Naoko and Kiomi were once again on the rooftop of Kiera's house.
—Lift it slowly, we don't want you getting hurt again —Kiomi warned her, holding one end of the weight to guide her.
—Sure —Naoko murmured, tensing her muscles with evident difficulty.
After taking off the cast, she had begun her rehabilitation lifting small objects to strengthen her weakened arm. As a good friend, Kiomi was there to accompany her in every attempt.
—It's costing you more than it should —Kiomi said, resting a hand on her chin as she observed her.
—It's just that I haven't lifted anything heavy in months... —Naoko admitted, letting out a nervous chuckle.
—Mmm, I know. Pretend that Zein's life depends on whether you lift that weight or not —Kiomi suggested with a mocking smile.
Hearing that was like an electric shock. Naoko raised the weight all at once and without the slightest effort, but as soon as she processed her friend's words, she froze.
—W-WAIT! I swear I heard something else! —Naoko exclaimed, lowering the weight in a second while her face covered in bright red.
—Sure, sure —Kiomi mocked, letting out a soft laugh.
At that moment, Kiera's voice interrupted them from the main garden.
—Kiomi! Can you come down for a moment, please?! There's someone who wants to see you! —she shouted from below.
—I'm coming! —Kiomi responded toward the railing.
Upon going down the stairs and crossing the front door, Kiomi found a rather peculiar visit waiting for her at the entrance.
It was Novius.
Bewildered and with a slight pang of discomfort, Kiomi slowly approached the door.
—Hello —Novius greeted with absolute naturalness, offering her an neat smile.
—Hello...? What are you doing here? —Kiomi asked, raising an eyebrow.
—Well, since I'm new to the city, I asked Miguel to show me around, but he told me he was busy. So he sent me with you —he explained with total coolness.
«Damn Miguel! You are going to pay for this!», Kiomi cursed to herself.
—Oh, really? —she responded, gritting her teeth to hide her annoyance—. And what part of the city do you want to see?
—All of it —Novius blurted out with a shamelessly calm smile.
—All of it?! That's huge! —she exclaimed, opening her eyes wide.
—Yes, but Miguel assured me there was no problem, since you don't have any pending missions for now —Novius added.
«Decrepit old man... next time I see you, you're going to owe me big time», Kiomi thought again, fuming on the inside.
—Fine. Just let me grab something inside and I'll accompany you —Kiomi yielded in a clearly irritated tone.
The day was hot and the sun burned like few other times. The streets, increasingly crowded, hosted a hustle and bustle of people that hadn't been seen in years.
Novius tried to strike up a conversation with her at every step, but Kiomi limited herself to answering curtly, arms crossed and showing absolute disinterest throughout the entire tour.
The day ended without making much progress and without anything relevant happening between them. In the end, Kiomi simply said goodbye with a cold and dry gesture.
However, the following day, Novius stood at Kiera's door once again waiting for her.
This time, both toured much more lively and colorful areas, such as the central markets where the crowd gathered. Unlike the days under the Empire's rule, the misery on the corners had diminished and a different atmosphere could be breathed in the air.
—Everything is very lively around here —Novius commented, looking around.
—Of course. Without the imperials on top of us, people can finally breathe —Kiomi responded sharply.
—I see...
Novius used to stop enthusiastically in front of the vendors' stalls to look at everything on display.
—Do such simple things really catch your attention? —Kiomi asked, looking at him with curiosity.
—Well, life in the east is quite different. What is everyday for you is something totally new for us —he explained with a gentle smile.
—Even simple vegetables?
—Oh, look at this! —Novius interrupted, dodging the question completely as he pointed off to the side.
They approached a jewelry stall filled with eye-catching and well-crafted pieces. Without thinking twice, Novius picked up a small silver necklace and held it up at Kiomi's eye level.
—Look at this piece. It has a tiny ruby in the center... it reminds me so much of the shade of your hair and your eyes. It's just as beautiful —he commented with complete serenity.
