The sun had fully risen by the time Raven was ready to leave. He picked himself up and walked out.' Was going to save this for later, but…'
[Would you like to use One-time safe zone creation scroll (B-Rank)?]
'…'
[Yes]
'No one else will touch this place.'
'Even if this godforsaken country burns down, this place will still stand.'
…
He did not look back.
Dust clung to him as he walked.
His eyes were steady, his expression back where it usually sat. The rest of him wasn't.
'Three years… and it still feels like yesterday.'
The ache that he thought revenge would erase was still lingering in his chest.
The walk back to the base felt longer than the trip out. His mind was heavy, causing his steps to slow. By the time he reached the edge of the compound, the faint hum of the rift in the distance was the only thing that reminded him where he was.
When he pushed the door open, Amelia was already there.
She stood by the small table, stuffing the last of her belongings into her bag. Her hair was slightly messy, and her breathing just uneven enough for him to notice.
She had clearly run back to the base, afraid of what he might notice if he looked too closely.
She glanced up. "You are back."
Her voice was steady, but something about her movements felt rushed.
His eyes swept the room once before landing on her again. "You are packed?"
"Almost."
He raised an eyebrow. "Almost?"
"I was just… making sure I had everything," she said quickly, looking away.
He studied her for a moment. There was no obvious reason for her to be flustered. Still, something about her felt… different.
'Why am I even noticing this? It does not matter. We are leaving.'
She busied herself with her bag, refusing to meet his eyes. Her hands were a little too quick, as if packing was a race.
'Why does he have to look at me like that?'
'He will know something is wrong. I cannot let him suspect…'
'I should not have gone after him. I should not have stood there.'
Raven finally broke the silence. "If we are going to leave today, I need to know when you will be ready."
"In a few minutes," she said, forcing a calm tone.
'Good. That will give me enough time to finish what needs to be done.'
They stood in silence for another moment, neither moving closer nor looking directly at the other.
'What is this? I do not hate him less… do I? I still want to know everything. I still want to be strong enough to make him pay… but…' She caught herself clenching the strap of her bag. 'It is not the same as before. Not after seeing that.'
Raven finally turned away and began checking his gear. "Once we leave, we will not be coming back here."
"I know."
'Good. The sooner we leave this place, the better.'
When she finally said she was ready, he went past her and opened the door. "Let's go."
Outside, the air was cold and sharp. Breathing too deeply made it hurt. Raven started walking without checking if she was behind him. Amelia followed a few steps back, her eyes fixed on his back.
They reached the edge of the compound. Raven stopped there.
He turned once and looked over the buildings that had served as their base these past weeks. There was nothing left worth taking. Supplies, information, weapons — all of it was already gone.
He raised his hand.
Energy gathered briefly, barely visible, before surging outward. Fire spread along the buildings, climbing fast as the dry wood caught.
Amelia stared at the spreading fire. "You are burning it?"
He did not look at her. "No reason to leave anything behind."
The crackle of the flames was the only sound as they watched the base vanish into smoke and ash. When he finally turned away, the place was nothing more than a wall of heat at their backs.
"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
"East," he said. "There are a few places I need to stop in Asia. After that… maybe America."
She nodded, adjusting the strap of her bag.
After a few steps, Raven glanced at her. "You do not have to come with me."
She blinked. "What?"
"You can leave, go wherever you want, from now on. You have your own reasons for being here. If you think you can do better somewhere else, go."
She felt something sharp twist in her chest.
She had expected him to keep her close, not offer her the chance to walk away.
'Why does that feel… wrong? This is what I wanted, isn't it?'
"…"
Speechless, she stood there for a moment, her mouth contorting as she was unsure of what words should come out.
'I need to leave… I can come back when I'm strong enough…'
But she could not make her mouth form the words to agree. Instead, she said, "I will come with you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Her eyes narrowed, masking the flicker of guilt that tried to surface. "I still have my reasons. You know what they are."
She looked confident on the surface, but her words came out thinner than they should've: a testament to the fact that even Amelia no longer knew what her own reasons were.
For a moment, he just looked at her. Then, slowly, he smiled. Not wide, not warm, but enough to be noticeable. "Fine."
They walked on, the sound of the burning base fading behind them. The road ahead stretched long and uncertain, the air sharp with the promise of change.
Inside, Amelia kept her face calm, but her thoughts churned.
'I can say it is hate. I can say it is revenge. But after what I saw… after what I heard… is that still all it is? Or am I lying to both of us?'
Raven's thoughts were quieter but no less heavy.
'She is still here. Even after everything. Maybe that will change. Maybe it will not. Either way… I will keep moving.'
Neither spoke as the last of the base disappeared from sight. The fire had erased the evidence. The road ahead was waiting. And for now, they walked it together.