Back at the surface, after sealing off the hidden chamber, the group made their way through the crowded streets of Esteria. The tension from the encounter with the obelisk still hung thick in the air. Everyone was quiet. Processing.
They returned to Mentil's mansion, where Vetra was already waiting — sipping tea like she hadn't just been left out of the most cursed cathedral crawl of the year.
The group filed in, silent.
Until Kajala suddenly threw up both arms and yelled:
"Uhhh A-ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM???"
Everyone flinched. Even Vetra blinked.
Kajala pointed a dramatic, accusatory finger.
"No one's gonna talk about him?" he shouted, pointing straight at Leo, who was lounging sideways in a velvet chair like he owned the place, polishing one of his black metal chains.
Leo didn't even look up. "You talkin' 'bout me, Fox-Boy?"
Rei rubbed his face. Rika was halfway through a jar of pickles. Regulus had just tripped on the carpet again. Elrya looked like she was already regretting the mission.
Kajala stormed forward.
"No offense—actually full offense— but who even are you?! You just showed up mid-Kraken-fight, wrapped it in metal spaghetti, didn't explain anything, and now you're just… hanging around?!"
Leo finally looked up, his golden eyes catching the candlelight. He smirked.
"Leo Geyer. Beast tamer. Shadow chains. Pretty sure I saved your fluffy-tailed behind if I remember right."
Kajala flailed. "YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN EXIST. YOU'RE A MYTH! You're like… like bedtime stories! You're the 'if-you-behave-he'll-send-his-shadow-lions-after-you' kind of story!"
"I mean… yeah," Leo said, leaning back further. "People exaggerate."
"DID THEY EXAGGERATE THE PART WHERE YOU DROP OUT OF THE SKY WITH A KRAKEN NOOSE?!"
Leo tilted his head. "That part's real."
Vetra cleared her throat. "Leo's presence is unusual… but not unhelpful. I requested backup when I learned about the Obelisk Chamber. He responded."
Leo raised a small bottle in cheers. "And I was bored."
"Wonderful," Kajala muttered, crossing his arms and slumping next to Rei. "We have a myth-turned-himbo living in our party now."
"Don't worry," Leo said. "I'm not moving in. I just like crashing fancy missions."
Rei finally spoke up, staring at Leo carefully. "So what do you want?"
Leo smirked, this time with something sharper under the grin.
"The same thing you do, kid."
Rei narrowed his eyes. "What's that?"
Leo stood, chains rattling slightly as he walked toward them. He stopped just short of Rei and pointed at his chest.
"Answers."
The room went still.
For a brief second, Rei felt like Leo could see through him through all his time loops, his broken bones, his fear. It was uncomfortable.
Then Leo grinned again and tossed his bottle into a nearby trash can like it was a game.
"Also snacks. But mostly answers."
Kajala muttered, "This guy's gonna get us all killed or be the hero. No in-between."
That night, things had finally quieted down in the mansion. Most of the guild was either asleep or passed out somewhere comfy. Kajala had fallen asleep in the hallway hugging a pillow he claimed was Rei's. Regulus was snoring loudly by the fireplace, one boot still half on. Rika had disappeared to "look at locks," whatever that meant. Elrya was meditating under the moonlight like usual.
Rei, however, couldn't sleep. His mind was too loud. So he wandered to the garden balcony, where the cold breeze brushed gently over the lantern lit city of Esteria.
That's where Leo was.
Sitting on the railing, legs swinging, one chain wrapped lazily around his wrist like a pet snake. He didn't turn when Rei stepped out.
"You're not the only one who can't sleep," Leo said.
Rei stayed silent. He stood next to the railing, watching the city lights flicker below.
Leo sighed. "Y'know… there was someone like you once."
Rei glanced at him. "Like me?"
Leo nodded, gaze distant. "Yeah. He wasn't born in this world either. Or at least, he never acted like he was. Always looking at things like he'd seen 'em a thousand times before."
Rei stiffened.
Leo finally looked at him. "Name was Ösvaint Xrast."
"…That a real name?" Rei muttered.
Leo chuckled. "Sounds fake, doesn't it? But nah, he was real. Silver snow-colored hair. Eyes like gold melted into crystal. Calm, smart, annoyingly wise."
"What was he?"
"Everything," Leo said quietly. "Warrior. Sage. Scholar. Guy could master any weapon in a week. Spell-casted with both hands while lecturing you about moon cycles."
"…Sounds like a showoff."
"He was," Leo laughed. "But he earned it. He never did things for power or pride. He just… wanted to understand things. Said everything had a secret pattern, a deeper rhythm."
Rei leaned on the railing. "And you knew him?"
Leo nodded. "Best friend I ever had. Helped me tame beasts when I couldn't even keep a cat from running off. Taught me chain control. Even tried to teach me how to meditate." He grinned. "Failed miserably. I don't sit still well."
"What happened to him?"
Leo's smile faded. "…No one knows. One day, he went looking for a way to 'untangle the threads of the world,' whatever that meant. Never came back."
A silence passed between them.
