The heavy doors shut behind them with a final, echoing boom. What should have felt like homecoming was a cage of silence and splintered emotion.

  No one sat. No one rested.

  The room was alive with movement—like a caged storm.

  Iver paced like a warhound too long off the field.

  Marian gripped the hilt of her dagger, spinning it nervously in her hand.

  Josh threw a pillow across the room—hard.

  Rica stood by the window, unmoving, arms crossed.

  Rej had kicked off her boots and was pacing in socks, hair disheveled.

  Kristie and Cedy sat on the floor back-to-back, murmuring fast, heated thoughts.

  Lily was by the bookshelf, flipping through a closed book.

  Seri sat on the carpet, legs tucked under her, holding Bubbles—who was flickering from pale blue to pink in response to her emotions.

  Jonax leaned against a column, arms folded, chewing at her nail.

  Elly stood by the fireplace, silent, fingers shaking as she tried—and failed—to untie her cloak.

  The tension was unbearable. Then—

  Josh (shouting):

  "This is insane! Ren saves everyone and gets thrown in the dungeon like a damn criminal?!"

  Kristie (biting):

  "Was anyone else listening when she said she had to calm the nobles? What kind of garbage is that?!"

  Elly (soft but firm):

  "No... that wasn't just politics. That was fear. They're scared of him."

  Rej (snorting):

  "Of Ren? The guy who once cried because a mouse passed through his legs?"

  Cedy (arms flailing):

  "Exactly! That's why this whole thing's messed up! He's not a threat—he's Ren. Our Ren!"

  Lily (cool, voice sharp):

  "Doesn't matter what we know. The nobles see a powerful indvidual hiding under a mercenary name with half the kingdom loving him. They think he's a threat to the crown."

  Jonax (quietly):

  "Then maybe they should be afraid."

  Everyone looked at her.

  Jonax (shrugging, eyes fierce):

  "They made him fight for them. Made him bleed. Now they want to chain him? That's on them."

  Iver (gritting his teeth):

  "I should've stopped him. I knew he was going to walk straight into those cuffs. Knew it and didn't move."

  Rica (still staring out the window):

  "You wouldn't have stopped him. No one could have."

  Marian:

  "He knew this was coming. That's why he looked so calm. Like he accepted it."

  Seri (tears in her eyes):

  "Then he's an idiot... idiot."

  Bubbles pulsed a warm pink in agreement.

  Kristie (snorting):

  "We should've grabbed him and ran."

  Rej:

  "And do what? Start a war with the entire kingdom?"

  Cedy:

  "Honestly? I was ready."

  Josh (pointing):

  "Same. I almost decked Lucien until he pulled that spear on us."

  Marain (bitter):

  "He wouldn't have stabbed you both. I bet he doesn't have the balls."

  Iver (cutting in):

  "No. He would've. You saw his eyes."

  Lily:

  "They're all boxed in. Just like us."

  Rica finally turned from the window. Her voice, cool and commanding, cut through the storm.

  Rica:

  "Enough. Throwing tantrums won't free him."

  Elly (eyes glowing with pain):

  "Then what will?"

  Rica:

  "We think. We plan. Like Ren would."

  Jonax (challenging):

  "He'd want us to let it play out. Trust in the Queen. Trust in justice."

  Kristie (snorts):

  "Yeah? And when has the system ever worked for people like us?"

  Rej:

  "Guys, seriously. What are they gonna do to him?"

  The room quieted.

  Rica stepped forward, unfurling a cloth map of the capital, her fingers tapping near the lower dungeons.

  Rica:

  "They'll keep him there. Isolated. They'll interrogate him—softly at first. But if the pressure from nobles builds, they'll push for trial. Maybe exile... maybe worse."

  Elly (eyes wide):

  "They wouldn't dare—"

  Rica (cutting in):

  "They would. Especially if someone frames this whole thing like a coup in the making. They'll say we're mercenaries gathering influence around to become a threat to the whole kingdom or whatever.

  Josh:

  "We aren't doing that."

  Marian:

  "Doesn't matter. People don't need facts. Just a good story."

  Seri:

  "So... what do we do?"

  Rica met each of their eyes—fire burning behind her composed facade.

