Northern Frontier City of Plekhelm, Kingdom of Arcadia
Year 23,814 of the Cerulean Calendar
The night was quiet.
For once, the cold winds that usually swept through Plekhelm had settled, leaving the residential district in an almost unnatural silence.
Inside a modest two-storey house, a young girl sat at her desk, writing in a small leather-bound diary.
Aurora.
Her auburn hair was still slightly damp from her bath, falling loosely over her shoulders. She wore a simple nightgown, and a small candle illuminated the pages before her.
The room was warm and comfortable.
A bookshelf stood against one wall, filled with books her father had collected over the years. A wooden wardrobe occupied another corner, while a neatly made bed rested beneath the window.
Compared to the homes of the nobles, it was nothing extraordinary.
But it was hers.
And she loved it.
Aurora dipped her quill into the inkpot and continued writing.
*Dear Diary,*
*Today was rather uneventful.*
*Father spent most of the afternoon complaining about the rising price of flour. Apparently, the merchants from the south have decided that everything should cost twice as much.*
*I told him he should simply stop buying from them.*
*He told me that if running a business were that easy, he'd have retired years ago.*
*Honestly, sometimes I wonder how that man ever became a knight.*
She paused.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Then she continued.
*Corvin came by again today.*
*He stole bread.*
*Again.*
Aurora sighed.
*Well, technically, I gave it to him.*
*But he still insists on calling it stealing.*
*He promised he'd pay me back a hundredfold someday.*
*I wonder if he actually means it.*
She tapped the quill against her chin.
*He probably does.*
*That's the strange thing about him.*
*He says the most ridiculous things with such confidence that sometimes I can't help believing him.*
Her cheeks grew slightly warm.
She quickly looked towards the door.
Nobody.
Of course nobody.
She was alone.
Aurora shook her head and returned to the diary.
*I asked him to meet me tomorrow.*
*He agreed.*
*Although I'm fairly certain he has absolutely no idea why I asked.*
She sighed.
"That idiot..."
But she was smiling.
She continued writing for another few minutes, occasionally pausing to think.
Then...
Knock.
Aurora stopped.
Her quill hovered above the page.
She glanced towards the window.
Nothing.
"...Hm?"
She waited.
Silence.
Probably a loose branch.
Or perhaps a small stone blown against the glass.
She shrugged and returned to her diary.
*Anyway, I suppose I'll just have to...*
THUD.
Aurora froze.
That wasn't a branch.
She slowly turned towards the window.
And her heart nearly stopped.
"...Corvin?"
A figure was slumped against the glass.
His familiar dark hair hung across his face.
Blood trickled from his forehead, leaving a thin red trail against the window.
More stained his lips.
His eyes were closed.
And he wasn't moving.
For a moment, Aurora simply stared.
Her mind refused to understand what she was seeing.
Then her chair scraped violently against the floor.
"CORVIN?!"
She rushed towards the window.
Her trembling hands fumbled with the latch.
"Corvin!"
She threw it open.
The boy's body immediately began tipping forward.
"Ah!"
Aurora caught him as best she could.
He was heavier than she expected.
Much heavier.
"Corvin! Hey! Can you hear me?"
Nothing.
His head rested against her shoulder.
His breathing was shallow and uneven.
She looked down.
His clothes were torn.
Dark stains covered his shirt.
And his face...
"Oh, gods..."
Aurora swallowed.
"No, no, no..."
She struggled to pull him through the window.
"Come on..."
Her arms trembled.
"Please..."
With one final effort, she managed to drag him inside.
They stumbled backwards, nearly falling together.
Aurora caught herself against the bed.
Then carefully lowered Corvin onto the mattress.
"Corvin?"
She brushed the hair away from his forehead.
"Hey..."
No response.
Her chest tightened.
For a moment, she wanted to scream for her father.
He would know what to do.
He always knew what to do.
But then she stopped.
Father couldn't know Corvin was here.
Not like this.
Not in the middle of the night.
She knew how he felt about Corvin climbing through her window.
And if he discovered the boy lying injured in her bed...
Aurora shook her head.
"No."
She looked back at Corvin.
His chest rose faintly.
He was still breathing.
That was something.
She had to help him.
And she had to do it quickly.
"Just... stay here."
She paused.
"...Not that you can go anywhere."
Under any other circumstances, she might have laughed at her own remark.
Tonight, she couldn't.
She hurried towards the door.
Opening it carefully, she peered into the hallway.
Darkness.
Silence.
Her father's bedroom stood at the opposite end.
She listened.
A faint snore came from behind the door.
Aurora released a quiet breath.
"Good."
She stepped into the hallway and closed her bedroom door behind her.
Then she hurried downstairs.
The wooden steps creaked beneath her feet.
She froze.
Waited.
Nothing.
She continued.
At the bottom of the staircase, she made her way towards the bathroom.
Inside, beneath a cabinet, sat an old wooden medical kit.
It had belonged to her mother.
Aurora knelt and pulled it out.
The leather straps were worn, and the metal clasps had begun to rust.
She opened it.
Bandages.
Clean cloth.
Small medical instruments.
Several old bottles.
Everything was still arranged exactly as her mother had left it.
Aurora stared at the contents.
For a brief moment, she remembered sitting beside her mother as a little girl.
Watching her tend to Father's injuries after his duties as a knight.
The smell of medicine.
The quiet instructions.
Her mother's patient voice.
*Always stay calm, Aurora.*
*Panic won't help the person in front of you.*
Aurora swallowed.
"...Right."
She closed the kit.
"Stay calm."
But she wasn't finished.
There was something else.
Something that might help.
She left the bathroom and hurried towards the storage room.
Her father kept his more expensive merchandise there.
Rare spices.
Imported fabrics.
Unusual trinkets.
And occasionally, things he probably shouldn't have purchased in the first place.
Aurora opened the door.
Rows of wooden shelves greeted her.
She moved between them, searching.
"Come on..."
Her eyes scanned the labels.
"Where did he put it?"
Then she spotted a small wooden box tucked behind several bottles.
"There!"
She pulled it free.
Inside rested a glass vial containing a brilliant red liquid.
The potion.
Her father had purchased it several weeks earlier from a rather suspicious-looking merchant.
The man claimed he'd obtained it from the famous Alchemist himself.
Aurora hadn't believed a word of it.
Neither had her father, judging by the argument they'd had over the price.
But he'd bought it anyway.
Something about it being too valuable an opportunity to ignore.
Aurora held the vial up towards the moonlight.
The liquid shimmered faintly.
"...Please be real."
She tucked it safely into her pocket.
Then grabbed the medical kit and hurried back upstairs.
Her father's snores continued undisturbed.
Good.
She slipped into her room and closed the door.
Corvin hadn't moved.
Aurora approached the bed.
"Alright..."
She placed the medical kit beside him.
"Let's see what you've done to yourself."
She carefully examined him.
His clothes were damaged.
His back was covered in cuts.
Bruises had begun forming along his ribs, and several injuries looked far worse than anything she'd treated before.
Aurora's expression tightened.
"What happened to you...?"
She looked towards his face.
The boy who usually greeted her with some ridiculous grin now lay completely still.
No jokes.
No teasing.
No absurd promises about becoming rich.
Just silence.
Aurora pressed her lips together.
"Idiot."
Her voice trembled.
"You absolute idiot."
She opened the medical kit.
Her hands were shaking.
She forced them to stop.
Then she began.
First, she carefully removed his damaged shirt so she could examine his injuries properly.
Some of the cuts were shallow.
Others were much more concerning.
She cleaned what she could and carefully dressed the wounds.
Every so often, Corvin stirred faintly.
A small sound escaped his lips.
Aurora stopped immediately.
"Sorry..."
She waited until he settled.
Then continued.
Her mother had taught her how to treat ordinary injuries.
Cuts.
Bruises.
Minor wounds.
The sort her father had brought home countless times during his years as a knight.
But this...
This was different.
Aurora looked towards the red potion.
She had no way of knowing whether it would work.
Or whether the merchant had lied.
But Corvin needed more help than her medical kit could provide.
She examined the vial and its faded label.
Then carefully administered the potion according to its instructions.
For several moments, nothing happened.
Aurora waited.
"...Come on."
She watched Corvin's face.
Nothing.
Her stomach sank.
"Please..."
