---

「Lorenzo, what's wrong?!」

「It's Melyn... she's gone!」

I'd searched under her bed and throughout the building. I'd even scanned the Pottershack with my Hu.

But she'd left not a trace of herself. It was a trail, cold from the beginning. I found myself back in her room, unsure of what to do next.

「My apprentice, I need you to calm yourself. Think about this rationally.」

「I-I don't know where to start... She could be anywhere about now! It's been hours since I last saw her!」

「Lorenzo. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Then, contemplate your next course of action.」

「But I—」

The stern look he bore slightly startled me. It was an expression I'd never associated with his goateed visage. Standing tall by the door, he oozed authority.

I grudgingly followed his suggestion and loosened myself. In the process, I felt something amiss with the air.

I trotted over to the window and glimpsed the closed curtains subtly waving. Pulling them asunder, I was met with a draft along with a shocking realization.

And the Yarzon cityscape came into view under the cover of night—rooftops as far as the eye could see. In my panicked state, I'd failed to notice the blatantly open window.

I clenched my teeth, frustrated with my nearsightedness.

「Mel..!」

Without a second thought, I raised my leg over the windowsill and prepared to jump onto the roof closest. My mentor was quick to object.

「Lorenzo, where do you think you're going?! The city watch is especially active during nighttime! Going out there is suicide!」

「That girl's out there alone. She needs me!」

「And I'm telling you, you're putting yourself at great risk of getting caught! You'll have half the city on your tail by the time you catch up to her!」

「I've been trained in stealth by the slum dwellers. I'll be fine!」

The merchant heaved out a deep sigh and stroked his goatee like he always would.

「There's no talking you out of this, is there?」

「My stubbornness rivals the Ashen Thief I'll have you know...」

He breathily tittered and crossed his arms.

「Fine... do what you will. But promise me this: you'll turn tail and come back here the moment you note something amiss... with or without Miss Melyn. I'd rather lose one of you than all of you.」

His concerns were appreciated, but slightly mistaken.

「Mr. Potternuggets... if there's one thing I've learned from these past few days... it's that whether I like it or not, Mel has become a part of me. By losing her... you've already lost me. So instead, I'll promise you this:」

Anchored on the ledge, I confidently turned to my mentor.

「I'll definitely return, with Melyn in tow!」

With my prideful declaration out of the way, I bid the merchant farewell and leaped onto the brick-red roof tiles that spanned the whole middle-class district.

Covertly I dashed across the rooftops, evading detection from the lantern-carrying guards down below. As I'd lived with the thief girl for years, I'd come to recognize her breathing patterns.

Naturally, I resorted to using my Hu. But therein lay another issue.

Crap... I'm not picking her up...

My breathing technique's effective range barely covered Barbajou Street, let alone all of Yarzon. Looking for Melyn in this Church-infested municipality was like finding a needle in a haystack.

So... I settled on a specialty of mine. Risk assessment—divining a clear path for myself with facts and logic. I'd received high praise from the Ashen Thief on that front.

I ground to a halt and peeked at the scorched buildings in the outer layer of the city. There were very few spots she could go to without getting apprehended.

Assuming the worst hadn't befallen her, I figured there was one of two places she could've gone.

And from those two places, I decided to go with the safest choice.

If she's not there though...

I cut myself short from finishing that bleak thought.

「No... she's gotta be there!」

Slinking past the patrols down on the ground was no easy feat. They were still on edge from the razing of the outer layer two days ago. If only I'd learned the Xi technique...

The Sentinels were also nowhere to be seen.

As I'd feared, slum dweller activity on the surface was completely nonexistent. The best-case scenario was they were simply hiding underground. However, it was touch and go; I had no way of knowing for sure.

Upon reaching the fringes of the northeastern marketplace, I embarked on a jog through the rooftops. A literal trip down memory lane.

From there I was able to spot a panorama I'd witnessed before, bathed in moonlight.

The red from middle-class brick houses, the nearby darkened brown from the slums, and even the distant white from the mansions that wrapped around the sunken castle in the center.

Relatively little had changed around here, to the detriment of this city. But the unwillingness of this garbage dump in improving its infrastructure was endearing... in a sentimental sense.

As I reveled in the nostalgia though... I'd bumped into a familiar scene. And my suspicions were thankfully confirmed.

「I thought I'd find you here.」

I mouthed dolefully.

The rooftop garden no longer bloomed so radiantly, for the flowers had withered and its petals were strewn about the floor. The sweet fragrance from yesterday was adulterated by the stench of smoke.

And the smell of death lingered in its place.

