Back on the wall, Kaelira leaned against the railing, letting her back arch lazily over the edge. Her red hair swayed with the breeze, eyes half-lidded as she tilted her head back to look up at the open sky. She spoke without shifting her gaze.
"Hey, Mia. What’s your and Cassius’s story? Be honest. You say you’re siblings, but you don’t really look like it."
Her voice wasn’t confrontational—more curious, edged with amusent, like she was teasing out sothing scandalous just for fun.
Mia exhaled softly, as if she’d heard this a thousand tis. "It doesn’t matter whether you believe or not," she said, arms folded as she looked out toward the forest. "We are siblings. That’s not going to change just because soone from the outside questions it."
Kaelira shrugged her shoulders, still leaning against the railing. "Fair enough," she replied casually. "Not like I’ve seen your parents anyway. Maybe one of you took after your mom, the other your dad. Could be. Who knows?"
Before the conversation could evolve further, Verena—who had been watching the two from the corner of her eye—stepped forward, deliberately sliding herself between Mia and Kaelira.
"I don’t think I need your help protecting Mia," Verena said, her tone frosty. "Why don’t you go help that bastard in the forest? He’s got a temper. Maybe the monsters will chase him off just to smite him for being an ass."
Kaelira chuckled, arms crossed now as she leaned her weight onto one foot. "You’re not wrong," she said, her smirk widening. "But I don’t think he’s going to be in danger. That guy’s stronger than he lets on. Besides, these rifts were supposedly cleaned by the staff already, right? The leftovers shouldn’t be too threatening."
Mia and Verena both gave a small nod at that. The logic held—for now.
Mia turned away, looking toward the buildings nestled inside the walled section of the periter. Her expression softened. "I think we should find a place to rest. Cassius... would probably appreciate sowhere to relax once he gets back."
Verena moved to her side, staring in the sa direction. "You’re right about that," she said, nodding with newfound purpose. "Let’s do it. Not for him, though. For you, Mia. I still wouldn’t lift a finger for that jerk."
Mia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Verena, you keep antagonizing him for no reason. He might be holding it together now, but eventually..." Her voice trailed off, darkened slightly. "Eventually he’s going to lose it. And when that happens, I won’t be able to stop him. You really, really don’t want to see him like that."
Verena blinked. For a mont, sothing in her deanor shifted—her bravado cracking just slightly. Then her expression shifted to sothing pitiful, exaggeratedly so. She raised both hands to her mouth, eyes welling up with pretend tears.
"You poor thing," she whispered dramatically. "You must be so traumatized by the torture that monster’s put you through. Such a sweet, beautiful girl... forced to live under the sa roof as that cruel beast. Truly shaful..."
Mia blinked, thrown completely off-track. "What?! That’s not what I ant! He doesn’t torture —what the hell’s going on inside your brain?! If anything, he’s the most caring guy I know!"
But Verena wasn’t buying it. She looked at Mia with the sa look one might offer to a dying puppy, sighing in tragic empathy. "It’s okay, Mia. You don’t have to defend your abuser. I see you. I see your pain."
Kaelira, who had been silently watching the back-and-forth, finally let out a quiet snort. She muttered under her breath, just loud enough for the other two to hear.
"...She’s totally a lesbian, isn’t she?"
Mia’s face turned bright red. "What?!"
Kaelira threw up her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, no judgnt! She just really wants to protect you, and... I an, co on. She’s glaring at like I’m a howrecker."
"I’m not a—!" Verena began to protest, but the heat in her cheeks was unmistakable. She quickly turned her back and stomped a few steps forward. "Let’s just go check the buildings already!"
Kaelira smiled victoriously and followed, hands behind her head. Mia trailed between them, flustered.
The buildings they entered weren’t anything fancy—mostly basic stonework, simple rooftops, unpolished signs. A couple of small restaurants, bakeries, so sleepy inns. One even looked like a hot spring bathhouse, but it was clearly abandoned.
"This is still part of Rose Academy?" Kaelira asked aloud, squinting at a dusty flower shop that hadn’t seen a custor in weeks. "Doesn’t feel like it."
"It is," Mia confird, adjusting the strap of her satchel. "The Academy owns all the surrounding terrain, including this area. If I’m not wrong we are at the end of the north eastern side of Rose Academy."
"No kidding," Kaelira muttered. "It’s like a small continent. No wonder people say Rose Academy is the size of a nation."
