Valen's mouth hung open. He pointed at the pair, then looked at Arthur. "Is my partner in a relationship?"
"You will get used to it," Arthur said. He sighed. "Hold on. What now?"
Valen snickered. He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "Interesting. Very interesting."
Lucid pushed past Ayame and walked to the center of the room. He needed space. He needed to think. The domain had shaken him up, and now he was back here, surrounded by people who had his best interest in mind.
"I need to explain what happened," Lucid said. His voice was tired. "But first, sit down. All of you. This is going to take a while."
Arthur closed the pantry door and pulled out a chair. Ayame remained standing, her eyes fixed on Valen. The yellow-haired boy found a stool near the window and perched on it, his cap still low over his eyes.
Lucid told them everything. The auction. The bids. The cultists and their human sacrifices. Celeste and her crumbling composure. Mercyros descending with his golden light and his formal, terrible voice. The moment when the Monolith had tried to extract Alice from his chest. The spear. The thread. The shattering.
He left nothing out. Not the fear. Not the pain. Not the moment when he thought he had lost her.
When he finished, the room was silent.
Arthur spoke first. "You fought a Monolith? Mercyros? But it was said they vanished a long long time ago..."
"Yes I fought a Monolith."
Ayame moved closer. She reached out and touched his chest, right where the a faint metallic smell came from, like an open wound but closed only she could sense beneath his shirt. "Hm... that is why you smell of iron."
"Yes." He nodded an understanding only they could reach.
She withdrew her hand.
Valen stood up from his stool. He walked to the center of the room, his footsteps measured, deliberate. "Now you understand what we are dealing with. Mercyros will not stop. He cannot stop. The Domain is his territory, his source of power. As long as it stands, well peolle will utilise the domain using its properties to their advantages. Like the cultists." He gritted his teeth momentarily. But he continued.
"Chances are that your idiot of a friend has angered him as well. So... he might collapse the whole economy of Port Vexis"
Arthur spoke to Lucid directly, his voice low and urgent. "Then let him. We did not come here to ensure the economy stays afloat."
Lucid frowned. The fire crackled between them, casting shadows across the tavern walls. The smell of smoke and old wood filled the room.
"It might seem like an inconvenience," Arthur continued, "but if the Domain collapses and Mercyros weakens, neighboring forces could invade much more easily. The southern reaches of Vex would be exposed."
"We are only here to stop the cultists." Lucid's voice was flat. He was tired of arguments, tired of politics, tired of people telling him why his mission was not enough.
"Yes, Lucid. But let us say we stop them. Let us say we leave Mercyros weakened and the town in chaos. The neighboring forces could gather their manpower and invade the south of the Kingdom of Vex."
"Like who?"
"Ater." Arthur's jaw tightened. "They are ruthless. They lie on the edge of the map, but their influence reaches quite far. If they catch wind of this weakness, Priestess Ophilia will not hesitate. She is not like the saint everyone believes she is."
Lucid shook his head. "And who is that? It has nothing to do with me."
Valen cut him off, his voice sharp. "Anyways, the point stands. We need to get rid of this Domain so we can solve most of our issues. Whether it be the cultists, the economy, or a dangerous relic floating around the market. Our interests are aligned. It seems the only way to seal everything."
Lucid exhaled slowly. "Well, then we will just have to crush that Domain and send Mercyros out of Port Vexis."
Arthur looked at Valen, his eyes wide. "You would go against a Monolith?"
Valen smiled. It was not a kind smile. "Monoliths can bleed, my friend. And my precious fogged associate here proved that."
He reached out and placed his hand on Lucid's cheek, his fingers cold against the skin. He stroked once, twice, a gesture that was almost tender.
Lucid recoiled. "Get your hands away from me."
He swung his fist. Valen ducked, the punch whistling past his ear.
"Woah." Valen stepped back, his hands raised. "That was unexpected. I could still feel the intent behind that."
He gestured his thumb back to where Lucid had overbalanced and landed flat on the floor. His face was pressed against the wooden boards.
"I find your friend pretty stupid and intriguing," Valen said to the room at large. "Where did you find him?"
" A cave," Ayame replied. Her voice was flat, matter of fact.
"A prison cell," Arthur added.
Lucid's voice came from the floor, muffled by wood. "It is a lie! You found me. I was stranded."
His face was still planted against the ground, but his arms were stretched out, fingers digging into the cracks between the boards.
Arthur chuckled. Valen joined him, a low, genuine sound. Ayame walked beside Lucid and helped him up, brushing the dust off his shoulders. Her hands lingered for a moment longer than necessary.
Arthur spoke again, his tone measured. "Well, you seem like the person who sold knives in the district earlier when we were out with Lucid. I will set these feelings aside for now and accept a temporary partnership."
He frowned. "And what do you propose?"
Valen stepped into the center of the room. His cap was still pulled low, but his golden eyes glinted in the firelight. "I propose we go back in. Together. All of us. Lucid has the fate essence. I have the foresight. You have the sword." He glanced at Ayame. "And you have the hunger. We can win. We can take the relic and destroy the Domain for good."
Ayame tilted her head. Her dark eyes studied him like a predator studying prey. "Why do you care?"
"Because I have debts." Valen's voice was flat, stripped of its usual playfulness. "And the Domain is where debts go to die. I want mine back."
Lucid watched him. The boy's golden eyes were hard, calculating. There was something beneath the nonchalance, something dark and hungry. Something that recognized a kindred spirit.
'He is not telling us everything. But then again, neither am I.'
"We need to rest first," Lucid said. "Tomorrow. We plan tomorrow."
Arthur nodded. "Agreed. You look like you have been through a war."
"I have been through several." Lucid's voice was dry.
Ayame moved to the window. She looked out at the darkening street, her silhouette sharp against the fading light. "I will keep watch."
Valen found a corner and sat down, his back against the wall. He pulled his cap lower over his eyes and crossed his arms. Within moments, his breathing slowed.
Lucid lay down on a cot near the fireplace. The flames crackled softly, casting dancing shadows on the ceiling. The warmth seeped into his bones, loosening muscles that had been clenched for hours.
He closed his eyes.
'Alice,' he thought. 'Are you still there?'
Nothing. Silence. The green light in his chest was dim, barely a whisper of what it had been. He could feel her presence, but it was distant, like hearing someone speak from the bottom of a well.
He sighed. The sound was swallowed by the crackling fire.
Sleep came slowly, creeping up on him like fog rolling in from the sea. He dreamed of golden skies and purple hair and hands reaching for his throat. He dreamed of chains and threads and a voice that called him martyr.
When he woke, the fire had burned down to embers. The room was dark. Ayame was still at the window, motionless, her eyes fixed on the street. Arthur was asleep on a cot across the room, his sword within reach. Valen had not moved from his corner.
Lucid sat up. His body ached, but the wounds were healed. The green light in his chest was steady, if faint.
He looked at the window. The sky was grey, the sun not yet risen.
'Today,' he thought. 'Today we end this.'
He stood. His boots scuffed against the floor. Ayame turned her head, her eyes meeting his.
'Ready?' she asked through qn unspoken glance.
"No," he said. "But I will go anyway."
She nodded. That was enough.
Arthur stirred. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"
"Early. We should move before the city wakes."