Then his breathing began to settle.
The tension in his expression gradually eased.
Aurora leaned closer.
"...Corvin?"
His breathing remained steady.
He didn't wake.
But something had changed.
The potion appeared to be working.
Aurora released a shaky breath.
"Oh, thank the gods..."
She continued tending to his remaining injuries, replacing the bloodied cloths and making sure he was as comfortable as possible.
By the time she finished, the candle had nearly burned out.
Her hands ached.
Her nightgown was stained.
And the room smelled strongly of medicine.
But Corvin was alive.
Aurora sat on the edge of the bed.
For a long moment, she simply watched him.
"...You really are something else."
She looked at his face.
Even unconscious, he somehow managed to look troublesome.
She sighed.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me?"
No response.
"Of course you don't."
She folded her arms.
"You're probably dreaming about bread."
Silence.
Aurora looked down at her hands.
Her expression softened.
"...You scared me."
The words came quietly.
Almost too quietly to hear.
She reached out and gently moved a strand of hair away from his forehead.
"I thought..."
She stopped.
Her throat tightened.
She shook her head.
"No."
She wasn't going to think about that.
Not now.
Instead, she pulled a chair beside the bed.
She sat down.
And waited.
The hours passed.
The candle burned lower.
Outside, Plekhelm slowly settled into the deepest part of the night.
Aurora occasionally checked on Corvin, making sure his breathing remained steady.
Sometimes she spoke to him.
Mostly about ordinary things.
Her father.
The bakery.
The ridiculous price of flour.
The meeting beneath the tree near Barkley's that he was now almost certainly going to miss.
"You still owe me, you know."
She rested her chin on her folded arms.
"Ten loaves of bread."
A pause.
"And now a medical kit."
Another pause.
"And one very expensive potion."
She sighed.
"Honestly, Corvin, at this rate you'll owe me a fortune."
She looked at him.
"...So you'd better wake up and pay me back."
But he remained asleep.
Eventually, the first faint light of morning appeared beyond the window.
Aurora hadn't slept.
Not even for a moment.
Her diary still lay open on the desk.
The quill rested beside it.
The final sentence remained unfinished.
She looked towards the window where Corvin had appeared only hours earlier.
Then back at the boy lying in her bed.
The same boy who had promised to repay her a hundredfold.
The same boy who always seemed so certain that everything would work out.
Aurora leaned back in her chair.
"...You'd better keep that promise."
And as the sun slowly rose over the Northern Frontier City of Plekhelm, she remained beside him.
Waiting.
For those familiar amethyst eyes to open again.
Darkness.
That was all Corvin could see.
No buildings.
No streets.
No familiar rooftops.
Not even the faintest trace of the moon.
Just an endless, suffocating darkness stretching in every direction.
"...Huh?"
Corvin opened his eyes.
Or at least, he thought he had.
He looked down at himself.
His clothes were still there.
His hands.
His feet.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Which was rather strange, considering the last thing he remembered was collapsing against Aurora's window.
He looked around.
"...Where the hell am I?"
No response.
He took a cautious step forward.
There was something beneath his feet.
He could feel himself standing on solid ground.
Yet no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't see it.
"Well, this is bloody weird."
Then he noticed something.
Far in the distance.
A light.
A single brilliant point shining through the endless darkness.
Corvin squinted.
"...Oh."
He stared at it for a moment.
Then slowly scratched his head.
"Ooooh."
A thought occurred to him.
"Is this what they mean by the light at the end of the tunnel?"
He looked around again.
Darkness.
Nothing but darkness.
Then he looked down at himself.
"...Well, shit."
He sighed.
"Is that it, then?"
He folded his arms.
"Did I really die just like that?"
For a moment, he remained silent.
He thought about the laboratory.
The old man.
The terrible pain in his chest.
His desperate journey across Plekhelm.
And Aurora.
"...Damn."
He lowered his head.
"Didn't even get my thousand Vlorans."
Another pause.
"And I still owe Aurora."
He let out a long sigh.
"Well, I suppose there's no use worrying about it now."
He looked towards the distant light.
"Maybe this is just a dream."
With that, Corvin began walking.
His footsteps made no sound.
No matter how far he travelled, the darkness around him remained unchanged.
Only the light grew larger.
Brighter.
Closer.
Eventually, he reached it.
The light hovered before him, brilliant and almost painfully white.
Corvin raised a hand to shield his eyes.
"...Pretty."
He slowly reached towards it.
His fingertips touched the light.
And suddenly...
Everything disappeared.
The darkness vanished.
The light expanded, swallowing Corvin and everything around him.
For a brief moment, he couldn't see anything.
Then the brightness faded.
And something stood before him.
A scale.
An enormous set of balancing scales suspended in the empty space.
Its two plates hung motionless, perfectly balanced.
Behind it stood a figure.
A man.
Or something resembling one.
He wore a long set of dark robes that concealed nearly his entire body.
The fabric hung heavily from his shoulders, disappearing into the darkness beneath him.
But his face...
Corvin stared.
"...What the fuck?"
It looked as though a piece of black cloth had been melted directly onto the figure's face.
There were no visible eyes.
No mouth.
No nose.
Nothing that could distinguish the person beneath it.
Only that strange, featureless surface.
The figure remained completely still.
Corvin looked at the scales.
Then at the robed man.
Then back at the scales.
"...Right."
He placed his hands on his hips.
"So what's this?"
He gestured towards the enormous scales.
"Where I get judged?"
Silence.
The figure didn't move.
Corvin frowned.
"Hello?"
Nothing.
"...Not much of a talker, are you?"
He took a step forward.
"Look, if this is about the stealing, I can explain."
The figure remained silent.
Corvin raised a finger.
"Well, most of it."
He glanced towards the scales.
"...Actually, how does this work?"
He was about to take another step when...
A sudden jolt shot through his body.
"AH!"
His eyes flew open.
---
"...Huh?"
Corvin stared at the ceiling.
A wooden ceiling.
An ordinary, perfectly normal wooden ceiling.
No darkness.
No enormous scales.
No terrifying figure in black robes.
Just wood.
"..."
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"...Well, that's new."
He slowly turned his head.
The room was unfamiliar.
Or rather...
Not unfamiliar.
Just not where he had expected to wake up.
A bookshelf stood against the wall.
A wooden wardrobe occupied the corner.
A desk sat beneath a window, with a small leather-bound diary resting upon it.
Corvin recognised the room.
"...Aurora's?"
He looked down.
He was lying in a bed.
A very comfortable bed.
Far more comfortable than the dirty blankets he usually slept on.
"Well, I'll be damned."
He tried sitting up.
Immediately, a sharp pain shot through his back.
"AH, FUCK!"
He dropped back against the mattress.
His face twisted.
"...Right."
He stared at the ceiling.
"Forgot about that."
He waited a moment.
Then tried again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
His back protested every movement.
But Corvin stubbornly refused to remain lying down.
Eventually, he managed to prop himself against the pillows.
"...There."
He exhaled.
"Easy."
His body still hurt.
A lot.
His back felt as though someone had dragged him across a road covered in broken glass.
His ribs were sore.
His muscles ached.
And even the smallest movement reminded him of the previous night's disaster.
But something was different.
The burning sensation in his lungs was gone.
He could breathe.
Properly.
And when he coughed, there was no blood.
Corvin looked down at himself.
His upper body was covered in carefully wrapped bandages.
"...Huh."
He gently touched one.
"Someone's been busy."
He turned towards the window.
Dried blood still stained parts of the glass.
His blood.
Corvin stared at it for a moment.
Then looked outside.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden light across the residential district.
Late afternoon.
"...Wait."
His eyes widened.
"AFTERNOON?!"
He immediately regretted raising his voice.
His ribs protested.
"Ow..."
He lowered his voice.
"How long was I asleep?"
A small movement beside the bed caught his attention.
Corvin turned.
There, resting with her head against the mattress, sat Aurora.
Her auburn hair had fallen messily across her face.
One arm lay folded beneath her head, while the other rested near Corvin's hand.
She was asleep.
Corvin blinked.
"...Aurora?"
He looked at her.
Then at the bandages.
Then back at her.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...You really saved my arse, didn't you?"
He tried shifting his position.
The mattress creaked.
Aurora stirred.
"...Mm?"
She slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were heavy with sleep.
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Corvin raised a hand.
