The expression on Nautilus' face suddenly froze, as if he had just realized he'd crossed a line he couldn't return from. A sense of unease crept through each joint in his fingers.
"I… I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to," Nautilus blurted out, his words rushed, like he wanted to take back what he had just said.
Ren shook his head, not turning around. "It's not your fault," he said softly, though his tone carried a chill. "It's mine. I'm sorry… for wasting your time."
He didn't stop, didn't look back, he just kept walking forward, leaving behind the shadows of the cobbled path, leaving Nautilus standing there in silence, as if the words just exchanged had done nothing to bridge the invisible distance growing between them.
A long while passed in stillness before Nautilus finally spoke, his voice a little steadier than before.
"Tomorrow… shall we keep hunting in the mine?"
Ren's steps faltered, just for a brief moment. A quiet "hm" escaped him...unclear if it was agreement or merely acknowledgment, before he resumed walking in silence.
Nautilus let out a soft sigh, the heaviness in his chest lifting slightly now that Ren had agreed to stay with them a little longer.
A wave of relief passed through him, but it didn't erase all his lingering doubts.
He turned around, walking with more resolve, though his heart still held unanswered questions.
The path didn't seem as long anymore, yet every step felt like a milestone drawing him closer to Yuna.
As he neared their destination, he saw her still sitting there, bathed in the dim glow of distant lanterns.
Yuna's gentle singing drifted through the air, as if the melody itself was offering comfort to all three of them, even while so many unspoken words still hung in the space between.
Nautilus sat quietly beside her, his gaze pensive as he spoke. "I just talked to Ren."
Yuna paused. Her singing stopped abruptly, though it wasn't clear if from fatigue or from Nautilus' words. She turned to look at him, curiosity glinting in her eyes, tempered with caution.
Nautilus didn't let the silence linger. He continued, his voice soft but weighted with reflection. "He didn't mean to. He only did what he did because he wanted to save us… even if the way he did it was... harsh."
Yuna didn't respond right away. Instead, she gave a small nod, but in her eyes was something undeniable. She agreed...but didn't fully accept it.
What Ren did, leaving the other players behind, was cruel. He could've found another way to save everyone, couldn't he?
These thoughts circled in Yuna's mind, and a small, stubborn hope emerged: maybe, if they had all worked together, if they had fought the Kobolds side by side, they could've all made it out safely.
But deep down, Yuna knew those thoughts were baseless. What happened was irreversible. And the path Ren chose, harsh as it was, might have been the only possible one in that moment.
Everything Ren had done shook the foundation of what Yuna believed in. She felt anger rise, but not at his actions.
What unsettled her was the look in his eyes, cold and merciless.
It wasn't just decisiveness. It was something deeper, as though this wasn't the first time he'd faced such choices. That look frightened her… in part.
The rest of her emotion twisted into guilt and frustration...with herself.
What kind of burden was Ren carrying to become like this? She didn't know.
She didn't know anything. Though they were teammates, she hadn't been able to help him at all.
She had tried so hard not to be a burden, had sharpened her combat skills day by day, but did any of that truly make a difference?
She wondered if there was anything more she could do than just stand beside them, powerless and uneasy.
As if sensing the storm within her, Nautilus spoke again, his voice low and resolute. "We don't know anything about Ren, not his goals, nor his reasons for continuing to fight in this world.
But at the very least… at the very least, we should try to help him. Even just a little. Even if it's just being there for him. We can't let him keep walking this path alone."
Yuna didn't answer immediately. Her eyes drifted to the faint stars in the sky, as if they were offering a sliver of calm in her turbulent mind.
But as she listened to Nautilus' words, a gentle wave of resolve stirred in her.
"You're right," Yuna finally said, her voice faint but holding an undeniable strength. "He's always fighting for some reason, something we haven't fully understood yet."
She paused, like she was sifting through scattered thoughts, then continued, "But, like you said, we can't just stand by and watch. If there's something we can do…"
Nautilus watched her closely, noticing the light in her eyes slowly dimming. She hadn't said everything...but he understood. They were all facing fears too deep to put into words.
Silently, the two of them sat there, not because they had nothing to say, but because some things were simply too heavy for words to reach.
Finally, Nautilus nodded, his voice gentle but full of determination, "I'll try to help him."
Yuna looked into Nautilus's eyes, feeling a quiet trust begin to stir in her heart. However, that trust was soon extinguished by hesitation and weakness, fading away in an instant.
Nautilus noticed the wavering, but said nothing. He simply sighed softly, his eyes never leaving Yuna.
The two sat in silence, letting the night pass by. The footsteps on the road gradually became sparse, and the noise faded over time.
Eventually, Nautilus stood up, breaking the silence. "Alright, let's go rest," he said, his voice low but certain. "Tomorrow, we still have to continue hunting. Life can't stop."
"Mm," Yuna nodded softly, then stood up. She followed Nautilus, her steps light but resolute.
The two figures gradually merged into the faint light from the street lamps, like two ghosts silently passing through the dark night, carrying with them thoughts that couldn't yet be put into words.
.....
A new day began.
Today, something felt different. Ren woke up earlier than usual, but he didn't rush to get up.
He just lay there, his eyes wide open, staring into the dark space around him, not knowing what he was thinking. A strange feeling rose in his chest, as if something was left unfinished, a missing piece.
It wasn't until the noise from downstairs at the inn reached him that he broke free from his wandering thoughts.
Ren slowly sat up, still drowsy. He put his gear back on, a habit that had become automatic.
In just a few seconds, the familiar leather armor enveloped his body. His hands moved skillfully, a button press, and everything was back to normal.
But even though it was quick and convenient, Ren couldn't deny the emptiness he felt when looking at the armor.
It was too monotonous, too soulless, lacking something... something he hadn't quite figured out yet.
The sound of leather shoes echoed steadily on the stairs, each step Ren took a silent rhythm in the quiet space of the inn.
He glanced around the room, his eyes meeting two familiar figures.
Yuna and Nautilus, how long had they been awake? They were sitting at the dining table, but neither of them called out to him.
Ren walked closer, each step light but carrying a sense of unfamiliarity.
"Good morning." Nautilus's voice rang out, not too loud but clear enough, while Yuna merely looked up slightly and nodded without a word.
Their indifferent, somewhat distant attitude made Ren feel a little awkward.
He sat down in a chair, a simple motion but seeming a bit unnatural, pulling the chair out slightly as if to create some distance from the heavy air around them.
Breakfast today didn't seem to taste as good as before.
The smell of toasted bread, of bacon, all seemed faint, as if overshadowed by the thick silence, making each bite harder to swallow.
Yuna didn't say anything, just ate quietly, her eyes seeming to wander elsewhere, not here.
Nautilus occasionally glanced at Ren but didn't say anything more. The moments of silence stretched on, as if an invisible wall was separating them, even though they were all sitting at the same table.
Ren didn't know where to begin, didn't know what to say to break the silence.
He took a spoonful of soup, but its taste couldn't soothe the tense mood that had settled in his chest.
He felt out of place, as if he no longer belonged to the picture he was once part of.
'Everything... is slowly drifting away...' Ren thought quietly to himself, and then he took a deep breath, trying to calm the emotions welling up inside him.
The words didn't escape his lips, but they still smoldered within him, piling up more unanswered questions.
Nautilus sighed, finally speaking, breaking the long silence. "How do you feel?" The question carried no probing, just a quiet concern, but it was enough to make Ren look up and meet his eyes.
"I'm fine," Ren quietly replied, but even he didn't believe the words he said.
The air fell silent once more.