Promise

 "Ehhh? Why are you looking at us like that? HAHA, it's not like we are monsters" 

As soon as they opened their eyes, Alab and Hiraya saw Kevin and Althea looking at them, conflict flashed on their faces. 

Cough

With a small cough, Kevin fixed his composure as he recollected his calm demeanor. Looking at the two, he spoke. 

"What is the last thing you remember before you passed out?", he asked. His voice was not hinting anything out of the ordinary.

Alab, touched his chin as he pondered. "Before we passed out? I remember Althea telling about her past and then… ahmm, we fell asleep after that?"

"I remember the same, why do you ask?", Hiraya added. 

Kevin did his signature move as he heaved a sigh. Their answer only validated his presumption.

"Nothing, just that Althea was about to share more but you guys fell asleep", he lied. 

"Is that right, siz? Sorry, sorry, I must be too tired", Alab said to the troubled Althea. Unlike Kevin, she hadn't understood the situation yet. 

She was beyond worried about what happened. 

Touch

Touching the edge of Kevin's clothing, Althea looked at him asking for an explanation. Kevin nodded his head before shifting his gaze to the other two. 

"Eh? Siz? W--why?", Alab asked, confusion plastered on his face. 

"She must be tired, let me talk to her for a while", Kevin uttered as he excused themselves. 

Going to an area far for their voices to not reach the two, Althea instantly stated her worries. 

"T--them, what happened to them?", she asked with a shaky voice, her eyes becoming watery as her lips trembled. 

Kevin heaved a sigh before he look into her eyes, he could discern just how worried she was. 

"I am not certain but it seems to have something to do with their memories. Repressing memories out of extreme trauma and forcefully remembering those locked memories could cause such pain.", he explained. 

He was not new to this case. He had been in multiple hospitals back on Earth and had seen people diagnosed with these bizarre changes. It was just that he didn't know how to help the said patient. 

For now, he could only watch for them and try not to stimulate those memories to resurface. 

"We have to avoid topics connected to their life on Earth. That's the only thing we could do for now.", Kevin uttered as they sneaked a glance towards the two who were similarly looking at their directions with worries. 

Kevin just waved his hand, motioning that everything was good. Only then did the two let go of their worried expressions. 

Althea, on the other hand, remembered Alab crying the last time when she shared about her father. That time, she felt that she should not meddle in Alab's affair since they only met for a day. But now that they got to know each other deeper and had formed a stronger relationship, Althea couldn't let go of the worries in her heart. 

She got to do something. This time, she had to help… she thought. 

"We should go back to them, remember to keep your usual self as you won't want them to worry, right?", Kevin added as he started walking back towards the two. 

Althea, wiping the tears from her eyes, let go of a deep breath as she tried to smile. After composing herself, she then walked back as if nothing happened. 

'That's right, nothing happened', she pondered. 

"What did you talk about?"

When they arrived, Alab immediately bombarded them with questions.

"Nothing, Althea just confessed to me.", Kevin uttered which brought shock to the two. With mouth agape, they revealed a teasing gaze to the coming Althea. 

The person in subject, was clueless about Kevin's lie as she received teasing looks from the two. With a confused expression, she asked. 

"Why are you looking at me like that? Bro?!"

"Nothing ~whistle~", Alab teased as he started to form a heart with his fingers. 

Hiraya on the other hand frankly stated. 

"I didn't know that Kevin is your ty–, huh", she teased bluntly as a palm of Alab instantly covered her mouth, halting her on her words. Apparently, Hiraya was not the best at controlling or concealing her thoughts. 

"What??? What's with me and Kevin?", Althea asked. 

"Haha, nothing. You don't have to mind us, siz! Haha *whistle*", Alab excused. 

 "Stop it now, let's go to sleep and restore our mana. There's a dangerous fight awaiting us tomorrow", Kevin broke their talks as he took the weaved vines from his pouch. Placing it on the back of the Black Panther. He then laid on as he motioned the three to sleep as well. 

This time, he had knitted another two vines and they could now fit together. 

"Sleep now", he muttered. 

The other three then walked towards him as they teased Althea to sleep beside Kevin. Confused, Althea could only lie on the remaining space beside Kevin. 

Cough

Cough

The two released a cough as they suppressed their laughter. 

"Just sleep", Kevin sounded. 

—--

It was the middle of the night and howls still resounded in the area. In the Southern part of the Center of the wilderness, a pack of monsters was gathered as they safeguarded four players. 

Laying on the interlocked vines, Alab stared at the starry sky with countless thoughts occupying his mind. 

"I can't sleep", he muttered 

Beside him, two more mutters of girls resounded. 

"Me too"

"Me too"

It was a peaceful night and they could let their safety in the monster's hands. Their refuge was a safeguarded place with comforting beddings and a light source. But, the three of them found it hard to sleep. Just closing their eyes wasn't enough to toss the lingering thoughts in their mind. 

"Say, when we get to the Tower. Do you think we can get a stronghold there? What if we are nothing but dust in there? What if our strength is not enough? Do you think an F-grade like me would have a chance to survive? I— I'm afraid I wouldn't be of help to you guys in the Tower.", Alab released his thoughts as tears started to overwhelm his eyes. He had been holding these thoughts for a while now and it was the best time to release them. 

He was uncertain of his life in the Tower. 

AN: I'm crying (T_T)

Hiraya and Althea, couldn't find the right words to comfort him. After all, even with their U-grade skill, securing a peaceful life in the Tower was not an easy feat. 

