The night air was cool and quiet as they walked back through the terminal.
The group—Elysia, Jin, Edwin, and Cecelia—walked side by side, each lost in their own thoughts after the earlier encounter with Kaigaku.
No one spoke much.
The fight between Edwin and Kaigaku had left a strange tension in the air, even though Cecelia had managed to stop it.
Finally, they reached the road that split in four directions, the ho junction.
Cecelia. "We should rest. Tomorrow’s mission might be tougher."
Elysia nodded. "Yeah... we’ll need our energy."
Jin stretched his arms and sighed. "Good night, everyone. Try not to dream about illusions tonight."
Edwin smirked faintly. "Speak for yourself. You’re the one who saw illusions."
Jin glared playfully. "Don’t remind ."
Elysia smiled, hiding her own unease. "Good night, everyone."
"Good night," Cecelia added.
They each waved before heading down separate paths.
At Elysia’s Ho
The door creaked open as Elysia entered her house.
The small lantern in the corner flickered weakly.
She hung her uniform by the door and walked toward her room.
She sat on her bed, the moonlight spilling through the window.
Her gaze drifted toward the small pouch she carried—the one that still had traces of dust from the City of Graylight.
Her fingers brushed against the edge of her belt, rembering the old man’s voice echoing faintly in her mory.
"The ancient coin... only those chosen by fate can use its power. Trade wisely, for it will test your strength."
Elysia frowned slightly.
(Ancient coin... what does that even an?) she thought.
(Kael... did he have one too? He was there that day. The old man ntioned sothing about him, didn’t he?)
She leaned back against her bedpost, sighing deeply.
The day had been long, full of questions she couldn’t answer.
The illusion in the City of Graylight, the strange power that had affected Jin and Cecelia but not her or Edwin, and now these mysterious coins—it was all too strange.
(If the coin is truly ancient... maybe it connects to the illusions. Maybe... to Kael.)
Her eyes lingered on the moon outside her window.
A quiet knock ca from outside her door.
"Elysia?" It was her mother’s voice.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay? I heard you ca ho late."
"I’m fine," she replied softly. "Just a long day."
"Alright... good night then."
"Good night."
When her footsteps faded, Elysia lay down, staring at the ceiling.
Sleep didn’t co easily. Her mind replayed the image of Kael in the future.
"I am wasting too much ti"
(He always seems distant... like he’s hiding sothing.)
The sound of the wind brushing against her window lulled her slowly into slumber, but even then, her thoughts circled back to one thing—the coin, and Kael’s connection to it.
At Cecelia’s Ho
anwhile, Cecelia entered her ho on the western side.
The scent of herbs filled the air—her mother was already waiting with dinner on the table.
"Welco ho, dear," her mother greeted.
"You’re late."
Cecelia smiled faintly as she sat down. "We had to pass through the city of Graylight today. It took longer than expected."
Her mother’s face grew serious for a mont. "The City of Graylight? That’s no ordinary place. Strange things happen there."
"It’s a place of forgotten stories"
"I know," Cecelia replied quietly, picking up her spoon. "We experienced sothing odd... illusions, maybe. But we’re fine now."
Her mother sighed. "Be careful. You’ve been going on missions. Even your friends worry, don’t they?"
Cecelia smiled, taking a sip of soup. "They do. Especially Elysia... she always thinks too much."
"And Kael?" her mother asked with a knowing look.
Cecelia froze for a second before laughing awkwardly.
"How do you know about him?" she asked.
"Erainlia said everything to "
"Kael? He’s... complicated."
Her mother chuckled. "You say that every ti."
After dinner, Cecelia helped clear the table and then went up to her room.
The faint light of a single candle glowed on her desk. She removed her gloves and sat by the window, gazing at the night sky.
(Tomorrow... we have another mission. I wonder if Kael will be there.)
Her fingers tapped lightly against the wooden fra.
(He said he’d co with us this ti. Maybe that’s a good thing... he’s strong, even if he doesn’t realize it yet.)
She thought back to how he had risked his life for her during one of their earlier missions.
"I don’t care about glory. I just want to survive... and protect those beside ."
A small smile ford on her lips.
(Maybe... he’s not as emotionless as everyone says.)
The candlelight flickered, and Cecelia closed her eyes, letting sleep take her.
But in her dreams, she found herself walking again through the misty ruins of the City of Graylight.
At Jin’s Ho
Jin’s house was quiet when he entered. His father was still awake, sitting by the fireplace polishing an old sword.
"You’re ho," his father said without looking up.
"Yeah," Jin replied, dropping his gear near the doorway.
"Just another long day."
His father gave a small nod. "You look troubled."
Jin scratched the back of his head. "It’s... weird. When I was in the City of Graylight, I saw sothing. Like a war."
His father looked up at him now. "A war?"
"Yeah... an illusion, maybe. I was wearing a crown, fighting demons with twin swords. It felt real—too real."
His father frowned deeply, setting the sword aside. "The City of Graylight is said to test one’s spirit. Maybe it showed you what lies deep within your soul."
Jin sighed. "Then what does that say about ? A crown, a battlefield, demons everywhere... It didn’t feel like a test. It felt like a mory."
"Perhaps it’s a sign," his father said quietly. "One you’ll understand in ti."
Jin didn’t answer. He climbed the stairs to his room and sat on his bed, staring blankly at his reflection in the mirror.
His twin swords rested beside him.
(A war... a crown... a person stronger than any demon I’ve seen. Was that really just an illusion?)
He clenched his fists. (And why only and Cecelia saw sothing, while Edwin and Elysia didn’t? There must be a reason.)
He exhaled slowly, laying back on the bed. His mind replayed flashes of the illusion—the sound of clashing steel, the screams of demons, and that one figure who had nearly killed him.
(Who was that man? And why did he feel... familiar?)
Jin’s eyes slowly closed, though his grip on his sword remained tight.
That night, three different souls rested under the sa moonlight—Elysia, Cecelia, and Jin—each burdened by unanswered questions.
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