Night fell on Hollowbark Village faster than usual. A persistent forest rain began to pour, washing away the bloodstains and traces of the afternoon battle, yet it could not wash away the desolation of the place.
After a careful inspection, Sin's group decided to stay in the largest house at the center—formerly the home of the Village Chief. The thick oak door was halfway smashed. Inside, the furniture had been ransacked. Ceramic jars for grain were shattered, and charred fragments of paper were scattered across the floor.
Sin knelt, picking up a blackened piece of wood to sniff it.
"Fire," he stated, his voice dropping. "The specific blue fire of the Silver Knight Squad. They were here... about three days ago."
"Are they hunting us?" Eric asked, his hand resting on his sword hilt, eyes warily watching the pitch-black window.
"No," Sin shook his head, tossing the wood aside. "At that time, we were still at sea. They came here for another purpose. Perhaps to hunt down outcasts or search for a specific artifact." He looked around the empty, cold house. "Valerius isn't just targeting me. He is tearing this entire continent apart. He wants everything."
A heavy silence filled the room. They realized they weren't just fleeing; they were walking across a chessboard that was already burning in every corner.
"Come on," Ardyn broke the atmosphere, kicking a large log into the fireplace. "Worry about tomorrow later. Tonight, let's just sleep in the warmth. The hunters from this afternoon were the eyes and ears of this area; now that they're gone, we're safe for the night."
The fire in the hearth flared up, bringing a bit of warmth and a dim yellow light to the ruined room.
-
In the outer room.
Ardyn sat with his back against the wooden wall. His wine bottle was empty, but he kept his habit of holding it. Beside him, the massive black sword lay still like a sleeping beast. Opposite him sat Celles—in his teenage boy form, wearing an oversized white shirt Sin had given him.
The beast-kin youth was frowning, his glowing gold eyes focused intensely on... a small piece of paper in his hand.
"Fold this corner down," Ardyn instructed, his voice deep but unusually patient. "No, don't tear it! Easy with those claws, you wild cat."
Celles hissed in frustration, his cat tail lashing against the floor. His sharp nails accidentally tore the fragile paper again.
"Harder than... scratching... guts," Celles spoke the human tongue clumsily, crumbling the paper.
"Killing is easy, creating is hard," Ardyn chuckled softly. He picked up a new sheet. His rough, calloused fingers suddenly became incredibly skillful. He folded, smoothed, and bent the corners. In just a few breaths, a tiny, beautifully puffed paper star appeared in his palm.
"This is a Star of Hope," Ardyn placed the star in Celles's hand. "They say if you fold a thousand stars and make a wish, it will come true."
Celles held the paper star, admiring it under the firelight. His wild eyes softened.
"Wish... Sin... no hurt," Celles muttered.
Ardyn looked at the boy, then toward the closed door of the inner room. He sighed, his aging eyes reflecting a distant look. "Yeah. I wish for that too. But I'm old; I know folding stars is just to comfort children. Adults... they have to heal each other."
-
In the inner bedroom.
The fireplace crackled. Sin sat on an old fur rug, drying his wet hair. On his lap was the map of the Aurelion continent. Sin's long, slender fingers glided from the "Hollowbark" mark in the South up to the far North, where Rivan sat, and where Lady Sil was imprisoned.
The distance... was too great.
Sin bit his lip. The "logic machine" shell he had carefully built to protect himself from tragedy was now cracking under the silence of the night. There were no numbers. No tactical plans. Only raw longing and fear.
He remembered the scent of herbs on Lady Sil's clothes. He remembered her strict but loving voice whenever he solved an ancient script problem incorrectly. She was old now.
A thought invaded Sin's mind. She is suffering in that memory-extracting machine. And I am here, hiding at the edge of the world, folding paper cranes and playing hide-and-seek. What if I don't make it in time? What if, when I return, she has forgotten who I am?
Sin's chest tightened. His throat felt bitter. A hot tear escaped, rolling down his thin cheek and landing on the map, blurring the name "Rivan." Then a second. A third.