"Morning."
Aurora blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then her eyes widened.
"...Corvin?"
He grinned.
"The one and only."
"CORVIN!"
Before he could react, Aurora threw her arms around him.
"AHHH!"
Corvin let out a sharp yelp.
"MY BACK! MY BACK!"
Aurora immediately pulled away.
"Oh, gods! I'm sorry!"
She stared at him.
Then grabbed his shoulders.
"You're awake!"
"Well, I'd certainly hope so."
"You're actually awake!"
"Yes, Aurora, that's generally what happens when someone opens their eyes."
Her expression trembled.
For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something.
But the words wouldn't come.
Then her eyes began filling with tears.
"I..."
She swallowed.
"I thought you were dead."
Corvin's grin softened.
Aurora looked down.
"When I found you at the window, you were covered in blood. You could barely breathe, and you wouldn't wake up, and I..."
Her voice broke.
"I really thought you were going to die."
Corvin stared at her.
For once, he didn't immediately know what to say.
Then he scratched the back of his head.
"...Well."
He offered a sheepish smile.
"You thought wrong."
Aurora stared at him.
Silence.
Then she let out a small, disbelieving laugh.
"You..."
She wiped her eyes.
"You absolute idiot."
Corvin grinned.
"That's more like it."
Aurora shook her head.
But the tension in her face had begun to disappear.
For the first time since the previous night, a little colour returned to the room.
She sat back in her chair.
Corvin looked at her.
Then at the medical supplies scattered across the bedside table.
"...So."
He gestured towards his bandages.
"Did you do all this?"
Aurora nodded.
"Most of it."
Corvin raised an eyebrow.
"Most?"
"I had some help."
"From who?"
She reached towards the bedside table and picked up an empty glass vial.
A faint red residue remained inside.
"This."
Corvin examined it.
"...A bottle?"
"A healing potion."
"Oh."
He paused.
"...A what?"
Aurora sighed.
"A healing potion, Corvin."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Like actual magic?"
"Yes."
Corvin stared at the vial.
Then at his bandages.
Then back at the vial.
"...Bloody hell."
Aurora almost laughed.
"Father bought it from a merchant a few weeks ago. The man claimed he'd gotten it from the Alchemist."
Corvin froze.
"...The Alchemist?"
"Yes."
A strange expression crossed his face.
Aurora noticed.
"What?"
"...Nothing."
"Corvin."
He looked away.
"Lovely weather we're having."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...What did you do?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Absolutely nothing."
"Corvin."
He sighed.
"...I'll explain later."
Aurora folded her arms.
"You'd better."
Corvin quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, how the hell do you know how to do all this?"
He gestured towards the bandages.
"I mean, I knew you were clever, but I didn't know you were some kind of doctor."
Aurora smiled faintly.
"I'm not a doctor."
"Could've fooled me."
"My mother taught me."
Corvin tilted his head.
"Your mother?"
Aurora nodded.
"Before Father became a merchant, he was a knight."
Corvin blinked.
"...Your father?"
"Yes."
"The bread merchant?"
"Yes, Corvin."
"The same man who spends half his day arguing about flour prices?"
Aurora laughed.
"That very man."
Corvin stared at her.
"...No bloody way."
"It's true."
She leaned back in her chair.
"He wasn't a particularly high-ranking knight, but he served for several years."
Corvin looked genuinely impressed.
"Huh."
He thought about the man he'd known for years.
The merchant who ran the bread stall.
The man who occasionally shouted at him for stealing.
The man who always seemed to be counting money or complaining about suppliers.
"...Wouldn't have guessed."
Aurora smiled.
"Most people wouldn't."
She looked towards the window.
"Father used to come home injured quite often. Nothing too serious most of the time, but Mother was always the one who treated him."
Corvin listened.
"She knew quite a lot about medicine. She'd clean his wounds, bandage him up, and make sure he actually rested."
Aurora laughed quietly.
"Apparently, that last part was the hardest."
"Sounds about right."
"I used to watch her when I was little."
Her expression softened.
"Eventually, she started teaching me."
Corvin glanced at the medical kit.
"So that's where you learned all this."
Aurora nodded.
"Yes."
She paused.
"Although I never expected I'd have to use it on you."
Corvin grinned.
"First time for everything."
"Hopefully the last."
"No promises."
"Corvin!"
He laughed.
Then immediately winced.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
Aurora shook her head.
"Serves you right."
But she was smiling again.
Corvin settled back against the pillows.
"...So why'd your father stop being a knight?"
Aurora's smile faded slightly.
"Mother became ill."
Corvin looked at her.
"Oh."
"It happened several years ago. At first, we thought it was something ordinary."
She lowered her gaze.
"But she kept getting worse."
The room grew quieter.
"Eventually, Father took her to the capital for treatment."
Corvin remained silent.
"The doctors there were expensive. Much more expensive than anything Father could afford on a knight's salary."
Aurora folded her hands.
"So he left the knighthood and became a merchant."
Corvin frowned.
"That must've been difficult."
"At first, yes."
She smiled faintly.
"But the strange thing is, he actually fell in love with it."
Corvin blinked.
"...With selling bread?"
"With being a merchant!"
She laughed.
"He loves travelling, meeting people, negotiating prices, finding new products. He says there's something exciting about building a business with your own hands."
Corvin considered that.
"...Huh."
Aurora continued.
"Eventually, a wealthy physician offered to treat Mother without charging us."
Corvin raised an eyebrow.
"For free?"
"Yes."
"That's suspicious."
Aurora sighed.
"Father said the same thing."
"Well, he's not wrong."
"I know."
She looked down.
"But Mother's still receiving treatment. And as far as we know, she's doing alright."
Corvin nodded slowly.
"...That's good."
Aurora smiled.
"It is."
A comfortable silence settled between them.
Then Corvin looked towards the window.
"So you started helping your father with the business?"
Aurora nodded.
"Someone had to."
She sighed.
"With Mother away, Father needed help managing everything. I started with small things, but eventually I took over more responsibilities."
Corvin grinned.
"Like giving away bread to handsome street rats?"
Aurora rolled her eyes.
"Especially the annoying ones."
"Ah, so you admit I'm handsome."
"I admit you're annoying."
"Close enough."
Aurora laughed.
Then her expression changed.
"Speaking of which..."
Corvin immediately recognised that look.
"...Uh-oh."
She leaned forward.
"Your turn."
"My turn?"
"Yes."
She gestured towards his injuries.
"What happened to you last night?"
Corvin stared at her.
"..."
Aurora folded her arms.
"And don't you dare tell me you fell down some stairs."
Corvin slowly opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"...Damn."
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"That was going to be your excuse, wasn't it?"
"...Maybe."
She sighed.
"Corvin."
He looked at her.
For a moment, the usual grin disappeared.
Then he leaned back against the pillows.
"...Alright."
He looked towards the ceiling.
"You're not gonna believe this."
Aurora gave him a flat look.
"Try me."
Corvin took a breath.
"Well, you know how I said I was gonna make a lot of money?"
Aurora nodded cautiously.
"...Yes?"
He grinned.
"Turns out I may have slightly underestimated how difficult that would be."
"Corvin."
"Right, right."
He cleared his throat.
"So it all started when I went to see Jorken..."
And so Corvin began recounting the previous night's adventure.
The job.
The thousand Vlorans.
The Noble District.
The statues.
The strange old man who claimed to have known Kenji.
Aurora listened with growing disbelief.
"Wait."
She interrupted him.
"You met Lucien?"
Corvin nodded.
"Apparently."
"The Lucien?"
"That's what I said!"
Aurora stared.
"...You're lying."
"I wish I was!"
He continued.
The clinic.
The shattered window.
The glowing blue Crest.
The enormous stone figures.
Aurora's expression grew increasingly horrified.
"You broke into an Alchemist's clinic?!"
"Technically, I broke through the window."
"CORVIN!"
"Alright, alright!"
He raised his hands.
"Don't shout. My ribs are still attached, and I'd like to keep them that way."
Aurora pressed a hand against her forehead.
"...Unbelievable."
Corvin continued.
He told her about the underground laboratory.
The strange experiments.
The documents.
The safe.
And finally...
Lucien.
Aurora stared at him.
"...The old man?"
Corvin nodded.
"The very same."
"The legendary hero?"