Amid this gloomy display was Melyn, who'd collapsed to her knees, visibly distraught by the sight before her.

Her grass-green hair gently swayed in the wind, and she continued to gaze at the colorless plants, unbothered by my presence.

I hopped onto the veranda and approached the girl. The late-night breeze pierced my cloth pajamas, and I couldn't tell whether my boots were shaking from the nerves or the freezing temperatures.

Nonetheless, I was happy she was here in front of me.

「I would've scoured the Warrens if you weren't here you know..? Do you know how much I—」

「The flowers...」

I promptly shut up and stood rooted to the ground as she finally spoke.

「My family owned a garden and tended to flowers much like these ones. They were finicky plants that required a lot of care. One small mistake could end up killing them.」

Melyn let out a forlorn smile.

「Imagine my surprise when Rysef presented them to me on our carriage ride to Yarzon. He'd taken them from my home garden in Beafroux and miraculously kept them alive throughout our journey. The garden he promised to build me out of those flowers is the one you're looking at right now.」

Her smile faded away, leaving a downcast countenance.

「It's unfair, isn't it? I turn my back on them for a single day and my only mementos of Rysef and my family wilt away and die. I could've done something to save them and yet... I didn't.」

She then swiveled towards me, her crimson eyes reflecting a broken soul.

「Can't you see Lorenzo..? I'm cursed. I've been cursed from the beginning. Anyone I'm involved with will suffer a terrible fate. There's no reason for you to try so hard to bring me back.」

Unable to handle her self-degradation any longer, I questioned her flawed line of reasoning.

「Cursed..? You seriously believe that, Mel..?」

「There's no other explanation.」

「There are millions, if not billions of explanations. More than enough to lay your stupidity to rest.」

My callous reply set her off.

「If you think I'm so stupid... why are you here for me..?」

「I promised Mr. Potternuggets I'd bring you back!」

No... that's not it... I'm backtracking again...

The thief girl slowly inched away from me. My distant answer wasn't getting through her clouded skull.

「Promises, promises, promises... I'm always bound by these promises. Is that all I am..? Conditions to an agreement I wasn't even a part of..?」

「No! That's not it! It's just..!」

Why the hell am I hesitating so much..? Can I really not pronounce the words..?

It was my pride that was holding me back. For years I'd built myself up to be this pragmatic machine incapable of forming connections with people in her eyes.

And now I was forced to peel off this facade I so meticulously constructed.

It was difficult exposing myself like this.

「Say Lorenzo... tell me...」

With her back against the wall of the cupola, she faced me.

「What do I mean to you?」

I froze.

She went ahead and asked the question I'd been agonizing over. I had no choice but to wear my heart on my sleeve.

In the heat of the moment, I said the first thing that came to mind.

「I've already told you. Two years ago... remember..?」

I closed my fists and opened my heart.

「You meant nothing to me. From the day we met, I saw you as nothing but a stepping stone. A mere pebble that guaranteed my safety in these alien lands. Hell, I even thought you could be a decent weapon at my disposal.」

She stared at the floor, as though she expected my answer.

「I'll be honest... I found you extremely difficult to deal with. In retrospect, I should've asked Rysef to compensate me for babysitting you. You're annoying, arrogant, overbearing, burdensome, and needless to say... stupid. Dimwitted. Thoughtless. Never had I ever wanted to abandon someone so badly.」

「What's stopping you then..?」

「But!」

Melyn flinched and riveted her gaze on mine.

「At some damn point... I got used to you... And with each passing day, I found myself caring about you a lot more than I should've.」

「H-huh..?」

「Our sparring matches, the aimless talks we'd have, our playful banter, the meals we'd share... like a nutjob I was beginning to find joy in the exchanges we shared.」

With every utterance, I drew closer to the thief girl.

「I had fun being with you! With Rysef! With Asthos! With Oleena! With Thonvir and Ysolva! With everyone at the Lakua Village! And that's the truth!」

「What are you..?」

「When I said I chased after you to fulfill a promise I kept, I was talking out of my ass! I'm not so honorable I'd hold up my end of the bargain, Mel. You've seen how I handle deals before.」

And a few meters was all that kept us apart. She was paralyzed by my admission.

「No... the reason I'm willing to go this far for you is—」

「SHUT UP!!!」

The thief girl immediately went in to boot my groin. Instinctively, I caught her leg mid-kick and pulled her in closer. Her face was mere inches from mine.

「You thought that would work on me? I've known you for too long, Mel...」

「Wha—?」

Melyn's cheeks reddened as I imparted those words to her. Flustered, she wriggled out of my grasp and hastily climbed the roof behind her. Naturally, I followed suit.

