"Ladies, welcome to your room." Kyros opened the door to a timeworn, dirty room within the weapon shop. A single bed lied in the back of the room, many barrels that contained various weapons filled the corners. Multiple memories flooded Kyros' mind at the sight of the place. His years spent as Aion's apprentice were years he considered well spent.

While his smile grew more apparent, Runa and Sarra were far from pleased with the condition of their temporary living quarters. The wood was old, cracked, and reeked of possible mold. Numerous bugs crawled around the place. The thought of there being an infestation somewhere brought chills to Runa.

Through the woman's adventures, she'd slept in multiple—uncomfortable places. To her, a dark cave would've been more comfortable than the room. But, she'd already made her complaints about sleeping outside.

She'd made her bed. She'd have to lie in it.

"This place is a complete dump." Runa blatantly complained as she set her hands on her hips. Although she made her terms with the condition of the room, she couldn't fathom why Kyros would think that the girls would be but sleeping in such a filthy place.

"I know that it doesn't look that great, but, you have to consider that Aion didn't think anyone would want to sleep here," Kyros defended. "Besides, it's safer to sleep in here rather than outside."

The group entered the room. Sarra walked to a nearby barrel and ran her finger across it. She brought her dust covered finger close to her face and grimaced. "Do you have a duster somewhere we could use for cleaning?"

"I'll go see if I can find one somewhere. But until then, please try and make yourselves comfortable." Kyros waved the ladies goodbye and left the room. Afterward, Runa and Sarra sighed in exhaustion. They ignored the dust and bug problems and lied down on the bed.

After spending the past few days investigating the Varvara attacks and fighting off the vile creatures, they needed some time to rest their aching bodies.

"This is…this is nice. I mean it’s not great. But it’s nice." Sarra said, looking over at Runa with the usual bright smile of hers. "Runa, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, whaddya need to say?" Runa responded.

Sarra fiddled with her fingers, knowing exactly how the flow of the conversation would turn. Getting into an argument with her partner was something she never liked to do. But, something was on her mind, and it needed to get out.

"Have you apologized to Mr. Kyros yet?"

"…Apologized? For what?"

Sarra turned her head and frowned at Runa. "For your rude behavior, obviously. Ever since we met him, you've been nothing but rude and disrespectful."

"You do remember that he’s an Exousia, right?" Runa reminded as she turned her body to face Sarra.

It was rare for Sarra to scold Runa for her behavior unless it had something to do with her swearing. Other than that, the girl would often keep her head down and let Runa do as she pleased. But the situation was different. Runa racked my brain trying to figure out why.

The Huntresses hadn’t known Kyros for long at all. Sarra couldn't have formed a close relationship with him that fast. Runa ensured those two weren't given the opportunity to talk to each other that often.

"We’re Exousia too, Runa. What does that matter?" Sarra asked.

"What does it matter? Do I need to remind you that we’ve been making it our goal to avoid other Exousia until the number dwindles down to eight?" Runa raised her hand and showed her the Exousia Counter on her palm. "There're only fifty of us left, Sarra. Fifty. We can't get careless now."

"Then practice what you preach. Don’t you think you're careless by being rude to Mr. Kyros? He’s the First Exousia after all."

Runa didn’t respond.

Or rather she couldn’t respond.

Sarra didn’t give her anytime too. The young girl continued with her scolding.

"He has incredible power, and he’s been using it to help people—including us. He already said that he doesn’t have any interest in participating in the God selection. He’s a good guy, Runa. I know that for sure. But you haven’t been treating him that way."

"You’re just too trusting, Sarra. I refuse to trust him in less than half a day. Doing something like that would get us killed out in the Gardens of Eden."

It was harsh—but the truth. Runa couldn’t trust others so quickly; especially Kyros. Admittedly, Kyros had the determination to become a God, but he refused to become one by killing others. That was admirable—but foolish.

