I was lost in a deep sleep—the kind that grants no dreams, only rest, as if I were lying on a warm cloud, weightless and endless.
Everything had vanished.
The noise of thoughts, the tension… even the sound of my own breathing felt as though it had stopped disturbing me.
I slept like someone who had wrestled with the world and finally surrendered to the arms of rest.
But that peace didn't last long.
"Hey. You. Wake up."
The voice felt strange—strange because it pierced the silence I had been drifting through.
I murmured unconsciously without even opening my eyes.
"Five more minutes… please."
But the voice returned, stronger this time, with a tone that made it clear that postponing was no longer an option.
"It's one in the morning."
Just a few words.
Yet they slipped through my closed eyelids like a cold bullet.
"One in the morning…?"
The words echoed in my half-asleep mind.
Then—
"What?!"
I shot up from the bed as if the ground had swallowed the few moments of rest I had been clinging to.
I turned my head toward the source of the voice.
Zairos stood there, arms crossed, watching me with a curious look.
He spoke calmly.
"The others asked me to wake you. Noble Valis wants everyone to gather on the first floor."
Then he looked at me for a moment longer—long enough for me to feel slightly uneasy—before adding in a tone that was half serious, half mocking:
"I suggest you wash your face… and your hair… before you go. Trust me, you'll need it."
Then he turned and quietly left the room without waiting for my response.
I stood there for a moment, rubbing my eyes—not because they hurt, but because I was trying to process what was happening.
This wasn't a dream.
No… it was real.
But…
"Why did he look at me like that?"
I walked toward the small bathroom beside the guards' room with heavy steps.
I turned on the light and looked into the mirror.
And that's when the shock hit.
My face looked like someone who had just walked out of a sandstorm.
My hair was sticking out in every direction, as if some mischievous spirit had played with it while I slept.
My face was shiny from sweat and exhaustion, and the dark shadows under my eyes made me look like a beggar who hadn't slept for a week.
"How embarrassing…"
I muttered with an awkward sigh.
Quickly, I splashed cold water over my face and tried to fix my hair as best I could.
The cold water helped a little—like a small jolt dragging me back to life.
Even after all that, I didn't exactly look great.
But at least I looked… acceptable.
Or so I convinced myself.
I quickly put on my jacket and headed toward the center of the first floor.
When I arrived, everyone was already lined up neatly in the middle of the main hall beneath the lamps hanging from the stone walls.
No one spoke.
Only a silence filled with anticipation.
I stood beside Zairos, who nodded at me quietly this time without comment—as if he had accepted my improved appearance.
At the front stood the employer—Andrew.
As always, he stood firm, his hands behind his back, like a part of the castle itself.
A few moments passed.
Then the sound of footsteps echoed from above along the stone staircase.
We all raised our heads.
Noble Valis was descending from the second floor.
His steps were calm and orderly, the movements of someone accustomed to command.
At his left walked Roshin—his niece.
She stepped confidently, a bright, excited smile on her face that almost felt contagious.
The noble stopped before us.
His blue eyes swept across us all.
There was something in his gaze that suggested his words carried weight.
He spoke in a calm but clear voice.
"Today is the day you will depart… and it is also the day I will grant you your reward."
A brief silence followed his words.
Then he added in a warmer tone:
"Though you only spent a few days here, you performed your duties perfectly… well done."
I didn't know if what I felt at that moment was pure pride or simply a mixture of relief and appreciation.
But my heart responded.
Those words—well done—coming from a noble like Valis carried a special weight.
It was as if he were acknowledging that our presence had truly mattered.
He then turned toward the employer.
"You chose these guards well, Andrew."
Andrew nodded his head and replied calmly.
"It was my duty."
The noble gave a faint smile—barely visible.
Then he finally said, in a tone that carried both seriousness and anticipation:
"And now… it is time for each of you to receive your reward."
Noble Valis snapped his fingers lightly.
The sound was soft, almost like a carefully planned signal.
Immediately, a servant approached with quiet steps, carrying a dark leather bag that looked expensive—clearly prepared for this moment.
The servant stood beside the noble, then walked toward the long line we had formed and opened the bag in front of the first person standing there.
Luxian.
I watched him with curiosity, searching his face for even the smallest hint of surprise or anticipation.
But Luxian, as always, remained completely composed.
Not a single change crossed his expression.
With his usual cold arrogance, he reached into the bag and pulled out a medium-sized pouch.
It looked slightly heavy.
Most likely containing the thousand dollars.
He tossed it casually into his other hand as if he had just received a loaf of bread from a neighborhood shop.
Next came Calstier.
He wasn't much different.
He glanced briefly at the bag, took the pouch without a word, and returned to his place with the same stern silence he always surrounded himself with.
It seemed as though the reward meant little to him—or perhaps he simply didn't want to show that it did.
Then came Tyros and Marcus.
Here, for the first time, real reactions appeared.
They took their pouches with obvious curiosity.
The moment they opened them, their eyes widened and their mouths dropped slightly in shock.
But neither of them said a word.
They quickly closed the pouches and stood quietly, trying to appear calm while their expressions betrayed their excitement.
Then it was Knox's turn.
He accepted the pouch slowly.
A small smile appeared on his face—though it didn't last long.
It wasn't joy exactly.
More like mild satisfaction.
As if he were thinking: Better than nothing.
Next was Sirion.
Calm as always.
No smile.
No surprise.
No reaction at all.
He simply nodded lightly to the servant, took the pouch, and stepped back with cold military composure.
Cairo was next.
As the servant approached him, I noticed a subtle change in his expression.
He remained composed, but the faint look in his eyes and the quiet sigh he barely managed to hide told me something.
He wasn't happy.
Not even satisfied.
And I think I knew why.
He was the only one—besides me—who knew that the original amount had been fifty thousand dollars.
Not one thousand.
Like me, he probably still couldn't believe how that massive number had simply… vanished.
Then it was Zairos's turn.
The moment he opened the pouch, he froze briefly.
His mouth opened in surprise before he quickly closed it again, forcing a smug smile onto his face—like someone trying to hide his shock behind a mask of confidence.
And finally…It was my turn.
The servant stepped toward me and handed me the pouch with the same practiced movements he had repeated for the past several minutes.
The pouch felt slightly heavier than I expected.
I untied it immediately and looked inside.
Just as I thought.
Neatly arranged banknotes.
One thousand dollars.
Exactly as expected.
I slowly exhaled as I closed the pouch and slipped it into my pocket.
It was fine.
Yes, I had received money.
But it wasn't the number I had once dreamed about.
I had imagined my entire life changing with fifty thousand dollars.
But now…
No… no.
I shouldn't be greedy.
Greed is a terrible thing.
I lifted my gaze quietly and looked at the others.
Despite their varied expressions and attempts to hide their reactions, I could see relief spreading across their faces one by one.
They were happy.
In their own ways.
But I couldn't help thinking:
What if they knew the original amount had been fifty thousand dollars?
I raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced toward Cairo, as if saying with my eyes:
If they knew the truth, their faces would look very different.
Cairo understood immediately.
He returned the glance with a look mixed between sarcasm and disappointment.
As if his eyes were saying:
I still can't believe fifty thousand dollars… just disappeared.
A small sarcastic smile formed on my lips.
But before I could respond, Noble Valis's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Well then… since everyone has received their reward… it is time to say goodbye."
He paused for a moment, looking at us one by one with a calm but thoughtful gaze.
Then he added:
"I wish you all success in what lies ahead… and as I said before—well done."
His words filled me with pride.
But at the same time…They made me feel a quiet sadness.
Because the moment of parting had truly arrived.