Sin hurriedly wiped them away, angry at his own weakness. Stop. Crying doesn't solve anything. Waste of water. Loss of minerals.
But the tears did not follow logic. They kept flowing, silent but heart-wrenching.
The wooden door creaked open. Eric entered, carrying two pieces of dry rations and a waterskin. He froze. Under the flickering firelight, he saw Sin's shoulders shaking violently. He saw the tear-streaked face of the boy who always acted cold and arrogant.
Eric's heart felt squeezed. He set the food on the table and walked over quickly.
Hearing the movement, Sin turned in shock. He looked away, frantically wiping his face with his sleeve.
"Smoke... there's too much smoke from the hearth," Sin said, his voice cracking, trying to regain his composure. "The ventilation in this house is inefficient. Tear ducts are irritated..."
Eric said nothing. He knelt on one knee in front of Sin. He didn't ask "why" or offer empty comfort. He simply reached out his calloused hand and gently wiped away the tears remaining on Sin's eyelashes.
"Stop analyzing, Sin," Eric said, his voice deep and unusually tender. "There is no one here calculating probabilities with you. Just cry."
That tenderness was the final straw. Sin stopped wiping his face. He looked at Eric, his eyes red and brimming with water.
"It's too far, Eric..." Sin whispered, his voice shattered. "I'm afraid I'm not fast enough. I'm afraid this intellect isn't enough. I'm afraid I'll lose her... just like I lost my parents."
Eric moved closer. He wrapped his arms around Sin's shoulders, pulling him into his chest. This time, Sin did not push him away. He didn't talk about "unnecessary physical contact." He leaned his head onto Eric's shoulder, clinging to his shirt like a drowning man clutching a piece of wood.
"You won't go alone," Eric whispered into his hair, his hand comforting the trembling back. "I don't know what the future holds. I don't promise we will win. But I promise I will be your sword, your shield, and your packhorse. I will carry you back to Rivan, even if I have to walk for the rest of my life."
Sin looked up. Eric's face was very close. The firelight reflected in the knight's deep blue eyes—steady and warm.
This feeling of safety... Sin searched through his memory. No data. The memory of the emotions from that night had been taken by Lysandra. He didn't remember what "loving" Eric felt like. But right now, his heart was skipping a beat. New data was being overwritten onto the emptiness.
"You talk too much, Knight," Sin whispered.
He reached up. Their lips touched.
It wasn't the possessive, lustful kiss from the lost memory. This was a kiss of comfort, of reliance. Eric's lips were dry and rough, tasting of dry rations. Sin's lips were soft and wet with tears. They kissed slowly, tentatively. Then Eric slid his hand into Sin's hair, holding his neck to deepen the kiss. Sin opened his mouth, accepting the gentle invasion. He felt the warmth from Eric's chest transfer to him, chasing away the coldness of fear.
They both leaned back, lying down on the fur rug before the fire. Eric propped himself up on his elbows above Sin, looking down at his flushed face. He leaned down, kissing the wet eyelids, the tip of the nose, and then returning to the parted lips. The sound of crackling wood mingled with soft, heavy gasps.
A long while later, Eric reluctantly pulled away, his forehead resting against Sin's.
"Better?" he asked quietly.
Sin blinked, his breathing gradually stabilizing. He touched his lips lightly, a pensive look on his face. "Heart rate stabilizing..." Sin muttered, then looked at Eric, the corners of his mouth curving ever so slightly—a real smile. "This new data... is much more pleasant than the simulation."
Eric laughed, lying down beside him and pulling Sin into his arms. "Sleep, genius. Tomorrow we have to take you to school."
Sin closed his eyes, nesting into Eric's warm chest. For the first time in many days, he slept without calculating how he would survive tomorrow.
Outside the door crack, Ardyn saw the scene. He smirked, shook his head, and gently blew out the oil lamp in the outer room. Beside him, Celles was fast asleep, his hand still clutching a crooked paper star.
Tonight, Hollowbark Village was at peace.