The following weekend, Kaela took Yuli into the city.
They strolled through the market, laughed among the stalls, and enjoyed street sweets.
It was a rare moment of peace, a breath of normalcy.
It was a day for rest and resupply, and Kaela had received permission to bring Yuli along, a privilege usually reserved for advanced Guardians and their apprentices. It was a special opportunity, not just to complete their assigned task, but to strengthen the bond between mentor and student.
Together, they walked through the colorful streets of the central market, where the scent of fresh bread, spices, and blooming flowers mingled in a living symphony. Yuli's eyes sparkled with excitement as she marveled at every stand.
Kaela, walking with a quiet ease, glanced from side to side, as if searching for something, or someone, greeting merchants who clearly remembered her from long ago.
That's when Kaela saw him: Silas.
A young man with a warm gaze and a shy demeanor that didn't quite match the clamor of the city. He carried used mechanical parts, he sold them as spare pieces for vehicles.
The moment Kaela saw him, her eyes lit up.
"There you are. You always show up just when I'm about to head home," Kaela said, trying (and failing) to hide her joy.
"You never tell me when you're coming. I can't exactly guess the day I'll see you," he replied, crossing his arms with mock reproach, though his smile gave him away.
"This is Silas," she said softly. "We met a long time ago…"
They walked with him to his small stall, right beside the spice vendor, where a kind couple and their young son were chatting nearby.
After a couple of hours, the girls said goodbye,but not before Kaela gave Silas a kiss on the cheek.
"Some weekends," she explained later, "even though it's not really his job, he takes it upon himself to get the spices for the barracks kitchen. He always picks the rarest ones, the most expensive… just to surprise me."
"How did you two meet?" Yuli finally asked.
"When I arrived at the orphanage, he was already there," Kaela replied. "We were just kids, but we became inseparable. He always had the most ridiculous ideas… and a smile that could convince anyone. One day, he promised me that if I ever left before him, he'd find me… and he did. He found me years later, during my training.
He came all the way to the village and faced the Aunt. I was so happy… I'd never seen him so nervous.
Now he lives where his old boss used to, in a little place nearby. And whenever I come to buy supplies… I take my time to see him."
They both laughed gently.
Later, on the way back, Kaela told Yuli the whole story.
They had met at the orphanage. And despite how young they were, they swore to always stay together, before Kaela was recruited.
Silas ran away from the orphanage and spent years searching for her. He traveled across the country just to find her.
And when he finally did, the Aunt agreed to meet him.
He faced her, and she interrogated him for three full hours before letting him inside.
"How did he find this place? I thought it was secret," Yuli asked, intrigued.
"He said it was his heart that led him here. And when the Aunt heard him say that… she let him in.
I never knew if he meant it, but I believe him."
Yuli watched Kaela as she spoke.
And for the first time, she understood that even the strongest could carry a space in their hearts for a feeling like that…
That love could be a compass more powerful than any map.
And with that thought, a quiet hope began to grow in her.
That maybe, one day, she too might find the love she had long been searching for.