"Yep."
"He was the Alchemist?"
"Apparently!"
Aurora slowly covered her face.
"Oh, gods..."
Corvin laughed.
"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction."
Then he described the fight.
Or rather, the very brief moment in which Lucien had completely overwhelmed him.
Aurora's expression became serious.
"...He did all this to you?"
Corvin looked down at his bandages.
"...Most of it."
"Most?"
"Well, falling off the wall probably didn't help."
Aurora stared.
"...You fell off the wall?"
Corvin nodded.
"Halfway down."
She looked as though she might faint.
"CORVIN!"
"WHAT?!"
"You could've died!"
"I KNOW!"
They stared at each other.
Then Corvin sighed.
"...Trust me, Aurora. I know."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Corvin looked towards the window.
His expression softened.
"I really thought I was done for."
Aurora lowered her gaze.
"..."
"But then I remembered something."
She looked up.
"What?"
Corvin smiled.
"I still owed you."
Aurora blinked.
"...What?"
"Ten loaves of bread."
He grinned.
"Can't exactly die before paying you back, can I?"
Aurora stared at him.
Then she laughed.
A small laugh at first.
Then another.
"You..."
She shook her head.
"You're impossible."
Corvin smiled.
"Been told that before."
The afternoon sunlight continued spilling through the window.
For a while, they simply sat together.
Talking.
About the previous night.
About the strange things Corvin had seen.
About the Noble District and its enormous mansions.
About Kenji.
About Lucien.
And eventually...
About the future.
Corvin leaned back against the pillows.
"You know..."
Aurora looked at him.
"Hm?"
"One day, I'm gonna leave Plekhelm."
She blinked.
"...Really?"
"Yep."
He looked towards the window.
"There's an entire world out there."
His eyes brightened.
"Other kingdoms. Other continents. Places I've only ever heard about in stories."
He smiled.
"I wanna see all of it."
Aurora watched him.
Corvin continued.
"I wanna see mountains so tall they touch the clouds. Cities bigger than anything in Arcadia. Oceans that stretch further than the eye can see."
He laughed.
"Maybe I'll even meet some more legendary heroes."
Aurora smiled faintly.
"...You really believe you can do all that?"
Corvin looked at her.
"Of course."
He said it without hesitation.
As though the answer were obvious.
Aurora lowered her gaze.
"...Must be nice."
Corvin tilted his head.
"Hm?"
"Being able to think like that."
He frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Aurora looked towards the window.
"You're free, Corvin."
He blinked.
"...Free?"
She nodded.
"You can go wherever you want. Do whatever you want. You don't have anyone deciding your future for you."
Corvin stared at her.
Aurora continued.
"I have Father. The business. Mother."
She paused.
"And I love them. I really do."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her chair.
"But sometimes..."
She looked towards the distant rooftops.
"Sometimes I wish I could just leave."
Corvin remained silent.
"See the world."
She smiled sadly.
"Without having to worry about everything I'm leaving behind."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Corvin looked down at his hands.
"...Huh."
Aurora turned towards him.
"What?"
He scratched his head.
"Never really thought about it like that."
She smiled faintly.
"Of course you haven't."
"Hey!"
She laughed.
Corvin looked towards the window again.
Then back at Aurora.
"...Well."
He grinned.
"Who says you can't?"
Aurora blinked.
"What?"
"Come with me."
She stared at him.
"...Corvin."
"What?"
"You can't just say things like that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not that simple!"
Corvin shrugged.
"Most things aren't."
Aurora opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
He smiled.
"Look, I'm not saying we leave tomorrow."
He glanced down at his bandages.
"Would probably be a terrible idea, actually."
Aurora laughed.
"Probably?"
"Definitely."
He grinned.
"But someday?"
He looked at her.
"Why not?"
Aurora stared at him.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Then she looked away.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"...Someday."
Corvin nodded.
"Someday."
Outside, the afternoon sun continued sinking towards the horizon.
And for a little while longer, the two remained together.
A street rat who dreamed of seeing the world.
And a merchant's daughter who wished she could follow him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Corvin lay against the pillows, staring at the ceiling, while Aurora watched the afternoon sunlight slowly disappear beyond the rooftops.
Then something happened.
Corvin's eyes widened.
An idea.
A wonderful idea.
Possibly the greatest idea he'd ever had.
Which, considering his recent decisions, probably wasn't saying much.
"...Wait."
Aurora looked at him.
"Hm?"
"WAIT!"
He suddenly tried sitting upright.
"AH, FUCK!"
He immediately grabbed his ribs.
Aurora jumped.
"Corvin! Stop moving!"
"No, no, no! Listen!"
He pointed at her excitedly.
"I'VE GOT IT!"
Aurora stared.
"...Got what?"
"The answer!"
"To what?"
"EVERYTHING!"
Aurora slowly closed her eyes.
"Oh, gods..."
Corvin grinned.
"Think about it!"
"I'm already worried."
"I give Jorken his loot, right?"
Aurora's expression changed.
"Corvin..."
"Just listen!"
He raised a finger.
"He promised me a thousand Vlorans. A THOUSAND!"
"I know."
"So!"
He spread his arms.
"We take five hundred of those Vlorans and leave them here for your father!"
Aurora blinked.
"...What?"
"Five hundred Vlorans!"
Corvin looked positively delighted with himself.
"That's enough to keep things going for at least six months! Maybe longer if your father stops buying ridiculously expensive flour!"
Aurora stared at him.
"...Corvin."
"And then!"
He leaned forward, ignoring the protest from his injured back.
"We run away!"
Silence.
Aurora blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"...We what?"
"RUN AWAY!"
He laughed.
"You and me! We leave Plekhelm behind and go see the world!"
Aurora stared at him as though he'd just announced his intention to fight the Demon Lord.
"...You're serious."
"Of course I'm serious!"
"Corvin, you can barely sit upright!"
"Temporary problem!"
"You nearly died yesterday!"
"Also temporary!"
"THAT'S NOT HOW DEATH WORKS!"
Corvin burst into laughter.
Then immediately regretted it.
"AH! HA! OW!"
Aurora pressed her fingers against her forehead.
"You're going to give me a headache."
"Then it's settled!"
"NOTHING IS SETTLED!"
He grinned.
"You're considering it, though."
Aurora opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
"..."
Corvin's grin widened.
"HA! I KNEW IT!"
She looked away.
"I'm not considering anything."
"Sure."
"I'm serious."
"Of course."
"Corvin!"
"Alright, alright!"
He raised his hands in surrender.
But the excitement in his eyes hadn't faded.
"Just imagine it, Aurora."
His voice grew softer.
"We could go anywhere."
Aurora looked towards him.
"Anywhere?"
"Anywhere."
He gestured towards the window.
"There's an entire world beyond these walls. Kingdoms we've never seen. Cities we've never heard of. People who live completely different lives from ours."
He smiled.
"Think about it. We could wake up somewhere new every morning."
Aurora listened quietly.
"We could visit the great libraries. See the oceans. Climb mountains. Explore ancient ruins."
He paused.
"Well, maybe not the dangerous ruins."
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"...Alright, definitely the dangerous ruins."
"Corvin!"
"What? That's where all the interesting stuff is!"
She laughed despite herself.
Corvin continued.
"We could travel across Arcadia first. Then maybe visit Tesseri!"
Aurora tilted her head.
"Tesseri?"
"Yeah!"
"The pirate nation?"
"The very same!"
Aurora stared.
"Corvin, that's one of the most dangerous places on the continent!"
He shrugged.
"Sounds interesting."
"Of course you'd say that."
"Imagine the ships, though!"
His eyes practically sparkled.
"Enormous vessels sailing across the ocean! Pirates fighting sea monsters! Hidden treasures! Islands nobody's ever explored!"
He leaned back, staring dreamily at the ceiling.
"Maybe we'll even get our own ship someday."
Aurora laughed.
"With what money?"
"Our future fortune, obviously."
"What future fortune?"
"The one I'm going to make!"
She shook her head.
"You're unbelievable."
Corvin smiled.
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I'll take it anyway."
Aurora fell quiet.
For a moment, she simply watched him.
The boy lying in her bed was covered in bandages.
He had almost died.
He had no home worth speaking of, no family to support him, and barely enough money to feed himself.
Yet here he was.
Talking about crossing oceans.
