"No."
Alicia rejected .
I frowned. "Why not?"
"I said no, Senior." She repeated crossing her arms.
This wasn’t so awkwardly rejected love confession, not even close. All I had asked was for her to stay behind in Vanadias while I went to the Olphean Kingdom to deal with our current situation. It was a matter of strategy and safety.
"You’ll be safer here," I said, trying to reason with her.
"Safer?" Alicia repeated, narrowing her gaze. "You think I’ll be safer surrounded by people who want dead?"
I sighed. "They don’t want you dead anymore. They’ve co around. And Ernest’s staying here—I told him to keep an eye on things."
She arched a skeptical brow. "You told him?"
"I threatened to tell Viessa about his little crush if he doesn’t," I replied.
Alicia’s face twisted for a second looking at as if I was serious but she quickly composed herself. "Still. I’d be more useful with you. I can fight."
"You can, sure. But then who takes care of Levina?"
That stopped her.
I could see the gears turning behind her guarded expression. She didn’t answer imdiately, and that silence told everything.
"She’ll cry if either of us is gone," I said gently. "But if both of us disappear? You’ve seen how she gets. At least one of us needs to stay by her side."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, her posture stiff. She wanted to argue, but she couldn’t.
"I know it’s not fair, asking you to stay behind and play caretaker," I continued, "but this isn’t just about keeping her company. She’s fragile. You know that. And you’re the only one she trusts besides ."
"Amaya as well."
"Yeah but Amaya doesn’t know how to handle her and she is a weirdo."
Alicia’s eyes dropped to the ground.
"I’ll figure out a way to get us back to our ti. I have a plan—I just need you to wait here. Trust ."
For a long mont, she said nothing. Then she whispered, "What if you don’t co back..."
"What?"
"What if you don’t co back?" She asked again, louder this ti, her eyes lifting to et mine.
There was a vulnerability in her gaze that pierced through her usual stoicism. It wasn’t like her to show weakness so openly—and maybe that was what made it hit harder.
I was silent for a beat before I shrugged and gave her the most honest answer I could. "I will co back."
"You don’t know that," she said, voice quieter now. She turned away, shoulders tense. "You can’t know that."
I stepped forward and gently caught her arm. "Alicia. Look at ."
She hesitated, then slowly glanced over her shoulder. Her crimson eyes were trying so hard to appear indifferent, neutral—but I wasn’t fooled. I saw through her carefully constructed mask.
She was scared.
Not for herself, but of being left behind—alone in a world that wasn’t hers, where every face was unfamiliar and every whisper might carry judgnt or hatred. She was only seventeen. Smart, disciplined, absurdly talented for her age—but still just a girl, stuck centuries away from ho with no one but .
"I’ll co back," I said quietly. "I promise. Then we’ll go ho. Together."
Her gaze dropped again.
"I’m sorry, Senior..." She mumbled.
"For what?"
"For dragging you back in ti. For being useless..."
I sighed. "You’re not useless."
But she shook her head.
"I am," Alicia said. "Since we arrived, all I’ve done is slow you down. Everyone hates you because you’re associated with ."
"They’re just cowards with trauma and no common sense," I said bluntly. "They can’t even tell the difference between an enemy and a girl who didn’t ask for this."
"That doesn’t change the fact that I’m a burden..." Alicia said. Her voice was thin, trembling at the edges. "Even during the fight against Lakalros, I couldn’t do anything. I just stood there, useless."
I shook my head. "What could you have done? He was of a higher Ascension—stronger, faster, more experienced."
Alicia gritted lightly on her teeth. "It wasn’t just him. During the battle with that man... and those won—and the Olphean prince too—I couldn’t help then either."
"They were all stronger than you," I reminded her. "Older, too. More battle-hardened. You shouldn’t beat yourself up over that."
"But that’s exactly the problem," she said bitterly. "I can’t fight them. I can’t help you. I can’t protect anyone. I’m useless in this war."
"Would you stop spiraling like that?" I said, exasperated. "You’re talking like you’ve already given up."
Alicia was silent for a mont. Then she looked up.
"Cain said he wanted alive and you dead, Senior."
"Yeah," I said with a shrug "Sothing like that."
She didn’t appreciate my flippancy.
"Then promise ," she said, stepping closer. "Promise you’ll prioritize yourself and Levina over ."
I blinked. "What are you talking about now?"
"I—I’m serious!" Alicia’s voice cracked slightly as she glared at , hands clenched into fists. "If it ever cos down to it, you save her. You save yourself. I’m not important."
I stared at her, unsure of what to say at first. Slowly, I raised my hand to her cheek.
She flinched slightly at the contact—my fingers brushing against her cold skin—but didn’t pull away.
"You’re not useless to , Alicia," I said. "You want to know what I felt that day, when we lost Elizabeth? I lost sothing—several of them—so important that I wanted to disappear. I didn’t want to fight, or lead, or carry anyone else’s hopes. I just wanted to curl up sowhere and never be found again."
Her eyes widened slightly, but I continued.
"But then I saw you—crying. And sohow... we ended up here. In the past. I still don’t know why or how. But one thing I do know is that without you beside ... I wouldn’t have been this much in control over my emotions. I would’ve done things I’d regret. You keep grounded."
Alicia’s lips parted. A tear traced a slow, glistening path down her cheek.
"I... I miss her, Senior..." She whispered.
"I know."
"I miss her so much..."
Her voice broke as the tears spilled freely now. I reached out and gently wiped her face, my thumb catching the tear as it fell.
"I miss her too."
She leaned forward slightly, her forehead pressing softly into my chest as she wept silently.