The group wandered through the district, eventually stopping in front of a run-down inn. It had the rustic, cliché fantasy look—weathered wood beams, slate roof, flower boxes under the windows, and a faded sign swinging lazily in the wind.
Mia paused, her eyes lighting up for a brief mont. "Hey, what about this place?" she asked, turning to the others. "It has that fantasy aesthetic Cassius always liked. I’m sure he’d appreciate sothing like this."
Verena glanced at the inn like it personally offended her. "He likes half-trash buildings now?" she said, folding her arms. "Didn’t know your brother had a taste for the garbage bin."
Kaelira snorted and shook her head. "No, he doesn’t. Trust , I t him at an inn when we first crossed paths. He hated that place." She tucked her hands into her pockets. "Honestly, I don’t think this one would fare any better. If you like it, Mia, go ahead and stay here with your... partner. I’ll look for sothing more Cassius-approved."
Veins popped on Mia’s forehead. She glared at Kaelira, her voice sharpening. "You guys t at an inn, huh? Funny, he never told that. But then again, we haven’t really... talked much lately." Her words trailed off with a sigh. "Still, if he didn’t like it, then I shouldn’t force him. Let’s go look for sothing better."
Verena, who had been smirking to herself, nodded. "Yeah, as you wish. But if we’re going to wander around looking for Mr. Royal Ass’s perfect bed, maybe we should just let him stay with her." She looked pointedly at Kaelira. "Who knows what they’re doing behind closed doors, right? They stayed at an inn together first... maybe she’s a prostitute or sothing?"
Kaelira’s jaw tightened. Her eyes narrowed into thin slits. "I’m not a prostitute, you dumb hag," she snapped, stepping forward. "I’m a rcenary. Cassius told that. Miss Celia told it too. Do you have so wax in your ears, Verena? Because I’d gladly rip them out for you."
Verena clicked her tongue and turned her back, dismissing the argunt. "Tch. Not worth my ti," she muttered as she started walking again.
Kaelira kept glaring at her for a few seconds, but then noticed Mia giving her another... look. It wasn’t hostile—more like curious. Maybe even suspicious. As if the comnt Verena made had actually planted a seed of doubt. Maybe she took the joke too seriously.
Kaelira rolled her eyes and started walking. Mia followed her, and the three girls continued deeper into the district.
Eventually, they ca across a modest hotel. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was cleaner and newer than the inn from earlier. A marble-tiled entryway, glass doors, and neatly trimd hedges gave it a touch of refinent that made Mia pause.
She turned to Kaelira. "This looks better. Do you think Cassius would like to stay here?"
Kaelira nodded. "Yeah, he’d prefer this over that rat’s nest we just saw. We stayed at a hotel back in Astreel once. He liked that one a lot."
Verena raised a brow. "Astreel?" she echoed.
Mia tilted her head. "Wait... what do you an he liked it? Why?"
Kaelira scratched the back of her head, her voice suddenly casual. "Well, the Astreel hotel had this whole the—gas, arena simulations, shops with foreign currency systems. They based it on the ones from the Western Continent. It was kind of gimmicky, but he liked the vibe. Said it felt familiar."
"Gas?" Mia repeated, stopping in her tracks. That word struck a nerve. She looked at Kaelira, her expression more intense. "What do you an, gas? Where are you from exactly?"
Kaelira blinked at her sudden change of tone, then answered honestly. "Opalcrest." She paused. "Why? Sothing wrong?"
Mia slowly shook her head, her voice quieter. "No... I just... I didn’t know that. I didn’t even know you were from Opalcrest."
Her gaze fell to the ground. She hadn’t spoken much with Cassius recently. Not since the day he dropped her off near Miss Celia’s place. Even then, he hadn’t said much. He just left, like always. And now there were entire chunks of his life she knew nothing about.
She didn’t even know what had happened to him in Opalcrest after that...
Kaelira coughed, breaking the silence. "Well, anyway. We’re here. Let’s head inside."
Mia blinked, snapping out of her daze. She nodded, brushing off her thoughts as best she could. "Right... yeah."
The hotel lobby was dimly lit, but clean. Ornate rugs lined the wooden floors, and a crystal chandelier hung overhead, slightly dusty but still intact. Only a single old receptionist stood behind the front desk, leaning on the counter with a bored expression.
After a few minutes of mild haggling, they booked two rooms—each costing one credit for a full month.
It was cheap. Surprisingly cheap. But also wasteful.
They probably wouldn’t even stay here a week.
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