  Rica:

  "We find out what's happening in that castle. Who's stirring the nobles. Who benefits from silencing Ren. And when the time comes—if they move to punish him for saving the world—we make sure the whole kingdom sees the truth."

  Cedy:

  "How?"

  Kristie (grinning slightly):

  "Same way we always do, baby."

  Rej:

  "Chaos?"

  Kristie:

  "Showmanship."

  Jonax:

  "And fire. Lots of fire."

  Lily:

  "Count me in."

  Seri (smiling through tears):

  "For Ren."

  Iver (cracking his knuckles):

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  "For the family."

  They all turned toward the map, toward the unknown.

  But their resolve was no longer fractured.

  Because even though the kingdom wanted to treat Ren like a threat—

  To them,

  He was still their captain.

  ...

  The tension in Stray Dawn's chamber hadn't yet settled when—

  The doors slammed open.

  Heavy boots. Polished armor. Royal Guard.

  And in the middle of them, as if they were guests arriving fashionably late to a dinner party...

  Lord Caerus Velmire stepped into the room with a flamboyant flick of his wrist, followed by Lady Thalassa, serene and sharp in silken blues.

  Caerus (fanning himself dramatically):

  "Oooh~ what's this? Is Stray Dawn plotting something again? My, my... what terrifying creatures you are."

  The room stiffened. Kristie muttered something under her breath that might've been a slur.

  Lady Thalassa (smiling too widely):

  "We do hope we're not intruding~ But, you see, with your... colorful reputation, some of the High Circle were worried. They asked us to ensure there's nothing, how do we say it—explosive happening in here."

  Cedy (flat):

  "Explosive like your perfume?"

  Caerus laughed—an airy, fake little chuckle.

  Caerus:

  "Delightful wit. I see comedy is one of your weapons too."

  Josh (stepping forward):

  "We've done nothing wrong."

  Thalassa (tilting her head):

  "Which is exactly what someone with secrets would say."

  The guards began walking around the chamber—rifling through trunks, lifting bed sheets, checking behind curtains.

  Rej:

  "Do we even have anything suspicious?"

  Marian:

  "Just Josh's socks."

  Iver (low):

  "This is a stunt."

  Caerus:

  "A precaution, darling. After all, harboring a hidden monster, swaying the hearts of the people... you can't expect us not to worry. What if you all decide to....you know burn this whole kingdom to the ground, hm?"

  Rica (stepping forward):

  "If you think we're planning treason, say it. Don't dance around it like drunk nobles at a ball."

  Thalassa (glancing at her nails):

  "We'd never make such accusations without... evidence. But accidents happen. And kings do have enemies."

  Jonax (deadpan):

  "Careful. You're getting your poison all over the floor."

  A guard tried to lift a satchel and Bubbles hissed, expanding into a puff of angry pink mist.

  Seri scooped him up quickly.

  Caerus (dramatic gasp):

  "Aetherian lifeforms? In the sleeping quarters? My stars, are we allowing wild beasts indoors now?"

  Kristie (grinning):

  "You're indoors right now, aren't you?"

  A rare silence followed. One of the guards looked like he was fighting a smile.

  Caerus snapped his fan shut and turned, mask slipping for just a second—enough to show the disgust under the veneer.

  Caerus:

  "Well. It appears there's nothing treacherous... yet."

  Thalassa:

  "But should that change... we'll be watching."

  (She looked directly at Elly as she said this, then added sweetly:)

  "Sleep tight, dear. I hear dungeons are so drafty this time of year."

  They turned to leave—trailing perfume, tension, and disgust in their wake.

  The moment the doors slammed shut, Rej threw a cushion at the wall.

  Rej:

  "I hate them."

  Kristie:

  "I want to set their robes on fire."

  Jonax:

  "I want to watch you do it."

  ...

  The room flickered in candlelight. Velvet curtains, gold-lined walls, and the scent of too-sweet perfume hung thick in the air.

  Lord Caerus Velmire reclined lazily on a chaise, swirling red wine in a crystal glass, legs crossed as if the world itself bowed beneath his boots. Beside him, Lady Thalassa Velmire lounged by the hearth, her long fingers tracing the rim of her own glass with patient malice.

  Caerus (mocking, playful):

  "Oh, Stray Dawn~ Such passion. Such chaos. The nerve to bare their teeth in the throne room... like untrained animals begging for scraps."