Exploring kingdoms.
And seeing the entire world.
As though nothing could possibly stop him.
"...Corvin."
He turned towards her.
"Hm?"
"What about Father?"
Corvin blinked.
"What about him?"
"I can't just disappear."
Her expression became serious.
"He depends on me. I help him with the business, and Mother's still in the capital."
She lowered her gaze.
"If I leave, he'll be alone."
Corvin's grin softened.
"...Yeah."
Aurora continued.
"And what if Mother comes home?"
Her voice grew quieter.
"What if she finally gets better, and I'm not here?"
Corvin didn't answer immediately.
For once, he actually seemed to think.
Then he scratched his head.
"...Well."
Aurora looked at him.
"We could tell him."
She blinked.
"...What?"
"Your father."
Corvin shrugged.
"We could tell him we're leaving."
Aurora stared.
"Corvin, he'd never allow it."
"Probably not."
"Then what's your point?"
"Doesn't mean we can't tell him."
He smiled.
"Look, Aurora. I don't know much about families."
His expression became thoughtful.
"But I know your father cares about you."
Aurora remained silent.
"And I know you care about him."
He looked towards the window.
"So maybe we shouldn't just disappear without saying anything."
Aurora watched him.
Corvin continued.
"We leave him the money. We explain what we want to do. And we promise to write."
He grinned.
"Lots of letters!"
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"You'd actually write letters?"
"Of course!"
"You?"
"Yes, me!"
"The boy who complains whenever he has to read anything longer than a page?"
Corvin looked offended.
"Hey! Sister Annabell taught me how to read and write!"
Aurora laughed.
"I know!"
"And I'm very good at it!"
"Of course you are."
"Probably the greatest letter writer in all of Arcadia!"
She laughed harder.
Corvin grinned.
"See? Problem solved."
Aurora shook her head.
"...You're making it sound so easy."
"Well, worrying about everything before it happens doesn't make it any easier."
He leaned back.
"Besides, we're not leaving forever."
Aurora looked at him.
"We aren't?"
"Of course not!"
He smiled.
"We can come back whenever we want."
He gestured towards the city outside.
"Plekhelm isn't going anywhere."
Aurora glanced towards the window.
The familiar rooftops stretched into the distance.
The streets she'd walked her entire life.
The market where she'd spent countless mornings helping her father.
The house where she'd grown up.
Everything she knew.
"...And if we run out of money?"
Corvin paused.
Then grinned.
"I'll find work."
Aurora gave him a suspicious look.
"Legal work?"
"..."
"Corvin."
"Mostly legal."
"CORVIN!"
"ALRIGHT! LEGAL WORK!"
She laughed.
He joined her.
For a moment, the room filled with the kind of laughter neither had expected after the previous night's events.
Then Aurora grew quiet again.
"...You really want me to come with you?"
Corvin looked at her.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
He blinked.
"...Why?"
She nodded.
Corvin scratched his head.
"Well..."
He thought for a moment.
"Because you're my friend."
Aurora's expression softened.
"And?"
"And..."
He looked genuinely confused.
"...Because it'd be boring going alone?"
Aurora stared at him.
Then sighed.
"...Of course."
Corvin grinned.
"Besides, you're clever. You know medicine. You know how to handle money."
He began counting on his fingers.
"You can cook, you can read those complicated merchant documents, and you're much better at talking to people who aren't criminals."
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"That's a very specific compliment."
"And!"
He pointed at her.
"You know how to stop me from doing stupid things."
She gave him a flat look.
"Clearly, I'm not very good at that."
Corvin burst into laughter.
"Fair point!"
Aurora shook her head, smiling.
Then she looked down at her hands.
"...I've always wanted to see the sea."
Corvin stopped laughing.
"The sea?"
She nodded.
"Not just the coast near Plekhelm. I mean the real ocean. The great ports where ships arrive from other continents."
Her eyes brightened slightly.
"Mother used to tell me stories about the places Father visited when he was younger."
Corvin listened.
"She said there were cities built along enormous rivers. Markets where merchants sold things from lands nobody in Arcadia had ever visited."
Aurora smiled.
"And places where the weather was so warm that people hardly ever needed coats."
Corvin gasped.
"NO COATS?!"
Aurora laughed.
"Yes, Corvin."
He looked down at himself.
"...Sounds like paradise."
She smiled.
"I always wanted to see those places."
"Then let's go!"
Aurora looked at him.
He held out his hand.
"Five hundred Vlorans for your father. Five hundred for us."
He grinned.
"We travel until the money runs out, find some work, make more, and keep going."
Aurora stared at his outstretched hand.
"...You make it sound like an adventure."
"That's because it is one!"
She hesitated.
Then slowly smiled.
"...And what if something goes wrong?"
Corvin's grin widened.
"Then we'll figure it out."
Aurora looked at him for a long moment.
Finally, she reached forward and took his hand.
"...Someday."
Corvin blinked.
"Someday?"
She nodded.
"When you're healed. When we've talked to Father. When we've actually thought this through."
Corvin sighed dramatically.
"You're taking all the fun out of it."
"Someone has to."
He laughed.
"Fine!"
He squeezed her hand briefly before letting go.
"But I'm holding you to that!"
Aurora smiled.
"...Alright."
Corvin leaned back against the pillows, looking immensely satisfied.
"Excellent."
He stared at the ceiling.
"Now all I've gotta do is collect my thousand Vlorans."
Aurora glanced towards the heavy bag resting near the foot of the bed.
The same bag Corvin had brought back from the Alchemist's laboratory.
"...Corvin?"
"Hm?"
"Are you sure this Jorken person is actually going to pay you?"
Corvin turned towards her.
"Of course!"
"How can you be so certain?"
He grinned.
"Because we made a deal."
Aurora frowned.
"...And you trust him?"
Corvin considered the question.
Then shrugged.
"Not particularly."
Aurora stared.
"...What?"
"He's a miserable old bastard."
"Then why would you trust him with a thousand Vlorans?"
Corvin laughed.
"Because he's a businessman!"
Aurora gave him a look.
"My father's a businessman."
"Exactly!"
"And he says the easiest way to lose money is to trust someone who promises you too much."
Corvin paused.
"...Huh."
For a moment, he seemed to consider that.
Then he waved a hand dismissively.
"Well, Jorken's got a reputation to maintain."
Aurora wasn't convinced.
"Corvin..."
"Don't worry!"
He smiled confidently.
"I've done jobs for him before."
He looked towards the bag.
"And this time, I've brought him something worth a fortune."
His grin widened.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
Aurora stared at him.
"...Please don't say that."
Corvin laughed.
Outside, the last rays of afternoon sunlight disappeared behind the rooftops of Plekhelm.
And for the first time in years, Aurora allowed herself to imagine a life beyond the city.
A life filled with distant places.
New experiences.
And the freedom she'd always dreamed of.
For a while, the two remained silent.
Corvin lay against the pillows, staring dreamily at the ceiling.
One thousand Vlorans.
Five hundred for Aurora's father.
Five hundred for their grand adventure.
It was perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
He could already imagine himself standing aboard a magnificent ship, the wind blowing through his hair as he sailed towards some distant, unexplored continent.
Perhaps he'd even get himself a fancy coat.
A captain needed a fancy coat.
Obviously.
Then...
"Cough! Cough!"
Corvin covered his mouth.
Aurora immediately looked up.
"Corvin?"
He cleared his throat.
"...Sorry."
She studied him for a moment.
Then her gaze travelled down towards his chest.
His bandages.
The ones she'd spent most of the previous night carefully wrapping around his injuries.
Some had loosened.
Others were stained.
And considering everything he'd put himself through since waking up, she was surprised they were still in place at all.
Aurora sighed.
"Alright."
Corvin looked at her.
"Hm?"
"Let me change your bandages. Those have served their purpose."
"Oh!"
Corvin nodded obediently.
Then, like a good little soldier awaiting orders, he raised both arms straight into the air.
"..."
Aurora stared at him.
Corvin stared back.
"...What?"
She blinked.
Then slowly pressed a hand against her forehead.
"Corvin."
"Yes?"
"Lie on your stomach."
He looked at his raised arms.
Then at Aurora.
Then back at his arms.
"...Oooh."
Aurora sighed.
"Honestly..."
"Right! Of course!"
