The heavy door creaked open, metal grinding against rusted hinges.
Raiga stepped inside the dim light of the refuge-a forgotten penthouse high above Zenithar's poisoned skyline.
The place was cluttered with gear and tech, cables twisting like roots across the floor. Monitors hummed quietly, their glow painting faint halos on Liara's pale face as she sat by the central console, lost in thought.
She didn't turn when he entered.
Liara: "You're late."
Raiga shrugged off his coat, his footsteps soft despite the heavy boots.
Raiga: "Didn't know you were still awake."
Liara kept her eyes on the monitors.
Liara: "Couldn't sleep."
Her voice was flat. Distant.
Raiga started unstrapping his gear, dropping it beside the old, battered bed they shared.
Liara turned slightly, studying him from the corner of her eye.
Liara: "No problems?"
Raiga: "No problems."
Liara: "You didn't have to fight?"
Raiga: "Didn't need to."
She fell silent, her hands curling into fists beneath the desk.
Liara: "I see."
Raiga dropped onto the bed with a heavy exhale, one arm flung over his eyes.
Liara's voice was quiet now, but the hurt crept through.
Liara: "It was The Hollow Fang, wasn't it?"
Raiga: "There were... issues. Nothing to worry about."
Liara turned her chair fully toward him, her knuckles white against the armrests.
Liara: "I know you're... doing what you have to. But sometimes-"
Raiga cut her off, his tone sharper than he meant.
Raiga: "Why all the questions, Liara? What do you want to hear?"
She stared at him, her mouth opening... but no words came.
Liara: "...Sorry. It's nothing."
She spun back toward the monitors, her shoulders tense.
Raiga sat up slowly, watching her in the pale glow of the screens.
He knew he'd gone too far. But the words wouldn't come.
So, like always, he took the easy way out.
Raiga grabbed his jacket and headed for the rooftop.
Liara didn't turn. She just sat there, staring at lines of code she couldn't even read through the blur.
A tear slid down her cheek.
She wiped it away fast. Took a deep breath.
And swallowed the rest of the storm inside her.
⸻
The night air was cold up here, sharper than on the streets below.
Raiga sat on the crumbling edge of the rooftop, his back resting against a bent metal sheet. One knee raised, the other leg hanging over the abyss.
Before him, Zenithar stretched out like a dying star-bright, burning, but collapsing in on itself.
Neon lights buzzed weakly over the endless sprawl of metal and broken glass. Giant screens flashed propaganda in soft, angelic tones:
"In every fragment lies a brighter tomorrow. Step forward. Become the light this world needs."
Raiga exhaled through his nose, low and bitter.
Raiga: "Filthy liars..."
Below, the city moved in slow misery. Markets lit by flickering lights. Crowds pushing through the filth, living hour by hour.
The perfect lie... wrapped in a promise of salvation.
Behind him, soft footsteps approached.
Liara.
There was hesitation in her movement, a pause before she sat down beside him. Close, but not too close.
Silence hung between them for a long moment, carried by the cold wind.
Liara: "...You know... no matter how filthy this place is, from up here... it almost looks beautiful."
Raiga didn't answer. His eyes stayed locked on the horizon, unreadable.
Her eyes traced the skyline, following the glow of promises that would never be kept. Her gaze landed on one of the massive banners.
Liara let out a soft, bitter laugh.
Raiga turned his head slightly.
Raiga: "What's funny?"
Liara smiled faintly, her eyes distant.
Liara: "Back when we were kids, you used to dream of standing beside Prince Saren. Fighting in the royal guard like some storybook hero."
For a second, Raiga's cold exterior cracked. A faint smile, distant and fragile, touched his lips.
Raiga: "That was a long time ago."
Liara's voice softened.
Liara: "Maybe. But some dreams stick to us, even after the world falls apart."
Raiga's eyes stayed on the horizon, but the tension in his shoulders eased.
Liara pulled her knees to her chest, her voice quieter now, heavier.
Liara: "We... we chose this path, didn't we? You choose to join the Night Covenant. It was the fastest way to make it happen... our dream."
Still, no answer.
Liara turned her head toward him, her voice firmer now.
Liara: "But sometimes... it feels like you're losing yourself, Raiga."
That made him move. Slowly, his eyes turned to her.
Raiga: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Liara bit her lip, then looked down at the broken city below.
Liara: "We promised that one day we'd leave this place. No more fights, or wars. Somewhere simple. Like... like Wolven."
Her voice faltered on the name, but she forced herself to keep going.
Liara: "I trust you, Raiga. I always have. Even when you don't say it out loud, I know you think things through."
A pause. The kind that weighs heavier than words.
Liara (softer now): "...But our dream isn't the only reason you're doing all this, is it?"
That stopped him cold. His head turned, eyes narrowing, the faintest edge of tension in his jaw.
This time, Liara didn't look away. Her voice was calm, but her fingers curled tight against her knees, fighting a tremor she couldn't quite hide.
Liara: "You're strong, Raiga. Too strong. And you don't even know why."
Her eyes softened, a quiet sadness shining through the understanding.
Liara: "It's the not knowing, isn't it? The lost years. No childhood memories... it's eating you alive."
Raiga's fists tightened, his gaze darkening with something old and heavy. Something he could never quite name.
Liara (barely a whisper): "You want to know the truth. No matter what it costs..."
She reached out, fingers brushing his hand lightly before pulling back.
Liara (voice low, but firm): "I just don't want you to lose yourself before you find the answer. Don't forget, you're more than what this city tries to turn you into. You're not a weapon, Raiga. You're a person. And if you choose it... you can have a life beyond all of this."
Raiga stared at her, speechless for the first time in what felt like years.
And then... just barely... he smiled.
Liara frowned immediately, her cheeks flushing.
Liara: "W-What's so funny?! I'm being serious here!"
Raiga turned his eyes back to the horizon, his voice calm but with a warmth she hadn't heard in a long time.
Raiga: "I'm just surprised... that after everything, you're still this optimistic."
Liara crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks in mock irritation.
Liara: "Someone has to be! If I leave it to you, we'll both die bitter and miserable!"
Raiga chuckled under his breath, then his voice lowered again, serious but calmer.
Raiga (quiet, but resolute): "I haven't forgotten our dream, Liara. Every step I take... it's still for that. But before I can reach it... there are things I have to understand. About myself."
Liara's smile faded, the weight returning to her expression.
The wind howled across the rooftop, pulling at her hair, and in that fragile silence, her voice came soft-barely louder than a breath.
Liara: "...Just promise me one thing, Raiga."
Raiga didn't respond right away. His eyes stayed on the horizon, as if afraid to look directly at her.
Raiga: "What's that?"
Liara turned toward him, her voice steady despite the storm in her chest.
Liara: "That no matter how far you go... no matter how dark it gets..."
Her eyes met his, soft but unshakable.
Liara: "...You'll find your way back to me."
For a long, heavy moment, Raiga said nothing.
When he finally answered, his voice was low-softer than she'd ever heard it.
Raiga: "...I'll try."
Liara lowered her head, blinking back the sting in her eyes.
She knew that was all he could give.
And in the silence that followed-cut only by the dead hum of Zenithar's broken heart-
Raiga reached out her eyes.
Just for a second. Just enough to say everything he couldn't put into words.
And as the lights of Zenithar flickered and struggled against the dark,
Liara closed her eyes... and smiled.