Perspective: Kaiser
Date: January 23, 2018
Time: 10:14 AM
Location: Lower Trade District Board, Sylvaris
I leaned my back against a splintered pine pillar, nursing a 1-copper cup of lukewarm tap water, and stared at the parchment board.
Beside me, Eve was fidgeting with the strap of her canvas medical satchel. In front of us stood 5 people who looked like they had pooled their harvest coins to buy gear from a blacksmith's scrap pile.
And right in the middle of Ren's leather-bound guild ledger, freshly scrawled in black ink next to my name, was the word: Thief.
I have zero thief skills.
Literally zero. I don't have a stealth passive. I don't have a lockpicking degree from the Under-Spire. I don't even have a set of tools. Why did Eve tell them I was a thief? More importantly, why did I just nod along like an idiot and let them write it down?
Honestly, I don't even know what a guild-certified thief does half the time. Wait. That's a lie. I know exactly what a thief is. Strip away the romantic guild badges, and the job is just 3 mundane habits:
Stealth. Scouting. Quick-Combat.
I do all 3 of those things everywhere I go. I can replicate a professional scout's movement and information gathering in my sleep. So fine. I'll just use my normal combat habits, dial the power down by 95%, and call it 'thief technique.'
Ren cleared his throat, adjusting the cross-draw scabbards of his twin iron daggers. He had messy chestnut hair, bright green eyes, and the earnest, slightly panicked expression of a village boy who had suddenly been handed a captain's whistle.
"Alright, team," Ren began, unrolling a hand-drawn charcoal map across the flat top of an empty cider barrel. "The commission from the Lower Guild counter is straightforward, but we cannot afford mistakes. It's an abandoned farming hamlet 4 miles south in the low birch woods. A pack of 7 cave goblins moved into the cellar of the old grain mill 3 days ago. They raided a shepherd's cart yesterday morning."
"7 of 'em?" Tanya grunted, cracking her knuckles.
She stood nearly 6 feet tall, easily half a head taller than Ren, with wild, spiky red hair and a dense dusting of sun-freckles across her broad nose. A massive, 35-pound double-bitted iron greataxe was strapped across her back, its cutting edge notched from chopping frozen firewood.
"7 little runts is just breakfast," she grinned, showing a chipped canine. "Harek slams the door, I swing right down the center, and William picks off whatever scatters. We'll be back before the tavern starts cooking."
"Do not underestimate them, Tanya," William sighed, rolling his eyes as he leaned on a 68-inch yew hunting longbow. He was lanky, sandy-haired, and wore leather finger tabs that looked like they had been re-stitched with fishing line.
"Every arrow I loose into that damp cellar costs copper coins for the bodkin tip and fletching. If you miss your swing and make me shoot 5 times, my profit on this quest drops to zero. Aim before you scream."
"Who asked you, boring-boy?!" Tanya barked, shoving his shoulder hard enough to make his quiver rattle. "I don't miss!"
Behind them, Olivia pressed her hands together over a polished hazelwood staff. She wore simple indigo scholar robes with patched elbows and large, round brass spectacles that kept sliding down the bridge of her nose.
"Um... please don't fight before we even leave the gate," Olivia murmured softly, her hazel eyes darting anxiously between them.
"The guild clerk said cave goblins carry rusted iron hooks. If they scratch us, the wound will fester within 2 hours... Eve, you can neutralize infection with Tier 1 cleansing water, right?"
Eve stiffened. Her pink eyes went wide for half a second.
I watched her from the corner of my eye.
She was terrified of large groups. When she first arrived in Sylvaris, she would shrink into the collar of her scarf and ramble in circles whenever 2 people looked at her at once. But right now, she remembered the conversational tips I had made her practice.
Eve took a quiet, measured breath. Her shoulders relaxed 2 inches.
"Yes," Eve said, her voice soft but surprisingly clear. "I brought 3 vials of purified spring water and clean linen strips. If anyone gets scratched, I can seal the skin and rinse the dirt before the venom sets."
Ren let out a massive, audible sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Having a dedicated healer makes all the difference. Our last dungeon crawl, Tanya had to pack mud into an arm gouge because we couldn't afford an apothecary salve."
Harek, the massive Guardian standing at the rear, gave a single, resonant grunt of approval. He was built like an iron barn door, clad in a dented breastplate and carrying a 4-foot oak tower shield that looked heavy enough to anchor a sailing barge.
He reached into his belt pouch, pulled out a dry wheat biscuit wrapped in clean cloth, and silently offered it out to Eve with a huge, calloused hand.
"Eat it," Harek rumbled, his voice vibrating through the floorboards. "March is long. Healer needs stamina."
Eve blinked, startled by the gesture, then beamed with genuine, radiant warmth as she took it. "Thank you, Mister Harek! That's very kind of you!"
Harek gave a slow, satisfied nod. William offered a wry, welcoming smirk, and Ren clapped his hands together with renewed vigor.
Seeing Eve talk, breathe, and interact with normal people without curling into a panic was... nice.
It was genuinely satisfying. Seeing her standing in the morning sun, treated like a real, valued member of an ordinary adventuring party, made the dull ache in my burnt chest feel noticeably lighter.
And honestly? There was an immense, quiet relief in having these 5 kids look at me and see nothing more than a broke, scrawny, exhausted E-rank thief.
Hopefully I didn't screw this up.
Ren turned his green eyes toward me, tapping the charcoal map with his finger. "Alright, Kaiser. Since you're our thief, your job is point reconnaissance. Stay roughly 10 paces ahead on the road. Watch for traps, goblin scouts hiding in the gorse bushes, and grease traps around the cellar entrance. If you spot anything, don't fight. Just whistle or tap your knife against a stone, and fall back behind Harek."
"Understood," I replied in a flat, raspy drawl, slouching slightly to lower my profile. "Walk slow, look at the dirt, yell if something with green ears tries to eat me."
Tanya snorted, adjusting her axe strap. "Just don't faint from the walk down the hill, sleepyhead. You look like a strong gust of wind would blow you away."
"I'll hold onto a tree if it gets breezy," I muttered.
"Alright!" Ren declared, rolling up the map and slipping it into his belt. "42 copper bounty total. 7 copper each for the 6 of us if we bring back 7 pairs of ears cleanly. Let's move out!"
We stepped out of the Lower Trade District gates at 10:30 AM, heading south along the packed dirt wagon road.
The low woods were thick with white birch trunks, rotting winter bracken, and patches of damp moss. I trudged 10 paces ahead, deliberately dragging the scuffed heels of my boots to sound clumsy, hands shoved deep into the pockets of my duster coat.
Every 20 paces, my eyes mapped the terrain:
1. A fallen birch branch 15 yards ahead. Not natural fall; the bark is scored by crude iron knife cuts. A braided horsehair tripwire is pegged into the roots on the left.
