Ryo returned and slept deeply, letting the weight of yesterday slip, if only slightly, from his shoulders. When he awoke the next morning, he felt… lighter, more willing to step forward than linger in the shadows of the past.
With Benjamin at his side, he ventured into Sovielia. The kingdom sprawled around them, surprisingly calm and orderly compared to the lands they had crossed. Benjamin chuckled as they walked past a clean, stone-paved street. "Maybe… just maybe, a Rolencian isn't all bad," he joked.
Ryo smirked, shaking his head. "Could be. But a good Rolencian soldier? That's… not exactly possible."
Their laughter faded as they continued through the streets. Ahead, a boy their age knelt before an elderly man, polishing his worn shoes with painstaking care. The faint glint of coins in the boy's hand told them he had earned his payment.
"Hey, let's go clean our shoes," Ryo and Benjamin said in perfect unison, pointing toward the boy.
Abraham, coming up behind them, blinked in surprise. "Uh… sure," he agreed, overwhelmed but amused.
They approached the boy, and he looked up, shyness tempered by determination. "My name is Rimazu," he said.
Ryo, Abraham, and Benjamin introduced themselves. "I'm Ryo," Ryo said. "Abraham." Benjamin added, "Benjamin here."
Rimazu's gaze flicked between them. "Will I be cleaning your shoes? One silver coin each," he asked, gesturing toward Benjamin first.
He worked quickly, polishing Benjamin's, then Abraham's. When he moved to Ryo, the boy hesitated as a sharp rumble escaped his stomach. Hunger.
Ryo caught it immediately. He lifted his foot from his knee and said gently, "Come have dinner with us."
Rimazu's cheeks burned. "No, I… I can't—"
"Quiet," Ryo said firmly, "and come with us."
The boy hesitated, then finally nodded. But not before collapsing from sheer hunger midway through their walk. Ryo caught him in his arms, carrying him along with the shoes Rimazu never got to clean.
They reached Skyla's house. Aisha, Leona, Scarlet, and Skyla were bustling in the kitchen when Ryo arrived.
"Captain Zain is asleep," Ryo noted.
"Yes," Leona replied calmly.
Aisha tilted her head. "Who's that on your back?"
"He's just a boy we saw in town. Hungry. He's eating dinner with us," Ryo said.
Scarlet's gaze fell on his feet. "Your shoes—they're the only ones dirty."
"It doesn't matter," Ryo said, smiling softly.
Rimazu stirred, lifting his head groggily. "Where am I?"
"Don't worry," Ryo assured him. "You're having dinner with us."
And so they did. Zain awoke later and joined them at the table, quietly eating as Rimazu tried to make sense of the world around him.
After dinner, Rimazu tried to leave. Abraham offered to walk him, but Rimazu shook his head, awkwardly refusing.
"You don't have anywhere to go, do you?" Zain asked casually, mid-bite.
Rimazu froze, then slowly nodded.
"How do you know?" he whispered.
Zain chuckled, eyes glinting. "Just a feeling."
The room went silent, the weight of unspoken truths hanging thick. Ryo broke the quiet. "You can stay. Join us."
"What?!" the others chorused. All except Skyla, who smiled quietly, and Zain, who laughed softly and nodded in agreement. Rimazu hesitated, then complied.
Night deepened. The house fell into sleep, the only sound the soft sigh of wind outside. Skyla quietly carried two barrels to the river, refilling them before returning.
Morning came like a whisper of ice, and the room was plunged into shock.
Rimazu's Damik—long dormant—had awakened.
Its presence thrummed through the air, vibrating in the walls, the floor, even their chests. It was alive. Hungry. And watching.