The meeting gradually came to an end.
One by one, members of Oblivion Pledge quietly dispersed from the massive assembly hall.
Some celebrated after hearing their names.
Others comforted friends who had not been chosen.
Laughter mixed with quiet tears.
Congratulations mixed with farewells.
The headquarters that had always been filled with hope now carried an atmosphere that was almost impossible to describe.
It wasn't complete sadness.
Nor was it happiness.
It was the feeling of watching an era quietly come to its conclusion.
...
Cynthia remained standing where she was.
The crowd slowly flowed around her like a river, yet she never moved.
She simply stared at the polished marble floor beneath her boots.
Her reflection looked strangely unfamiliar.
She had prepared herself for countless possibilities.
Being transferred.
Receiving a different assignment.
Perhaps even being ordered to work directly under Absolute Zero's research division.
But...
Never this.
Never leaving.
"Cynthia."
A familiar voice called softly.
She slowly turned.
Leila had already made her way over from the combat division.
The warrior scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
"I..."
She hesitated.
"I don't really know what to say."
Cynthia smiled faintly.
It was a gentle smile.
One that somehow made Leila feel even worse.
"...Congratulations."
Cynthia spoke first.
Leila immediately shook her head.
"No."
"This isn't something to congratulate."
"You should've been selected too."
Cynthia lowered her eyes.
"...Maybe."
Silence settled between them.
Leila stepped closer.
"If you want..."
"...we could grab something to eat."
"My treat."
Cynthia smiled once more.
This time...
The smile looked tired.
"...Thank you."
"But..."
She slowly shook her head.
"I'd like to be alone for a little while."
Leila wanted to argue.
She wanted to say something encouraging.
Something that would somehow make everything better.
Instead...
She simply nodded.
"...Alright."
"If you need anything..."
"You know where to find me."
Cynthia nodded gratefully.
"...Thank you."
Leila quietly walked away.
Every few steps she glanced back.
Only after disappearing into the hallway did Cynthia finally allow herself to exhale.
"...Heh..."
She looked upward toward the enormous ceiling.
"I guess..."
"...this really is the end."
Just then—
A soft notification appeared before her eyes.
Ding.
A private message window materialized.
Dark Shadow
Please come to my office.
Cynthia blinked.
"...The Guild Master's office?"
She quietly closed the window.
Then...
Without another word...
She began walking.
The upper floors of the headquarters felt unusually quiet.
The bustling sounds from the meeting hall gradually disappeared behind her.
The familiar hallway stretched endlessly beneath warm crystal lamps.
Every room she passed carried memories.
Research laboratories.
Workshop storage.
Testing chambers.
Places she had spent countless nights inside.
She couldn't even remember how many inventions had exploded within those walls.
Some had failed spectacularly.
Some had nearly burned entire rooms down.
Others...
Had eventually become useful.
A small smile unconsciously appeared.
"...Good times."
Eventually...
She stopped before a large wooden door.
Guild Master's Office.
She gently knocked.
"...Come in."
Dark Shadow's calm voice answered from inside.
Cynthia slowly opened the door.
The office looked exactly as she remembered.
Large bookshelves lined every wall.
Maps of Evermount covered an entire section of the room.
Guild reports sat stacked neatly across an enormous oak desk.
Dark Shadow stood near the window overlooking the city.
The evening sunlight painted the office in soft orange light.
Without turning around...
He quietly spoke.
"...Please."
"Have a seat."
Cynthia nodded.
She quietly sat across from the desk.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
The silence lasted almost an entire minute.
Then...
Dark Shadow finally turned toward her.
The first words that left his mouth...
Were completely unexpected.
"...I'm sorry."
Cynthia blinked.
"...Guild Master?"
Dark Shadow slowly lowered his head.
"...No."
"Today..."
"...just call me Dark Shadow."
His voice carried an exhaustion Cynthia had never heard before.
He walked toward the desk before sitting opposite her.
His hands remained folded together.
For several moments...
He simply stared downward.
Then he spoke.
"I failed you."
Cynthia immediately shook her head.
"No."
"You don't have to—"
"I do."
His reply came immediately.
Firm.
Without hesitation.
The room became quiet again.
Dark Shadow slowly reached into one of his desk drawers.
He pulled out a thick stack of documents.
Meeting records.
Budget reports.
Investment proposals.
Research expenses.
He gently placed them onto the desk.
"The shareholders..."
"...didn't want you transferred."
Cynthia froze.
"They voted against it."
Her fingers slowly tightened.
"...Why?"
Dark Shadow gave a bitter smile.
"You already know."
He tapped the financial reports.
"The amount of resources required for your research..."
"...exceeded the combined material budget of the rest of the crafting department."
Cynthia quietly lowered her eyes.
She already knew the numbers.
Rare ores.
Ancient mechanisms.
Prototype crystals.
Magical catalysts.
