In one of the city's less popular restaurants—dimly lit, half-empty, and filled with the faint scent of old spice and hot broth—two people sat at a corner table where the shadows were thickest.
One was a fox- kin.Senna.
She had vibrant orange hair that shimmered like autumn flame, and nine elegant tails draped behind her. Her amber eyes gleamed with a quiet sharpness, and though she wore a simple, travel-worn robe, even that couldn't hide the beauty that clung to her effortlessly.
Opposite her sat a man. Nyrix.
His long blue hair was tied back loosely, strands framing a face too perfect for the worn world around him. Purple eyes, calm and cutting, studied everything around them with practiced ease. He, too, wore a cloak that dulled him.
They could have drawn lines of admirers if they weren't trying so hard not to be seen.
Instead, they ate in silence.
The restaurant paid them no mind. It was the kind of place people came to be left alone. No names, no questions. Just food, quiet, and warmth against the cold streets outside.
Senna—her name spoken only in private these days—stirred her meal with a distant expression.
Senna looked up at the ceiling, then covered her eyes with her hands.
"I am from Vulparis Village, in the Lunareth Kingdom," she said quietly.
"We used to live freely. Everything was fine... happy."
"But one day, they came—Umbra Claw. They tortured us, trying to awaken something inside us."
"I awakened. I awakened the power they were searching for. I raged... I killed everyone there."
"But it was too late. Everyone I loved was already dead."
"I want them dead. I began my hunt for them."
"For two years, I hunted them," Senna said quietly, eyes distant. "I found the Umbra Claw where they hid—one by one—and I killed them."
She took another bite of her food, her voice growing softer. "But as time passed, the fire of revenge began to fade. The hatred that fueled me… it started to run dry."
There was a silence between her words, a weight that could only come from a soul exhausted by blood.
"Then I started to run," she said, not looking up. "I wished for peace. I was tired of killing. One day, I crossed into this territory… hoping maybe, just maybe, I could disappear."
Her hands trembled slightly as she continued. "But the Umbra Claw found me again. They came at me with everything they had. I fought back, but when I realized I was about to be captured... I ran."
Senna finally looked up, meeting the eyes of the one who had rescued her. "And then you found me. You saved my life."
Senna's voice faded into the soft hum of the restaurant. Her words hung in the air, heavy and raw, but Nyr said nothing.
He kept eating in silence, not offering apologies or condolences. Not even a reply.
She didn't seem to mind.
He finished his meal and a moment later, the old waiter came by, wordlessly collecting the dishes and slipping away into the kitchen like a shadow.
Then, He finally spoke.
"So," He said, leaning back slightly, "you can't stay in one place for too long, right?"
Senna blinked, slowly turning her gaze to me.
"Then how about this?" He continued. "I'm going to travel. All kinds of places. Dangerous, weird, probably cursed. You could tag along. No chains, no expectations. Just two people moving forward."
She stared at me, unsure whether He was joking or serious. Her ears twitched slightly beneath the hood.
"That would trouble you," she said cautiously.
"Nah," He shrugged. "It'll be fine."
There was a beat of silence between us, and then—surprisingly—she lowered her head.
"Are you sure?," she said, her voice low but clear.
HSenna stared at me, part-annoyed, part-amused. "Let me guess. It's made of polished scrap metal and Quetta stones."
"If I find those scammers," He muttered darkly, "I will teach them a lesson."
She chuckled despite herself, covering her face with one hand. "You're such a warrior. A stupid one."
"Thanks," He said flatly. "I'll add that to my title."
After that little drama over his emptied coin pouch and his vow to avenge himself against local scammers, they decided to explore the city.
Senna insisted on paying.
Senna: No, i didn't. (Senna thought)
She claimed she wanted to try the local dishes, that she'd never had grilled lotus root with honey glaze, or spiced ice-pond crab. Maybe that was true—but she also noticed Nyr didn't hesitate to order the second-most expensive meal on the menu. Or the extra side dish. Or dessert.
He didn't even pretend to reach for his coin pouch.
Nyr: it was empty.
Still, she didn't seem to mind. Maybe she was just used to carrying her burdens alone—and now, someone else was with her, even if he was a shameless freeloader with expensive taste.
Eventually, they made their way through the western quarter to a broad building with a bronze crest over the archway: the local Adventurer's Guild.
"I'll register," Nyr said as they approached. "New name. New start."
Senna only nodded, arms crossed loosely beneath her cloak, tails lazily swaying behind her as she walked beside him.
But as they reached the guild doors, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
That fox was a liar.
Not about everything—she had told him the truth. A part of it, at least. Enough to make it convincing. Enough to stir sympathy.
But not enough to be the whole story.
Because hatred, vengeance aren't that easy to die. Some hatred ran deeper than deepest part of sea. some last even after centurys.
Senna's family, friend and whole village of her got destroyed. How could her anger die in mere two years.
He wouldn't be surprised even if her thrust for revenge last whole lifetime.
And what she'd described—the rage, the pain—it had burned out too quickly. Too cleanly.
It didn't add up.
She was hiding something. Probably a lot of things. Maybe something darker. And he couldn't blame her.
After all, they'd only just met.
How could she trust him enough to hand over her scars so easily?
He wouldn't push. Not yet.
Some truths had to be carried until they were ready to be laid down. And when that day came—when she was ready—he'd be there to listen.
And that day he will decide what to do with her.