Medai Village still lived by night, following its own rhythm, slow yet persistent.
The cobblestone paths were lit by the warm glow of crystal lamps, stretching out like streams of light flowing through the heart of darkness.
Small groups moved quietly through the village, some just returning after a long and tiring day, their steps heavy, others just beginning their shift.
Players and NPCs mingled, blending into a scene that seemed ordinary, yet was filled with countless untold stories.
Yuna sat alone on the edge of an old well in a corner of the village, where the dim light couldn't quite reach.
She sang softly, very softly, as if afraid the sound might awaken something sleeping deep within. It wasn't a performance, nor meant for anyone to hear.
Just an old lullaby, faded and gentle, once sung by her mother… or perhaps by some NPC back in the Starting Town.
That voice drifted into the air, light as the wind, thin as mist. No one stopped to listen, but somehow, the whole village seemed to pause for a beat, as if the song was voicing things that couldn't be put into words.
She didn't know what they were thinking…
Didn't know what to say to them…
But if she could still sing, then at least… she was still here.
From a nearby rooftop, Nautilus leaned against a wooden post, one hand still resting on the hilt of his sword.
He had heard her from the moment she began, every word, every note, every breath laced with hesitation. But he didn't approach. Not because he feared being pushed away. But because he was afraid… that the melody might stop.
Nautilus let out a quiet sigh, eyes following Ren's fading silhouette down the cobblestone path toward their old inn.
He glanced at Yuna, eyes resting on that slender figure, but he couldn't bring himself to say a word.
She remained there, singing quietly. As if music was the last thread tying her to this world, to what once belonged to the three of them, though deep down, both she and Nautilus knew… nothing would ever return to how it was.
Clenching his trembling hand, Nautilus bit his lip. He couldn't just stand still. Not now.
Then, turning around, he began to run, toward the direction Ren had vanished.
...
Ren walked slowly along the cobbled road, each step heavy, as though dragging with it the weight of unspoken silence.
The light from the street lamps seemed to recede, letting him sink deeper into the darkness closing in.
His footsteps echoed faintly, then faded into the night, as if even sound itself dared not stay by his side.
Up ahead was the small inn, still aglow with laughter and the enticing scent of a freshly served dinner. A different world, warm, lively, alive.
Ren stopped.
Just stood there.
He didn't go in.
"Ren!"
A sudden voice called out from behind, urgent and full of emotion, accompanied by hurried footsteps clattering over the cobblestones, as if the caller feared they'd be too late for something important.
Ren froze, shoulders trembling ever so slightly.
"Thank… thank you."
The voice was hesitant, so quiet it seemed that another word might dissolve into the night.
Ren didn't turn around. He didn't need to. Just a flicker of surprise in his eyes was enough to know who stood behind him.
"For what?" The words slipped from his throat, weightless yet sharp, carrying fatigue and inner turmoil.
Nautilus stood there, taking a deep breath, eyes fixed on that frail back.
"For… everything." His voice cracked. "For not turning away… no matter how messed up things got. For staying, for fighting. For not abandoning me… or Yuna."
Ren shook his head, barely a motion so faint it could've been a passing breeze.
His eyes stayed forward, avoiding the gaze behind, but within them was a quiet loneliness, buried deep as if revealing it would devour everything.
"You're wrong," Ren whispered, his voice hoarse. "I didn't do those things for anyone else. I did them for me."
A long silence followed, as if he was struggling to keep speaking words he had long hidden away.
"You don't know anything about me," Ren swallowed hard, biting his lower lip like punishing himself. "I'm a coward… selfish… and greedy."
His breath quickened, fists clenched tight.
"This… isn't the first time." He closed his eyes, voice sinking into a near confession.
"I once… once pushed someone into a pack of monsters to escape… back then. Because I was scared. Because I wanted to live."
A heavy silence fell between them, even the night seemed to hold its breath.
"That's who I really am."
The blood in Nautilus's veins turned to ice. A cold chill raced down his spine, freezing him to the core.
He clenched his jaw, eyes wide, then shouted, "No!"