The sudden compliment caught her off guard, immediately bringing color to her cheeks.
—W-What are you talking about...? Stop saying silly things —Kiomi murmured, turning her face away embarrassed.
—It's not silly —Novius replied as he handed a pair of coins to the merchant—. It fits you like a glove.
Without giving her time to protest, he positioned himself delicately behind her and fastened the chain around her neck.
—What are you doing? —Kiomi asked, growing more nervous.
—Putting it on you, isn't it obvious?
—Yes, I know, but wasn't it too expensive? —she questioned, touching the stone with her fingertips.
—Don't worry about the price. Take it as a thank-you for receiving me and as your pay for showing me the city —Novius said, taking a step back to look at her—. Come on, let's keep walking.
Kiomi stayed behind for a moment, taking a strand of her red hair to compare it with the gleam of the jewel. Upon noticing the match, she couldn't help but let a faint smile slip.
«Ever since I was little I always thought this hair color was ugly...», she reflected to herself. «The only people who have ever said something nice about it to me have been my mom and Zein... Damn it! Why the hell am I thinking about that idiot right now?! My god».
—Are you going to stay standing there? —Novius called to her, a few steps ahead.
—You shouldn't get ahead of yourself —she said, quickening her pace until reaching him—. After all, I'm the guide.
The following days passed similarly.
Both toured the western sector of the island from one end to the other, even stepping into corners that Kiomi had never visited. Between laughter and walks, the distance and distrust between them began to dissipate completely.
From afar, every morning while he trained, Zein watched them leave together. As he contemplated their smiles —and especially as he fixed his gaze on Kiomi— he felt a subtle pang in his chest, a strange pressure that he tried to drown out by focusing with more fury on his sword.
One day, after a long journey, they arrived at the banks of the river that extends to the north of the island, the natural channel that divides the east from the west. As they approached, Kiomi stopped, amazed by the density of the grass and the lushness of the trees that spread out as far as the eye could see.
—How strange... —she murmured.
—What's wrong? —Novius asked, stopping by her side.
—I didn't know there was vegetation like this left on the island. Most of the west is arid from radiation, and what little grows doesn't have such a vivid green —she explained, contemplating the landscape.
—Since ancient times, the priority of the inhabitants has been to preserve this river —he explained, contemplating the reflection of the water—. The belief exists that souls travel through its currents to ascend to heaven after death. That's why they have protected it with their lives generation after generation.
—Wow...
Novius took a seat on the grass, at the edge of the current, with his gaze lost on the horizon. With a subtle gesture of his hand he invited Kiomi to settle beside him, and she accepted in silence.
The festive atmosphere of the previous days seemed to dissolve with the murmur of the water. A shadow of melancholy enveloped Novius's face, softening his bearing and revealing a deep vulnerability.
—I was there during the entire time Mirathun fought the Empire... —Novius began, his voice turning soft and slow, heavy with memories—. But in a crucial battle, our army suffered devastating losses. We were forced to retreat blindly, until getting cornered right here, at the edge of this river.
He paused and lowered his eyes toward the slowly flowing water at his feet, where the sun's reflections simulated small sparks of light.
—That day... a handful of men decided to stand up and stay behind to halt the enemy's advance. Just to buy time for the rest of us.
Kiomi remained by his side in absolute silence, impacted by the change in his tone, limiting herself to listening to him as the weight of his past filled the air between the two.
—Muskets were a new technology back then; something revolutionary, but overwhelmingly destructive. That is why we fell, despite outnumbering their ranks —Novius continued, standing up to walk slowly along the edge of the water—. My father was one of the men who stayed behind to cover our retreat. He always told me: "A true warrior doesn't resolve things with the sword, but with the heart." Those words remained etched in fire in my memory.
She followed him a few steps behind, listening to every word with an almost reverent attention.
—That is why I assumed command of the eastern resistance. I want to honor my father's memory above all else in this world. And now that we are one step away from defeating the Empire... I feel an indescribable joy in my chest —he added, turning toward her with a sincere and melancholic smile.
