Inside the modest home, the warmth of a shared meal wrapped around them like a well-worn blanket. The twins, Lia and Lana, sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, clutching thick slices of bread with jam-stained fingers. Their laughter bounced off the cracked walls, mingling with the savory aroma of stew simmering over a small hearth.
Selena sat quietly at the small table, her hands wrapped around a chipped ceramic mug of lukewarm tea. Red leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed beneath his cloak, his presence steady and silent as ever. The flickering hearthlight gave his dark armor a soft sheen.
Lio stood at the small counter, slicing what remained of the dried meat, before finally sitting beside his sisters.
The energy in the room shifted when he looked up.
Lio: "My parents were adventurers, too."
The twins quieted.
Selena's brows rose, her curiosity piqued.
Lio: "Silver rank. Not the highest, but respected. They used to take turns going out so one of them could stay with me and the girls."
His smile faded, just slightly.
Lio: "Two winters ago, they both joined a joint mission against an orc warband north of Black Hollow Ridge. The guild said it was urgent. No time to split the teams."
The room fell still, save for the pop of burning wood.
Lio: "They never came back."
Selena's throat tightened. Even Red's gaze shifted, if only slightly.
Lio: "The guild told me they died protecting others. Heroic, they said. That their sacrifice let the rest of the team escape."
He gave a small, hollow laugh.
Lio: "Heroism doesn't pay for bread."
He looked at his sisters, who were listening but didn't quite understand the full weight of it. Lio reached over and patted Lia's head gently.
Lio: "So, I picked up a copper tag the next week. Didn't even have a weapon at first. Just a rusted kitchen knife."
He turned to Selena and gave a sheepish shrug.
Lio: "Slime extermination and odd jobs. Cleaned stables, delivered letters, anything. The coin was pathetic. Barely enough to feed the girls. Most days, I skipped meals so they wouldn't have to."
Selena lowered her mug, lips pressed together.
Red stepped forward slowly. His voice, when he spoke, was quiet—but carried absolute weight.
Red: "You kept them alive. That's worth more than any rank."
Lio blinked. His throat bobbed.
Lio: "Thanks, but… even so, I wasn't going to last much longer. You saw it. Even slime quests are vanishing. Everyone's rushing for goblins now."
Selena frowned. "Because they pay better…"
Red nodded once. Then, with the faintest shift in tone, he spoke again.
Red: "Join me."
Lio: "Huh?"
Red walked to the center of the room, casting a long shadow by the firelight. He looked first to Lio, then Selena, who was watching intently.
Red: "No more scraps. No more begging for party slots. No more cleaning stables."
He turned slightly, facing them both.
Red: "You're already a party, whether you know it or not. So let's make it official."
Lio stared, mouth slightly open. Selena's eyes lit up, a grin tugging at her lips.
Selena: "You're naming the party after yourself, huh? Bit arrogant."
Red: "Not a name. Just truth."
Selena: "So what are we? Red's Rookie Party?"
Lio: "That sounds… kind of awesome, actually."
Selena: "I guess I'll allow it. As long as I get top billing for comedic relief."
Red looked between them, saying nothing, but a quiet exhale escaped him—a near-smile in his own way.
Lio's gaze dropped to his copper tag, then slowly rose to meet Red's eyes.
Lio: "Okay. I'm in."
He reached out his hand.
Red didn't hesitate. He grasped it with a firm nod.
Selena: "Well, if I have to share the spotlight, at least make sure you carry your weight, Lio."
Lio: "Please. I've been carrying weight since I was twelve."
The twins giggled as if they didn't quite understand but loved the energy. The dim, worn-down house now pulsed with something it hadn't known in a long time.
Hope.
That night, when they stepped outside, the moon was high above Silverhaven, casting silver light on the cobbled streets. The wind was cool. The stars above twinkled like promises not yet broken.
Red's Rookie Party had taken its first real step.
After the handshake that sealed the new party, the evening light filtered through the crooked windows of Lio's home. Selena stood near the table, stretching her arms with a yawn.
Selena: "Phew. I feel like we just went through an emotional gauntlet and then formed a party out of sheer grit."
Lio was folding some spare blankets while Red stood silently at the door, scanning the narrow alley beyond the house like a hawk. Meanwhile, the twins were whispering near the corner, giggling as they kept sneaking glances at Selena.
Selena raised an eyebrow.
Selena: "Uh… what's up with them?"
Lana, the bolder of the two, ran up with her hands behind her back, grinning mischievously.
Lana: "Big brother says you're very strong!"
Selena: "He said that, huh?"
Lia: "And pretty!"
Selena blinked, almost choking on her breath.
Selena: "Wait...what? He, he did not say that!"
Lio: "I DID NOT—!!"
Lana: "He did! He said you're loud and bossy, but really cool and pretty!"
Lio: "I said fiery! Not bossy!"
Selena: "Oh, so I'm loud, am I?"
Lio ducked his head into the pile of blankets, mumbling unintelligibly. Selena turned to the girls, squatting to their level with an exaggerated grin.
Selena: "Would you two like to learn how to fight with frying pans?"
Lia: "Yes!! Like a real adventurer!"
Lana: "Can we?! Can we hit Lio with one!?"
Selena: "Tempting offer, but we'll use a pillow for now. Next time? Frying pan trials."
Lio: "This is betrayal of the highest order..."
Selena laughed, tousling Lana's messy red hair. For a moment, she didn't feel like the ex-slave, or even a rookie adventurer. She just felt… like someone who mattered.
The door creaked as Red stepped out quietly, his cloak billowing behind him, giving them a moment of peace inside.
Lia: "Are you gonna be our big sister now?"
Selena blinked. Her mouth opened, then closed again.
Selena: "I… uh… Big Sis, huh?"
She turned toward Lio, eyes narrowed playfully.
Selena: "Hear that? Looks like you're stuck with me now, little brother."
Lio: "This is going to be a disaster..."
Lana: "Yay! Big Sis Selena!!"
The laughter echoed through the humble house like a melody not heard in years—free, unburdened, and alive.
Outside, beneath the moonlight, Red allowed himself the faintest, almost imperceptible smile.