"Ha? Where am I?"
"My God, someone help her!!! She's not breathing, call for help!!!"
"Aaah... that's it. Again? But this time... it's so... tangible..."
Toc... Toc... Toc...
"PLEASE, GOD! DON'T TAKE MY DAUGHTER! SHE'S ALL I HAVE!!"
"Get up, Din. She's gone... we shouldn't be here. Come..."
"How long are you going to keep playing house... satisfied with just everyone's forgiveness?"
"...You promised you'd face this one day. Even if you avoid it... eventually the past knocks on the door. Caerius... time is running out."
...
"Caerius..."
...
— CAERIUS!!
The shout sliced through the air like a hot blade.
Caerius woke with a start, his heart hammering against his ribs. For a split second, Arthur's face overlapped with Naeris's — pale, motionless, lifeless. He blinked several times, trying to push the images away that kept coming back.
— Caerius... thank you again for taking us in. Alice was really at her limit. I don't know what I would've done if...
— It's fine — he interrupted, his voice hoarse. His hand automatically rose to his chest, clutching his shirt as if he could contain the panic rising in his throat. — That gas is treacherous. Too much exposure and... never mind, you get it.
Caerius looked away. The warehouse, which he had cleaned with so much effort over the last few days, now felt way too small for so many people. Suffocating.
Hanna rummaged through the cabinets without shame, stuffing cans into her already bulging pockets.
— Hey! Stop messing everything up!
— Come on, are you mad over a few canned foods? I had the decency not to take anything too expensive, and I even fixed your gate — she replied, munching on snacks.
The door was completely crooked, held up only by some iron bars she had generated from herself. Caerius looked at the crooked iron bars. Then at her pockets. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to scream.
— Don't you feel ashamed lying straight to my face?
— What matters is the intention — Hanna shrugged and threw herself onto the couch, almost knocking Rusk to the floor.
— Urgh, whatever, just don't touch anything else.
He just ran a hand over his face, exhausted. Hanna's light chaos contrasted violently with the turmoil inside him.
Arthur continued beside Alice, changing the damp cloth on her forehead with a care that was almost painful to watch. That scene poked something deep inside Caerius — a mix of bitter envy, suffocating guilt, and something he refused to name.
— How is she? Better? Aaah... I wouldn't want to send you guys away with a sick friend... but I confess it's pretty hard, man.
— She's... fine. I confess I felt some agony. I thought you were just going to slam the door in our faces and leave us to fuck ourselves outside...
Arthur replied, changing the cloth once more for a warmer, drier one, supporting it on her forehead while adjusting her neck on the headrest.
— Hmm, Caerius? Can you bring me a glass of water? I don't want to abuse your goodwill... after all, in less than an hour we turned everything upside down. But I'm not leaving her side right now. And I need to make her drink something with the medicine.
...
— Okay...
Toc, toc, toc.
Caerius walked to the kitchen, his steps heavy on the freshly cleaned floor. He turned on the faucet with trembling hands... clumsy fingers trying to steady themselves for some support that wouldn't give way.
— No... what the fuck is going through my head...? — Caerius whispered, gripping the edge of the sink and squeezing until white overtook the vivid color of his fingers. His eyes tightened as flashes crossed his memory.
— Again... am I going to make the same fucking mistake... again? No... everything was going fine... why?
Sigh.
"Calm down, Caerius. These aberrations aren't a big deal. That girl will get better, and you, WITHOUT HESITATION... will kick everyone out. Whatever happens to them won't be your fault... it won't be your fault."
...
"I can't keep them here. The HU will find out. If they discover I sheltered an anomaly... they'll take everything away again..."
Glub glub glub…
The water overflowed from the glass, along with splashes that flew onto his forehead. The cold sensation reminded him that... despite the scene he witnessed, despite feeling compassion... it was the Humans Upper he would have to deal with again. He...
— ... I can't let this happen... not again.
... ...
Caerius returned to the living room. He handed the glass to Arthur without saying anything and sat down on the couch, his legs restless.
— Thank you, Caerius — said Arthur, without looking directly into his eyes. His hand sliding behind Alice's head for support while the other gave her the water.
— There... slowly, no need to rush — Arthur whispered.
