[Dude, that must have hurt.]
"Not gonna lie, it hurt like hell," I muttered, feeling the sting on my cheek as I watched Sera cry herself to sleep in my arms.
[Why didn't you dodge?]
"I didn't expect she'd actually hit me," I said, brushing a strand of hair from Sera's face.
[Yeah, tell that to a squirrel, not to someone who's known you for a century. You wanted that hit for being an ass to her, didn't you?]
I just smiled. Lying to Nexar never worked anyway.
"Ahmm…" Sera shifted against me, mumbling as her head rubbed against my chest.
"Rune…" she whispered, still half-asleep.
"Okay now… we should get moving."
"Five more minutes…" she mumbled, voice groggy.
I stood up abruptly, and she almost toppled out of my arms.
"Hey!" she protested.
"Rest time's over. Move your ass," I said.
She pouted, brushing dirt from her dress. "Idiot…" she muttered under her breath.
I picked up our luggage and started walking. She trailed behind me, silent for a while, until she finally spoke.
"So… what was in Shadowfen Valley?" she asked.
"You'll know when we get there," I said flatly.
"I see…" Her voice dipped. Then, after a pause, it cracked a little.
"I didn't mean a single word I shouted at you."
I looked at her from the corner of my eye before turning to face the road. My urge to tease her won.
"Oh? You mean about me being a bum? Or a crybaby? Or maybe a burden?" I teased.
"You're not a burden!" she shot back instantly, voice rising.
"It's not me who said it," I replied, mocking her tone.
"It wasn't me either…" her voice wavered. "I wasn't myself when I said that."
"Sure," I said with a smirk.
That's when I noticed it. Her footsteps had stopped. I turned. Sera stood frozen in the middle of the forest, her head lowered, shoulders trembling.
"Umm… Sera?" I called.
"Hhhic" A hiccup escaped. Then another. Oh, crap, she was crying.
I hurried over. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I was just kidding."
She wiped at her eyes, sniffled, then said softly, "Hug me."
"Huh?" I blinked.
"Hug me," she repeated.
I stepped closer, raising my hand to pat her shoulder.
"Just kidding!" she burst out suddenly, her face lighting up as she darted past me.
"What are you, ten?" I called after her.
She stuck her tongue out, teasing, before skipping ahead on the path.
I sighed and followed right after.
*****
"Is that the valley?" Sera asked, standing at the cliff's edge. The evening breeze tossed her hair wildly, but it wasn't just her hair that was caught in it. Her skirt fluttered dangerously, and if anyone was still climbing up behind her, well… let's just say they'd get more of a view than they bargained for. Just like me.
"Hey, Rune, that's it, right? That's where we're going?" Her voice pulled my gaze back to her face, her features sharp in the warm glow of dusk.
"Yep," I said. "But don't celebrate yet. It looks close, but we still have at least three hours of walking to get there."
Her shoulders slumped. "Fine…" she muttered, trudging down the path.
I followed a step behind her. "So, you gonna tell me why we're heading there?" she asked.
"This is the third time you've asked, you know."
"Wouldn't be the third time if you actually answered me the first time," she shot back, pouting adorably.
"I'm not telling just because you're acting cute," I said.
"Hey! I'm not acting cute. I am cute," she corrected, spinning around to face me while still walking backwards.
"Fine, fine." I gave in with a sigh. "We're going to meet someone special."
"Someone special?" she repeated, still walking backwards.
"Yep. And after that, we'll be doing a dungeon run."
Her head snapped up. "What—?!" The word "dungeon" must've short-circuited her focus because her foot slipped on the uneven rocks. She lurched forward, but I caught her by the waist before she could hit the ground.
"Careful," I said, steadying her.
She blinked up at me, cheeks flushed. "Thank you…"
Her cherry-coloured lips were close to mine and almost tempting.
"No worries. Just.. focus on the road." I said, my gaze escaping her lips.
"Road, my ass!" she snapped. "What do you mean by dungeon?"