He lowered his arms and began turning over.
A sharp pain shot through his ribs.
"Ow! Ow! Bloody hell!"
"Slowly!"
"I AM GOING SLOWLY!"
"Then stop moving like an idiot!"
"That's a very difficult request!"
Eventually, with a great deal of grumbling, Corvin managed to lie on his stomach.
His face rested against one of Aurora's pillows.
"...Comfy."
Aurora rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
She moved the medical supplies closer and began carefully removing the old bandages.
One layer.
Then another.
Then another.
Until Corvin's back was finally exposed.
Aurora stopped.
"...Huh?"
She leaned closer.
The injuries were still there.
But something was different.
Very different.
Most of the smaller cuts had already closed.
The deeper wounds looked considerably better than they had the previous night.
Only a few cuts remained open, surrounded by patches of bruised skin.
Aurora blinked.
"...That's strange."
Corvin's voice came muffled through the pillow.
"Wha's strange?"
She looked towards the empty potion vial.
Then back at his injuries.
"...Your back."
"What about it?"
"It's healing."
Corvin lifted his head slightly.
"...Isn't that supposed to happen?"
"Not this quickly."
She gently examined the surrounding skin.
"Most of these cuts have already closed."
Corvin considered that.
Then grinned.
"Ha! Knew I was built differently!"
Aurora gave him a flat look.
"You were barely breathing yesterday."
"Minor setback."
"You nearly died."
"Another minor setback."
"Corvin."
"Alright, alright!"
He lowered his head again.
Aurora shook hers.
The potion really had been extraordinary.
If it was genuine, perhaps the merchant hadn't been lying about where he'd obtained it.
Still, she wasn't going to complain.
Corvin was recovering.
That was what mattered.
She reached for a clean cloth.
Meanwhile, Corvin had returned to thinking about his future.
"...You know what I'm gonna do first?"
Aurora glanced at him.
"When?"
"When I get my money!"
She sighed.
"Here we go."
"I'm gonna buy some proper clothes."
Aurora paused.
"...Really?"
"Yep!"
He gestured vaguely towards his worn trousers.
"Look at these things! They're practically falling apart!"
Aurora smiled.
"They've been falling apart for months."
"Exactly!"
He grinned.
"So I'm gonna buy a new shirt, some decent boots, maybe even a coat!"
"A coat?"
"A magnificent coat."
Aurora laughed.
"Of course."
"One with pockets!"
"How ambitious."
"Lots of pockets!"
She shook her head.
"And what exactly do you need so many pockets for?"
Corvin looked at her as though she'd asked the stupidest question imaginable.
"...Stuff."
Aurora blinked.
"Stuff?"
"Important stuff."
"Such as?"
"Food. Money. Useful rocks."
Aurora stopped.
"...Useful rocks?"
"You never know when you'll need a good rock."
She stared at him.
Then burst into laughter.
Corvin grinned proudly into the pillow.
"See? Practical!"
Aurora continued cleaning the remaining cuts.
"And after you've bought your magnificent coat?"
"Hmm..."
Corvin thought for a moment.
"Food."
"Of course."
"Lots of food."
She smiled.
"And then?"
"A proper meal."
"Corvin, that's the same thing."
"No, no! There's a difference!"
He raised a finger.
"Food is food. A proper meal is something you sit down and enjoy without worrying about whether someone's going to chase you away."
Aurora's smile softened.
"...I suppose that's true."
Corvin continued.
"And then..."
He paused dramatically.
"I'm gonna buy you something."
Aurora blinked.
"...Me?"
"Yep!"
"What?"
"Dunno yet."
She laughed.
"Corvin!"
"What? It's supposed to be a surprise!"
He turned his head slightly.
"Maybe a dress."
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"A dress?"
"One of those fancy ones the noble girls wear."
She stared at him.
"...Why?"
Corvin shrugged.
"Because I reckon you'd look nice in one."
Aurora's hands stopped moving.
For a moment, she simply looked at him.
Then she quickly turned her attention back towards the medical kit.
"...Oh."
Corvin frowned.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You sure?"
"Yes!"
"...Alright."
He returned his face to the pillow.
Aurora quietly cleared her throat.
Her cheeks had grown noticeably warmer.
"...Idiot."
"Hm?"
"Nothing!"
Corvin shrugged.
Then continued talking.
"Actually, maybe I'll buy a sword!"
Aurora sighed.
"Of course you will."
"A proper sword!"
"Corvin."
"One with a fancy handle!"
"Corvin."
"And maybe a little dagger!"
"CORVIN!"
"What?!"
"You're not spending all your money on weapons!"
He considered that.
"...Half?"
"No!"
"A quarter?"
"NO!"
"...Negotiations are going poorly."
Aurora laughed.
Then, while reaching for another clean bandage, something caught her attention.
The bag.
Corvin's bag.
It sat near the foot of the bed, looking rather worse for wear.
The leather was scratched.
One of the straps had nearly torn loose.
And it appeared considerably heavier than any ordinary travelling bag had a right to be.
Aurora stared at it.
"...Corvin?"
"Hm?"
"Is that the bag you brought back from the clinic?"
"Yep."
She looked at it.
"...It's enormous."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Still taking it."
Aurora leaned towards the bag.
"What's inside?"
"Treasure!"
She gave him a suspicious look.
"...Treasure?"
"Well, mostly papers."
Aurora blinked.
"Papers?"
"And a safe."
She stared.
"...A safe?"
"Yep!"
"You stole an entire safe?"
"Couldn't open it."
Aurora slowly closed her eyes.
"...Of course you couldn't."
Corvin laughed.
She reached towards the bag.
"Can I look?"
"Go ahead."
Aurora carefully opened it.
Inside was a rather chaotic collection of objects.
A small metal safe.
An old book.
Several folded documents.
Loose papers.
And various items Corvin had apparently decided were worth taking.
Aurora stared.
"...You really did steal half the laboratory."
"Not half!"
Corvin paused.
"...Maybe a quarter."
She shook her head.
Then began examining the contents.
Most of the papers were covered in complicated writing.
Diagrams.
Symbols.
Measurements.
Notes that made absolutely no sense to her.
Aurora frowned.
"What is all this?"
"Alchemist stuff."
"Very helpful, Corvin."
"You're welcome."
She carefully moved the book aside.
Then noticed something.
A large sheet of paper.
Unlike the others, this one contained an intricate pattern.
A Crest.
Aurora slowly lifted it from the bag.
"...Oh?"
The design was extraordinary.
Fine lines twisted around one another, forming a complex arrangement of symbols and geometric patterns.
Some resembled ancient letters.
Others looked like nothing she'd ever seen.
At the centre rested a larger symbol, surrounded by several smaller markings.
Aurora held it closer to the light.
"...Corvin?"
"Hm?"
"What's this?"
He lifted his head slightly.
"What?"
She turned the paper towards him.
"This."
Corvin squinted.
"...Oh!"
He grinned.
"That's the expensive one!"
Aurora blinked.
"...The expensive one?"
"Yep!"
"The Crest?"
"That's the one!"
She examined it again.
"...How does it work?"
Corvin stared at her.
"..."
Aurora waited.
"...Corvin?"
He scratched his cheek.
"Well..."
She raised an eyebrow.
"...Well?"
He cleared his throat.
"You see..."
Aurora narrowed her eyes.
"Corvin."
He sighed.
"I haven't got the slightest bloody clue."
She stared.
"...You stole something without knowing what it does?"
"That's generally how stealing works."
"CORVIN!"
"What?!"
Aurora shook her head.
"Unbelievable."
Corvin grinned.
"That's what makes life interesting."
She looked back at the Crest.
"...I've heard of Magic Crests before."
"Oh?"
"Father once mentioned them. Apparently, they're incredibly difficult to create."
Corvin nodded.
"Sounds about right."
"And some can be worth enormous amounts of money."
His eyes lit up.
"Now you're speaking my language!"
Aurora smiled faintly.
She turned the paper slightly, studying the symbols.
"...I wonder how you're supposed to use it."
Corvin shrugged.
"Maybe you just slap it on something."
Aurora laughed.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"What? Could work!"
"That's not how magic works, Corvin."
"How would you know?"
She opened her mouth.
Then paused.
"...Fair point."
Corvin grinned.
"HA!"
Aurora rolled her eyes.
Then...