2. A low ditch filled with dead leaves. Soil is disturbed; sharpened stakes buried 1 foot under.
If I yelled 'tripwire,' Ren would ask how I spotted 2 strands of black horsehair under 3 inches of pine needles from 15 yards away.
Instead, I let out a loud, pathetic yawn, stumbled on a loose limestone rock, and kicked a round pebble directly into the brush.
Snap.
The pebble struck the peg. The horsehair parted. A 40-pound deadfall log swung down from an overhanging branch with a violent WHOOSH, smashing into a briar thicket 8 paces ahead and showering the trail in crushed bark.
Behind me, the entire party froze. Ren drew both daggers in an instant. Tanya lunged forward, axe raised.
"Deadfall!" Ren gasped, his face draining of color as he inspected the splintered log. "By the gods... that would have crushed Harek's shoulder! Kaiser, did you see that?!"
I stood there, blinking with wide, vacant, harmless eyes, rubbing my knee.
"No," I mumbled innocently. "I just tripped on that rock. My shoelaces were loose."
Tanya stared at the crushed briars, then walked over and slapped my shoulder hard enough to rattle my teeth. "You lucky little bastard! You literally kicked a rock and saved our necks! Keep tripping like that all the way to the hamlet!"
If you hit my shoulder again, I noted silently, I'm going to redirect your momentum into the mud.
"Sure," I said aloud. "I'll try to be clumsier."
---
Perspective: Eve
Date: January 23, 2018
Time: 1:18 PM
Location: Abandoned Hamlet Cellar, South of Sylvaris
The cold air bit into my teeth the second Ren shoved the rotten wooden storm doors open.
Damp stone. Sour grease. Wet, rotting grain sacks.
My palms were slick with sweat against the canvas straps of my healer satchel.
7 goblins.
Just 7. But down here, with only 1 sputtering tallow torch spitting yellow grease against the cellar walls, every shadow looks like it has teeth.
Breathe through your nose, Eve. Don't look at the dark corners where you can't see anything. Look at Harek's shield. As long as those iron soles don't slide back, it'll be fine.
"Choke point!" Ren hissed, slipping through the threshold with his curved daggers drawn. "Harek, drop your weight! William, watch the beams!"
SCREEECH!
A chorus of shrill, wet shrieks tore through the gloom.
3 wiry green shapes burst out from behind the collapsed grain barrels, their skin smeared in black soot, brandishing rusted iron cleavers.
Harek dropped his center of gravity like an iron anvil. He wedged the pointed rim of his 4-foot oak tower shield into the dirt, braced his shoulder against the iron band, and locked his boots.
THUD!
The impact rattled my teeth from 4 paces back. The first 2 goblins slammed into the oak planks like sacks of wet flour, their blades skittering uselessly off the iron studs.
The 3rd goblin scooped up a handful of black cellar mud and hurled it straight into Harek's visor slits.
Mud splattered across his cheek and nose. Harek didn't curse. He didn't even blink. He just spat a clump of grit from his lips and rumbled in a flat baritone:
"Mud. Still got footing. Tanya, clear the flank."
"Out of my way!" Tanya roared.
She surged past Harek's left arm, swinging her 35-pound greataxe in a massive, 2-handed cleave.
CRACK!
The goblin rolled under the arc, and the heavy axe head bit 4 inches deep into the oak cellar support post.
Dried straw and centuries of dust rained down on our heads.
Tanya swore, hauling frantically on the hickory haft: "Damn it! UGHH ITS STUCK!"
"Don't pull the roof down on us, Tanya!" William yelled from the stairs.
He drew an iron bodkin arrow to his cheek, aiming at a goblin perched on an overturned cask. He let fly.
THWIP—CLANG!
The arrow glanced off an old iron pot lid the goblin pulled over its face, the wooden shaft snapping clean in half.
William's face went white. "That's not gonna cut it! Harek, angle the torch, I can't see the corners!"
Beside me, Olivia stepped up behind Harek's right shoulder, trembling as she raised her hazelwood staff. The cracked quartz focus at the tip began to glow with a faint amber pulse.
Her hands are shaking worse than mine.
"By the hearth..." Olivia whispered, her voice cracking as she rushed her incantation. "Awaken, spark of flame—"
Ceiling dust sifted down directly across her brass spectacles.
Her nose twitched violently.
"Spark of—achoo!"
POOF.
A tiny, pathetic burp of orange sparks sputtered out of her staff, drifted sideways, and ignited a pile of damp cabbage leaves in the corner. Thick, gray, sulfurous smoke immediately rolled across the floorboards.
"Olivia, you smoked the room!" William coughed, rubbing his watering eyes.
"I'm sorry!" Olivia squeaked in terror.
Out of the smoke, a 4th goblin scrambled along the damp stone wall, completely slipping past Harek's blind side. Its rusted hook blade flashed in the torchlight, slicing straight for Olivia's chest.
Ren shouted, but he was pinned by 2 goblins near the cask.
Olivia threw her arms up. The rusted iron tore through her blue woolen sleeve, opening a jagged, bloody line down her left forearm.
"Ahhh!" Olivia cried out, dropping her staff and collapsing to her knees, clutching her arm.
Blood dripped onto the stone.
My stomach lurches. Blood.
Move, Eve. Don't freeze. Move!
I dropped beside Olivia, ripping open my satchel. I pulled out a vial of spring water and poured it across the tear, washing the dirt and black grease from the raw flesh.
Then I pressed both of my hands over the wound.
What's the verse?!
My mind went completely, terrifyingly blank. The incantation for Tier 1 Restoration... what was the second line? Was it 'seal the wound'? Or 'knit the bone'? If I recite the wrong syllable, the mana scatters and does nothing!
Tears pricked my eyes. No, no, no, not now, please don't fail now!
Olivia winced, tears spilling down her own cheeks, but her uninjured hand reached into her robes and pulled out a small, dog-eared scrap of yellow parchment.
"Read it," Olivia gasped, shoving the parchment into my fingers. "Don't guess under pressure, Eve... read it off the page."
Paper.
Faded ink in the torchlight:
Gentle breath of morning dew, knit the flesh and seal the sinew.
The words clicked into place. The static in my head cleared into absolute, sharp focus.
I pressed my palms back over Olivia's bleeding arm, took a slow breath, and spoke the verse:
"Gentle breath of morning dew, knit the flesh and seal the sinew."
A soft, golden warmth pulsed from my fingers.
The torn edges of Olivia's skin drew together like woven thread, smoothing away until only a thin pink mark remained.
Olivia stared at her forearm in pure disbelief. "The sting... it's gone. Thank you..."
I did it!
A wild, radiant heat blooms in my chest. I didn't freeze. The healing worked!
"Watch out!" William yelled, his voice cracking.
I looked up.