Kiomi looked at him visibly moved, her throat tight. But before she could articulate any words of comfort, Novius softened his gaze and changed his tone.
—And what is your story? If you want to share it, of course.
—There is a place I would like to show you —Kiomi responded, dodging the question with elegance.
Both set off on the return toward the vicinity of Kiera's house. There, Kiomi guided him to the top of an old bell tower, a structure high enough to overlook almost the entire city.
The sunset was beginning to tinge the sky in orange and violet tones, while the street lamps turned on little by little, illuminating the panorama.
Kiomi settled onto the edge of the ledge and invited Novius to sit beside her, which he accepted immediately.
—About what you asked me earlier... —Kiomi began to speak, contemplating the horizon—. I come from Ilmenor.
—Ilmenor? The land of the elves? —he asked, surprised.
With her eyes fixed on the lights awakening below, Kiomi began to tell him everything that had happened in broad strokes: the moment Zein arrived in their lives and the tragedy that changed everything from that night on.
—And what do you really feel for Zein? —Novius inquired after listening to her in silence.
—I don't know. I'd say I hate him. How could I not after everything he put us through since he appeared? His presence unleashed the tragedy that night... and as if that weren't enough, he carries a demon inside him. But... —she said, with a face of irritation and contained anger.
—But?
—But after the battle against Sora... seeing how he cared about everyone, how he helped us stand up even while being broken, and how he supported us when we couldn't go on anymore... it was then that I started to doubt what I truly feel regarding him —she admitted, her face shadowed by confusion.
Novius observed her in silence, maintaining a serene and empathetic gaze as he listened to her vent.
—It was then that I started to doubt if I really hated him —Kiomi continued, her voice becoming lower and lower—. I always thought he was a bad person, but after what I saw that day... I ask myself if he really is. I've always seen him do good for others and, even so, I labeled him as someone despicable. His actions never reflected the image I formed of him... I think I judged him wrongly.
Kiomi kept silent for an instant, clenching her hands tightly against her lap.
—But if that's the case... how am I supposed to look him in the face again? After having treated him that way for so long... —she murmured, feeling her fingers tremble—. Lately I haven't stopped thinking... what if the bad person in all of this was me?
The discomfort was reflected on her face and she began to hunch over herself, overwhelmed by guilt. Upon noticing it, Novius reached out his arm and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
—What do you think your mother would have said about Zein? —Novius asked gently.
—She would have said... that none of this was his fault —Kiomi responded, with a thread of a voice—. I know perfectly well that the demon inside him isn't there because he wanted it to be; Zein never asked for this curse. And even knowing that... I allowed myself to hate him.
—From the very first moment you met him... did you feel like hating him? Did you think from the beginning that he was someone bad?
—Of course not —she admitted, letting slip a bitter smile and pure nostalgia—. Before he arrived, I was a very lonely person. I spent almost all my time locked inside the castle, so I had no friends. But Zein... Zein was the first true friend I ever had in my life. That's why the mere thought of someone like him destroying my family devastated me completely.
—You cared a lot about him back then, didn't you? For being your first friend.
—Yes... —she whispered, feeling her throat knot and her voice break.
—Do you still care about him? —Novius inquired, looking her in the eyes.
—I don't know...
Suddenly, a pair of tears sprouted from Kiomi's eyes and began to roll in silence down her cheeks.
—I don't know what to think anymore... I think I do care about him, but... I can't stop hating him overnight —she confessed, bursting into tears.
Novius wrapped his arms around her delicately, pulling her toward him in a warm embrace as the sun finished setting behind the horizon.
—You don't have to forgive him all at once —Novius consoled her, giving her gentle pats on her back—. Going step by step will be more than enough. The important thing is that now you understand what you feel without rancor blinding you, and that will make everything easier when the time comes.
Novius remained hugging her for a long time at the top of the bell tower, allowing Kiomi to finally vent all those feelings she had been carrying in her chest for so long.