth quiet and follow," Andrias whispered, his voice low but firm.
Liliah's fingers instinctively tightened around his hand. Her heart raced in her chest; she could feel every beat reverberate through her trembling frame. It was almost past curfew—they needed to get back to Nocturne grounds—but first, they had to shake off whoever was tailing them.
Andrias's sharp eyes darted to every shadow, noting faint movements on rooftops, the rustle of boots against stone. Whoever followed them was skilled enough to keep their distance yet careless enough to leave hints behind.
Without warning, he tugged Liliah down a side street. He didn't answer, only pulling her further into the twisting alleys until they turned into a narrow dead end. Crates and barrels blocked their path forward.
"Perfect," Andrias muttered under his breath, glancing over his shoulder.
A mocking laugh echoed from behind.
"Well, well, well," a mocking voice rang out from behind. "Look what we have here—cornered little mice. Makes our job so much easier."
From the mouth of the alley stepped a group of rough-looking men—bandits. , weapons glinting under the pale moonlight. Knives, short swords, even a rusted spear. Their smirks were feral, eyes hungry. Their sneers were feral, their confidence clear.
Liliah froze, panic flashing across her face. She glanced up at Andrias. He stood unnervingly calm, posture loose, gaze steady—unmoved by their threats.
He exhaled slowly, pulling the twin curved knives from his belt. Metal gleamed faintly as he drew. He twirled them once, reversing his grip, and settled into a low stance."Because," he said, settling into a low boxer's stance, "I want to confirm my suspicions… and this is the perfect chance to test my new blades."
Andrias moved like water. He ducked under the strike, grabbed the attacker's wrist mid-swing, and twisted sharply—momentum carrying the man over Andrias's shoulder.
–CRACK
The scream echoed through the alley. "ARGHHH!" The bandit clutched his arm, bent at an unnatural angle.
"Pathetic," Andrias muttered.
The rest of the group surged forward, weapons flashing in the moonlight. To Andrias, they were amateurs—predictable and sloppy. He sidestepped a downward slash, drove his fist into a gut, and slammed an elbow into another's jaw in one seamless motion. Knives flicked between forward and reverse grips, every strike precise and calculated.
Liliah stood frozen, watching in shock. He's… unreal. Who is he really?
The rest of the group surged toward him, a chaotic swarm of steel and rage. Andrias moved like water, weaving between sloppy strikes and wild swings. To him, their movements were predictable—telegraphed from miles away.
Mere amateurs, Andrias thought coldly. He had been in countless fights before—battles against men far more dangerous than these petty thugs. Compared to those, this was nothing.
Steel hissed past his cheek as he sidestepped another blade. In a single motion, he caught the attacker's arm, twisted, and sent him crashing into the wall with a grunt. Without missing a beat, he reversed the grip on one of his knives, the curved edge glinting under the pale moonlight.
His intention was clear. One strike to kill them
"Don't kill them!" Liliah yelled
Andrias quickly switched up, punching one of the bandits with the blunt part of the blades. The impact sent the man staggering backward, teeth clattering to the cobblestones as he collapsed in a heap.
One bandit lunged, and Andrias met the attack head-on, slamming the blunt part of his knife into the man's temple. Another swung from behind—Andrias pivoted, caught the strike on his forearm, and shattered the man's nose with a brutal headbutt.
Soon, the alley was filled with groans and clatters of dropped weapons.
Andrias sheathed his knives, exhaling steadily. "Phew," he muttered. "That's all of them."
He turned to Liliah. "You hurt anywhere?"
She shook her head, still wide-eyed. "I-I'm fine."
Just as calm began to return, one of the fallen bandits twitched. A hand reached out, gripping a dagger. He rose silently, blade flashing toward Andrias's back.
"Andrias!" Liliah screamed—
Suddenly, roots erupted from the cobblestones, twisting violently around the bandit's arms and legs. He froze, screaming as the living vines pinned him to the ground.
Andrias glanced back, eyebrows raised in surprise. Sub-magic?
Liliah's hands trembled, faint green light fading from her fingertips. She looked at him.
"Nice save," Andrias said with a faint nod. He didn't mention that he'd already seen the attack coming—better to let her have the moment.
Liliah flushed, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the situation.
"Go… uh, wait over there really quick."
Liliah blinked at him, still catching her breath. "Why?" she asked, her voice uncertain.
"I'm going to talk to our friend here," Andrias replied evenly, nodding toward the man still tangled up in the vines. His tone was cold—too calm for someone who had just fought off half a dozen attackers.
