Warning and departure

Ezra and Korr left the shop, both satisfied with their purchases. They had split the three hundred gold evenly, leaving them each with around a hundred and twenty gold.

Why do armaments have to be so damn expensive? Ezra thought, glancing at his new sword. The blade gleamed a bright silver, its edge adorned with flame-like markings that seemed to dance in the light. The handle and sheath matched in striking black, giving the weapon an air of refined lethality. It was a beautiful piece, almost too beautiful to stain with blood—but Ezra knew it wouldn't stay pristine for long.

As they approached the city's exit, Ezra suddenly stopped. "Wait, Korr. Do you know anyone in this city?"

Korr shook his head, looking curious.

Ezra sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, that means only one person left to warn. I can't believe I forgot—Serena. I didn't tell her about the invasion."

Korr crossed his arms, nodding solemnly. "Yeah, you'd better. She needs to get out of here before the city locks down. The last thing she needs is to be trapped in a demon invasion—or stuck paying through the nose for a carriage out."

Ezra nodded back and sprinted toward the inn where Serena worked. He found her behind the counter, chatting with a patron while another girl served tables.

When Serena spotted him, her face lit up with a playful grin. "Back so soon? Guess you missed me more than I thought. Also, nice new look—it's a bit edgy for my taste, but it suits you."

Ezra allowed a small smile to slip through, but his tone turned serious. "Meet me behind the building. It's important."

Serena's grin faded immediately as she caught the intensity in his expression. "Alright," she said, nodding. Her posture stiffened as she stepped away from the counter, handing off her duties to the other girl.

The three of them gathered in the alley behind the inn. Serena folded her arms, her face grim. "What's so important you had to interrupt me at work with that look on your face?"

Ezra glanced at Korr, who silently walked to the edge of the alley, scanning for any eavesdroppers. After a moment, Korr gave the all-clear with a subtle nod.

Ezra turned back to Serena, his voice low and urgent. "Serena, you have to leave this city. Right now."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What? Why?"

"There's an invasion coming," Ezra said bluntly. "Demons from the Abyss. Crazy strong ones. They're planning to start here, and it's going to get bad. Real bad. I wouldn't be surprised if Chaos Paladins showed up. Come with us to Stellaris—I'll find a place for you there. You can work as a receptionist or something, just get out of here before it's too late."

Serena stared at him, her eyes searching his face for any hint that he might be joking. But Ezra didn't joke about things like this.

After a tense moment, she nodded. "Alright. Wait for me—I need to grab a few things."

Without another word, Serena turned and hurried back into the inn. Ezra watched her go, his jaw tight.

Serena was too important to Ezra. He wasn't about to lose another person he cared about. He had already lost too many friends, too many people he considered family. Serena wouldn't be another name on that growing list.

As those thoughts churned in his mind, a face he hadn't thought about in years flickered through his memories. The pang of guilt that came with it hit hard, but he shoved it down. She's gone now, he reminded himself. And I didn't even bother to visit her grave. He knew where it was—had known for years. He could go now if he wanted, but he didn't.

The weight of past failures settled heavily on his shoulders, but he forced himself to focus as Serena reappeared. She carried a large backpack slung over her shoulders, stuffed to the brim with her belongings.

She gave him a determined nod. "Alright, let's go. The faster, the better."

Ezra straightened, pushing the ghosts of his past aside. "Right. Stay close to me. We're not sticking around to see how bad it gets."

Korr joined them, the massive bear beast-man giving Serena an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. We'll get you out of here safe."

With that, the trio turned toward the city gates, ready to leave the looming chaos behind.

The trio walked through the forest as the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape. The evening air was crisp, and the steady crunch of their footsteps on the forest floor was the only sound that accompanied their conversation.

Korr, not one to let a subject slide, had been grilling Serena about the nature of her relationship with Ezra for the past few minutes. His frustration had been growing with Serena's insistence that they were just friends.

"Are you sure you're just friends?" Korr asked, his voice tinged with skepticism. "He seemed pretty panicked when he forgot to warn you about the demons. That's not the reaction of someone who sees you as just a friend."

Serena smiled, clearly amused by Korr's persistence. "Yes, we're just friends. Close friends, but just friends. Ezra's only ever been in love with one woman, and it's not me."

Korr's frustration melted away, replaced by genuine curiosity. "Oh? Tell me more about this mysterious lover."

