The night wind blew softly over the rooftops of New Fornia.
Vikoria sat on the edge of the flat roof, legs crossed, sipping warm herbal tea. The clay cup steamed in her hands. She had made two cups.
The second one wasn't for herself.
Naomi showed up two minutes later, arms folded, her face unreadable as usual.
"You called me up here?" she asked.
Vikoria nodded. "I made tea. You seem like the type who says no but still drinks it."
Naomi raised an eyebrow.
Then sat beside her and took the cup.
"...Thanks."
They sat in silence, watching the sky.
Above them, stars blinked lazily in the dark—calm, uncaring things. The city below was still, except for a few lanterns flickering on balconies.
"You're worried about him," Vikoria said softly.
Naomi took a slow sip. "He's reckless. Clumsy. Too nice."
"And?"
Naomi sighed. "...And I don't hate it."
Vikoria smiled into her tea.
Naomi glanced sideways at her. "You like him too."
"Mm. Maybe."
"That's not a no."
Vikoria set her cup down gently. "I've seen a lot of people pass through this city. But not many who look at it with wonder. Like it's… a storybook, not a battlefield."
Naomi nodded. "He's like a walking 'before' photo."
Vikoria giggled. "Exactly."
A breeze passed through their hair.
Naomi leaned back, resting on her elbows. "He's not ready. For the exam. For monsters. For this world."
"I know."
"But he tries."
"I know."
Naomi looked at her. "If he fails... I'll feel worse than I should."
Vikoria gave her a side glance. "So you do care."
"Don't put labels on it."
"Too late."
Naomi groaned softly.
Vikoria reached into her pouch and pulled out a small biscuit. "Want one?"
Naomi hesitated, then took it. "...Thanks."
They munched in silence.
Somewhere below, Shunya was probably still flipping through scrolls or asking the system if it had a cheat code for handwriting.
Vikoria smiled to herself.
"He makes things warmer," she whispered.
Naomi didn't answer.
But she didn't argue either.