They each had their own set of worries. 

Sob sob

With sobbing resonating in the area, the three players released their worries to the fullest. Unaware of the comforts they were giving to each other.

After a while, Hiraya stopped at her sob as she wiped her tears off. With her shaky breath, she uttered the thoughts that had been on her mind since she got acquainted with them. 

"say, when we enter the Tower. We should form a Guild", she uttered as her gaze remained on the starry sky, pondering that if it were with them, establishing a guild would be fun. 

Hearing her words, Althea and Alab nodded their heads as they had been wanting to form a guild for a while now. 

"I think that we should create a guild too! Of course, I will be the leader", Alab joked as he looked at Hiraya. He knew that she wanted to be a Guild leader so he took the chance to tease her. 

Though similar to Hiraya, Alab dreamt of being a Guild leader too but when he awakened the F-grade title, he shortly brushed it off as no one would want to join a Guild with a weak leader after all. With that, he decided that he would join a Guild with either Hiraya or Kevin as the leader. 

As for Althea? Alab didn't think that she preferred being a leader anyways. 

"What?! No! I will be the leader, that's a given!", Hiraya exclaimed as she looked at Alab beside her. 

Althea, laying between Kevin and Alab, let out a chuckle as she understood that it was just Alab's teases. Though she desired Alab to be the leader, Althea didn't want to force him into the leadership role. 

"Fine, fine, you will be the leader, okay?", Alab conceded as Hiraya was about to throw another tantrum. 

She then laid back again as she stared at the starry sky, their thoughts wondered once more how will they fare inside the Tower. 

"That brat, Kevin, he should join our Guild too.", Hiraya muttered as though reluctant, she couldn't deny that Kevin's intellect would be a big assistance in their guild. 

"I would only accept the leader position", waking up, Kevin threw his retort to Hiraya's leadership. 

"What the?! You're awake? And no, I will be the leader!", Hiraya blurted as Kevin's voice surprised her. 

Fixing his posture such that he could see the sky, Kevin heaved a sigh. 

"How am I supposed to sleep when you guys are too loud?"

The other three looked away as they disclosed a chuckle. 

"You must be hearing things, haha", Alab mumbled. 

"Hey! That's not the important matter right now! What matters more is that I would be the leader, take it or leave it!", Hiraya exclaimed once more 

"Leave it"

"You!!!"

"HAHAHA" 

Amidst their teases, Althea was laughing as she had always found their arguments to be funny. Their teases were her happy pills. 

"Right, right! My goal for entering this Tower. I want to reach the top of the Tower and see what lies there!", Alab butted in with an excited voice. 

A shift in expression was visible on Hiraya's face as he heard him. After all, she had lost her memory and had no recollection of the past. She had no idea what was her goal for entering the Tower. 

"As for me… I— I don't have any goal", she muttered. 

Seeing the sulking expression on her face, they didn't know the best way to comfort her. She had repressed her memory and Kevin and Althea didn't want to have a slip of the tongue and utter something that could stimulate her past. 

They could only look at her with their mouth tightly shut. And when Hiraya was about to feel down again, Alab's voice pulled her out of her misery. 

"Alright! I have decided,  I will let you see the top of the Tower with me!", he promised as he stood up. Behind him was the starry sky that seemed to give hope to the lost Hiraya. 

Hearing him, Hiraya recalled how she felt gloomy again. She had been a crybaby since she met them. 

Clenching her hand, she let go of a deep sigh as she firmed her resolve. This time, it would be the last time she would cry. She never wanted to make others worry about her again. 

Chuckle

Releasing a chuckle, Hiraya stood up as well as she threw up her arm in the sky. 

"Alright! I will join you in your dream.  I shall accompany you to the top of the Tower!", she declared. 

Feeling relieved by the change of ambiance, Althea stood up too as she excitedly threw her hand in the sky and swore. 

"Me too! I will join you too, bro! Let's see the top of the Tower, together, shall we?", she uttered as she released a soft smile. Under the night sky, she felt like a lantern that kept the gloomy darkness charming. 

Without letting himself be left out, Kevin did the same as he instead fixed his eyeglass, then, opened his mouth. 

"If that's the case, I shall lend you a hand, and let's see the top of the Tower, okay?", he stated. 

"Yeah! We will! I promise!", Alab stated, excitement overwhelmed his body as he envisioned a future where they all stood at the top of the Tower, looking at the starry sky that was way brighter than they were seeing at the moment. 

"Say, can you promise me that whatever happens, we will remain friends and form a guild.", driven by excitement, Alab stated as his smile extended from ear to ear. 

"Challenges on the Tower are said to change a person, either on their morals, principles, or resolve in life. Like the first floor, rumor has it that those who passed that floor will change totally, like a new person.", becoming rather serious, Kevin informed the group of the inevitable change that the Tower could cause.   

"Still, let's promise that whatever happens, we will reach the top of the Tower together.", Alab reacted, his tone getting higher and higher as he firmed his resolve. 

Knowing his determination, the three solidified their resolve as well as clenched their hands and with a sincere demeanor, they declared. 

"I promise"

"I promise"

"I promise"

"Yeah!" 

Releasing a loud shout, the group ended the night with their resolve being stronger. They would reach the Tower, together they will. With that, they laid back on their simple beddings as smiles flashed on their faces. Forgetting their recent piled-up worries, they slept. 

"Alab, you take watch tonight. I will sleep", Kevin teased.