William was on 1 knee, frantically feeling around his empty hip quiver. 4 paces away from him, lying near a smashed turnip crate, were 3 spent bodkin arrows that had bounced off the stone earlier.
3 arrows.
If William runs out, Harek has to hold the doorway alone.
I can reach them. It's only 4 steps.
Before my brain could stop me, my boots moved. I darted out from behind Harek's shield wall, dropping low to scoop up the 3 iron shafts.
"Eve, no! Stay on the line!" Ren screamed.
A heavy, sickening thud shook the floorboards behind me.
Cold air hits the back of my neck.
The 7th goblin—a scarred chieftain nearly 4 feet tall, with a blinded eye and a jagged bone cleaver—dropped from the ceiling rafters, landing directly between me and the safety of the shield.
It bared 2 rows of sharp, yellow teeth. It raised the bone cleaver straight toward my throat.
My feet turn to lead.
I can't breathe. I can't move.
I left the shield. I'm going to die.
Then—a loud, ridiculous, high-pitched shriek tore through the smoke:
"Waaaaah! Help! The floor is wet! I'm falling!"
Out of the gloom came a figure flinging himself across a random banana.
Kaiser.
His arms were windmilling in the air, his dark coat flying open, screaming like he was about to faceplant into the mud.
He slid right past my shoulder.
Except—
His left shoe didn't slip at all.
I saw it. In that split second of chaotic flailing, his left heel positioned into the stone floor. His right shoe whipped around in a low, effortless sweep, hooking directly behind the goblin chieftain's ankle.
The massive goblin's balance vanished.
Its legs flew into the air. Its body flipped horizontally like a tossed coin.
CRACK!
The chieftain's skull smashed directly into an iron-banded grain millstone resting against the wall.
It slumped onto the turnip sacks, completely motionless. Dead before it hit the dirt.
Kaiser crashed dramatically into an empty burlap flour sack, sending a massive white cloud of powder into the air. He lay on his back, groaning and clutching his elbow:
"Ow... my bones... who leaves loose bananas on a cellar floor..."
The room went completely silent.
Tanya, who had finally ripped her greataxe out of the post with a loud splintering crunch, lowered her weapon and stared with her jaw slack.
"Did... did the sleepy thief just trip the goblin boss into a millstone?!"
Ren rushed forward, driving his daggers into the last 2 dazed goblins to finish the fight.
"Clear!" Ren breathed, his chest heaving as he wiped his daggers on his trousers. "All 7... down!"
William slumped against an empty cask, clutching his longbow. "We made it. We actually made it. And Eve brought the arrows!"
I stood there, clutching the 3 iron arrows against my ribs, staring down at Kaiser lying in the white flour dust.
He didn't slip.
The way that heel hooked... that wasn't an accident. Was it?
Kaiser looked up at me through the flour haze, blinking white dust out of his dark eyelashes with his usual deadpan stare.
"Eve," he muttered raspy. "Stop staring. My coat is ruined."
My heart melted. The suspicion dissolved into pure, warm affection.
He's so tired. His coat is stained, his ribs are bruised, and he threw himself into the dirt just to trip a monster away from me.
"I'm coming, Kaiser!" I said, hurrying over to pull him to his feet.
---
Perspective: Eve
Date: January 23, 2018
Time: 4:52 PM
Location: Roadside Beverage Stall, Lower Trade District, Sylvaris
We made it back inside the city gates before 5:00 PM.
Ren turned in the 7 pairs of salted goblin ears at the lower bounty window, and the clerk slid a small leather pouch across the iron grate.
42 copper coins.
Ren dumped them straight onto the rough pine table of an open-air beverage stall by the canal. The steam from the giant copper kettle smelled like roasted chicory and hot spiced blackberries. The cold river wind kept snapping the canvas awning above our heads, but holding a warm clay mug in both hands made my whole chest feel peaceful.
Ren counted the coins into 6 neat stacks on the weathered wood: exactly 7 coppers each.
"Here's your share, Kaiser." Ren slid 7 coins across the grain to the end of the bench. "It's not a fortune, but for an afternoon's work, we all walked back alive. You earned your cut."
Kaiser scooped the coins into his duster pocket with 1 sweep of his palm. His face didn't move.
"Dang, more than tap water at least."
"Bread." Harek grunted from the end of the bench, snapping a thick loaf of dark crusty rye in half and sliding the larger piece across the pine wood to Kaiser.
"Appreciated, Harek." Kaiser took a piece and chewed slowly.
"Eat." Harek nodded once, taking a massive bite of his own half.
Tanya leaned across the table, propping her muscular chin on both fists. Her spiky red hair was covered in dry cellar dust, but her amber eyes were sparkling with sheer amusement.
"Hey, seriously, thief! How'd your knees slide like that? It looked like you lost your footing so badly, but your heel caught that runner right in the joint. Teach me that! If I can drop beasts without swinging a 35-pound axe every 5 seconds, my shoulders won't feel crushed everynight!"
"Step 1: have terrible balance." Kaiser spoke in that dry, tired drawl of his. "Step 2: fall down. It's a very advanced technique."
"Sounds like high-level strategy to me." William snorted, testing another feather.
Olivia giggled behind her hand, pushing her round brass spectacles up her nose.
The whole table was laughing, the warm chatter drifting out into the bustling street.
I sat right beside Kaiser on the narrow wooden bench, my knees pulled close to keep from bumping into his hip. The cold wind bit at the collar of my dress, but sitting next to him always felt warm.
Then I heard it.
Was he pushing himself too hard...?
He acts like he's fine, but his throat sounds rough.
Without thinking, I set my mug down on the bench. I reached up with both hands, taking the frayed edges of his dark woolen scarf and wrapping it 2 inches higher around his neck, tucking it snugly under his chin so the river draft couldn't reach his skin.
"Stop drinking plain hot water, Kaiser." I smoothed the wool flat against his chest, murmuring softly. "At least let me drop a pinch of dried mint in it. Your chest sounds rough."
Kaiser looked down at my fingers.
He didn't pull away. He just sat there, letting me tuck the wool around his throat like an unruly child, his blue eyes softening.
"You did well today, Eve."
His voice was so low and quiet that the street noise swallowed it whole. Only I could hear it.
"You didn't panic. Did your very best, honestly makes me proud."
My fingers froze against his scarf.
Oh.
My entire face burst into scalding, helpless heat.
He noticed.
He actually said it out loud!
I pulled my hands back into my lap, grabbing my mug with both hands and burying my burning nose behind the rim so nobody could see how ridiculously wide I was smiling.
Across the table, Tanya's sharp grin widened by 2 inches.
"Look at her!" Tanya nudged Olivia with her elbow. "Look at her face! If you blush any harder, Eve, you're going to make the water boil!"
"I-I'm not blushing!" I ducked lower, my voice jumping an octave. "It's... it's just the steam from the kettle! It's really hot!"