Liliah hesitated but nodded, backing away to give him space. She tried not to watch, tried not to listen to the muffled sounds of interrogation echoing off the alley walls.
Minutes later, Andrias emerged from the dead end, wiping crimson smears from his fist onto the hem of his already ruined cloak. His expression was unreadable.
Liliah glanced at him, choosing to ignore the blood. "…Did you get what you needed from him?"
He gave her a single, silent nod.
No explanation. No elaboration. Just a nod.
Liliah opened her mouth to ask more, but paused when she noticed the night sky. The stars glittered faintly above the rooftops—too many to count—and the moon hung low. Her stomach dropped.
"We're way past curfew," she whispered, panic creeping into her tone. "The academy gates are probably closed by now!"
Andrias didn't even blink. He shoved his bloodstained hands into his cloak and shrugged, his voice maddeningly calm. "Nothing we can do now. Might as well take our time."
Liliah stared at him, incredulous. "You're way too at ease about this."
One eyebrow quirked upward. "Would panicking help?"
Liliah let out a shaky laugh despite herself, the tension breaking like glass. "…I guess not."
They walked back toward Nocturne grounds, the only sound their footsteps echoing faintly against the stone path. The silence between them was awkward yet… oddly comforting.
Liliah glanced at Andrias out of the corner of her eye, her chest tightening in ways she couldn't quite explain. Without thinking, she let her fingers inch closer until they brushed his hand. Heart pounding, she gently wrapped her hand around his.
Andrias blinked, glancing down at her grip. A faint look of confusion crossed his face, but he didn't pull away. He simply let her hold on.
Liliah's cheeks turned crimson. Why didn't I let go? she thought frantically, yet at the same time, a quiet warmth settled in her chest.
By the time they reached the academy walls, her fears were confirmed—the massive iron gates stood firmly shut, the runic locks faintly glowing in the moonlight.
Liliah bit her lip. "Great. How are we supposed to get in now?"
"We climb," Andrias said simply, already kneeling down in front of her. He glanced over his shoulder. "Climb on my back."
"Huh!?" she squeaked, face burning. But after a second's hesitation, she obeyed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Andrias exhaled slowly. His hands hardened, a metallic color layered over his hand, then dug his fingers into the cracks of the cobblestone wall.
Liliah's eyes widened. "You can use sub-magic too?" she breathed in awe—the first time she'd seen him do anything besides brute force combat.
He nodded wordlessly, then began climbing, each grip steady and deliberate. The cool night wind rushed past them as they ascended. From the top, the entirety of Nocturne sprawled out below—moonlit spires, the academy's grand halls, the adventurer bureau, and scattered faculty buildings glowing faintly in the dark.
Liliah peered over his shoulder, her voice softening. "Quite the night, huh?"
"…Yeah," Andrias murmured.
Her gaze lingered on his profile for a heartbeat longer than necessary before she whispered,
"So… how do we get down?"
"We jump," he replied without missing a beat.
Liliah's eyes widened. "Jump—wait, WHAT?!"
Before she could protest, Andrias bent his knees and leapt from the wall. The wind whipped past her ears as she tightened her grip around his neck, stifling a scream. The ground rushed up to meet them—
–Thud.
Andrias landed in a low kneel, absorbing the impact with ease. Slowly, he rose and let Liliah slide off his back, her legs trembling slightly when her feet touched the ground.
"…Warn me next time," she muttered, trying to calm her pounding heart.
"I guess this is where our paths split—at least for now," Andrias said, voice calm as always.
"Yeah…" Liliah hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "I'll… see you tomorrow." Her voice softened as she muttered under her breath, "Though I still couldn't get you to smile…"
"Smile?" Andrias glanced at her, brow slightly raised.
"It's nothing," she quickly deflected, forcing a small smile of her own. "I had a lot of fun today."
"So did I." His tone was flat, but there was a faint hint of sincerity behind it—enough to make her chest flutter.
As they started to part ways, Liliah suddenly reached out and clutched at the edge of Andrias' tattered cloak. He turned back, surprised.
"Let me take that off your hands," she said, nodding toward the bloodstained fabric draped over his shoulders.
"Why?"
"Let me clean it for you."
"It's fine."
"No," she said firmly, meeting his eyes for a brief second before looking away, cheeks red.
"…Alright then, if you insist."
Andrias unclasped the cloak and folded it neatly before handing it over. Liliah accepted it carefully, hugging the fabric close to her chest as he walked away into the night.
She glanced down at the bloodied cloak in her arms. If I'm being honest… I just wanted an excuse to see you again.