"You know, the usual. Mana beasts, multiple floors, treasure at the end," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, funny. Rune, you can't just—" She cut herself off mid-sentence, eyes narrowing in thought. Then her voice shifted, more deliberate. "Wait… you do know how to fight."
"Yep." I couldn't help but grin, already bracing for the interrogation.
"You knew parry techniques more advanced than what were taught in our institution," she said, eyes scanning me like she was piecing a puzzle together. "And your instincts… they are honed enough to dodge things you shouldn't even be able to see." Her gaze hardened. "And that burst of speed.. you knew how to channel mana through your legs on the fly. Even I can't do that."
She stepped closer, her sky-blue eyes locking with mine. "Rune, do you trust me?"
I nodded.
"I hope you trust me enough to tell me what's really going on."
I nodded again.
She didn't flinch. Didn't show the confusion I expected. Just determination, burning in her eyes. Waiting.
I opened my mouth. "The real question is the other way around, Sera. Do you trust me enough to believe whatever I'm about to tell you?"
Her hands rose, small and warm as she took my arm and held my hand tight against her chest.
"I do," she said softly. "From the bottom of my heart."
[What a moment. I should just turn on soft tou—]
Nexar's tried to say something, but I waved the window away.
Her affection toward me… it had to be around 88. That should be enough, right? Enough for her to believe me if I told her the truth about my past life, about what happened to her back then, about what I did to Vorrak, and what I plan to do for everyone else now.
But would she really believe me? I wasn't sure. The determination in her eyes was pure, though, and it made me want to believe she would.
As I wrestled with my thoughts, Nexar's words shimmered beside me.
[Rune, do you know how affection points are calculated?]
...I don't, I replied silently, frowning. Strange time for him to bring this up.
Then he wrote again.
[For the first twenty affection, each affection stat only gives half an affection point. It's easy to raise it to twenty, but from twenty-one to sixty, every step forward counts as a full point. From sixty-one to seventy, each affection stat is worth two points. Which means, getting to sixty is already enough for most bonds to last a lifetime. But from there, climbing higher becomes almost impossible.]
I stayed quiet, listening.
[From seventy-one to eighty, each affection is worth three points. Anyone at that stage is already bound to you. They're loyal for life. From eighty to ninety? Each stat is worth four points. The kind of affection that reaches there… it means they can't live without you. Tell them anything, they'll believe it. If you're in danger, they'll throw their life away without hesitation. So stop overthinking.]
I let out a slow breath. I see, so that was how I was rewarded 132 affection points for 88 affection. I answered him silently.
[Yes. That was one of the reasons I recommended Sera to be your first crew mate. She has the highest affection towards you than anyone you've met in your 4 lives.]
Turning back to Sera, I raised my hand and touched her cheek. She leaned into my palm, eyes soft, a small smile tugging at her lips, simple, innocent, and almost unbearably cute.
"Sera…" I said softly, locking eyes with her icy-blue gaze.
"Yes," she answered instantly, like she'd been waiting for me to speak all along. Not because she just wanted to know what she was getting herself into. But because she wanted to know me. Every truth. Every scar. And maybe… proof that I trusted her enough to say it all.
I let out a long breath. "I'm… reincarnated," I said.
Her eyes widened, staring at me like I'd just started speaking in mandarin. But she didn't pull away.
So I told her everything.
I told her what happened to her in my past life, the nightmare I endured under false accusations, the torture that nearly broke me. I told her what I did to Vorrak, and the plans I had for each one of my targets. I told her about Cassandra, and how I intended to stop her from being overthrown. About the Emperor's schemes. About the blood, the betrayal of Galad, the rise that ended with me becoming the Warlord.
And through it all, she just listened. Every word. Every detail. Her eyes never left mine, as though she was trying to feel the weight of everything I'd been through.
Her cheek still pressed gently into my hand. Her fingers held my other arm close against her chest, like she was anchoring me, keeping me steady, while I finally let go of the truth.