A sudden gust of wind swept through the room.
The window was still open.
The afternoon breeze stirred the curtains, sending several loose pages fluttering across the desk.
Aurora turned.
"Oh!"
The paper shifted between her fingers.
She tried to catch it.
But the sudden gust pulled it free.
"Ah!"
The Crest slipped from her hand.
It fluttered through the air.
Turned once.
Twice.
Then drifted down towards the bed.
Towards Corvin.
Who was still lying comfortably on his stomach.
"...Hm?"
The paper landed directly against his exposed back.
For a moment...
Nothing happened.
Aurora blinked.
"...Oops."
Corvin turned his head.
"What?"
"The paper."
"What about it?"
"It fell on your back."
He sighed.
"...Well, pick it up."
Aurora reached towards it.
Then stopped.
Something was happening.
The symbols on the paper began glowing.
Faintly at first.
A dim red light seeped through the intricate lines.
Aurora froze.
"...Corvin?"
"Hm?"
The light grew brighter.
The symbols began shifting.
Moving.
Twisting across the surface of the paper as though they were alive.
Aurora stared.
"...Corvin."
"What?"
"I think something's wrong."
He frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Then...
The entire Crest erupted in brilliant red light.
"AHHHHH!"
Corvin screamed.
His body jerked against the mattress.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Aurora stumbled backwards.
"CORVIN?!"
The paper pressed itself against his skin.
The glowing symbols spread outward, tracing themselves across his back.
Red lines appeared beneath the paper.
Then more.
And more.
The entire pattern began transferring onto his body.
Corvin cried out again.
"GET IT OFF!"
Aurora rushed forward.
She grabbed the edge of the paper.
Pulled.
Nothing.
It wouldn't move.
"IT'S STUCK!"
"THEN UNSTICK IT!"
"I'M TRYING!"
The light intensified.
The room was bathed in red.
Aurora shielded her eyes.
The symbols continued spreading.
The Crest's intricate design appeared directly upon Corvin's skin, glowing with an almost unbearable brilliance.
"AHHH!"
Corvin gripped the bedsheets.
His entire body trembled.
Aurora desperately tried lifting the paper again.
Then suddenly...
The light vanished.
Everything stopped.
Silence.
The paper loosened.
Aurora stumbled backwards, still holding it.
Corvin collapsed against the mattress.
His breathing was rapid.
His hands remained tightly clenched around the sheets.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Then...
"..."
Aurora slowly looked down at the paper.
Her eyes widened.
The Crest was gone.
Every symbol.
Every line.
Every intricate marking.
Gone.
The sheet was completely blank.
"...What?"
She turned it over.
Nothing.
Not a single mark remained.
Aurora looked towards Corvin.
And froze.
There, across his back, was the Crest.
The exact same intricate design that had covered the paper moments earlier.
Only now...
It was part of him.
The markings were deep red, stretching across much of his upper back.
The skin around them was irritated, and several of his recently closed wounds had reopened.
Fresh blood stained the bedsheets.
Aurora's face went pale.
"...Corvin?"
He didn't answer immediately.
His face was buried in the pillow.
Then a muffled voice emerged.
"..."
Aurora leaned closer.
"What?"
Corvin slowly turned his head.
His expression was one of absolute betrayal.
"...I."
He swallowed.
"...Hate."
Another breath.
"...Magic."
Aurora stared.
Then, despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped her.
Corvin glared.
"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"
"I'm sorry!"
"MY BACK JUST CAUGHT FIRE!"
"I know!"
"FROM A PIECE OF PAPER!"
Aurora pressed her lips together.
She was trying very hard not to laugh.
Corvin noticed.
"...You're laughing."
"No, I'm not!"
"YOU ARE!"
She covered her mouth.
"I'm sorry!"
Corvin groaned and buried his face in the pillow.
"...I'm never touching another piece of paper again."
Aurora finally managed to compose herself.
Then she looked at his back.
Her expression immediately became serious.
"...Oh, Corvin."
The bleeding hadn't stopped.
Several of the wounds she'd spent the previous night treating had reopened.
And the strange red Crest remained clearly visible beneath the blood.
Aurora quickly set the blank paper aside.
"Don't move."
Corvin lifted his head.
"...Wasn't planning on it."
She reached for the medical kit.
Again.
The same kit she'd only just finished using.
She sighed.
"...You really are determined to make me use every bandage in this house."
Corvin groaned.
"Blame the bloody paper."
Aurora began carefully tending to his back.
The strange markings remained.
No longer glowing.
No longer moving.
Just a complicated red pattern embedded in his skin.
Aurora studied it as she worked.
"...Corvin?"
"Hm?"
"I think the Crest transferred onto your back."
He was silent for a moment.
Then...
"...What?"
"The pattern. It's on your back now."
Corvin slowly turned his head.
"...Like a tattoo?"
Aurora hesitated.
"...I suppose."
He considered that.
Then sighed.
"...Great."
Aurora looked at him.
"What?"
"I nearly die stealing the bloody thing..."
He buried his face in the pillow.
"...And now I can't even sell it."
Aurora stared at him.
Then burst into laughter.
"CORVIN!"
"WHAT?!"
"You're unbelievable!"
He groaned.
"...My thousand Vlorans."
Aurora shook her head, still laughing.
"You're more worried about the money than the fact that a Magic Crest just attached itself to your body?"
Corvin turned his head.
"...Should I be worried?"
Aurora paused.
She looked at the unfamiliar markings.
Then at the empty sheet of paper.
"...I don't know."
Corvin stared at her.
"...That's reassuring."
She smiled weakly.
"Sorry."
He sighed.
"...Well."
Aurora waited.
Corvin rested his cheek against the pillow.
"At least it looks cool."
Aurora blinked.
Then laughed again.
"You're impossible."
Corvin grinned faintly.
"Been told that before."
Aurora finished cleaning his reopened wounds and began wrapping fresh bandages around his back.
The Crest disappeared beneath the layers of cloth.
Its red glow had faded completely.
There was no sudden surge of strength.
No extraordinary sensation.
No mysterious voice whispering inside Corvin's head.
Nothing.
As far as he could tell, he'd simply acquired an extremely painful tattoo.
And lost a very expensive piece of merchandise.
"...Aurora?"
"Hm?"
"Do you think Jorken will still pay me?"
She looked at him.
Then towards the blank sheet of paper.
Then back at him.
"..."
Corvin sighed.
"...Yeah."
He lowered his head.
"Didn't think so."
Outside, the afternoon breeze continued drifting through the open window.
The room slowly returned to its familiar quiet.
But beneath the fresh bandages on Corvin's back, the newly transferred Crest remained.
Dormant.
Silent.
And entirely beyond the understanding of the boy who now carried it.
The last of the afternoon sunlight had disappeared beyond the rooftops of Plekhelm.
Outside, the streets gradually grew quieter as merchants closed their shops and families returned to their homes.
Inside Aurora's bedroom, Corvin lay on his stomach, looking thoroughly defeated.
His back had been bandaged.
Again.
His ribs still ached.
And somewhere beneath those fresh bandages sat a very expensive Magic Crest that had apparently decided his body would make a lovely new home.
"...Bloody paper."
Aurora sighed.
"Are you still complaining about that?"
"Yes."
"It's been hours."
"And I'll complain about it tomorrow, too."
She laughed.
Corvin turned his head towards the window.
The first stars had begun appearing in the darkening sky.
He watched them for a moment.
Then his expression brightened.
"...Hey, Aurora."
"Hm?"
"I've got an idea."
She immediately looked concerned.
"Oh, no."
"What?"
"The last time you had an idea, a magical piece of paper nearly set your back on fire."
Corvin frowned.
"That wasn't my idea!"
"You suggested slapping it onto something!"
"I didn't mean ME!"
Aurora laughed.
Corvin sighed dramatically.
"Honestly, the disrespect I receive in this household..."
"Then stop causing trouble."
"Impossible."
He grinned.
"Anyway, hear me out."
Aurora folded her arms.
"I'm listening."
"Let's go outside."
She blinked.
"...Outside?"
"Yeah!"
He gestured towards the window.
"Let's watch the stars. Like we used to."
Aurora's expression softened.
"...The stars?"
Corvin nodded.
"Remember when we were younger? We'd sit outside for hours, making up ridiculous stories about the constellations."
