The campfire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the ruins. The night was still, save for the occasional rustle of leaves. Inside the magical tent, Kagura slept soundly—probably the first real sleep she'd had in years.
I leaned against Fenrir, arms crossed, staring into the fire.
Alma.
I exhaled through my nose, shaking my head slightly. I hadn't been gone that long, but already, I missed her presence. The way she always saw through my nonsense. The way she teased me back just as hard. The way she smiled when she thought I wasn't looking.
A small smirk tugged at my lips. She'd probably call me an idiot if she knew I was sitting here, getting sentimental.
"Idiot," I muttered under my breath, echoing what she would've said.
NIMO hummed beside me. "You are experiencing a distinct longing for Alma. This suggests that you are—"
I sighed. "NIMO."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
"Understood."
I chuckled to myself, shaking off the feeling. I'd see her soon enough. For now, I had a job to do.
"NIMO, you picking up on that?"
"Affirmative," NIMO responded, floating beside me. "A powerful magic signature. They are not attempting to hide their presence."
I exhaled through my nose, lips curling into a smirk. "Well, that's considerate of them."
A presence emerged from the treeline, stepping into the firelight.
Tall. Graceful. Dangerous.
Irene Belserion.
Her long crimson hair shimmered in the dim glow, her piercing gaze settling on me with cold intensity. There was something regal in the way she carried herself, the kind of presence that demanded reverence. Or fear.
Pity for her—I felt neither.
She looked at me as though she was assessing something lesser, something beneath her. That alone made me chuckle.
I tilted my head. "Didn't expect to run into you of all people."
Her expression barely shifted. "You know who I am, then."
"Hard not to," I replied smoothly. "I mean, Irene Belserion? The Scarlet Despair? One of the Spriggan 12? You've got quite the reputation."
Her lips curled slightly, but it wasn't a smile—it was more like a predator humoring its prey. "And you are Oberon, the so-called King of the Fairies."
I placed a hand over my chest, feigning offense. "So-called? That just wounds me."
She ignored my theatrics, her eyes sharp and unreadable. "Your reputation is… inconsistent. A hero to some. A reckless fool to others."
I scoffed. "Everyone's a critic."
Irene took a step closer, the firelight catching on her armor. There was a deliberate weight to her movements, the way someone moves when they expect their presence alone to command obedience.
She stopped a few feet away, peering down at me like a queen surveying an insect. "You stand before me, yet you have no magic. No lineage. No claim to power. And yet, people whisper your name as if it holds weight."
I met her gaze without flinching. "You sound offended."
She exhaled sharply, something between a scoff and a laugh. "It is an insult that a magicless child is spoken of in the same breath as true power."
That actually made me laugh.
Irene's eyes narrowed slightly. "Something amuses you?"
I leaned forward slightly, my smirk widening. "Yeah. You."
Her brow twitched at my tone—casual, unimpressed.
"You act like I should be groveling right now." I gestured lazily. "Like I should tremble before the almighty Scarlet Despair."
She didn't react, but there was a tension in her jaw now.
"You really think I'm afraid of you?" I continued, voice dropping just slightly. "That I consider you something beyond my reach?"
I let the words settle before shaking my head. "Lady, if I wanted to, you wouldn't even be standing right now."
Silence.
For the first time, something flickered across her expression. It was only for a fraction of a second, but I caught it—uncertainty.
She was powerful. But not invincible.
And she'd just realized that I knew it.
Irene's posture remained composed, but her voice came out sharper. "Such arrogance."
"Not arrogance," I corrected. "Just a fact."
The fire crackled between us, neither of us looking away.
Irene's gaze flickered toward the tent where Kagura slept. Her lips pressed together briefly, as if considering something.
"I'm looking for someone," she said at last.
I leaned back against Fenrir, arms still crossed. "Anyone in particular?"
Her eyes snapped back to me, colder now. "I find that those who ask too many questions tend to meet unfortunate ends."
There was no teasing in her tone—only warning.
I chuckled. "Lady, people have been trying to kill me since the day I got here. You think I'm worried about you?"
She let out a quiet hum—low, unimpressed. "You should be."
I grinned. "Cute."
Her fingers twitched slightly—probably instinct. Her pride wouldn't let her lash out so easily, but I could see it. That urge. The need to remind me of my place.
Too bad for her, I didn't have one.
She inhaled slowly, as if reigning herself in. "What happens now?" she asked, voice controlled.
I shrugged. "That depends. You gonna keep lurking, or are we actually having a conversation?"
Irene studied me for a long moment before stepping closer, the firelight reflecting in her crimson eyes. "What exactly do you intend to do next, Aiden Leonhart?"
I met her gaze, my smirk fading just slightly. "I've got a kid to take care of and a mission to complete. That hasn't changed."
Her lips curled again, this time in something resembling disappointment. "Such a waste."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She gave me an almost pitying look. "You could be something greater than this… yet you choose to play at being a hero."
I scoffed. "I don't play at anything."
She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "No, I suppose not. You are entirely sincere in your foolishness."
The fire crackled, sending embers swirling between us.
I leaned back against Fenrir. "Well, you're not the only one looking for someone."
She arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I'm tracking down an old Fairy Tail mage. Name's Rob. He disappeared years ago, but I recently got word he might still be alive."
Irene didn't react outwardly, but I could feel the shift in the air.
"And if my instincts are right… he's not alone. There's a good chance the person you're looking for is in the same place as mine."
For a brief moment, her expression flickered—just slightly. Interest? Calculation? Annoyance? Hard to tell.
"And what makes you so certain?" she asked.
"Because I've been paying attention," I said simply.
Her gaze darkened slightly.
"The Tower of Heaven," I said.
The space between us felt heavier, the firelight catching the edges of her expression.
Then, just as quickly, she smoothed over. "Interesting."
I smirked. "Figured you'd think so."
She was quiet for a moment before giving a small, dismissive nod. "Perhaps we are looking in the same direction, after all."
For now.
—-
The village was in ruins.
The moment I stepped onto the scorched earth, I knew—I had come too late.
Ash clung to the wind, swirling through the remnants of homes now reduced to rubble. The scent of burnt wood and dried blood hung thick in the air, mixing with something else… something colder. Desolation.
I moved forward, my boots silent against the cracked ground. Buildings that once stood tall now lay in heaps of broken stone and splintered beams. This place… it had been where I left her.
Where I left Erza.
My fingers twitched at my sides. I had long told myself that this child—my child—was better off without me. That she would never need a mother who had long since lost her humanity. A mother who almost tried to kill her. And yet…
She still suffered.
The orphanage was unrecognizable. Where there had once been walls, there was now only debris. Charred wood and shattered glass painted a grim picture of what had happened here.
My hand brushed against a broken piece of a door, blackened by flames. Had she been inside when this happened? Had she been afraid?
No. I would have felt it if she had died.
Still, the thought lingered like a thorn in my mind.
Then, I felt it. A familiar trace of magic, faint yet unmistakable. Not from Erza, but from something else. Dark magic, thick with malice. This wasn't just an accident.
Slavers.
Dark Guilds.
The realization sent something ugly crawling beneath my skin. My jaw tightened. Even when I was not there, my daughter was still hunted. Still tormented. Still taken.
I had long since convinced myself that it had been the right decision. I was cursed. I was broken. I had nothing left to give.
A sharp rustling broke me from my thoughts.
I turned.
—
Aiden's POV
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the stillness. No cries of hunger, no restless shifting—just the soft sound of breathing coming from inside the tent.
I pushed myself up, rolling my shoulders as I stepped outside, the morning sun casting long shadows over the ruined village. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and old stone. NIMO hovered beside me, scanning the surroundings as usual.
"Kagura's vitals have improved significantly," it reported. "Her body is still weak, but the food and rest helped stabilize her condition."
I exhaled, relieved. "Good. She needed that."
Movement from the tent caught my attention. A moment later, Irene stepped out, stretching her arms with an elegance that didn't fit our surroundings. Her long crimson hair cascaded behind her, catching the sunlight in a way that made her look like she belonged to another world entirely. Which, in a way, she did.
"You're up early," she remarked, adjusting the folds of her robe.
I smirked. "Old habits. Besides, someone has to make breakfast."
She raised an eyebrow. "You cook?"
I summoned a pan with a flick of my wrist. "I do everything."
She scoffed but didn't argue, instead watching as I got to work. The smell of sizzling eggs and toasted bread soon filled the air, warm and inviting against the cold ruins.
I could have summoned freshly cooked food, but where is the novelty in that?
A rustling sound came from inside the tent, followed by a tiny mumble. A second later, Kagura peeked out, rubbing her eyes with a fist.
I turned to her with a grin. "Morning, sleepyhead. Hungry?"
She hesitated, blinking at me before nodding slowly.
"Then get over here." I set a plate down on a makeshift table. "Eat up."
She shuffled over, cautious as ever, but once she took that first bite, her wariness faded. She ate in small, quick movements, as if afraid the food might disappear if she didn't finish it fast enough.
Irene remained quiet, observing with an unreadable expression. I leaned back against a broken wall, watching both of them as I chewed on a piece of bread.
She took a slow bite of her breakfast, chewing with a neutral expression before speaking. "Your skills are passable, but nothing exceptional."
I snorted. "I'll take that as a compliment coming from you."
She glanced at me, unimpressed. "Take it however you like. If you plan on playing caretaker, I suppose competency in basic tasks is necessary."
I raised an eyebrow. "And what do you plan on doing?"
She set her cup down, her gaze sharp. "I don't concern myself with mundane trivialities. You waste time pretending this peace will last. The world isn't kind, and neither am I."
"I'm aware," I said, my voice even. "But not everyone can afford to be detached."
She regarded me for a long moment, then turned her attention back to her meal. "Do what you want. It makes no difference to me."
Kagura, who had been quietly eating beside us, suddenly let out a tiny sigh. "You two talk a lot."
I blinked before letting out a short chuckle. "Fair point."
Irene, however, didn't react, merely sipping her tea. "At least someone here has sense."
I shook my head and took another bite of bread.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but there was an unspoken understanding between us. Whatever temporary alliance this was, it wouldn't last forever. Irene was watching, waiting. She had no interest in camaraderie, no desire for anything beyond her own goals.
And I would do well to remember that.
----
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