Her inventions consumed extraordinary amounts of materials.
Many experiments failed before producing results.
The shareholders never liked that.
Dark Shadow continued.
"I argued."
"I argued until the very end."
He picked up another report.
"I showed them your portable kitchen system."
"The emergency purification device."
"The enhanced climbing anchors."
"The scope lens."
He looked directly at Cynthia.
"I reminded them those inventions saved countless players."
Cynthia remained silent.
Dark Shadow slowly laughed.
A tired...
Defeated laugh.
"They dismissed every single one."
His fingers tightened around the report.
"'Too expensive.'"
"'Low return on investment.'"
"'Unpredictable.'"
"'High maintenance.'"
He closed his eyes briefly.
"They reduced your work..."
"...into numbers on a financial report."
The office became painfully quiet.
Cynthia simply listened.
Dark Shadow slowly stood.
Then...
To Cynthia's complete shock—
He bowed.
Deeply.
Lower than any guild master should ever bow before one of his own members.
"...I'm sorry."
His voice trembled.
"I failed as your Guild Master."
"I couldn't protect someone..."
"...who was willing to give everything she had..."
"...for Oblivion Pledge."
Cynthia's eyes widened.
"...Guild Master..."
"No."
He remained bowed.
"I promised every member..."
"...that I'd stand behind them."
"When investors questioned them..."
"I'd defend them."
"When others doubted them..."
"I'd trust them."
He clenched both fists.
"And when the time came..."
"I couldn't even protect one of my own."
The room fell silent.
Only the sound of the evening wind entering through the open window remained.
Cynthia slowly stood from her chair.
For several seconds...
She simply stared at Dark Shadow.
Then...
She gently smiled.
It wasn't forced.
Nor bitter.
It was simply...
Kind.
She slowly stepped forward.
Then quietly spoke.
"You didn't fail me."
Dark Shadow slowly lifted his head.
Confusion filled his eyes.
Cynthia smiled softly.
"You gave me a place to belong."
"You trusted me."
"You approved every ridiculous invention I wanted to build."
A tiny laugh escaped her.
"...Even the ones that exploded."
Dark Shadow couldn't help smiling slightly.
She continued.
"You believed in me..."
"...when almost nobody else did."
She looked around the office.
"This guild..."
"...was my home."
"And for that..."
"I'll always be grateful."
Dark Shadow stared at her in silence.
The guilt in his eyes remained.
But...
For the first time since the meeting began...
It eased.
Just a little.
Outside the office window...
The sun slowly disappeared beneath the horizon.
And with it...
The final chapter of Oblivion Pledge quietly came to an end.
Silence lingered inside the guild master's office.
The golden light of the setting sun streamed through the tall windows, painting the polished wooden floor in shades of amber and orange. Dust drifted lazily through the air, illuminated by the fading daylight, while neither Cynthia nor Dark Shadow spoke.
There was nothing left to argue.
Nothing left to explain.
Only acceptance remained.
Cynthia slowly lowered her head.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
"...Thank you."
Dark Shadow looked up.
She met his gaze.
Not as a guild member speaking to her guild master.
But as one person expressing gratitude to another.
"Thank you..."
"...for everything you've done for me."
Her voice remained calm, though it carried a softness that made every word feel heavier.
"You gave someone like me a place to belong."
She slowly looked around the office.
Every shelf.
Every map.
Every stack of reports.
She had entered this room countless times over the years carrying blueprints, invention sketches, failed prototypes, and impossible ideas.
Sometimes Dark Shadow laughed.
Sometimes he sighed.
Sometimes he questioned whether she had finally lost her mind.
Yet...
He always listened.
He had never once shut the door on her dreams.
Cynthia laughed quietly.
"...You were probably the only guild master crazy enough to approve half my inventions."
Dark Shadow couldn't help smiling.
"I was beginning to question my own sanity after your fourth explosion."
Cynthia laughed.
"And yet..."
"...you still signed the paperwork."
"I did."
"And every time the shareholders complained..."
"...you defended me."
Dark Shadow slowly looked away.
"...I tried."
Cynthia shook her head.
"No."
"You did."
Her expression gradually softened.
"I'll never forget that."
She slowly reached toward the collar of her dress.
Fastened neatly against the fabric...
Was a small silver emblem.
The crest of Oblivion Pledge.
She gently held it between her fingers.
For several long seconds...
She simply stared at it.
The emblem reflected the evening sunlight beautifully.
How many years...
Had she worn it?
How many adventures...
How many failures...
How many dreams...
Had that tiny badge witnessed?
Her fingers trembled.
Only slightly.
She carefully unclipped it.
The soft metallic click echoed quietly throughout the office.
For the first time in years...
The collar of her dress felt strangely empty.
She slowly stepped closer to the desk.
Without saying anything...
She placed the guild crest upon it.
The small silver emblem rested silently between them.
A symbol.
Not merely of rank.