"Right." William rolled another straight arrow down his forearm. "And robinhood comes at night to give me tips."
"Leave her alone, you 2." Ren chuckled, shaking his head. He pulled out the guild clearance slip and tapped the blank corner with a charcoal pencil. "Eve, whenever you catch your breath, could you press your apprentice healer mark here? The guild counter needs the voucher stamped before we can turn in the report."
"Ah! Yes! Right away!"
I scrambled up from the bench, desperate for an excuse to move before Tanya started teasing me about holding Kaiser's scarf again.
I turned around the end of the awning—and walked straight into someone walking past our table.
Bump.
"Eek—! Oh! I'm sorry!" I gasped, stumbling backward on the slick stones.
A pair of strong, gloved hands caught my shoulders, steadying me with effortless balance.
"Careful there." A smooth voice spoke gently. "These hands have a nasty habit of catching pretty heels."
The voice was deep, cultured, and polished like lacquered mahogany.
I blinked, steadying my feet, and looked up.
Standing in front of me was a tall man—at least 6 feet tall—dressed in a tailored charcoal coat lined with midnight-black silk and delicate silver embroidery along the lapels. His jet-black hair was combed back with aristocratic neatness, framing high cheekbones, pale skin, and a pair of dark, magnetic eyes that caught the evening lanterns.
He looked like a noble merchant straight out of the Upper Spires. Perfectly handsome. Impeccably groomed.
So why... why did my stomach just drop?
My nose caught the air around him.
Sweet.
Sickeningly sweet.
It was like white lilies left in a vase of standing water until the stems turned gray and rotten beneath the petals. It made the back of my throat itch. My instincts—some quiet, frantic part of me that I didn't have a name for—screamed to step backward.
"I-I apologize, sir." I ducked my head, pulling back out of his light grip. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"No apology needed." The man smiled, showing straight white teeth. "An encounter with a pretty lady is never an offense. You look weary, little healer. Rough work for such delicate hands."
He turned his dark gaze toward our table, sweeping over Ren, Tanya, and William with effortless charm.
"A hard day in the field, friends? Barkeep! Bring a pitcher of the spiced winter mead for this table. On my account."
He flicked 2 silver coins from his fingers. They landed on the wooden counter with a sharp, ringing clink.
"2 silvers?!" Tanya stared at the counter, her jaw dropping. "Whoa, hold on. Who the hell are you, mister?"
"Nobody buys mead for strangers in the Lower District unless they're running for town council or dodging the city watch." William leaned back on the bench, his amber-brown eyes narrowing into thin, suspicious slits.
"Neither, I assure you." The man placed a gloved hand over his chest, offering a polite, shallow bow. "Just a traveling merchant who appreciates honest work. I arrived from the southern trade road 1 hour ago with a caravan of rare silks and perfumes. You may call me Ernith."
Within 3 minutes, Ernith had pulled up a stool at the end of the bench and was talking like an old friend.
He told stories of sand-wyrms along the southern wastes, the outrageous tariffs charged by the frontier barons, and the newest silk fashions spreading through the royal capital. Tanya was roaring with laughter, knocking back a cup of the sweet mead, while Olivia listened with wide, starry eyes behind her spectacles.
Even Ren relaxed, laughing along with the merchant's jokes.
Everyone is smiling.
Everyone thinks he's charming.
So why does my chest feel so tight I can barely swallow?
I had tucked myself back onto the very edge of the bench, pressing my shoulder close to Kaiser's coat. My fingers were locked around my clay mug, cold despite the hot cider inside.
Ernith's stories were for the table. But his eyes weren't.
Every few seconds, his dark gaze slid across the wood, locking straight onto me.
"An apprentice from the Lower District?" Ernith murmured softly, leaning his elbow onto the rough pine table. He tilted his head, his dark eyes glistening with a strange, oily sheen under the lantern light.
"It must be frightening, walking through damp caves with monsters when your hands are so soft and fragile."
"Ren and the others protect me, sir." I whispered, shrinking back against the bench. "I just... help when I can."
"A tender heart among rough world." Ernith leaned closer across the wood.
"Tell me, little eve... does someone so delicate sleep well with all the shouting in these lower streets? I wonder how lovely you look when you're asleep."
A freezing, sickening wave crashed over me.
What did he just say...?
The air turned heavy and suffocating. His gaze didn't feel like a compliment—it felt like cold grease sliding over my collarbone, like a hand reaching into my bed while I was helpless in the dark.
My throat slammed shut.
Say something. Eve, tell him to stop... Tell him to go away!
I couldn't. My tongue was frozen against the roof of my mouth. My whole body shivering on the bench.
Clack.
A chipped clay cup of plain tap water hit the table right between my mug and Ernith's elbow.
Kaiser shifted his weight, slouching lazily across the bench. He leaned his shoulder forward, casually cutting off Ernith's line of sight to my face.
"You're leaning pretty far across the table." Kaiser took a slow sip of water. His voice was flat and rough from the cellar dust. "Give her some room."
Ernith's smile paused. His eyes flicked to Kaiser, annoyance flashing across his face before he smoothed it back into an amused grin.
"Just making conversation with the healer." Ernith leaned back slightly on his stool, sizing Kaiser up. "I didn't realize she had a keeper."
"She doesn't." Kaiser set the chipped clay cup down with a dull tap. "She's tired. We worked all afternoon, and you're crowding her."
"Is that right?" Ernith chuckled, shaking his head. "And you are?"
"The guy sitting next to her." Kaiser didn't blink. He glanced at the pitcher of mead on the table. "If you're looking for someone to drink with, Tanya's cup is empty."
"Hey!" Tanya barked from across the bench, though she immediately poured herself another mug. "Don't drag me into this just because you're grumpy!"
Ernith chuckled, but the charm had cooled. He checked the gold pocket watch at his vest, snapping it shut with a crisp click.
"Right. I have business at the guild hall before sundown anyway." Ernith stood up, smoothing his coat lapels. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."
Ren and Tanya waved him off. Ernith turned toward me 1 last time.
His dark eyes locked onto mine, that heavy, uncomfortable gaze fixing straight on my face. He reached his pale hand across the table, his fingers reaching right for my wrist:
"Get some rest, Eve."
No.
My breath caught. I jerked my arm back, but the rough edge of the bench caught my sleeve.
Before his fingers could touch my skin, a hand clamped around my wrist.
Kaiser pulled my arm back, tucking my hand behind his side in 1 quick, hard motion. He stepped slightly forward, completely blocking Ernith from reaching me.
Ernith's eyes narrowed. His smile vanished.
"Touchy, aren't you?" Ernith's voice dropped its friendly tone.
"She doesn't like strangers." Kaiser's voice was completely level. "But if you have money and you're buying luxury goods, meet me in the alley behind the livery in 5 minutes."
"Why would I do that?" Ernith stared at him.