Runa wasn't anything like him. She wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone that threatened her life or anyone she cared about. The Huntress had long forgotten the number of lives she'd taken. She didn't find pleasure in any of it. But, it was necessary for her to survive. That’s what it’s all about in Salome.

Survival.

Runa didn't care what she had to do to survive. In the end, it was going to happen. She was going to ensure that she and Sarra survived and made it to the final eight.

Sarra was too trusting of others, especially if they acted nicely. Runa couldn't count the number of times the girl's naivety got her in trouble.

"But, we’re not in the Gardens of Eden. We’re in the Soteria Kingdom. We’re safe here," claimed Sarra.

"Wrong. We’re not safe here. If anything, we’re trapped," Runa corrected her partner, "there’s a reason I often avoid taking missions that involve entering kingdoms, Sarra. And this is one of those reasons. Kingdoms unknowingly shelter Exousia."

"I know that. But, that’s still no excuse. I know that I’m gullible. But, I’m confident that Mr. Kyros isn’t a bad person."

"You have your opinion, and I have mine. I don’t have any regrets about what I’ve done."

Runa refused to falter on my standpoint. Everything that she'd done was to protect and ensure their safety. She knew that it was wrong for her to attack and hold a prominent member of the military captive. Such actions would often result in immediate arrest and possible execution.

But fortunately for them, Kyros hadn’t mentioned any of that to anyone. He’d kept his word so far. He had multiple chances to betray them. Then again, Runa also considered the possibility that it could’ve been a trap.

Kyros was the First Exousia. A single digit. One of the nine people rumored to be the most powerful of the Exousia. At first, Runa believed those stories.

But after meeting him, she figured that rumors were just that—rumors. After all, it wasn’t hard to subdue and get information out of him upon their first encounter. Then again, his precognition power couldn’t be underestimated. He could’ve been aware of several future events that he had yet to tell the Huntresses. Perhaps he was even aware of their deaths, and they wouldn’t be any the wiser.

Everything could’ve all been a trap laid out for them from the beginning. It may have sounded paranoid, but there was a possibility. There were too many variables that Runa couldn’t even possibly have begun to fathom.

It frustrated her.

But, there was nothing that she could do. Runa didn’t have any leads about the Varvara. Kyros did. It was humiliating and unfortunate, but she needed his help. Their missions aligned with each other. So, it was the only reasonable option.

"Even if you have no regrets. You should still apologize, Runa. Mr. Kyros is a nice man. Perhaps he could even--"

"Enough," Runa interrupted, knowing what Sarra was going to suggest. "Get some sleep, Sarra. I'm going outside for the patrols."

Runa got up from the bed and left the room without another word. She wandered down the stairs back to the first floor in search of Aion and Kyros. She moved to the back of the shop, following the sound of indistinct voices.

"Thanks again for giving us a place to stay for a while, Aion. I'll make sure to pay you back for all you're doing for us." The first voice belonged to Kyros.

"You better," The second voice belonged to Aion, "those War Dogs outside would be jealous if they learned that you’re staying here."

"Let them be jealous. It's not every day that you allow military officers into your shop."

"Don’t get used to it. You’re an exception. Don’t go around bragging or abusing your special privilege."

"I promise I won't do that."

"It’s been awhile since we’ve last spoken to each other. How are things going for you, Kyros? I read in the newspaper that you were involved in the Exousia attack on Pandora city yesterday."

Silence descended in the room. It only lasted for a moment as Kyros immediately recalled his defeat and the loss of his men.

"It's true. I was there. I fought against the Exousia, and I lost. Because of that, I've lost the lives of a few of my subordinates," Kyros revealed. He clenched his hands into fists, hoping that would suppress his rage. "I lost great men with promising futures ahead of them. I led them to their untimely demise. I don't know if I have what it takes to lead a unit anymore."

Runa thought back to the incident at the hospital. Her encounter with the soldiers was far from pleasant. In fact, hearing about their deaths brought a smirk to her face.

"You’re not down in the dumps because of that are you?" Aion questioned him. "If you are, then you should get over yourself."

