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Chapter 22 – The Reunion
The faint shuffle of footsteps echoed through the ruins. Kelvin's hand tightened on his blade, the Death Blade's afterglow still simmering faintly across the edge. The shadows pressed in, silent, suffocating, every instinct screaming that something — or someone — was approaching.
His breath steadied, cold and sharp.
Then, a voice broke the silence.
"Kelvin…?"
The sword in his grip trembled ever so slightly. His eyes widened before narrowing again, scanning the broken archway ahead. Dust motes floated lazily through a fractured beam of light, and from that haze, a familiar figure emerged.
Silvia.
Her robes were scuffed, strands of her usually neat hair clinging to her face, her cheeks pale from exhaustion. But she was alive. Her emerald eyes locked onto him, and in that instant, the oppressive weight of the dungeon seemed to lessen.
Kelvin didn't move at first. His grip remained firm, his posture guarded, as if his mind couldn't quite accept what his eyes were showing him.
She stumbled forward, lips parting to speak again. "You—"
Before she could finish, another voice rang out.
"Well, well, well. Look at this. I spend twelve days dragging this girl through hell, and who do we find at the end of it all? My oh-so-serious cousin, brooding in the dark like some tragic hero."
Kelvin's gaze snapped to the right.
Out from behind the rubble, a tall figure sauntered into view, one hand tucked casually into his coat pocket. His jet-black hair was tied back into a messy ponytail, a smirk tugging at his lips. His eyes — sharp, mischievous, and far too amused for the situation — gleamed with recognition.
"Billy."
"Kelv." Billy gave a mock bow, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wow. You actually survived on your own. Didn't think you had it in you, cousin."
Silvia froze mid-step, whipping her head between the two of them. "Wait—what? Cousin?!"
Neither boy answered immediately. Kelvin sheathed his blade with a soft hiss, his gaze locked firmly on Billy. There was no joy, no grin, only that calm, controlled look he always wore.
Billy, in contrast, practically radiated amusement. "Don't give me that look. You're acting like you're not happy to see me. Deep down, I know you missed me."
Kelvin raised a brow. "Missed your arrogance, maybe."
Silvia blinked. "Wait, wait, wait—hold on. You two actually know each other? As in—you're related?"
Billy turned toward her, hand over his chest in mock offense. "Oh, he didn't tell you? That's cold, cousin. Keeping family secrets from your traveling companion."
Kelvin's lips quirked, the faintest ghost of a smile. "Because I didn't think it mattered."
Silvia gawked at both of them, throwing her hands up. "Didn't think it—? You're cousins! That's not exactly a minor detail!"
"Relax," Billy drawled, leaning casually against a chunk of rubble. "He probably didn't want to bore you with the family drama. Kelvin's always been the stiff, silent type. A real pain at family dinners. I, on the other hand, know how to lighten the mood."
"You mean ruin it," Kelvin countered smoothly.
Silvia's eyes darted back and forth, her head spinning from the whiplash of their exchanges. Finally, she groaned. "Oh no. There are two of you."
Billy grinned wide, pointing at her like she'd just delivered the punchline of a joke. "See? She gets it! Smart girl."
Kelvin sighed, brushing past them to survey the hallway ahead. "You haven't changed."
"Neither have you," Billy replied. His smirk faltered for just a second, his voice lowering. "Still carrying the world on your shoulders, huh?"
Kelvin didn't answer.
Silvia frowned, sensing a weight in Billy's words. But before she could press, Billy clapped his hands together. "Anyway! Enough with the heavy air. The three of us should stick together. The dungeon clearly doesn't like loners, and I'm not in the mood to scrape my cousin's corpse off the floor if he gets himself killed."
Silvia gasped. "That's a horrible thing to say!"
Billy winked at her. "But accurate."
Kelvin shook his head, already moving forward. "Let's go. Standing around here will only draw more trouble."
Silvia hurried after him, muttering under her breath about reckless cousins and their twisted humor. Billy followed at a leisurely pace, whistling tunelessly as if they weren't deep in one of the deadliest dungeons on Qiveria.
---
As they walked, Silvia finally blurted out, "So… cousins. How exactly?"
Billy leaned down dramatically, whispering like it was a scandalous secret. "Well, once upon a time, two siblings made some questionable decisions—"
"Billy," Kelvin interrupted, voice flat.
"What? She asked!"
Silvia laughed despite herself. "You're unbelievable."
"Thank you," Billy said with a mock flourish.
Kelvin ignored him, his eyes scanning the corridor, but Silvia noticed the slight tilt of his lips — the tiniest smile he didn't want them to see.
For the first time since they'd entered the dungeon, Silvia felt a spark of warmth in the gloom. These two — so different, yet bound by blood — somehow made her feel safer, even if she also knew they'd drive her insane.
---
Hours passed. They shared fragments of their journeys. Silvia told Kelvin how Billy had found her cornered by beasts, how they'd fought their way through traps and corrupted creatures. She left out the moments of terror, but Kelvin saw it anyway in the stiffness of her shoulders.
When it was his turn, he spoke little. He mentioned surviving, training, fighting, but not the Death Blade, not the breakthrough that had nearly consumed him.
Billy noticed the omission. His sharp eyes lingered on Kelvin for a long moment before he chuckled. "Still hiding your best tricks, huh? Classic."
Kelvin didn't deny it.
---
That night, the three of them set camp near a ruined fountain. A faint trickle of water still dripped from its cracked basin, enough to fill their flasks.
Billy sprawled on a broken pillar, arms behind his head. "You know, Silvia, you've been traveling with him for a while now. Has he bored you to death yet? Or do you secretly enjoy his grumpy silence?"
Silvia flushed. "I—what—? No! He's… he's not boring."
"Oh?" Billy's grin widened. "So he does have his charms."
"Billy," Kelvin said warningly.
Silvia covered her face with her hands. "I regret everything."
The cousins exchanged a look, Kelvin's calm stare against Billy's mischievous smirk, and for the first time, Silvia realized something. This rivalry — this banter — wasn't just bickering. It was connection. A tether between two people who refused to admit how much they cared.
And maybe… just maybe, she was becoming part of that tether too.
---
The night deepened, the dungeon's silence broken only by the faint crackle of their campfire. Kelvin sat sharpening his blade, eyes distant. Billy dozed with a satisfied grin. Silvia leaned against a stone, her thoughts a whirlwind.
For the first time in days, she wasn't afraid.
But somewhere in the shadows, the dungeon stirred.
As if watching. Waiting.
---
Author's Note
And that's the reunion you've all been waiting for! 🎉 Kelvin and Silvia finally cross paths again — but with Billy Blackhead joining the mix, things are about to get even more chaotic. Their banter was a blast to write, and trust me, it's only the beginning of this cousinly rivalry.
💬 Tell me in the comments:
Who stole the show in this chapter — Kelvin's sharp calmness, Billy's chaotic energy, or Silvia's priceless reactions?
Do you think Billy will be a true ally… or a rival waiting for his chance?
And here's a little riddle for you readers:
> I am not alive, but I grow.
I have no mouth, but I can devour all.
The more I feed, the stronger I become.
What am I?
First to drop the answer gets a shoutout in the next chapter's AN 👀👌😏