"Found an old brass signet in a vault down south." Kaiser leaned in just enough so only Ernith heard. "Don't know who owned it. Don't care. You look like someone who buys things without asking where they came from."
Ernith looked at Kaiser's faded duster, the scuffed boots, and the torn cuffs. The smug arrogance returned to his face.
"5 minutes." Ernith said. "Don't waste my time."
"I won't." Kaiser nodded once.
Ernith turned and walked out from under the canvas awning, disappearing into the evening crowd along the canal.
I let out a shaky breath, turning toward Kaiser—
My voice died in my throat.
Kaiser was watching Ernith walk away.
His slouch was gone. His jaw was locked tight. His blue eyes weren't tired or lazy anymore—they were dead, cold, and fixed on Ernith's back like he was picking the exact spot between his shoulder blades.
Kai...?
Before I could speak, Kaiser blinked. The cold stillness vanished, and he rubbed the back of his neck like he was just worn out from the hunt.
"Ren." Kaiser called out, his voice returning to its usual flat drawl. "Take the others to the guild gates. I'm renting a room in the back lodge for 10 minutes so Eve can sit down and warm up."
"You okay, Eve?" Ren looked over, noticing my pale face. "You look exhausted."
"I-I'm fine, Ren." I forced a small nod. "Just cold."
"All right." Ren gathered the parchment and bounty slips. "Don't take too long. Gates close at 6:00 PM."
Kaiser didn't let go of my wrist.
His grip was warm, firm, and unyielding. He pulled me up from the bench and led me down the narrow hallway behind the tavern. He kicked open the door to a small guest room with a single cot and a washstand, pulled me inside, and shut the heavy oak door.
CLICK.
The iron lock turned.
"Kaiser?" My heart was hammering in my chest. "What's going on? Why are you meeting that merchant in an alley? Why did you lock the door—"
Kaiser took 2 fast steps.
He didn't answer. He stepped straight into my space, forcing me back until my spine hit the locked door with a soft thud.
Thud.
Kaiser raised his left arm, slamming his hand flat against the doorframe right beside my ear. He leaned down, his face barely 4 inches from mine, pinning me between his chest and the wood.
The scent of roasted chicory and clean soap filled my nose.
His eyes were wide, focused, and furious.
"Eve." His voice was a low rasp, inches from my mouth. "Look at me."
"K-Kai...?!" My face exploded into scalding heat.
"Why didn't you say anything?" he demanded.
There was zero sarcasm in his voice. No jokes. Just pure, hard anger.
"What...?" My voice squeaked.
"He was leaning across the table asking what you look like while you're asleep." Kaiser leaned in closer, his jaw tight. "Why did you just sit there?"
"I... he bought drinks for everyone!" I stammered, my hands clutching my skirts. "I didn't want to cause a fight..."
"Then cause a fight."
I stared at him, stunned.
"I don't care if he buys the entire tavern." Kaiser's voice dropped into a sharp, unyielding command. "If someone gets in your face and creeps you out, you don't smile at the floor and hope he goes away. You back up. You tell him to get away from you. If he doesn't, you yell."
"I froze..."
"Stop freezing." His eyes pinned mine, refusing to let me look away. "If you act like you're scared of offending him, he's just going to keep pushing."
My chest rose and fell fast. I could feel the heat coming off his chest, so close his duster brushed against my sleeves.
"And what were you doing in the cellar?" he asked, his tone snapping like a whip. "Running into the dark to grab William's arrows?"
"William only had 4 left!" I protested, my eyes wide. "He said each shaft costs 2 coppers! He looked so worried—"
"Who cares what they cost." Kaiser cut in, his voice rising just enough to vibrate through the wood behind my head.
"He was worried—"
"Let him worry!" Kaiser leaned down until his forehead almost touched mine. "You're the healer. If a goblin sticks a knife in your ribs while you're picking up garbage off the floor, who heals you? Who keeps the rest of the party alive?"
"I was just trying to help..." My throat tightened.
"Then help by staying behind Harek's shield." His breathing was rough, warm against my cheek. "Your life isn't worth 2 coppers of scrap wood. Don't ever do that again."
The raw intensity in his voice made my knees shake. He wasn't yelling because he was sick of me. He was angry because the thought of me getting hurt was tearing him apart.
"I-I'm s-sorry..." I lowered my head, my chin trembling against my collarbone as my fingers tangled desperately into my skirts.
"I-I didn't mean to... When... when that man was talking to me at the table... I-I got so scared... I j-just froze... and in the cellar I was only trying to help... I w-won't do it again. I-I promise, Kai..."
H-his chest is right against mine...
I-I can barely breathe... W-why is he looking at me like that?!
His breathing was rough and hot against the side of my neck, every ragged exhale sending a shiver straight down my spine. The raw intensity in his dark eyes didn't soften. He stood there, trapping me against the heavy timber door with his forearm, his shadow swallowing me whole.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, gathering every shred of courage left in my chest.
"W-why are you... b-being like this all of a sudden...?" I looked up through my eyelashes, my voice trembling so hard the words barely carried.
"Y-you're... you're always so c-calm... so c-collected..."
Kaiser went completely still.
The sharp furrow between his brows hitched. His lips parted by 1 fraction of an inch, but no sound came out.
Is he... is he searching for an answer?
He doesn't have an answer ready...? Kai always has an answer for everything in 1 second!
For 2 long, suffocating seconds, he just stared into my eyes. His jaw clenched tight, the muscle twitching beneath his pale skin.
Then he moved.
He didn't step back. He leaned down further, his face dipping until his lips were barely 1 inch from my cheek, his deep voice dropping into a rough, possessive rasp that vibrated straight through my collarbone:
"Don't make me jealous again."
My heart slammed against my ribs so violently it felt like it would break through my chest.
J-jealous...?!
The air vanished from my lungs. My lips parted, but my tongue was completely frozen, my face burning with a heat so intense my vision blurred.
Before my scrambled thoughts could piece together a single syllable, Kaiser pulled his forearm off the doorframe and took 1 step back. The sudden rush of cold air between us made me sway on my feet.
"Lock this latch from the inside." Kaiser turned to the door, his tone snapping back into that familiar, quiet flatness as if his heart hadn't just been hammering against mine. "Don't open it for anyone except me. 3 knocks."
"W-wait—where are you g-going...?" I stammered, reaching out with 1 shaking hand, but my fingers only brushed the coarse wool of his duster.
"To handle something." Kaiser lifted the iron latch. "Stay here."
He slipped out into the dimly lit hallway and pulled the heavy oak door shut.
Click.
The lock fell into place.
My knees instantly turned to water.
Slide.
I slid straight down the cold wood, hitting the floorboards with a dull thud and curling both arms around my knees.
E-eeeeeeek...!
I slammed both hands over my scalding cheeks, burying my burning face into my dress.