"Get over myself?"

"Let me give you some advice, Kyros. You’re a Captain of your unit, right? That’s a lot of responsibility since the fate of your men rests taught your hands. If something goes wrong, the responsibility lies solely with you. Do you agree with that?"

"Yes."

"Well, that settles it. No wonder your men died. You're a moron," Aion bluntly said. Although his words were cruel, neither Kyros or Runa sensed malice in them. "You can't blame yourself for everything that happens to your men, especially during combat."

"Yes, I can. If I had been stronger and defeated that Exousia sooner, then my men wouldn't have gotten killed." Kyros protested.

"If we’re going by that logic, then that means that the Generals should also blame themselves as well. You're still in Zoffy's army, right? Since you failed, that means that she's failed too." Aion countered. "She and the other generals should blame themselves for the deaths of all their subordinates. There shouldn’t even be an army in this kingdom since they’re unfit to lead anyone."

Kyros slammed his hands on the table and shot up from his chair. "That's not true, and you know it! The generals have done nothing wrong! They weren't even involved in the attack last night! They didn't fail to defeat the Exousia! I did!”

"Yeah, you failed. You’re not perfect, Kyros. No one is. You think Zoffy, and the other generals never lost any subordinates? Your men are their men as well. Don’t solely blame yourself for their deaths." Aion told him. "I’m assuming they died trying to do the right thing. You should honor their memory and keep moving forward. Don’t let their deaths hinder your progression."

Kyros settled down and returned to his seat. "I can't disregard their deaths. I'd be no better than the Exousia that killed them."

"I didn’t say disregard their deaths. You should always remember the men that died under your command and use their deaths as motivation to grow. Learn from your past mistakes so that incidents like that never happen again."

Runa closed her eye and nodded in understanding of Aion's words. The man certainly spoke from experience.

As a Huntress, death out on missions was unavoidable. There would always be casualties. No one had to like it. But, people had to learn from it; it's how people got stronger.

"Those men willingly followed you to battle knowing the risks. Don’t besmirch their deaths. It would be an insult to them and their families." Aion spoke again.

Kyros closed his eyes and let the words of his mentor sink in. "You're right. I can't let this set me back. I have a dream that I'll accomplish no matter what. I'll learn from this defeat and use it to become a stronger—capable leader."

Aion smiled at the sight of Kyros' confidence returning. It reminded him of the time the young man first stepped into his shop years ago, begging to become his apprentice. He tossed the man aside more times than he could remember, however, Kyros stood firm and returned every day until the old man finally relented.

"That’s more like it. It doesn’t suit you just to give up so easily. It also doesn’t suit your friend to eavesdrop on us." Aion suddenly announced.

Runa's body suddenly tensed up after getting called out. She knew that she wasn't a master of stealth or anything, but it still surprised her. She soon came out from the other side of the wall and entered the room.

She let out a nervous laugh and said, "Didn't mean to interrupt."

"Don’t worry about it. It’s not like we were talking about something top secret. Go ahead and have a seat." Aion offered up a place at the table.

Runa found no reason to refuse the offer. She pulled up a chair and join the men at the table.

"So, when do you plan on patrolling the town?" Runa looked at Kyros.

In all honesty, she didn’t need him to come along with her. She didn’t want him to go with me. But, she couldn’t leave him alone with Sarra. Kyros couldn’t be trusted in her eye. She needed to keep him with her always so that he couldn’t do anything behind her back.

"In a few minutes. I just wanted to catch up on old times with Aion." Kyros replied.

"I don’t understand the relationship between the two of you. One moment you’re afraid of him and then the next moment you’re casually conversing with him." Runa pointed out.

"I'll admit that we do have a complicated relationship. I'd say that it's a master and protégé relationship." Kyros sheepishly answered.

"More like reluctant master and annoyingly perseverant protégé." Aion cut into the conversation. "Once this brat learned of my identity, he continually visited this shop and begged for me to teach him how to become a hero."

