It was late at night, yet Avilio's eyes refused to close. The biting cold seeped through the walls, keeping him restless. Beside him, Tora was already fast asleep, his exhaustion catching up.
Avilio turned on his side, stared at the ceiling for a while, then sighed. There was no point in lying idle. Pushing off the thin blanket, he got up quietly. That's when he noticed Liam's bed empty.
Figures. Guess I'm not the only one kept awake by this damned place, he thought.
Avilio pulled on his coat and stepped out into the corridor. The chill was sharper here, but a faint glow spilled from the balcony at the far end. He moved closer, boots creaking softly against the wooden floor.
There he found Liam, leaning against the railing, staring out at the snow-dusted streets of Hamming. His expression was unreadable, half-shadowed by moonlight.
"You couldn't sleep either?" Avilio asked, breaking the silence.
Liam didn't turn his head, but Avilio could see the faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Sleep doesn't come easy in places like this. Too quiet. Too cold. Makes you think too much."
Avilio stepped beside him, resting his arms on the railing. The air bit at his face, but the view of the town under the pale moonlight almost made it bearable. "What's on your mind, then?"
Liam shrugged. "Same as always. Why I'm still here. Why haven't I left." He paused, finally glancing at Avilio. "And maybe… wondering what the hell I am after, tagging along with you ."
Avilio chuckled under his breath, the cold air turning it into a faint cloud. "So that's what's eating you? You know sometimes I think that too. What I want? What will I do in this adventure? "
Liam leaned back on the railing, folding his arms. "Partly. Honestly, I thought you were just another weakling. You know… green marker." His eyes flicked towards Avilio. "Pupil rank. Nothing special."
Avilio smirked. "And what about you?"
Without a word, Liam tugged at his sleeve, pulling it back just enough to reveal the same green marker etched on his skin. Then he let the fabric fall again. "Same as you. Green. But I don't wear it on my arm like some badge. I don't care about what the Academy stamps on me. Doesn't mean anything."
Avilio studied him for a moment. "Then why bring it up?"
Liam's eyes gleamed in the moonlight, sharper than his usual indifferent gaze. "Because Tora talks about you. Says you're strong. Stronger than some experts maybe. And I want to see it for myself." He shifted closer, his tone gaining weight. "That's the only thing that's keeping me around right now. The only thing that motivates me. To see you fight. To see if you're worth all the quiet staring and the questions."
Avilio let the words hang in the frosty air. Then, with a faint grin, he muttered, "Careful what you wish for, Liam. You just might get it."
The two of them stood in silence again, the wind howling faintly beyond the balcony, their breath visible in the cold night. Somewhere behind them, the inn creaked as if listening.
The pale morning sun broke over Hamming, spilling a thin light across the frosted streets. The inn's common room was already alive with clattering mugs and the smell of hot broth.
Tora came down the stairs first, stretching his arms with a wide grin. "Ahh, nothing like a cold morning to wake you up! Come on, you two, the day's not going to wait!"
Avilio trailed behind him, his hair still slightly damp from a rushed wash, his eyes heavy with lack of sleep. Liam followed last, dragging his boots against the wooden floor, barely awake. Both looked like they'd fought the night more than they had rested.
"You two look like corpses," Tora laughed, patting them both on the back. "Don't tell me you stayed up gossiping like maidens."
Avilio just grunted, while Liam muttered, "Too loud…" and rubbed at his eyes.
After a hurried breakfast, they stepped out into the cold streets. Snow clung to the edges of rooftops, and the air stung their cheeks as they moved from alley to alley, asking merchants, innkeepers, and passersby.
"Selene? Haven't seen anyone by that name."
"No, lad. No such woman here."
"Try the fourth square, maybe."
Hour after hour passed. The streets grew busier, the smell of smoked fish and pine filling the air, but each answer was the same.
By noon, they stood at the edge of the town square, the frost crunching under their boots. Tora's shoulders slumped. "She's… not here."
Avilio folded his arms, scanning the bustling crowd. Liam sat on the edge of a stone fountain, looking utterly uninterested.
"She must've moved on," Avilio finally said.
Tora clenched his fists, his cheer dimming at last. "Then we keep looking. Hamming's too small for someone like her to stay long. But she has to be in one of the northern towns."
Avilio nodded faintly, though his eyes were already elsewhere—searching, calculating, as though something beyond Selene had already caught his interest.
The three of them lingered in the frozen square longer than they needed to, as though waiting for the town itself to offer a clue. But the faces that passed by were strangers, and the voices that drifted on the icy wind carried no answers. Eventually, even Tora had to admit defeat.
"Let's head back," he muttered, pushing himself up from the fountain's ledge. His boots scraped against the frost. "No use freezing here like statues."
The inn felt warmer than it had that morning, though the heat from the hearth could not thaw the weight of disappointment pressing on him. Tora dropped into a chair by the fire, silent for once, staring into the flames as if searching for Selene's reflection there.
Avilio leaned against the wall, arms folded, his expression unreadable. He hadn't expected Selene to be waiting here, his instincts had told him from the beginning that the trail would stretch farther. But still, watching Tora's silence gnawed at him.
Liam, on the other hand, seemed utterly indifferent. He sprawled across the bench with his bow resting against the table, nibbling on the crust of bread he'd scavenged from the counter. His eyes kept drifting to the fire, glazed, as though the search had been nothing more than another chore in a long line of disappointments.
Breaking the silence, Avilio spoke. "She's not here. But she left signs."
Tora's head snapped up. "What do you mean?"
"People knew the name," Avilio said slowly. "It was written on their faces. Selene was here, once. Not long ago."
Tora clenched his jaw, the firelight throwing sharp shadows across his features. "Then we're close. Closer than I thought."
Liam scoffed. "So what now? We chase ghosts across towns until she decides to sit still? Sounds like a waste."
Avilio's gaze shifted to him, steady and calm. "Not a waste. A path. Every ghost leaves a trail if you know how to follow."
For a moment, Liam seemed ready to argue, but instead he went quiet, hugging his bow closer. The boy's silence was not agreement, but it wasn't rejection either.
Tora finally exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. "Alright. Tomorrow, we move again. The northern route—she'd take that way if she went to the cliffs. We'll follow."
Avilio gave a small nod. His mind, however, was already elsewhere. Not just on Selene, but on the boy beside the fire, and the faint tattoo hidden under his sleeve. The mark that had stirred something long buried.
Outside, the bells of Hamming rang faintly in the cold air, signaling the close of day. The sound was thin, almost fragile, as though the town itself whispered a warning.
But none of the three listened. Their thoughts were already reaching for the road ahead.