— Well, uh... ahem... I have to make one thing very clear here. I—
— She should wake up in the next few hours. Then we'll talk about what we came here for — said Arthur, placing the glass on the headboard next to Alice.
Caerius clenched his teeth at being interrupted. He wished he could kick everyone out, remove that imminent danger lurking within his walls... but...
— And why don't you just say it right away?
Caerius asked, setting the other topic aside.
— It wouldn't make much sense now. We've been planning this for a few days... it was mistake after mistake. So I didn't want everything to fall apart right after the smallest success. Hahaha... and she's much more competent than I am. Besides...
He brushed a strand of hair from the girl's forehead.
— This is our journey... I wouldn't think it right to act independently.
Caerius glanced sideways at Arthur and Alice. The image... the comparison in his mind... the dynamic between the two... was swaying his judgment more than he liked to admit.
— Hey, all that sap over there is making me nauseous. Bleh!! — Hanna shouted from the other side, finger on the tip of her tongue, still on the couch that was now completely taken over by her... and Rusk fallen on the floor.
— Hanna, no one called you in the middle of the conversation. And it's not sap! I... I'm just making sure Alice is going to be okay! — Arthur grumbled, but...
— I.... shit...
He noticed Caerius's unease and raised his head to look up at him, analyzing his expression. After a few seconds, his only action was to say something to break the silence.
— You know, we showed up here with a foot... I mean, fists at the door. It's... everything's kind of fast, right? You must be spiraling right now.
...
— What do you mean, kid?
Caerius asked, not looking directly into the boy's eyes.
— Well, it's not every day that some random guy bursts through your gate. This warehouse... looks like it was recently renovated, I can still smell strong paint and marble.
— Urgh, don't beat around the bush, damn it. Stop with the melancholy, what do you mean?
...
— I just want to talk. I believe that if we occupy our minds, time passes faster... and you forget for a moment that you have three freeloaders in your house, right?
— ...
Caerius remained silent for a few moments. The anomaly's attempt to create something with him sent a shiver up his spine. But it would be lying to himself if he thought he didn't need something to get back up again.
— ... It's been a week since I've been fixing this mess. I had help from some people who refused to give up on me.
Caerius finally said. His tone more conversational than before.
Arthur raised one of his temples at the boy's words, directly linking it to the people from Morrow-rest who had welcomed them warmly.
— The people here really seem very attached to you. So much so that one of them made a scene when we said we were coming after you.
— Uh? Who? Are you talking about the people from Morrow-rest?
Caerius asked.
— Also, but there was a girl there... uh... hmm... I think it was Namis... nimis... something like that. She had an eyepatch.
Arthur described Nemis in a sloppy way.
Caerius couldn't contain a slight smile that jumped at the corner of his lips. Nemis's aggressive genius had always been the highlight of her personality... especially when it came to protecting her loved ones.
— They're not attached, they're just stubborn. Even when I kept fucking up over and over... they kept showing up the next day. Hahaha... they learned to put up with me along with Naeris.
Arthur smiled almost at the same time as Caerius. A slight touch of surprise at the boy mentioning someone with so much brightness and spontaneity.
— This Naeris... was she important to you? You talk about her as if she's still here. She seems like she was someone special.
...
— She still is... someone very special. Not just to me, but to all of Morrow-en.
— ... Caerius... if it's not too rude, but... what happened to her?
Caerius stopped, his head rising. Once again, his eyes scanned Arthur and Alice. Overlapping images of a past he had always fought to compensate for, a mistake he finally seemed to have managed to bury... but...
— Naeris.... she...
But...
— I...
He stood up abruptly. The warehouse felt suffocating. The walls closing in.
— I... need some air.
— Caerius? — Arthur called, surprised. He laid Alice down with extreme care against the mattress before getting up.
When Caerius was already walking toward the door, Hanna intervened, throwing an axe that embedded itself in the wall beside him. Arthur took the opportunity and pulled him back by the arm.
— Hey, man, what was tha-
— YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, DAMN IT! NOTHING!
Caerius shouted, startling everyone there. Hanna, who had been completely oblivious to the situation, was now paying attention to every little detail.
Arthur, on the other hand, took a step back from the sudden outburst.
