The fire crackled softly as everyone sat in a circle. Shadows flickered on the trees around them. Ouro lounged with an exaggerated sense of formality—legs crossed, pinky raised as he sipped from a porcelain cup that hadn't existed moments earlier. Gabriel stood behind the group with arms crossed, observing with an amused smirk.
Reid leaned in, flashlight under his chin. "Alright, gather 'round. This tale… is called The Cursed Sock."
Sosuke groaned immediately. "Are you serious?"
"Shush," Reid said, voice dropping into mock suspense. "It was a dark and stormy night… just like tonight—except, you know, with clouds. There was a warrior. Strong. Fearless. Chiseled jaw."
"That's just you," Lyra deadpanned.
Reid ignored her. "He returned to his barracks after battle. But something was wrong. His sock… was missing. He looked everywhere. Under the bed. In the stew pot. Even behind the secret trapdoor that led to the screaming tunnels of Morvain—"
"That escalated quickly," Rin muttered.
"But then… he heard it." Reid's voice dropped to a whisper. "Flap… flap… flop."
Milo's eyes widened. "What was that?"
Reid turned toward him. "The sock. It had returned. But it was… cursed. It smelled like a thousand-year-old Blight Beast's breath, and every time he wore it—he lost a toe."
A pause.
"…One toe per use," Reid added ominously.
Clyde scowled. "This is the dumbest story I've ever heard."
Reid grinned. "You're just jealous it's better than your bedtime routine."
Elowen covered her mouth politely, trying not to laugh. Ren let out a small, stifled chuckle and quickly looked away.
Milo, meanwhile, was now curled slightly into himself. "Wait, is that real? Like… hypothetically?"
Arthur poked the fire with a stick. "You'd think with magic socks we'd all be stronger by now."
Reid leaned over to Lyra. "Ten gold says Milo burns his socks tonight."
"I'm not betting against that," Lyra replied, smirking.
Suddenly, a sock flew out of the darkness and landed on Milo's shoulder.
He shrieked.
Ouro burst out laughing and kicked his legs in delight. "Oh, this human bonding is marvelous."
———
Ouro's house was… bizarre.
The exterior looked normal enough—ivy-covered stone walls, lanterns that hovered a foot above the ground—but the moment they stepped inside, the air shifted. Furniture floated slightly above the floor. A grandfather clock ticked backward. The chandelier overhead was made entirely of frozen lightning suspended mid-bolt.
"Come, come!" Ouro waved his arm in a flourish. "Downstairs! A haven of harmony, heroism, and hypotheticals awaits!"
With a flick of his wrist, the staircase uncurled from the wall like a tongue. A faint glow pulsed from beneath, casting odd shapes on the walls.
"Try not to step on any of the… sentient floor tiles," Ouro added.
They descended.
The basement wasn't a basement.
It was a mansion.
A sprawling, open corridor split into fifteen lavish rooms—each door pulsing with subtle magic, each hallway lined with moving murals depicting the group's past battles and victories. The ceiling stretched high above like a starless sky, dotted with soft, glowing lights that mimicked constellations.
"Fabulous, no?!" Ouro threw his arms out dramatically and struck a pirouette midair. "Crafted this with pocket dimensions, quantum enchantment, and a pinch of obsessive perfectionism."
Everyone walked past him without a word.
"Hey, wait—at least gasp!" he cried, placing a hand over his heart.
"I call the one closest to the stairs!" Reid shouted, sprinting ahead. He flung open the door, peeked in, and deflated. "Lyra," he called over his shoulder in a deadpan voice. "It's yours."
She walked up, peered inside, and smirked. "Books, battle trophies, and zero color. Yeah, this tracks."
"As I was about to say…" Ouro spun around and walked backward as he spoke. "The rooms respond to your thoughts. Your ideal space, whatever you think that is, the room reflects it. Isn't that delightful?! A mirror of the soul—made architectural!"
"Cool. Going to bed." Clyde yawned and veered into the nearest door.
One by one, they each slipped into their rooms.
Sosuke pushed open his door and stepped into a space pulsing with energy. Electric blue veins traced patterns across black stone walls. Thunder rumbled softly beneath the floor, like a distant heartbeat. Lightning arced lazily between suspended crystals that floated near the ceiling.
He sighed. "Seriously? A little on the nose."
He flopped down onto the bed. It was so plush it almost swallowed him whole.
He frowned. Too soft.
He turned off the lamp with a flick and let the darkness settle. The soft glow of the crystals dimmed to nothing.
Sosuke stared at the ceiling.
I should've said more.
His jaw clenched.
I wanted him to know what I've accomplished. I wanted him to be proud.
He ran a hand over his face. It felt heavier than usual. His heart too.
Was that my only chance?
The door creaked.
Light flooded in—and with it, Isabelle's unmistakable energy.
"You okayyy?" she asked, poking her head around the door.