After a minute or so, she stepped back. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes swollen, but she seed better already.
"I’ll stay," she said.
I smiled faintly. "Yeah. Take care of this place for , alright?"
A sudden small voice tugged at our attention.
"...Papa... Mama..."
We turned to see Levina, half-asleep and groggy, being carried awkwardly in Amaya’s arms.
"Take it." Amaya said as if she was holding so kind of heavy potato bag.
"Hey, Levina," I whispered, stepping forward and gently taking her into my arms.
She snuggled against my chest almost imdiately, burying her face into my shirt and closing her eyes again. I ran a hand through her soft blond hair, soothing her back to sleep.
As I looked up, I caught Amaya’s gaze.
"You sure you want to co with ?" I asked.
"I have nowhere else to go," she said.
I raised an eyebrow. "So, your solution is to co with into a probably suicidal situation?"
"Yes," she replied, her tone as cold and clear as frost. "I want to be with Edward."
I grimaced. "Are you... in love with or sothing?"
Amaya’s eyes flickered for a brief mont, but then her face turned even colder.
"...Love," she said, as if tasting the word. "I don’t know love."
"Well, I was just asking," I said. "You don’t have any real reason to co with us. You’d be safer staying with Alicia in Elyen Kiora."
Amaya didn’t respond. She just stared at .
A long, silent stare.
"...What?" I asked, taking a step back as she began walking toward .
She didn’t stop.
"What are you doing?"
She stopped only a breath away from , tilting her head slightly.
"You don’t want with you?" She asked.
"It’s not that," I said quickly. "But I’m not going to give you blood during the trip. You’ll have to get so from Alicia—just enough to last a few days."
That earned a blink.
I wasn’t being cruel. It was just... safer this way. I’d already offered blood to Elizabeth and Alicia. Each bond had its cost, and while I didn’t regret either of them, I wasn’t ready for a third. Not now. I had to ration myself anyway—Alicia would probably need also a decent amount of mine. If I overdid it, I’d end up passed out for the entire trip.
Alicia, as if reading my thoughts, nodded and turned away.
"Co," she called over her shoulder to Amaya.
But Amaya didn’t move.
She lingered, eyes still fixed on .
"Why did you help ?" She asked.
I gave her a tired look. "Again with that question?"
She didn’t reply, just waited.
I sighed. "I told you. I don’t know. Maybe I just felt like it... or maybe it’s because you reminded of soone I used to know."
The words ca out before I could stop them. I wasn’t even sure if they were true, but they sounded close enough.
"You should’ve left there," she said.
My eyes narrowed. "What?"
But she said nothing more. She simply turned and followed after Alicia without another word.
...What the hell was that?
***
The next morning.
We stood just outside the gates of Vanadias, the sun barely cresting over the distant peaks. A cool wind rustled the banners as our small contingent of soldiers prepared to depart. At the head of the unit were Viessa Teraquin and Cleara Indi Zestella, both armored.
I adjusted my gloves, looking over my shoulder. Alicia stood a few steps back, holding Levina in her arms. The little girl was sound asleep, nestled comfortably against Alicia’s shoulder.
"Are you sure you don’t want to say goodbye to her properly?" Alicia asked, looking at .
I shook my head, glancing at Levina’s peaceful face. "No... I think it’s easier for her if I don’t. You tell her when I’m already gone. I’ll only be gone for a couple of days—I’ll be back before she notices."
My hand reached out, fingers brushing through Levina’s soft hair.
Damn it.
Why did this feel like I was saying goodbye to my wife and child?
Alicia must’ve been thinking the sa thing because she turned red, shifting awkwardly under the weight of both Levina and the surrounding gazes.
"Anyway," I said, breaking the tension, "stay safe—and don’t let the Resistance morons get under your skin. They’re just a bunch of racist cowards who like to talk loud because they’re scared. If sothing happens, tell Ernest. And if he doesn’t do anything, tell him I’ll tell Viessa about his little crush and make sure she has the worst image of him."
"I’m right here, you know," ca Ernest’s dry voice from a few feet away.
He wasn’t alone. The so-called cowards I’d insulted turned and glared at too.
"Don’t mind him, Ernest," Viessa chuckled, clearly enjoying the mont.
"Yeah, anyway, take care, Viessa. Be careful," Ernest said more softly.
"I will," she smiled back at him.
Then, awkwardly, he added, "And Viessa, I... I just wanted to say that—"
"Okay, enough flirting," I cut in loudly. "We’re late."
"Hey!" Viessa turned around. "Edward! That was rude!"
She marched up to scold , but Ernest was still standing frozen like a statue. That little payback was well worth it.
"Stop smirking like that," Viessa scolded, flicking her fingers against my forehead.
I glared at her.
"Yes, yes, I’m terrified now," She rolled her eyes. "Now get on your horse if you want to see that much the Prophetess.
I grumbled and swung myself up onto the mount. Not as good as the horse Freyja gifted ... but it would do for now.
"Soone get a horse for Amaya—"
Before I could finish the sentence, I felt a shift behind . Amaya had already jumped up, settling in behind on the saddle like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"...Alright then," I muttered.
"Alright, everyone!" Viessa called out, waving her arm high. "Let’s return safe and see each other again soon!"
"This isn’t a field trip," Cleara muttered beside her.
"You could stand to lighten up, Cleara," Viessa said with a small laugh.
She wasn’t wrong.
I took one last glance behind —at the gates of Elyen Kiora, at Alicia cradling Levina.
Let’s just hope everything goes smoothly from here on out.
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