"We're here." Lucia's voice snapped him from his reverie.
Ashen stepped down from the carriage, boots striking stone, and found himself facing a large building near the Citadel's center.
Unlike the ruins around it, this one still stood strong, almost pristine by comparison.
He trailed behind Lucia as she approached the entrance with unhurried steps, yet the click-clack of her heels carried a quiet poise, each one edged with unshakable confidence.
Inside, rows of counters stretched out before them, staffed by clerks who looked like they'd long since forgotten the concept of joy.
Lucia strode up to one.
"I'd like to open a new vault," she said.
"ID?" the woman behind the counter replied, her voice flatter than old paper.
Lucia turned to Ashen, and he quickly fished out the identification card he'd received back in the Tutorial City.
The clerk scanned it with a few quick taps on her tablet before sliding it back along with a small set of keys.
"These will be your vault keys," she droned. "Lose them, and you'll be penalized."
She slid the final confirmation across the counter. "Fifty thousand points."
Lucia handed over a SlimSlate without hesitation — already preloaded with the exact amount- and gestured for Ashen to follow her.
"We've opened a vault for your gear," she explained casually, eyes scanning the number etched on the keys. "You don't want to stroll back into Esperra dressed like a walking war crime, right?"
"...Right." Ashen managed, lips twitching. 'Yeah... wouldn't even pass for cosplay…'
They passed through another door, and Ashen came to an abrupt halt.
The room beyond was impossibly vast, easily hundreds of times larger than the building's exterior suggested.
Vaults stretched out in every direction, neat rows of reinforced doors, each marked by glowing numbers.
He followed Lucia like a lost duckling, eyes wide, until she stopped so suddenly he almost collided with her.
"It's here." She opened the vault directly ahead and handed him the keys.
"Don't lose them. Don't give them away. And don't let them get stolen. Everything in here stays safe… unless you're stupid."
Ashen gave a vague nod, still slightly dazed, before removing his gear. Spear. Leather armor. Backpack.
He stowed them carefully within the vault, leaving himself in simple black pants, a plain white shirt, and military boots that clacked softly against the stone floor.
"Alright." Lucia pivoted on her heel. "Let's head to the teleportation station. The faster you leave, the more time you'll have with your family and friends, right?"
Ashen's steps slowed.
Family.
The word hit harder than expected.
'Right... I'm actually going back.'
The thought settled in his stomach, heavy, twisting, and for the first time in a while, he felt nervous.
Really nervous.
As they left the bank and drifted closer to the Citadel's center, Lucia noticed the way Ashen's eyes kept flicking around, jittery and restless.
"Why so nervous now? Isn't this what you wanted?" she asked, eyeing him curiously.
"...It's nothing." Ashen shook his head.
Lucia shrugged. "Suit yourself. Just remember the rules, alright?"
"I know." He exhaled, mildly exasperated. "Keep the existence of Seravelle a secret. Stay there for a maximum of three days. You've only drilled it into my skull ten times already."
"Good. Then just try not to stir up trouble on the first day. I'll catch up with you as soon as I'm done here."
Ashen rolled his eyes. "I'm not a kid, you know. Relax."
"You weren't much different from one when I first met you." She shot him a teasing glance.
"Ah... don't go there." His eye twitched.
Lucia smiled faintly, conceding. "Fine. But it is my right as your partner to ensure your emotional stability."
"Partners, huh..." Ashen murmured, before letting a small, serene smile rise to his lips. "Alright then. I'll wait for you, partner."
Lucia slowed to a stop, returning his smile. "I'll be back before you know it."
Ashen just waved without looking back, his jittery feelings already shaken off.
The teleportation gates rose before him, towering structures labeled in bold letters, each one a portal to a different region of Esperra.
He lined up beneath the gate marked Vandalar, his homeland.
One by one, people ahead of him vanished in flashes of light. With every departure, the line shrank, and his heartbeat quickened.
Finally, it was his turn.
Ashen took a deep breath.
'Let's hope for the best.'
He stepped forward, and weightlessness swallowed him whole. Darkness blurred his vision.
.
Then, clarity.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a small, quiet room.
"First time?" came a voice from behind.
Ashen turned sharply.
An elderly man sat comfortably on a wooden chair, eyeing him with knowing amusement.
"Your face gave it away," the man chuckled.
"...Yeah. First time. Where am I?" Ashen asked, steadying himself.
The man merely gestured to the nearby door. "See for yourself."
Ashen nodded and stepped outside.
An antique shop greeted him. Dusty shelves, trinkets, and the faint scent of old wood tickled his nose. It seemed that he was in a backroom of sorts.
'They're setting these teleportation points in inconspicuous places…' he thought, already moving with urgency.
When he finally stepped out into the open street, the sight hit him harder than expected.
Passersby wandered casually. Billboards flashed with color. The hum of car engines filled the air.
Normal life.
His chest tightened.
The simple way people laughed... relaxed... drifted by without a care; it felt alien.
Like some forgotten dream.
Something he used to take for granted now felt impossibly rare.
'What a joke,' he thought bitterly.
But even so… even if this moment was borrowed or fleeting, he was grateful.
No matter how short his stay... this was home.
☽⟲✧⸸✧⟲☾
Volume 1 : A Wretched Soul Striving to Reclaim Its Splendor ~ End.