But of belonging.
Of friendship.
Of home.
Cynthia smiled.
A beautiful smile.
One that somehow hurt more than tears ever could.
"...Oblivion Pledge..."
"...was my home."
Her voice almost broke.
She immediately looked downward before the tears forming in her eyes could fall.
"I'll always treasure the memories."
Dark Shadow quietly stared at the crest.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
The room itself seemed reluctant to let the moment end.
Eventually...
Cynthia stepped backward.
She bowed respectfully.
"...Goodbye."
Then...
She turned toward the office door.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
The distance wasn't far.
Yet somehow...
It felt endless.
She reached for the handle.
"...Cynthia."
She stopped.
Her hand froze.
Slowly...
She turned around.
Dark Shadow had already stood from behind his desk.
His expression remained calm.
Yet his eyes carried unmistakable regret.
Without another word—
he opened his player interface.
A translucent blue screen appeared before him.
His fingers moved across several menus.
Then—
Ding.
A notification appeared before Cynthia.
You have received 450 Copper Coins.
Sender: Dark Shadow
Her eyes widened.
"...Guild Master..."
Before she could refuse—
Dark Shadow quietly interrupted.
"You deserved more."
He slowly shook his head.
"No..."
His voice grew quieter.
"You deserved better."
The words echoed throughout the office.
"You gave everything you had to this guild."
"You poured months into inventions that most people never understood."
"You kept trying..."
"...even when everyone else had already given up."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"And what did this place give you in return?"
Silence.
Dark Shadow answered his own question.
"It failed to see your worth."
His fists slowly tightened.
"I'm sorry..."
"...that the home you loved..."
"...never realized how valuable you truly were."
His voice trembled slightly.
"So..."
"...please."
"Accept those coins."
"I know they aren't enough."
"They never could be."
"They don't even come close to what you're actually worth."
"But..."
"They're all I can personally give you."
Cynthia remained completely silent.
The notification still floated before her.
Four hundred and fifty copper coins.
It wasn't simply money.
It was everything Dark Shadow could do...
As one person.
Not as a guild master.
Not as a shareholder.
Just...
Him.
She quietly closed the notification.
Then opened her own inventory.
Dark Shadow looked confused.
Several items floated before Cynthia.
Mechanical parts.
Blueprints.
Toolboxes.
Prototype crystals.
Then—
one item slowly emerged.
A beautifully crafted portable cooking set.
Compact.
Elegant.
Entirely handmade.
The polished metal reflected the evening light while intricate mechanisms folded perfectly into one another.
Dark Shadow's eyes widened immediately.
"...No..."
Cynthia gently placed it on the desk.
"...Take it."
He stared.
"...Cynthia."
She smiled softly.
"There were only four originals."
"I kept one."
"The other three..."
She laughed quietly.
"...Well..."
"...two exploded."
Dark Shadow couldn't help laughing.
Despite everything.
She continued.
"This one..."
"...is the last original design."
She looked at the portable kitchen set with nostalgic eyes.
"I wanted someone important to have it."
Her gaze slowly lifted toward Dark Shadow.
"And..."
"...I can't think of anyone more deserving."
Dark Shadow stared silently.
Cynthia folded her hands behind her back.
"Please consider it..."
"...a token of appreciation."
She bowed slightly.
"For believing in me..."
"...when almost no one else did."
The office became completely silent.
Dark Shadow slowly reached forward.
His fingers gently rested upon the portable kitchen.
Almost reverently.
Like it was something priceless.
Because to him...
It was.
He smiled.
A genuine smile.
One that hadn't appeared all day.
"I'll treasure it."
His voice carried absolute sincerity.
"Until the very end."
Cynthia smiled once more.
Then...
She bowed one final time.
"...Take care..."
"...Guild Master."
Without waiting for another reply—
she turned.
Opened the office door.
And quietly stepped outside.
Click.
The door closed softly behind her.
The hallway beyond was empty.
The lively headquarters she had known for years suddenly felt unfamiliar.
Her footsteps echoed gently across the polished floor.
Every corridor carried memories.
Every room reminded her of another invention.
Another late night.
Another impossible project.
She kept walking.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Only after she reached the enormous entrance hall...
Did the first tear finally escape.
It rolled silently down her cheek.
Then another.
And another.
She didn't stop walking.
She simply wiped them away with the sleeve of her dress.
Outside...
The evening breeze welcomed her.
She stood at the top of the guild's front staircase.
Then turned around.
The massive headquarters stood proudly behind her.
Beautiful.
Majestic.
The place she had once proudly called home.
Cynthia smiled through her tears.
"...Thank you..."
She whispered so quietly that even the wind almost carried the words away.
Then...
Without looking back again...
She slowly walked down the stone steps.
Leaving Oblivion Pledge behind.
Not with resentment.
Not with hatred.
But with memories...
She would carry for the rest of her life.