Three weeks passed since the attack on Soteria city. The Lambros Corporation ensured the proceedings with the reconstruction of the country went well. Throughout the time, Kyros made the most of his suspension from the military and acted as Runa and Sarra's tour guide throughout the rest of the city.

He found it odd how he spent all his life in Soteria, and yet he had never taken the time to sit back and thoroughly enjoy all the beautiful sights it provided to its people. As he thought back on it, perhaps his suspension was not so bad after all. It gave him a sense of relief that he could spend a few days not worrying about his military duties.

But, those times couldn't last forever. He knew that. Sooner or later, he'd have to return to his harsh reality. There was still so much to do. So many problems left.

Soon, nightfall came, and the long-awaited celebration took place. Roditis Lambros took control of the ceremony and acted as the host. Behind him on the grand stage stood the guests of honor, the heroes that saved Soteria from the Jaya Acolytes. Chayse Raleigh, Elma Chloris, Kyros Aleister, Runa das Meer, and Sarra Zosime.

The crowd chanted those names after Roditis announced their heroic deeds. He had the people eating out of the palm of his hand. He used such grandiose words and phrases, implemented dramatic pauses to keep the listeners on the edge of their seats.

From the perspective of the people, they believed the country would've fallen if not for the efforts of Kyros and the others. And that's how Roditis wanted it.

Kyros smile turned sullen. Oh, how he wanted to speak out and correct the tall tales that Roditis weaved in the minds of the others. But, he couldn't. For the first time in his life, he saw looks of admiration and respect in the eyes of the people as they stared at him. It was genuine.

He couldn't spot a single glance of hatred or contempt. Who was he to wash away those expressions?

Besides, it wasn't all about him. The protection of Soteria was a joint effort from everyone. The military, the police, and even the citizens.

He wished he could've brought everyone on the stage to celebrate. But, he knew that would've defeated the purpose of the celebration in the first place. The point of it was to celebrate the defeat of their enemies, boost the morale of the people, and deepen the relationships between Soteria and the Gardens of Eden.

Kill three birds with one stone.

The military, the police, and even the citizens.

When the opening speech ended, Kyros and the others spread out and enjoyed themselves at the party. The first ones that interacted with him were his subordinates. But, he kindly brushed them off. He couldn't face them properly. Not after having lost three members of his squad.

Throughout the party, he consistently saw their faces. No matter how much he wished it; they were dead. Nothing would ever bring them back. The good men that lost their lives under his watch couldn't be there on that glorious day of celebration.

"Mr. Kyros? Are you okay?" Kyros snapped out of his trance and looked down. There, he spotted Sarra staring at him with a sweet smile. "Are you not feeling well? Need me to get you some food?"

"I'm alright, Sarra. I'm just thinking a few things over. That's all," Kyros assured her. His eyes wandered around the area. He found it odd seeing Sarra all alone with Runa having her joined at the hip. "Where's Runa?"

"I saw her wander off towards the bridge," Sarra answered. She stepped aside and pointed in the direction. "Runa's not much a party person. Or, at least this kind of party."

"Oh? And you are?" Kyros inquired. The little girl's statement piqued his interest. He wished to see what kind of party person the Huntress was.

"It depends on the party," A mischievous smile crossed the face of Sarra. It amused him how such a sweet girl could flip a switch and somehow morph into something else entirely. "Now that Runa's not supervising me, I can try some alcohol for once. She never lets me try when we're at the guild."

"Probably because it's illegal for minors to drink, Sara. No one here's going to give you any alcohol," Kyros strictly informed her. Sarra folded her arms across her chest and pouted. "Pouting won't get you anywhere. I don't know why you want to drink in the first place. It's not good for you."

"Everyone else seems to be having a good time," Sarra indicated to the more loud people in the crowd. The drunkest person was Chayse. His face was flushed red, and he wandered around, flirting with any pair of breasts that crossed his path. His partner, Elma, wasn't too far behind removing him from their presence.

"Take a good look at that, Sarra. He's an adult and alcohol is doing that to him. So, imagine what it would do to you." Kyros patted the girl on the shoulder and then wandered off toward the bridge, gently maneuvering through the crowd.

Eventually, he spotted Runa, all alone, leaned against the railing of the bridge. She faced out toward the river.

"Hey there," Kyros called out to her. The woman didn't bother to look at him. "You're missing out on the party."

"Ah, that party's not exactly my thing. Besides, all I've done was my job. I don't deserve a celebration." Runa said.

"That's a shame. I wanted to see you dress for the occasion." Kyros commented. "Seeing you in something other than armor and fur would be a nice sight."

"Have you been talking with Chayse?" For once, the woman turned her head to glance at Kyros with a familiar scowl. "That guy makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know how his partner deals with him."