Aurora smiled.
"I remember."
"You used to insist that one looked like a rabbit."
"Because it did!"
"It looked like a potato!"
"It did not!"
"A very lumpy potato!"
Aurora burst into laughter.
Corvin grinned.
"Come on. It'll be fun."
She hesitated.
Then glanced towards his bandages.
"...Are you sure you should be moving around?"
Corvin waved a hand.
"I'm fine."
"Corvin."
"Mostly fine."
"You can barely stand."
"Minor inconvenience."
She sighed.
He looked towards the bag near the bed.
"Besides, I've been thinking."
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"That's dangerous."
"Very funny."
He pointed towards his bandaged back.
"I reckon the whole money situation will be fine."
Aurora frowned.
"...How?"
"Because Jorken didn't really want this thing."
He gestured towards the Crest.
"The paper was only a secondary target."
Aurora blinked.
"...It was?"
"Yep."
Corvin nodded towards the bag.
"What he really wanted was whatever's inside that safe."
She looked at the heavy bag.
"...And you still haven't opened it?"
"Nope."
"Do you even know what's inside?"
"Not a clue!"
Aurora stared.
"...Corvin."
"What?"
"You're planning our entire future around money someone promised you for something you haven't even identified."
Corvin considered that.
Then grinned.
"When you put it like that, it sounds rather stupid."
"Because it is!"
"Well, there's no need to be rude."
She shook her head.
But she was smiling.
Corvin looked towards the window again.
"So?"
Aurora followed his gaze.
The stars were becoming brighter.
For a moment, she remembered the evenings they'd spent together when they were younger.
Before her responsibilities at the shop had grown.
Before Corvin had started disappearing into the more dangerous parts of Plekhelm.
Back when they could spend hours doing absolutely nothing.
Just talking.
Laughing.
And looking at the sky.
"...Alright."
Corvin's face lit up.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"But only if you promise to take it easy."
He raised a hand.
"On my honour!"
Aurora gave him a suspicious look.
"...You have honour?"
Corvin gasped.
"How dare you!"
She laughed.
"Come on, then."
***
Getting Corvin downstairs proved considerably more difficult than either of them expected.
"Ow."
"Careful."
"Ow."
"Slowly."
"OW!"
"CORVIN!"
"WHAT?!"
"STOP TRYING TO JUMP DOWN THE STAIRS!"
"I WASN'T JUMPING!"
"You skipped two steps!"
"THEY WERE VERY SMALL STEPS!"
By the time they reached the bottom, Aurora was seriously considering dragging him back upstairs.
Corvin, meanwhile, looked immensely pleased with himself.
"See? Easy."
Aurora stared at him.
"...You're sweating."
"From excitement."
"You're limping."
"With enthusiasm."
"You're an idiot."
"That one's fair."
She shook her head.
Fortunately, her father was still occupied elsewhere in the house, leaving the two free to slip into the small garden behind the building.
The night air greeted them with a gentle chill.
Above, the sky stretched endlessly across Plekhelm.
Thousands of stars shimmered against the darkness.
Without the bright lamps of the Noble District, the residential streets offered a surprisingly clear view of the heavens.
Corvin stopped.
"...Woah."
Aurora looked up.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
He nodded.
"Yeah."
For once, he didn't have a joke ready.
The two settled onto a patch of grass beneath an old tree.
Aurora had brought a blanket, which she spread across the ground.
Corvin lowered himself carefully.
Very carefully.
"...Ah."
Aurora sat beside him.
"Comfortable?"
"Like a king."
She glanced at the way he was awkwardly leaning to avoid putting pressure on his back.
"...You look ridiculous."
"Kings often do."
Aurora laughed.
For a while, they simply watched the sky.
The breeze stirred the leaves above them.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked.
The last sounds of the evening market slowly faded away.
Corvin pointed upwards.
"Look!"
Aurora followed his finger.
"What?"
"That one!"
"...Which one?"
"The one that looks like a dragon!"
Aurora squinted.
"...Corvin."
"What?"
"That's a spoon."
He stared at the constellation.
Then at her.
"...A spoon?"
"Yes."
He looked up again.
"...That's a terrible dragon."
Aurora laughed.
"You're the one who said it!"
Corvin shook his head.
"Honestly, the stars have really let themselves go."
She laughed harder.
Then settled back against the blanket.
The silence returned.
But it wasn't uncomfortable.
It was the kind of silence that only existed between people who had known each other for years.
Corvin rested his hands behind his head.
Or tried to.
His back immediately protested.
"...Ow."
Aurora glanced at him.
"Stop doing that."
"Right."
He lowered his arms.
"...Forgot."
She sighed.
"How you managed to survive yesterday is beyond me."
Corvin grinned.
"Sheer talent."
"Sheer stupidity."
"Same thing, really."
Aurora shook her head.
Then looked back towards the sky.
For a long time, neither spoke.
Until...
A streak of light suddenly crossed the heavens.
Aurora gasped.
"Corvin!"
He looked up.
"What?!"
"A shooting star!"
He spotted it just as the brilliant streak began fading into the darkness.
"...Oh!"
Aurora immediately closed her eyes.
She clasped her hands together.
Corvin stared at her.
"...What are you doing?"
"Making a wish!"
He blinked.
"...A wish?"
"Yes!"
He looked towards the sky.
The shooting star had already vanished.
"...Damn."
Aurora opened one eye.
"What?"
"Missed it."
She laughed.
"You don't have to make one."
"Well, now I feel left out."
Aurora closed her eyes again.
For several seconds, she remained completely still.
Then she opened them.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Corvin leaned towards her.
"...So?"
She looked at him.
"Hm?"
"What'd you wish for?"
Aurora smiled.
"Not telling."
He blinked.
"...What?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Why not?"
"Because then it won't come true."
Corvin stared at her.
"...That's ridiculous."
"Those are the rules."
"Whose rules?"
"The rules of wishing."
He frowned.
"That's not a real thing."
Aurora shrugged.
"Then I suppose you'll never know."
Corvin gasped.
"You're cruel."
She laughed.
"Terribly."
He leaned closer.
"Come on."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"Still no."
Corvin narrowed his eyes.
"...Was it about me?"
Aurora froze.
For the briefest moment, her expression changed.
Then she quickly looked away.
"...Maybe."
Corvin's eyes widened.
"HA!"
Aurora covered her face.
"Corvin!"
"I KNEW IT!"
"You don't know anything!"
"Was it that I'd finally stop stealing your bread?"
She stared at him.
"..."
Corvin grinned.
"Because I'm afraid that's a rather unrealistic wish."
Aurora burst into laughter.
"You're hopeless!"
"Been told that before."
The two continued laughing until the night slowly grew colder.
A stronger breeze swept through the garden.
Aurora shivered.
Corvin noticed.
"...Cold?"
"A little."
He looked at the blanket beneath them.
Then at her.
"...We probably should've brought another one."
Aurora smiled.
"Probably."
Another gust stirred the leaves overhead.
Without thinking much about it, the two shifted closer together.
Their shoulders nearly touched.
Corvin looked towards the sky.
Aurora did the same.
Neither spoke.
Then...
Their hands brushed.
Just barely.
A small, accidental touch.
Corvin glanced down.
Aurora noticed.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then both looked away.
Almost simultaneously.
"...Nice weather," Corvin muttered.
Aurora pressed her lips together.
"...Very."
Another gust of wind passed through the garden.
Aurora shifted slightly closer.
Corvin did the same.
Their shoulders touched.
Neither mentioned it.
Above them, the stars continued shining.
Aurora looked towards the distant rooftops.
"...Do you remember the first time we did this?"
Corvin thought for a moment.
"Hmm..."
She smiled.
"We were little."
"Still are, technically."
"Corvin."
"Right, right."
He grinned.
"Yeah. I remember."
Aurora leaned back slightly.
"You told me the stars were holes in the sky."
Corvin nodded proudly.
"A perfectly reasonable theory."
"And that if you climbed a mountain tall enough, you could poke your finger through one."
"Still haven't disproved it."
Aurora laughed.
"You were ridiculous."
"Was?"
She smiled.
"Are."
"Much better."
The breeze continued blowing.
Aurora shifted closer again.
This time, she gently rested her head against Corvin's shoulder.
Corvin went completely still.
"..."
To Be Continued