His voice rang out like a sword slash, sharp, decisive, with no hesitation. He was no longer the timid boy he once was.
"You're not that kind of person," Nautilus continued, each word striking through the thick air between them, firm and resolute.
Perhaps even he hadn't realized… he had changed.
In just a short span of time...barely ten days, they had been through so many brushes with death, shared every meal, every wound, and even the silent moments between endless battles.
Funny, isn't it? Ten days… what does that even mean?
It's not enough to truly understand someone. Sometimes, not even a whole lifetime is enough.
But…
"Even so, I believe in you," Nautilus whispered, unwavering. "Not because I know everything about you… but because I've fought beside you. And I've seen… seen the person you're trying to deny."
Ren turned back.
His gaze met Nautilus's, those blue eyes once as clear as sapphire now dulled by a shadowy film, cold and unspeakably tired.
Nautilus flinched slightly, instinctively stepping back. Something in that look made it hard to breathe, a silent storm, swallowing everything whole.
And yet, instead of turning away like before… he stood his ground.
Not out of courage, but because of something deeper, an uncertain belief, or perhaps an unspoken promise.
He didn't know what Ren had been through, in this world or the real one. But clearly, it had all left wounds too deep to heal.
Ren spoke. "I know myself better than anyone else, Nautilus."
His voice was low, steady, devoid of emotion...making it all the more chilling.
"I didn't help you two out of kindness. It was simply because… both you and Yuna were useful to me."
He paused, eyes still locked onto Nautilus. "If necessary, I could leave you both behind… to hold off the monsters, to escape alone."
A clean, brutal cut, leaving no room for hope.
"So," Ren said, voice nearly a whisper. "Don't come looking for me again."
Nautilus stood there, silent, eyes still fixed on Ren. In them was a complicated expression, as if he were trying to piece together fragments of memory, emotions he couldn't deny.
A long silence followed, and then Nautilus's voice broke through, quiet, yet heavy enough to weigh down the very air around them.
"When I was first trapped in this game… I was terrible at fighting. All I could do was beat up straw dummies in the practice yard with my sword. I didn't even dare face real monsters, even though… they were just low-level mobs out there."
Nautilus gripped his sword tighter, his face tense, but his eyes clouded with gloom.
"I kept thinking… if I just kept training, improving my sword skills, unlocking new abilities, then someday, I'd be able to face my fear."
He paused, his gaze dropping to the ground, heavy as if bearing an unspent storm.
"But… no, that was just self-deception. The numbers showing my progress… they didn't make me any stronger. The more they increased, the heavier, the more terrified I felt."
The frown on his face deepened, as if trying to hold back an overwhelming helplessness.
"Still… I didn't want to give up. Because… of Yuna." He said her name like a secret vow.
The world around them seemed to fall still. The noise of the tavern and the laughter inside the inn faded, leaving only the two of them standing on the cobbled path, in the silence of a night that seemed to swallow everything.
"I have to admit… it wasn't until I got your help that I truly understood what I was fighting for." Nautilus glanced at his sword, the light from distant lamps glinting off the blade like a mark of change.
"Maybe you're not a great teacher. But I know you did everything with all your heart. You didn't say it out loud, but I could feel it."
He turned back to Ren, and this time, there was no harshness or anger in his eyes. Instead, there was a strange sense of relief.
"I also realized… everyone carries their own fear. But what matters is how we face it. Do we grow stronger, or do we run?"
"Have you ever felt that way? Fighting for someone...not for yourself?" Nautilus took a step forward, his brave eyes locking onto Ren's, as if seeking an answer within them.
Ren remained silent for a moment, the stillness as deep as an ocean of unspoken thoughts. He gazed into the distance, his eyes slightly blurred, as though confronting old memories and wounds that never healed.
Then, finally, Ren's voice came, so soft it was almost swept away by the wind.
"…I once fought for someone."
He paused, silent, his eyes sinking deeper, as if drowning in memories long buried.
"But… in the end, she left me behind."
Ren's voice deepened for a moment, as if those words were a confession...a deep disappointment he never wished to face again.