J-jealous?! What does he mean, jealous?!
My chest was heaving, my entire face throbbing with dizzy, frantic heat. I was a complete, disorganized mess on the floor.
Why would he say that?! What is happening to him... what is happening to me?!
*
Perspective: Ernith
Date: January 19, 2018
Time: 5:15 PM
Location: Livery Alley, Lower Trade District, Sylvaris
The reek of wet horse manure and rotting hay was foul enough to turn a mortal's stomach, but I barely smelled it.
I leaned against the soot-stained brick wall of the livery stable, turning a gold sovereign between my knuckles. The metal clicked against the signet rings on my fingers, a steady, soothing rhythm in the cold alley dusk.
That pink-haired girl...
A slow smirk pulled at my lips.
Sweet little Eve. Soft, porcelain skin. That delicate, trembling throat every time I leaned across the table. Her aura was pure, unblemished ambrosia. The kind of innocent soul that breaks so delightfully when the night sets in.
I ran my tongue across my upper lip, tasting the lingering scent of her fear.
I wonder how she's going to look tonight. When I slip past the latch of her room and she wakes up to find me standing over her bed... will she cry, or will she beg?
Just thinking about it made the demonic hunger in my veins flare with heat.
Footsteps scuffed the gravel at the alley mouth.
I tilted my head, letting the gold coin vanish into my palm.
The skinny, scruffy thief from the tavern walked into the shadows. His faded duster coat hung loosely from his shoulders, hands shoved deep into his pockets, slouching like an exhausted laborer who couldn't find his own shadow in broad daylight.
Pathetic.
I pushed off the brick wall, dusting a speck of soot from my velvet sleeve.
"Took you long enough." I flashed him an easy, patronizing grin. "Okay then, what kind of vault did you find? What do you have?"
The boy stopped 4 paces away. He looked up, his blue eyes dull and lifeless in the gloom.
"A vault?" Kaiser tilted his head. "Oh, I don't have a vault. But I brought a shovel."
I blinked, my brow furrowing in irritation.
"What do you mean, a shovel—"
He was gone.
My eyes didn't even catch the blur. In 1 millisecond he was standing 4 paces away, and in the next, the air in front of me was completely empty.
A shadow eclipsed my vision from above.
Before my demonic instincts could trigger a single defensive ward, an iron grip clamped onto the back of my skull like a hydraulic vise.
SLAM!
My forehead hit the solid brick wall with a sickening, bone-rattling crack.
The brick shattered into red dust. My vision exploded into blinding white lightning, followed instantly by black, suffocating void.
*
Time: 7:05 PM
Location: Pine Forest Clearing, 2 Miles South of Sylvaris
Pain ripped through my skull, dragging me kicking and screaming back to consciousness.
I gasped for air, but my mouth filled with the bitter, metallic tang of blood and wet pine needles. My head felt like it had been split open with a sledgehammer.
I tried to pull my arms forward to push myself up.
Nothing moved.
Panic surged through my chest. I jerked violently, but agony flared across my wrists, ankles, and ribs.
Thick, galvanized iron wire was coiled around my limbs, binding my wrists behind my back and cinching my ankles together with mechanical perfection. Every time I twitched, the metal edges sliced straight through my velvet doublet and bit deep into my skin, drawing thin lines of hot blood.
Then I heard it.
Shhk.
Thump.
A heavy spade slicing through frozen soil, followed by the dull thud of heavy earth landing on a growing mound.
Shhk.
Thump.
I twisted my neck, coughing as dirt smeared across my cheek.
Darkness surrounded me. Tall, black pine trees towered against a freezing night sky, their needle branches swaying in the winter wind.
Right beside me, cut into the forest floor, was a trench.
A freshly dug rectangular pit, 6 feet deep, 3 feet wide, and 7 feet long.
Inside the pit stood Kaiser.
His duster coat was folded neatly on a dry pine stump a few paces away. He wore only a dust-streaked linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his forearms, revealing lean, corded muscle coated in a light sheen of sweat. In his hands was a heavy, flat-headed trenching shovel.
He didn't have a torch lit. He was working entirely by the pale glow of the moon, driving the spade into the packed earth with cold, terrifying precision.
Shhk.
Thump.
"What is the meaning of this?!" My voice cracked with raw, hysterical outrage as I thrashed against the iron wire. "What the hell are you doing?! Why am I tied up?!"
Kaiser didn't pause.
He sank the blade 4 inches into the clay, scooped a mound of black dirt, and tossed it over the edge.
"To bury you, obviously." Kaiser's voice was completely flat.
My stomach plummeted into an icy abyss.
He said it like he was answering what time the bakery opened. No hatred. No mockery. Just simple, practical fact.
"What the hell?!" Terror clawed at my throat, shattering my composure into pieces. "Someone save me! Help! Help me! Somebody—"
Kaiser's steel-toed boot lashed out from the edge of the pit.
CRACK!
The kick caught me flush across the mouth.
My head snapped sideways into the freezing mud, my teeth rattling against my skull as blood burst across my lips and tongue. The world spun in sickening circles.
"Quiet." Kaiser adjusted his grip on the ash-wood shovel handle, his blue eyes peering up from the darkness of the trench. "I'm trying to keep this as painless as possible."
The casual indifference in his tone terrified me far more than any killer ever could.
A cold fury ignited through my panic. I was a higher being—a master of seduction, a creature of the Nether! How dare an insect of an E-rank adventurer lay hands on me?!
"You crazy bastard... do you have any idea who I am?!" I spat a mouthful of crimson foam onto the grass, glaring at him with venomous hatred. "My merchant guild clients will tear this entire province apart looking for me! The 2nd Division garrison commander buys luxury imports directly from my carriage—he will have you hanged! You think you can touch me and walk away?!"
Kaiser didn't even look up.
Shhk.
Thump.
He shoveled another load of dirt onto the mound, swinging the blade with rhythmic, tireless efficiency. He raised his forearm, casually wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, his breathing slow and measured.
"Untie these wires right now!" I snarled, thrashing until the iron wire cut to the bone, my voice rising in desperate, ragged fury.
"The Under-District syndicates have my blood pact on file—if I miss my 8:00 PM drop, 40 hired cutthroats will hunt you down to the ends of the continent! They'll skin you alive in front of that girl before they burn her house to ashes!"
Kaiser drove the spade straight down into the floor of the pit.
Thung.
The metal blade bit into the deep clay and stood upright, motionless.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to bury your friends too."
Silence descended over the forest, heavy and suffocating. The only sound was the rustle of pine needles in the freezing wind.
Kaiser placed both hands on the edge of the trench. With 1 smooth, effortless heave, he vaulted out of the 6-foot hole, landing silently on the grass beside my head.
He didn't brush the dirt from his knees.
He stepped forward until the toes of his boots were 2 inches from my face.
Then he looked down.
