Chapter 42 – "Curtains and Consequences"
The air inside Mirefield Outpost was warmer than expected. Four bunk beds — two on each side — faced inward, divided by thin, half-hanging curtains that barely reached the floor. Privacy was a myth here.
🏡 Setting: "Mirefield Outpost"
> A forgotten old training post near the edge of Thistle's countryside, right between some abandoned farmland and a patch of magic-twisted forest. It was supposed to be shut down years ago, but the Guild reopened it for cheap missions.
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📍 Location Breakdown:
🏠 Main Cabin / Lodge:
One wooden building with squeaky floors and thin walls (great for eavesdropping and embarrassing overheard convos)
One Room divided by Curtains to make it two
One fireplace that "smells like trauma and potatoes"
A dusty old Guild emblem hangs crooked on the wall—Vellum tries to straighten it daily; it always tilts back
🚽 Outhouse:
Yes. An actual outhouse.
Vellum screams the first time he sees it. Ari takes a picture.
🍂 Surroundings:
Forest to the north: quiet during the day, gives off faint magical pulses at night
Fields to the east: overgrown farmland with creepy scarecrows that weren't there yesterday
A river nearby: rumored to whisper at night (just wind… probably)
A local village: half an hour's walk away—odd, overly cheerful people, all a little too interested in outsiders
🛏️ Sleeping Setup:
The beds are old bunk beds from when it was used for Guild cadet training
One bed creaks ominously every time Leo even looks at it
Elaria claims the top bunk immediately. Vellum fights Leo over the bottom.
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💬 Vibe of the Place:
Think "off-brand Hogwarts mixed with Indian boarding school hostel energy," but with magical interference.
Every night:
weird sounds in the woods
faint magical flickers in the trees
Vellum clutching his blanket saying "someone just said my name in Parseltongue I SWEAR!"
Leo tossed his pack on the bed nearest to the window. Ari was already checking the cupboards for food. Vellum flopped onto the nearest mattress, arms stretched, a smirk on his face.
"This place is so... close," Ari muttered.
"Cozy," Elaria corrected, peeking into the bathroom. "No lock," she added with a short laugh.
Vellum winked. "Guess we'll be bonding fast."
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By late evening, they were done unpacking. A basic dinner of soup and fried bread sizzled on the portable flame stove. Vellum claimed to be a "kitchen samurai," but burnt the first round.
They ate on the floor, laughing over a lopsided spoon duel between Leo and Vellum.
As night crept in, a strange quiet settled — the type that made every creak feel loud.
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The Bunk Setup
Leo's bed was across from Elaria's. Just a curtain between them. Ari and Vellum had taken the other side.
Leo turned in early, not because he was tired — his head just needed rest. But sleep didn't come. The air was too still. The room too alive with half-heard whispers, rustling sheets, muffled footsteps.
He turned on his side. Then back.
And then… he heard the curtain rustle.
Not his.
The one in front of him.
He squinted.
The moonlight, filtered through the window, cast soft shadows. It made the fabric glow just enough. He could see a silhouette — slim, arching forward, undressing. Movements slow. Confident.
Leo froze.
It was Elaria.
One hand lifted her shirt over her head. Her silhouette shifted slightly, revealing just enough curve and movement to make Leo's heart stutter.
He immediately looked away.
Then back.
Then away again.
He cursed himself silently.
She didn't know he was watching.
Or maybe she did.
No — surely not.
She stepped into fresh clothes — loose trousers, a cropped shirt — and tossed her underclothes casually into a small bag.
Leo shut his eyes, his face burning.
The next sound was her whispering something to Ari on the other side. Then a chuckle. Soft footsteps. The curtain fell still.
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Leo stayed frozen for a few more minutes.
Not daring to move.
Not daring to think.
Then came the kicker: Vellum's half-sleep murmur from the other bed.
"She does that on purpose, you know…"
Leo turned his face to the wall.
This mission was going to be hell.
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