I didn't bother using Hu to conceal my emotions. Judging by her reaction, she'd undoubtedly verified the veracity of what I was saying.

The thief girl was in full denial.

Alas... I was going to upend her confusion and force her to accept my feelings... however heavy they may be.

Melyn stood on the edge of the building's rooftop. There was nowhere for her to run. I confronted the thief girl with the resolve of a thousand men.

「Mel... I need you to hear me out...」

「You're lying like you always have! Just leave me alone!」

「I refuse. I'm not leaving until you come with me.」

There was stubborn bewilderment in her tone. She refused to accept any other outcome than the one she'd set up for herself. Perhaps it was her way of coping with the destruction of our home.

I hated how much she reminded me of myself.

「Melyn... I'll only say this once!」

「Stop it!」

「The reason I'm bending over backwards for you is...」

「I'm not listening!」

And I emptied my lungs, yelling out my justification like there was no tomorrow.

「I NEED YOU BY MY SIDE, ALRIGHT YOU IDIOT?!?!?!」

The pronouncement reverberated throughout all of Yarzon. Under the silver moon, my assertive confession was certainly heard by the tiniest of ants.

What am I doing?!

Instantly, I felt a twinge of regret, and my face crimsoned like the thief girl's peepers. Getting carried away by the mood was no excuse for my asinine actions.

「T-that's just... selfish...」

Melyn goggled at me in disbelief.

「Y-yeah... well, I am pretty selfish. I don't care if you're cursed or whatever. If you want to go down the path of atonement, bring me with you. I can't really picture life without you... you know..?」

I scratched my head and averted my gaze.

「Do you not want to live..?」

「If you're planning on kicking the bucket before me, then you're sorely mistaken. From now on you report to me! And my first orders for you are to live a long and fulfilling life, and to strive for a good ending! That's what I want!」

「That's worse than being a pebble. You're practically asking me to serve you...」

「Let's not call it servitude, shall we? It's more of a... symbiotic partnership.」

「I don't... get you sometimes... Lorenzo—」

Clink!

Suddenly, the roof tile beneath her feet gave way, causing her to slip off.

Swiftly I rushed over and grabbed her by the hand.

「Woah... gotcha!」

And as if to borrow her words.

「Rule number one: we slum dwellers stick together... right?」

Our roles were flipped in the span of a couple of years. Here I was, fixed to the ground through very specific footwork. I was practically on the same level as her when we first met.

Melyn looked up at me, still stunned, as I pulled her up.

「No that's not it... the tenets are null now.」

Once her feet touched the surface, I faced her and beamed.

「It should be "we stick together" I guess...」

A stretch of silence soon followed.

And the thief girl cast her gaze towards her feet and quietly muttered to herself.

「I won't know unless you tell me... idiot...」

「What was that Mel—?」

Glomp!

Unexpectedly, I felt her body press against my chest, and Melyn's chin resting on my shoulder.

「M-Melyn..?」

She then held me tighter. Her embrace was warmer than an evening hearth, and for a second I forgot about the frigid nighttime air. I reciprocated her hug by awkwardly holding her.

「Uh... so have you come to your senses..?」

「Just... be quiet... Zozo...」

We stayed like this for what felt like forever. The lull was interspaced with sniffles and the occasional teardrop running down my back.

「Mel, I can't be your little brother... you know..? Not trying to ruin the mood or anything... I just want to make sure we're on the same—」

「Mm... you're Lorenzo... You needn't be anything else...」

And that was the confirmation I needed. Our relationship had effectively been reset. What remained were the bittersweet memories and the bond we would continue.

「Oi did ya hear somethin' from up there?!」

Ah, shit!

I instinctively covered the thief girl's mouth and jumped away from the edge back onto the veranda. Using Hu, I made sure the guards weren't looking for us.

That was... until the tears and snot had stuck onto my hand.

「Ugh gross! Mel do you have a napkin or something?」

She responded with a giggle.

「This isn't funny Mel! I need to clean this off!」

Again, she chuckled at my suffering.

「If you've got the time to laugh then you've got the time to search your damn pockets! Come on!」

And she burst into laughter, her eyes still puffy.

「Yea I definitely hear somethin' up there!」

「I'll check it out, ya notify th' other boys!」

I really don't need this right now...

Had I glanced at Melyn's face at the time, I would've been greeted with her signature cheeky grin.

The thief girl I'd known had returned, and while I was struggling to figure out how to get out of our predicament... I'd caught a pleasant scent in the air.

This moonlit view had rivaled the bygone flowers in beauty.

---