Runa turned her head away from the men; her cheeks puffed out as she tried to restrain her laughter. The moment her gaze returned to Kyros to gauge his reaction, it became harder to control herself at the sight of his crimson face.

"A hero you say?" Runa finally managed to say, albeit with great difficulty. "How pure-hearted of you."

It was rare for her to hear grown men mention childish dreams such as becoming a hero. It was admirable— but funny.

"Aion! Why did you have to go and tell her that?" Kyros snapped at the laughing old man; his face remained crimson.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just that I expected dreams like that to come out of the mouth of children." Runa told him after having settled down. "So, you’re teaching him how to become a hero?" Her gaze moved to Aion.

He took a swig of his alcohol before responding, "No way. He can figure out how to become a hero on his own. The only thing that I’ve done for him was taught him a little bit about weapon manufacturing. I also crafted those gauntlets of his." He pointed to Kyros’ gauntlets with his bottle.

"I remember how jealous everyone else was after I told them that I became your apprentice." Kyros happily reminisced. "I can never thank you enough for all you've done for me, Aion."

"Will you quit praising me already? I haven’t done anything special." He brushed off Kyros’ constant praise. It was odd and unbecoming of a hero. Or perhaps it was his way of being humble.

"Forgive me for bringing this up so suddenly, but I’ve noticed that every time that you’re praised, you cast it aside. Usually, heroes bashfully accept such compliments." Runa pointed out.

"You’re right; heroes usually accept praises. But since I’m not a hero or anyone special, I don’t deserve such praise." He told the Huntress with a solemn expression.

"What do you mean you're not anyone special? You're one of the great heroes of this kingdom. You're the greatest weapons manufacturer on the continent. I'd even dare say the entire world." Kyros boasted.

Before he could say anything else, Aion’s bottle of alcohol flew past his face and shattered against the wall behind him. Silence descended on the room once more. But Aion soon broke that silence.

"This is your last warning, Kyros. Stop it with the fucking praising."

"Don't like being called a hero?" Runa suddenly asked.

"I would be if I were a hero. But in the end, I’m just a glorified murderer." He admitted, lowering his head so that he could stare at the table. "The people of this kingdom put me up on a pedestal and treat me like a mythical hero. But I don’t deserve their praise. Not when I’ve committed one of the greatest crimes in history."

Intrigued by the man’s response, Runa leaned in and asked, "What did you do?"

"Did Kyros not tell you? I ended the life of the second ruler of this kingdom."

"Yeah, he told me. But, what I have trouble understanding is why you’re so bothered by that fact. The second ruler of this kingdom was a ruthless tyrant, right? Isn't the country better off with that piece of garbage gone?" Runa exchanged glances between Aion and Kyros.

"That piece of garbage was also my father," Aion informed.

Runa was too stunned to respond immediately after hearing his words. The old man was made a hero by killing his father? Who in their right mind would accept such a title after doing something like that? No wonder the country was so messed up. Honoring someone that killed their father would make anyone jaded.

"I’m sorry to hear that." Runa genuinely apologized to Aion, knowing that she had overstepped the boundaries.

Aion shook his head and smiled at her. "No need to apologize. That was over twenty-two years ago. I’m over it." He leaned in and gave the Huntress suggestive grin, unnerving her. "Enough about me. Let’s talk about you two. When did the two of you start dating?"

"Dating?" Kyros’ face turned bright red in embarrassment. He quickly looked at Aion and Runa, rambling incoherently in a desperate attempt to explain their partnership.

"Don’t misunderstand. We’re not dating. He’s merely acting as our tour guide as we try to complete our mission." Runa dryly responded, calming down Kyros and disappointing Aion in the process. "Speaking of which, we should stop fooling around and begin with the patrol."

"Right. We've wasted enough time." Kyros nodded his head.

It was at that moment the group heard loud screams and cries coming from outside the shop. Alarmed, they shot out from their chairs and headed out to the front. They were immediately horrified to see the Varvara terrorizing the people of the town.