Serena's smile softened, her eyes distant as she recalled the past. "Her name was Alexis. She was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. A healer during the rebellion... but she died during an ambush. Ezra blamed himself for so long. He became more ruthless on the battlefield after that. He never really recovered."

Korr frowned, guilt creeping into his expression. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject," he muttered, glancing at Ezra, who had noticeably stiffened, his face hard with barely concealed pain.

Serena gave Korr a light pat on the back. "Don't worry about it. It's been a decent time ago now." She looked over at Ezra, her expression softening. "Speaking of Alexis, when was the last time you visited her grave, Ezra?"

Ezra's footsteps slowed, and his gaze hardened, a flicker of sorrow passing through his eyes. "I haven't been at all," he said quietly, his voice thick with regret. "It was my fault she died. I don't have the right. I don't think I could look her parents in the eye."

Serena stopped walking, her expression a mixture of anger and sympathy. She stepped closer to him, her voice rising with frustration. "You haven't been even once? Ezra, you gave up a noble title for her. You had women lining up to marry you, but you chose her, and you haven't even visited her grave?"

Ezra's gaze faltered under her words, and for a brief moment, the weight of his past seemed to settle heavily on his shoulders. He didn't respond immediately, but Serena's piercing words were impossible to ignore.

Korr, watching the tension build, kept his silence but couldn't help but feel the gravity of the situation. The unspoken burden Ezra carried was now laid bare, and it made his previous teasing about their relationship seem trivial in comparison.

Serena's frustration shifted into something else—concern, perhaps, or a deeper understanding of the weight Ezra carried. She crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak, but he remained silent, lost in his thoughts.

Serena's eyes burned with frustration, and she took a step closer to Ezra. Her voice was firm, but her words carried a deep disappointment. "You can't keep running from it, Ezra. Alexis wouldn't want that. You're letting this guilt consume you, and you're not even giving yourself the chance to heal. You owe it to her—and yourself—to honor her memory."

Ezra looked away, his jaw clenched tight. "I don't need your lectures, Serena," he muttered, his voice low but sharp. "You don't understand. I didn't just lose her. I lost myself in the process. I can't go back there. I can't face her parents, not after everything I've done."

Serena's hands balled into fists at her sides. "And what do you think you're doing now, huh? Running away from your past and your feelings? You've built this whole wall around yourself, Ezra, and you're only hurting yourself more." She paused, taking a breath, trying to steady herself. "You're not the man I thought you were. You used to fight for the people you cared about, no matter what, but now you're hiding from the truth. She deserved more than that."

Ezra's face twisted in anger, but also something softer—something laced with hurt. "Don't tell me what I deserve. I know what I've done, and I know how much I've lost. You think I don't feel it every damn day? But some things… some things are just too broken to fix." His voice broke, but he quickly regained control. "You wouldn't understand. You're still… whole. You haven't lost everything like I have."

Serena took a step back, her expression softening for a moment, but the hurt was still there in her eyes. "I may not have lost someone like that, but I know what it's like to carry guilt." Her voice was quieter now, tinged with pain of her own. "You're not the only one who's been through hell, Ezra. But that's exactly why you need to face it. You don't get to keep running from your mistakes."

There was a long silence between them, the tension thick and uncomfortable. Ezra turned away, running a hand through his hair as he exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumped. He couldn't look at her, couldn't bear to see the disappointment on her face.

Korr, who had been standing by awkwardly throughout the entire exchange, now shifted on his feet, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, so..." he muttered, trying to break the silence. "This is a fun walk, huh? Nothing like a little family drama to spice up the trip." He offered a half-hearted chuckle, but it fell flat.

The three of them walked in silence after that, the air heavy with unspoken words. Korr was the first to give in to the tension, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. I get it. We'll talk about this some other time, I guess." His tone was lighter, though it didn't quite mask the awkwardness in the air.

Ezra kept his gaze fixed ahead, not meeting either of their eyes. Serena, though still upset, said nothing more, her expression unreadable as she walked beside him. The only sound now was the crunch of leaves beneath their boots and the distant calls of birds as the forest swallowed their words.

The silence between them lingered, and it was clear that the tension had marked something deeper than just an argument. It was a crack in their fragile bond, and though none of them said it, they all knew it would take time to heal.