The breath froze in my throat.
His eyes were wide, unblinking, and entirely devoid of light. It wasn't human anger. It wasn't the fury of a jealous boy. It was the lethal, bottomless stillness of a killer. A glare so suffocatingly cold that my demonic core shrank into a tight, trembling knot.
Kaiser looked at me dead in the face.
"You're not a merchant." Kaiser spoke with absolute, terrifying certainty.
"You're an incubus."
The words struck me like a physical blow.
Every drop of blood drained from my face. My breath hitched in my chest, my pupils shrinking into frantic pinpricks as cold terror seized every muscle in my body.
"A lewd male demon who pursues women." Kaiser continued, his voice calm and level as he looked down into my face. "You torment humans for the sole purpose of degrading their souls and perverting them into more vices."
He tilted his head by 1 inch, the moonlight catching the flat edge of his jaw.
"And your target tonight was Eve, wasn't it? The way you stared at her across that table. Staring at her neck. Breasts. Legs."
"I-Impossible..." A panicked laugh tore from my throat, my demonic glamour flickering under the suffocating pressure of his gaze. "What the hell are you saying?! I'm not that—"
"An incubus seduces women while they're half awake or asleep." Kaiser cut in, his tone devoid of pity. "Although such demons initially appear as an attractive myth, they eventually reveal their true, malevolent form, striking terror in the victim's heart."
Kaiser's right boot kicked forward.
CRACK!
The steel toe slammed into my cheekbone.
Agony exploded behind my eyes. The force of the strike shattered the delicate illusion spell bound to my flesh. The smooth, porcelain skin of my face tore open like wet paper, peeling back to reveal sickly grey, scaled hide beneath. The scent of sulfur and rotting bile leaked into the cold night air.
Before I could spit the blood from my mouth, Kaiser dropped to 1 knee.
His bare right hand clamped over my forehead like an iron claw, his fingers digging straight into the roots of my hair.
SLAM!
He smashed the back of my skull into the frozen earth.
SLAM!
SLAM!
SLAM!
SLAM!
4, 5, 6 times.
"You wanted to sexually assault her."
He hammered my head against the rock-hard ground with mechanical, unrelenting force. Bone cracked. Frozen mud splattered across my ears. The illusion broke completely—thick, curved obsidian horns tore through my temples, my velvet clothes shredding as leathery spines jutted from my shoulder blades. My true demonic form writhed in the dirt, helpless and pathetic.
"You love causing her fear as you rape her. You love when their fear mixes with desire. When women give in to your hunger."
Kaiser let go of my horns and stood back up.
"P-please..." I sobbed, blood and dark fluid pouring from my broken snout, my limbs trembling violently against the iron wire.
"I-I won't do it! P-please have some mercy... I beg you...!"
Kaiser turned his back on me, picking up the shovel from the stump.
He didn't answer. He bent down, grabbed the iron wires bound around my chest with 1 hand, and dragged my thrashing body across the frozen grass.
With 1 careless heave, he dumped me over the edge.
THUD!
I crashed onto the bottom of the 6-foot pit, the impact knocking every drop of air from my lungs.
"Your eyes were on her chest. Constantly... Imagining all the lewd dominance you'd feel once you cornered her, watching her struggle."
Kaiser stood on the rim above, looking down into the grave.
"It's all unforgivable." Kaiser said, his voice quiet against the wind. "I'm a very merciful person. But you should have kept your eyes down."
"I-I didn't know she meant so much to you!" I cried out, clawing at the muddy clay with my bound fingers, staring up at him in sheer desperation. "I didn't know that! I swear on the Nether, I would have never touched her—"
Shhk.
Thump.
A heavy spade of dark earth rained down on my chest.
"Eve?" Kaiser scooped another pile of soil, tossing it down onto my legs. "She's a friend. That doesn't matter to me much. She can protect herself."
Shhk.
Thump.
More dirt covered my knees.
"But she looks like someone who I truly cared about." Kaiser continued, his voice steady as he shoveled. "And it just reminded me that if you have done the same thing to other women and innocent people... if she was still alive, you'd have tried to make her 1 of your victims too."
He paused, resting the spade against the rim of the pit.
"So the world is a better place without people like you."
"No! No, please let me go—"
Kaiser took a sulphur match from his pocket. He struck it against the rough head of the shovel.
Fzzzt.
A tiny yellow flame flared in the darkness.
Kaiser flicked the lit match down into the pit.
It landed on my shoulder.
WHOOSH.
Pale, blue-tinted chemical fire instantly roared across my clothes. The stench of refined alchemical spirits hit my nose—the liquid smeared across my doublet earlier wasn't ditch water. He had soaked me in silent-burn solvent while I was unconscious.
The fire didn't make a sound. It didn't roar or crackle. It silently devoured my demonic flesh, burning away tissue and nerves in agonizing, icy heat.
Shhk.
Thump.
Kaiser went straight back to work.
Spade after spade of freezing earth poured down into the pit, burying the silent flames, choking my screams, and packing tight over my face.
Shhk.
Thump.
The weight pressed down on my chest until the last sliver of night sky vanished behind a blanket of black soil.
*
Perspective: Eve
Date: January 19, 2018
Time: 7:45 PM
Location: Guest Lodge, Lower Trade District, Sylvaris
The room was quiet.
I was still sitting on the wooden floorboards by the door, my knees pulled tightly against my chest, my face buried in the lace of my sleeves.
My cheeks were still hot.
Don't make me jealous again.
Every time those words echoed in my head, my heart jumped into my throat all over again.
Why did he say that...?!
He looked so angry... so serious...
Knock. Knock. Knock.
3 sharp, measured raps sounded against the wood right behind my head.
I flinched, scrambling to my feet. I smoothed down my crumpled skirts with shaking hands, reached for the heavy iron latch, and pulled it back.
The door swung open.
Kaiser stood in the dimly lit hallway.
His duster coat was buttoned up neatly. His damp dark hair was brushed back from his forehead, and he looked entirely relaxed—just his usual, tired self. But when he stepped closer, a faint, crisp scent clung to him. The scent of pine needles, cold forest air, and fresh damp earth.
"Ready?" Kaiser asked, his voice returning to its normal quiet drawl. "Let's get you back to your lodge."
"U-um... yes." I stepped out into the hall, pulling my wool shawl tight around my shoulders. "T-thank you, Kai."
He shut the door behind us and led the way down the narrow wooden stairs.
Outside, the trade district had quieted down. The market stalls were packed away under canvas tarps, and the evening lanterns cast long, golden puddles across the wet cobblestones. A chilly breeze swept through the alleys, but walking beside Kaiser always made the cold disappear.
I kept glancing sideways at his profile.
He had both hands in his coat pockets, watching the street ahead with that lazy, detached slouch of his.
I bit my lower lip, gathering my courage.