— What's up, huh?! Just tell me why you came here!! Or what, are you trying to play the nice guy to my face to manipulate me? THAT WON'T WORK! Do you think I don't know? We all already know you're the little anomaly the HU is after... so why waste time coming here, huh?! What do you want?!
Caerius shouted, like a cornered animal. Like someone who had been dragged to a place he swore he would never revisit.
— Caerius, calm down! We need to wait for Alice to wake up so we can talk about thi-
— Either you talk now... or I call them...
Arthur opened his mouth. No words came out. For the first time since they arrived, he had no answer.
— I... uh...
The boy stammered, the threat hanging in the air. He knew that, depending on the response, he could lose everything... whether by being reported or by Hanna dismembering the boy.
So he decided.
— ... Haaah... fine. We came here because... we want you to help us invade an HU headquarters...
Arthur let it out in the least explanatory and somewhat foolish way possible. His eyes closed while his hands were raised in surrender.
Caerius remained motionless.
...
...
— Pfff...
He brought a hand to his face.
— Wait... you can't be serious.
— I'm being serious, Caerius. Do you think I'd come all the way down here to tell a lie?
Arthur reinforced that he was telling the truth, hoping Caerius would finally understand.
But...
— ... No, no... this is suicide. You're crazy, you don't know what she's capable of?
Arthur tried to argue calmly:
— Caerius, we can try. We ca-
— Oh great, as if an aberration like you would understand!
Caerius kicked a chair away while his face contorted, pointing at Arthur with a trembling hand.
— What do you want me to do? Risk everything once again for something that only causes deaths?! PEOPLE DIE AT THE HANDS OF THIS DAMN ORGANIZATION, ARTHUR! AND PEOPLE CAN DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!
Caerius shouted, gesturing and spitting out all the buildup that resided in his chest. Arthur tried to explain himself, but the beast inside the boy roared louder.
— SHUT UP! You've been doing this whole show of concern for your friend all this time just to try to make me feel sorry and agree with this idea?!
...
— ... Show? You think I'd put someone I love, someone who supports me even with my mistakes, just for a little manipulation? GO FUCK YOURSELF!
Arthur finally shot back, pushing Caerius.
— Listen here... Alice has been on the brink of death several times because of me! Because of a damn pact we made! And I can guarantee you with ALL my words... that I'm not leaving here until I get a favorable answer from you. I...
"I won't let her suffering be in vain."
— W-what...? That voice... no... no...
Caerius stopped. That phrase hit him deep.
— I can't... sorry... I can't! I can't risk it again!
His eyes burned. His chest rose and fell uncontrollably. Fear, guilt, anger, and emotional exhaustion collided all at once.
— Caerius, just listen to me. Maybe... this is the chance to finally put an end to this—
— NO!!
BAM!
The door opened and closed almost instantly. Arthur stood there, frozen, staring at the emptiness in front of him before letting out a long sigh.
Hanna got up from the bed with a start, already preparing to go after the boy... but Arthur stopped her, pushing her back lightly with his hands on her shoulders.
— No... let him go. We can't do anything more... it all went down the drain, because of me. Once again...
"I'm sorry..."
— — —
The cold night air hit the young Caerius like a slap. With every minute that passed, he only increased his pace... running, even though his feet could no longer support him.
That local warmth... the warmth he had been cultivating for weeks with effort to try to overcome himself... no longer supplied the cold that reached his soul.
"Dad! Cae wasn't to blame for this! He's still just a kid, don't be too hard on him!"
— ....
Tac! Tac! Tac! Tac! Tac!
"When we grow up, Cae... we'll be living in Vallum... with the life we always deserved, little brother."
— No... we won't...!
Tac! Tac! Tac! Tac!
"This is our journey... Caerius. Our..."
Dream.
— !!!
The boy ran toward the area where the toxic gas hung like a deadly mist... dense... almost palpable.
— Naeris... I...
Tac... Tac... tac...
— I don't... know what to do...
His lungs burned. His vision blurred. The world spun.
Caerius fell to his knees in the middle of the mist, coughing violently. His body slumped to the side. The strong light from the area made his body sweat while he felt dizzy. And, in less than a few painful seconds...
"... I really tried... Naeris. But... I..."
Everything went dark.