Sosuke groaned. "Why are you here?"
"Checking in." She slipped inside, shutting the door behind her. "It's my job, remember?"
He sat up, rubbing his face. "Yeah. Guess it is."
She made herself comfortable in the armchair tucked in the corner. "I can stay. Just 'til you fall asleep."
"Don't. You need sleep too."
"You're more important," she replied, crossing one leg over the other.
Sosuke didn't know how to respond to that.
After a beat, he spoke. "Can I ask something? Like… something kind of personal?"
"I'm not allowed to tell anyone. So, yes."
He hesitated. His fingers flexed over the edge of the blanket. He looked down, then away.
"…Is it wrong?" he finally said. "To feel alone when I'm not?"
Isabelle didn't answer right away.
The low hum of the lightning crystals buzzed faintly overhead, filling the silence with an unnatural calm. She sat still, barely lit by the soft glow from the nightstand lamp.
"…W-what?" she said, eyes flicking up to meet his. "Why are you asking me that?"
Her voice was light, but the edges trembled. "You're— I mean, you don't seem like the type to… think like that."
"What type is that supposed to be?" Sosuke asked.
She flinched slightly. "I didn't mean it like that. Just— nevermind."
The silence crept back in.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I guess I'm not used to you asking questions that aren't answers."
Sosuke gave a dry breath of laughter. "That's one way to put it."
"I just thought you were… always sure of everything," she said, almost too quietly.
"So?"
"So I figured being alone wouldn't bother someone like you." Her voice stumbled. "Smart. Strong. Like you'd always know what to do."
He didn't answer. The look he gave her said enough.
She shifted in her seat, guilt folding into her expression.
"You don't have to explain," he said. "Forget I asked."
"No."
She stood abruptly, the chair creaking behind her, and crossed to the side of his bed.
"I said I'd stay."
Sosuke nodded, wordless. He switched the lamp off again. The room dimmed into a soft shadow, shaped by the faint pulse of light slipping in through the lightning-veined walls.
After a moment, Isabelle spoke again. Her voice was lower now, almost hesitant.
"I saw you once. Sleeping."
He glanced up at her.
"You were turning a lot. Kept muttering things." She sat carefully at the edge of the bed. "I couldn't make it out. But it didn't sound peaceful."
He didn't reply. The weight in his chest tightened.
He had hoped no one noticed.
Her hand found his, slowly—cautiously. It was warm. Gentle.
"You've been alone a long time," she said. "Two years surviving on instinct. And now you're expected to just… go back to being normal. It doesn't work like that."
His fingers curled under hers. He turned away slightly, hiding behind a breath. With his free hand, he reached up, touched the scar under his right eye.
She followed the movement with her gaze.
"How'd that happen?" she asked softly.
"…A fight. One I shouldn't have taken." His hand dropped to the blanket. "Someone stronger. I barely walked away."
"And now you carry it?"
He gave a slight nod. "A reminder of who I wasn't strong enough to be."
She ran her thumb over the ridge of his knuckles. "Your hands are rough," she said, almost to herself. "It's strange. You're only two years older than me, but it feels like a decade in between."
"I wish I could go back," Sosuke murmured. "Just once. Maybe do it all different."
A pause.
"What was it like?" she asked. "When you were younger."
Sosuke turned his head slightly, just enough for his voice to carry in the quiet.
"I lived in a small home with my father. One day, we were attacked, and I managed to run away. I found a couple's home and stayed with them for two years before officers showed up. They never explained why. Looking back, I'm sure it was Gabriel's doing." He paused. "I was placed into a magic academy where I met—" His eyes widened slightly. "…Rin."
That's right. How could I forget how long I've known her? I almost threw it all away for my own selfish choices.
"Then you were transferred to Astralis, right?" Isabelle asked.
"Yeah," Sosuke replied. His expression dimmed, unreadable.
"I arrived not long after you left. I actually spent more time there than you did." She let out a dry laugh. "I was considered a failure for a while. Eventually got sent back to a regular academy. Dropped out after that."
"Really?" Sosuke turned to her, surprised.
Isabelle nodded. "For a while, I thought my life had no meaning. Then, during a raid from Astoria about a year ago, my home was attacked. The soldiers had weapons I'd never seen. I tried to protect my parents, but I was beaten down."
Sosuke's eyes widened slightly.
"My father was about to be shot when my powers finally awakened. Everything after that was a blur. I only remember rubble, smoke… and soldiers surrounding me. I couldn't move. Even when I saw my parents in handcuffs, I couldn't do anything." Her voice cracked. "But you saved us. You wiped out all of them. Even though you left without a word… I saw your face. That look in your eyes. I thought, 'I want to be like that, too.'"
Sosuke stared, stunned. "Isabelle… I—"
"You're my hero, Sosuke." She turned her head, smiling with tears rolling down her cheeks.