Jalen sat at the brothel's bar, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his untouched drink. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the room, and the distant hum of conversation filled the air. Lucio slid into the seat beside him, ordering a drink before speaking.
"You've been different lately," Lucio said, watching Jalen from the corner of his eye.
Jalen exhaled slowly. "Yeah?"
Lucio nodded. "Less reckless. More… present." He took a sip of his drink. "Nathan noticed it too. You're actually fighting back now."
Jalen's lips twitched, but it wasn't quite a smile. "Figured I should give him a real fight for once."
Lucio chuckled. "You mean instead of letting him punch you into the ground?"
"Something like that." Jalen swirled his drink before finally taking a sip. "You don't have to check up on me, you know."
Lucio leaned forward, resting his arms on the bar. "I'm not just checking up on you, man. I'm talking to you." His tone softened. "That's something we didn't do for a while."
Jalen glanced at him before nodding. "Yeah." He let out a breath. "I think… I think I just needed time."
Lucio clinked his glass against Jalen's. "We all did."
The next morning, Nathan and Jalen faced off in the training grounds. The air was thick with dust and sweat, and the weight of countless past matches hung between them.
Nathan lunged first, his fist cutting through the air with speed and force. This time, Jalen didn't just take the hit. He twisted, narrowly dodging before countering with a sharp hook to Nathan's ribs. The impact sent a dull thud echoing through the air.
Nathan staggered back, grinning. "Finally." He wiped sweat from his brow. "Thought I was gonna have to beat you senseless forever."
Jalen rolled his shoulders, his stance steady. "Figured I'd start hitting back."
Nathan lunged again, and this time, Jalen met him head-on. Their sparring intensified, blows exchanged with precision and force. Jalen wasn't just moving—he was fighting. The dull ache in his muscles felt real, grounding, something to focus on beyond the grief.
As the sun set, Nathan clapped a hand on Jalen's shoulder, breathless. "Keep this up, and I might actually break a sweat next time."
Jalen huffed a quiet laugh. "We'll see."
Months passed, and the weight of loss didn't vanish, but it settled into something quieter, something bearable. Rhea had begun to speak more, to move without the constant heaviness pressing down on her. But one thing still remained undone.
She found Jalen near the training grounds, watching the fading light. Her hands tightened at her sides before she spoke. "I want to visit him."
Jalen turned, his expression unreadable, but something in his gaze softened. He nodded once. "I'll go with you."
Together, they walked to the grave, the air between them no longer filled with silence, but with quiet understanding. Rhea hesitated as they reached the simple marker, her breath hitching. Then, slowly, she knelt beside it, tracing the earth with trembling fingers.
"Hey, Stix…" Her voice wavered but held steady. "I'm sorry it took me so long. I—I've been trying to be better. To be stronger. I think you'd call me an idiot for taking this long, huh?"
Jalen stood beside her, hands in his pockets, head slightly bowed. "You're not an idiot," he murmured. "You're here now. That's what matters."
Rhea let out a shaky breath, a tear slipping down her cheek, but this time, it wasn't solely out of grief—it was something closer to peace. "I miss you. But… I won't waste what you gave me."
Later that night, the group gathered in the brothel's lounge, holding a bottle of Celestial Ember and a deck of cards. The game started casually, but soon, competitive tension filled the air. Rhea smirked, Lucio grumbled about unfair hands, and Nathan did everything in his power to distract Jalen mid-play.
"You're cheating," Lucio accused, pointing at Rhea.
She scoffed. "Just because I'm winning doesn't mean I'm cheating."
Nathan snorted. "It means exactly that."
Jalen, for the first time in a long while, let out a genuine laugh. The sound startled even him.
Madame Velda, watching from the bar, smiled to herself before slipping away.
Later that night, Jalen sat alone in his room, exhaustion creeping in when there was a soft knock at his door. He frowned before standing to open it.
Madame Velda leaned against the frame, a knowing smirk on her lips. "You're up late."
Jalen crossed his arms. "So are you."
She stepped inside, her gaze studying him carefully. "I was going to offer you a bit of… release." She trailed a finger along his arm before chuckling at his unimpressed look. "But something tells me that's not what you need."
Jalen sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "What do you think I need, then?"
She tilted her head. "Rest. Peace. Maybe someone to remind you that you're still human."
Jalen was silent for a moment before shaking his head with a smirk. "And you think you're that someone?"
Madame Velda laughed, stepping back toward the door. "No, darling. But you're getting there on your own."
She left, the scent of perfume lingering behind, and for the first time in months, Jalen felt something close to warmth settle in his chest.
As the days passed, a new energy began to stir within the group. The grief still lingered, but something else was growing—a sense of direction, of movement. They had been standing still for too long.
It started with a conversation at the brothel's bar, where rumors of a rising kingdom had begun circulating.
"A new kingdom, huh?" Nathan leaned back against his chair, swirling his drink absentmindedly. "That's never a good sign."
Lucio frowned. "Depends on who's leading it."
Madame Velda slid a newspaper onto the table. "Word is, it's rising fast. A place calling itself Everlock. Unshakable security, rapid expansion, and—" she tapped the paper, "—a new King who came out of nowhere. No noble lineage. Just power."
Jalen's eyes narrowed as he read the headline.
"Everlock: The Kingdom That Shouldn't Exist."
His fingers traced over the name listed beneath the article. It wasn't stated outright, but something about the description in the article made his stomach turn.
A master manipulator. A man whose influence spread like wildfire. Someone building an empire from the shadows.
"…Kullen," Jalen muttered under his breath.
Nathan straightened up. "You think it's him?"
Jalen exhaled slowly. "I know it's him."
Lucio crossed his arms. "Then we have our next destination."
Rhea, who had been sitting at a nearby table, practically bounced up. "Wait, we're moving on?! Finally!" A rare, genuine smile broke across her face. "I was starting to think we'd never leave Veyport."
Jalen chuckled, the corner of his lips twitching into something resembling amusement. "Yeah. It's time."
Rhea grinned. "Good. I'll start packing." She ran off toward the stairs before anyone could comment.
Lucio let out a breath, rubbing his forehead. "We should talk."
Jalen's amusement faded as he turned to Nathan and Lucio. The three of them exchanged a look, an unspoken agreement settling between them.
Once they were sure Rhea was out of earshot, Lucio leaned forward. "Do we take her with us?"
Nathan scoffed. "She's gonna fight us on it either way."
Lucio shot him a glare. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't consider it. She's doing better, but throwing her into another battlefield? That's different."
Jalen was silent for a long moment, staring at the newspaper again. His fingers drummed against the wood.
"If Kullen really is behind this kingdom," he said finally, "we don't know what we're walking into. This isn't just another bounty or dungeon crawl. This is politics. War."
Nathan exhaled sharply. "So what? You wanna leave her here?"
"Would that be the worst thing?" Lucio pressed. "She's been through enough. Madame Velda would keep her safe. Let her have a normal life for once."
Jalen's jaw clenched. He didn't like the idea of leaving Rhea behind, but deep down, he knew Lucio had a point.
Still…
"She deserves to make the choice herself," Jalen finally said. "But we need to make sure she understands what she's getting into."
Lucio nodded. "Then we talk to her tomorrow."
Nathan stretched his arms behind his head. "Yeah, yeah. But let's be real—she's not staying behind."
Jalen sighed. "…Yeah. I know."
The decision was made. Whether it was a good one or not, only time would tell.
As the night stretched on, the weight of what lay ahead settled over them.
Tomorrow, they would move forward.
Toward Everlock.