Kyros defensively raised his hands, following up with a nervous chuckle to assure her that he meant no harm by his comment. "Relax, Runa, relax. It was all in good fun."

"Anyway, how come you’re not enjoying the party? Isn’t something like this what you wanted all along? To be recognized as a hero by your people and country?" She turned the tables on Kyros. Ever since Aion told her about one of his ambitions, Runa took any opportunity she could to tease him about it. She looked at him as if he were trying to fulfill some childhood fantasy.

"This is just a formality. None of us are truly considered heroes to these people. Something like this is nothing more than a step closer to my goal." Kyros answered.

"A step closer, huh?" Runa turned her head back toward the river. "I don't understand the point of being a hero, but the best of luck to you. Now that the Varvara attacks stopped, after today, Sarra and I are heading back to our guild."

"Out in the Gardens of Eden, right?" Kyros inquired.

She confirmed it with a nod of her head. "It's been three months since we left. Pretty sure my guildmates are worried sick."

"Well, I would say it's been fun having you around. But, most of the time we spent together involved fighting,” Kyros mentioned. “However, we've had a few enjoyable moments here and there. Overall, it was great to have you and Sarra as partners. Should you ever feel the need to come back here, feel free to stop by and say hello now and then."

Her head turned towards Kyros. Her gaze—fierce and focused. It mirrored the gazes she gave him when they first met. Kyros thought that they were past the harsh glances, but apparently, he was wrong.

"Don’t get ahead of yourself. I don’t plan on coming back here anytime soon or ever again. After tomorrow, we’re kissing this place goodbye forever." She announced coldly.

Charming as always that one.

Never a dull moment whenever she was around. Runa never made it any secret that she strongly disliked the country. Kyros understood where she came from. Soteria wasn’t precisely a utopia filled with sunshine and rainbows. Then again, what country like that ever existed in history?

"What a shame…"

"Anyway, I’ve meant to tell you something for some time now." Her gaze averted from him. "For everything you’ve done, regarding keeping our secret…thank you. I know that you didn’t have any obligation to keep it, especially not after how I treated you when we first met. You’ve had multiple chances to reveal and get me arrested."

"I told you from the beginning that as long as you were only here to complete your mission and not cause any trouble, I would keep your secret." He reminded her.

"I didn’t know that I could trust you at the time. Even now I’m still having doubts about leaving you alive knowing that you know my secret." Her fingers rhythmically tapped against the railing. "But, if you were to disappear now a matter of days before I leave suddenly, it’s certain to look suspicious. So, I guess you’re off the hook for now."

"Seriously? After all we have been through? That's what's keeping you from killing me?" Kyros exasperated.

After that, something unexpected happened. She laughed. Runa das Meer laughed.

It was the first time Kyros felt that the woman had any real fun in the country. She was always so hardened and reserved. The only times she showed genuine emotions of joy was whenever Sarra was around. So, it felt comforting to hear her laugh so wholeheartedly—even though it was at his expense.

"S-Sorry about that. I haven’t had a good laugh in a while." Runa wiped a tear that formed in the corner of her eye.

"Well, it's good to see you having some fun at least." Kyros placed his hand on her shoulder. "You should come back to the party and enjoy yourself. Might as well consider it a going away party."

"I’ll join you in a little while. I’d rather enjoy the sights a bit longer." Her head turned toward the river once again.

"The sights?" Kyros faced the river as well. He couldn't see what she found so interesting about the water.

"The city lights that reflect on the water. Mixed in with the stars from the sky. It all looks like an extravagant painting I saw once before." She explained with a soft, genuine voice of fascination. "Seeing something like this makes me wonder if anything for the past few months even happened in this kingdom. Like, how can something so peaceful looking possibly come so close to destruction?"

Kyros had no exact answer to her question. All he could do was stand there and stare out at the water. They remained like that for quite a while—in complete silence. Sometimes, admiring the sights wasn’t so bad after all. Watching the lights reflecting on the water distort from the ripples produced amusing and yet calming effects.

The effect became even more spectacular when a thunderous noise resonated throughout the area. Following up seconds later were flashes of varying colors that soon disappeared without a trace.

Fireworks.

Roditis had to set up fireworks for the ceremony. Kyros swore that man always had to be over the top in nearly everything he did. But, then again, it wasn't all so wrong. The spectacle of explosions of bright, captivating colors that filled the night sky brought a smile to Kyros' face. It soothed him.

The rest of the night went on without a hitch. Runa and Kyros eventually returned to the ceremony, where they met up with Sarra and the others. They partied the night away until it all finally came to an end. Elma carried a drunken Chayse back to headquarters, Runa and Sarra hitched a ride back to Pandora city, and Kyros returned to Elpida town.