Rei finally asked, "…Why tell me this?"
Leo tilted his head. "Because you reminded me of him. Same stare. Same silence before you speak. Same weight in your eyes. Like you've lived more lives than you're supposed to."
Rei looked away.
"Don't worry," Leo added, voice light again. "I'm not gonna press. We've all got our weird little secrets."
Rei asked, "Did he ever tell you what he was looking for?"
Leo paused.
"…He said he was looking for a door. One only certain people could open. A door that lets you step outside fate."
Rei didn't reply.
Leo let out a breath and jumped down from the railing. "Anyway. Don't go disappearing on me like he did."
As Leo walked past, he gave Rei a casual pat on the back and muttered, "Oh, and if you ever see glowing circles in the sky or hear bells when no one's around don't follow them. Ösvaint told me that once. No idea why."
Rei stood there for a long time after Leo left.
Staring at the stars.
Thinking about doors.
And wondering how many more people like him were out there.
Rei turned from the balcony, ready to head back in, still thinking about Ösvaint Xrast and that mysterious "door outside fate."
Then—
"REEEEEEIIIIIIIII!!!"
The sliding door burst open so hard it nearly broke off its rail.
Kajala stood there in oversized pajama pants, half-asleep, hair a total mess, and dragging his blanket like a dramatic ghost. His ears were twitching like radar dishes.
"Uhh, are you okay?" Rei started.
Kajala stomped over, wide eyed. "You WEREN'T in bed."
"I'm not a child. I don't need to be tucked in."
"You do when you're my roomie!"
"I don't remember agreeing to that."
Kajala narrowed his eyes. "Then what was the cuddle gag last week, huh?!"
"That was a joke, Kajala."
"It meant something to me!"
Rei pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was trying to think. Alone."
"Yeah, well, I thought we were bonding, but apparently not," Kajala huffed. "So I woke up at 3 a.m. to an empty bed, found your blanket still warm, followed your emotional aura to the garden like a loving fox-boy partner, and THIS is how you treat me?!"
"I'm going to bed now," Rei said calmly.
"No, you're not!" Kajala yelled, arms flailing. "You're gonna come back in there and we're gonna do platonically obligated roommate snuggles like the fragile little trauma buddies we are!"
"Go back to sleep."
"Not without you!"
Rei turned to walk away.
Kajala gasped like he'd been stabbed. "Rei Lyer if you leave me here with my feelings I will write a very emotional diary entry and blame you for all my trust issues!"
Rei paused.
"And I'll tell Elrya you sleep in socks!"
"…You little fox freak."
"YAY I WIN!"
Kajala instantly grabbed Rei's arm and dragged him back toward the dorm, skipping like a child while still wrapped in his blanket like a cape. "See? We're bonding again! Nighttime trauma talks, then cuddles, then dreams about trauma it's the circle of life, baby!"
Rei sighed. "You're the most exhausting person I've ever met."
Kajala looked smug. "And yet, here you are. Following me back."
"…You're lucky I'm too tired to throw you off the balcony."
"Noted. I'll keep pushing it."
They made it back to their shared room. Kajala flopped down on his bed with a dramatic sigh, still wrapped in his blanket. Rei sat on the edge of his own bed, not saying much.
For a few seconds, it was quiet. Peaceful even.
Then Kajala mumbled, "Hey… you ever think maybe we're not supposed to be knights?"
Rei glanced over. "…What do you mean?"
Kajala had rolled onto his side, staring at the ceiling, ears twitching faintly. His voice had lost that usual teasing tone.
"I mean… people like us. I'm a fox-boy who can't shut up. You're a magic-less weirdo with trauma and muscles. Rika's obsessed with locks. Regulus can't walk ten steps without tripping over his own ego. And Elrya's like… too nice. Like, scary nice."
Rei just waited. He knew Kajala wasn't done.
Kajala's voice dropped a little. "I used to think I wanted to be a hero. Y'know… the kind in stories. Big sword, big heart, save the day." He laughed quietly. "But now I'm here, and I see how people actually look at us. Like we're side characters. Misfits. Extras."
Rei finally replied. "You're not a side character."
Kajala turned his head. "Yeah? Then what am I?"
Rei met his eyes. "You're Kajala. You're annoying, loud, touchy, nosy, clingy, and somehow the first person I trusted in this world."
Kajala blinked. For once, no quip came.
Then, a grin crept onto his face. "You do love me."
Rei lay down and pulled the blanket over his head. "Shut up before I take it back."
Kajala laughed softly and turned back to the ceiling. "…Thanks. For saying that."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Kajala whispered, just loud enough for Rei to hear:
"…I get scared sometimes. That I'll mess up. That someone'll die because I wasn't fast enough. Or smart enough. Or strong enough."
Rei didn't say anything right away. Then he replied, voice quiet under the blanket:
"Same."
Kajala nodded, even though Rei couldn't see.
"Cool," he whispered back. "Guess we're just scared together."
A few minutes passed.
Then, from the other bed:
"…Rei?"
"…What?"
"Cuddle?"
"No."
"Just checking."