"Kai...?" I murmured, keeping my voice low.
"Yeah?" He didn't turn his head, but his pace slowed just enough so our shoulders brushed.
"Earlier... in the room..." My fingers twisted the fringe of my shawl. "Were you... were you really jealous?"
Kaiser didn't hesitate for even 1 second.
"Of course." he said plainly. "Why else would I act that way?"
I stopped walking, staring at him with wide eyes.
"B-but you told me before that you're not like that!" I protested softly, my face warming again. "You said you don't feel things like that!"
Kaiser stopped 2 paces ahead, turning around to face me under the glow of a street lantern.
"Maybe I was just pretending." Kaiser gave a light, careless shrug. "I'm a normal human after all. I can feel those emotions, right?"
"I... I guess so..." I looked away, my cheeks burning under the amber lantern light. "If you say so..."
"Let's keep moving." Kaiser turned back toward the lane. "The wind is picking up."
I followed his footsteps, but my mind was spinning faster than ever.
He's lying...
I'm trying to believe him... but there has to be another reason he said that.
I looked up at his back. A tiny, faint curve pulled at the corner of his mouth—a quiet, gentle smile he only showed when nobody was watching.
A breathless, sweet flutter rushed through my chest. I quickly lowered my head, staring down at my boots to hide the foolish smile spreading across my own lips.
10 minutes later, we reached the front steps of my lodge.
Kaiser waited at the bottom of the wooden porch until I unlocked the front door.
"Get some sleep, Eve." Kaiser raised a hand in a brief wave. "Eat something warm before you go to bed."
"Goodnight, Kaiser." I gave him a soft, lingering smile. "P-please get some rest too."
He nodded once, turned on his heel, and melted into the evening shadows.
*
Perspective: Kaiser
Date: January 19, 2018
Time: 8:55 PM
Location: The Gilded Stag Dining Hall, Central District, Sylvaris
The warmth of the tavern hit me the moment I pushed through the heavy cedar doors.
The scent of roasted venison, spiced cider, and baked barley bread filled the air. In the far corner by the hearth, Lucas and Celia had claimed a large round table, already half-buried beneath an enormous spread of food.
Lucas had a roasted pheasant leg in 1 hand and a warm meat pie in the other, grinning like an idiot as he chewed.
Celia was sitting with her back straight, a cup of herbal tea in front of her. The moment my shoes crossed the threshold, her head snapped up.
Her black eyes locked onto mine. Her disguise to be appearing normal.
She stood up immediately, sliding out from behind the table and walking over to meet me near the coat rack.
"You're late." Celia said, her voice quiet.
"Got caught up with a chore." I unbuttoned my duster and hung it on an iron peg.
Celia didn't answer. Her eyes swept down my sleeves, immediately catching the dried reddish clay smudged across my knuckles and under my fingernails.
She pulled a clean, embroidered linen handkerchief from the pocket of her vest. Without asking, she took my right wrist, turned my hand palm-up, and began firmly wiping the dried dirt from my skin.
"Don't tell me you overdid yourself..." Celia murmured, her brow arching slightly as she rubbed the stubborn mud away.
"Let me take care of you..."
I shook my head, letting her clean my fingers.
"No." I said softly. "Let's eat."
"Yo, man!" Lucas yelled across the tavern, waving a buttered bread roll in the air with his mouth still full of venison. "The food here tastes too much good!"
I pulled out the empty chair beside Celia and sat down with a quiet snort.
"For real?" I reached for a hot roll from the basket. "I love too much good. Let's go!"
I tore the bread in half, the warm steam rising into the air, and finally started to eat.
*
Perspective: Eve
Time: 1:30 AM
Location: Sylvaris — Eve's Lodge
Moonlight spilled softly through the arched window of my small bedroom, painting the wooden floorboards in pale silver beams.
Outside, the city of Sylvaris was fast asleep. The room was cool and quiet, but under my thick patchwork quilt, my entire body was wrapped in cozy warmth.
I wasn't alone.
Tucked securely against my chest was the little handmade Kaiser plushie.
I rolled onto my side, pulling the doll deeper into my embrace until it was nestled snugly against my breasts. My face flushed a scalding, helpless pink as I buried my nose into its soft woolen hair. It smelled faintly of clean cotton, dried lavender, and the sweet herbal soap from my washbasin.
He's so soft...
And he doesn't tease me like the real Kai...
I shifted beneath the quilt, letting the plushie sink further into my chest, my arms wrapping tightly around his little stitched overcoat. My heart was thumping so fast the doll rose and fell with every breath.
Don't make me jealous again.
The memory of his voice—so rough, so close to my ear that his breath had brushed my cheek—sent a dizzy shiver straight down to my toes.
Jealous...
It still makes zero sense.
I stared at the ceiling, my fingers gently stroking the doll's woolen sleeve.
Kai never loses his temper. He doesn't get rattled, he doesn't act reckless, and he told me himself that he isn't like that. So why did he look like that? Why did he corner me against the door and say something so... so unfair?!
I bit my lower lip, turning my head back down.
My pink eyes met the tiny, embroidered blue eyes of the plushie, staring back at me with that familiar, calm half-smile.
I want to understand him.
I really, truly do.
There were so many questions tangled up inside my chest, and every single 1 of them belonged to him.
Why does he pretend to be so weak?
I've seen him move. I've watched him protect me. He reacts faster than anyone, his balance is flawless, and he's so much stronger than he lets on. But whenever people insult him... whenever adventurers look down on him or push him aside, he just shrugs and lets them do it.
He lets people degrade him. He lets people treat him like he's useless.
Why? What is he hiding from everyone?
I hugged the plushie tighter, pressing my forehead against its soft head.
I just don't understand him... I want to, but how? How do I get past all those walls he builds around himself?
A sudden, breathless heat rushed into my cheeks, so intense I had to hide my face in the pillow.
Am I... am I getting obsessed with him lately...?
Every time he looks at me, my chest hurts. Every time he walks away, I'm already counting the minutes until I see him again. It's only been a few hours since he walked me to my lodge, and I... I already miss him.
And the way he acted in that tavern room...
Was he really being protective over me? Like that?
The thought made my toes curl happily beneath the sheets. A giddy, helpless whimper slipped past my lips, and I kicked my feet beneath the heavy blanket, burying my burning face deeper into the pillow.
"Kai..." I whispered softly into the quiet room.
I pulled the doll up until its embroidered face rested right against my cheek, kissing the soft black yarn of its hair.
I didn't have all the answers tonight. I didn't know why he hid his strength, or why he said those dizzying words to me in the dark.
But I'm going to find out.
I'm going to watch him, stay by his side, and learn everything about him. Every single secret.
Holding his little likeness close against my heart, all the lingering fear from the tavern melted away into sweet, peaceful warmth. I pulled the quilt up to our chins, closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep with a soft, radiant smile.
*