  Thalassa (smiling, cold):

  "And the court clapped."

  (she sips her wine)

  "Clapped, Caerus. For them. While we—the spine of this kingdom—were left to applaud in silence."

  Caerus (dramatically sighs):

  "Imagine. A band of vagabonds, mercenaries, gutter-bred mongrels parading around in the halls of kings. And favoured, no less."

  He sat up, eyes sharp despite his smile.

  Caerus:

  "They speak to royalty as though they're equals. No bow, no grace, no decorum. Especially that one... Ren."

  Thalassa (her voice like silk on a blade):

  "The Flame of Starborn?"

  Caerus (nods):

  "Mmm. No nobility. No lineage. No charm. Just dead eyes and a foul tone. The fact that he dares walk the palace floors—our floors—is a stain."

  Thalassa stood, trailing her fingers along the edge of a gilded map of the kingdom pinned on the wall. She tapped her nail against an unclaimed region near the border.

  Thalassa:

  "And yet, here lies our opportunity."

  Caerus:

  "Ren will be the first stone we step on."

  Thalassa (calmly):

  "We turn him into a spectacle. Parade his crimes. Whisper just the right words into the right ears. Protect the throne, we'll say."

  Caerus (smirking):

  "Expose him as a threat. A fraud. Or better yet... a traitor."

  He stood and walked to her, placing a hand on her waist as they both stared at the map, wine glasses clinking softly.

  Caerus:

  "The royal family will beg for protection. And we'll be there—loyal, wise, noble—offering exactly that. In return..."

  Thalassa (completing his thought):

  "Land. Title. A province to govern. At last, a seat befitting our blood."

  They raised their glasses in toast.

  Caerus:

  "To Stray Dawn... and their gracious fall."

  Thalassa:

  "To Ren—the pebble beneath our boots."

  They drank.

  And somewhere, in the cold dungeon stone beneath the castle...

  Ren's silence echoed back.

  ...

  Darkness. Moist stone. The air is still—like even time refuses to linger here.

  A single torch flickered against the mossy walls, shadows dancing across the bars. Chains clinked faintly in the distance, and somewhere—drip, drip, drip—the sound of water echoed like a ticking clock.

  Lying on a cracked stone bed, Ren rested with his arms behind his head, eyes half-lidded, lips forming a lazy smirk.

  Ren (low, dry):

  "Hmm... always wondered how prison felt like..."

  He sat up slowly, bones cracking as he stretched.

  Ren (shrugging):

  "So this is how it feels.

  Kinda hollow, if I'm being honest."

  He stood, brushing dust from his coat and stepping barefoot onto the cold floor. His fingers dragged across the rough stone walls, then the rusty iron bars, and finally the dented tin plate where food used to be.

  He frowned.

  Ren:

  "...Oh right. The rat."

  Cut to: a small rat in the corner, proudly gnawing on a leftover bone.

  Ren (sighing):

  "Damn, they should learn how to clean up this place. Don't they know any hygiene?

  Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

  Suddenly—

  CLANK.

  The dungeon door creaked open. Boots echoed down the hall. A familiar silhouette stood under the torchlight—Rica, arms crossed, cloak trailing behind her like a queen in mourning.

  Rica (dryly):

  "Do you really have the leisure to diss others' hygiene...

  when you're the one behind bars?"

  Ren (grinning):

  "Hey, I may be in prison, but at least I didn't commit war crimes against soap."

  Rica (steps closer, unimpressed):

  "You still think joking makes this better?"

  Ren (leaning on the bars, mockingly):

  "Better? No. But it does make it fun."

  They stood in silence. Rica's eyes scanned him, searching for something beneath the sarcasm.

  Rica (quietly):

  "Why didn't you ask us for help, Ren?"

  Ren looked away, grip on the bars loosening. His voice lost the edge of a joke.

  Ren (flatly):

  "It was... necessary."

  The words struck like a blade.

  Rica (stepping forward, anger rising):

  "Necessary?!"

  She slammed her fist against the bars. The sound echoed.

  Rica:

  "Don't you know everyone was ready to start a war for you!?

  We were willing to fight, to bleed, to stand with you—for you!

  But how are we supposed to do that when you're the one surrendering?"

  Ren stayed silent. His eyes drifted toward the stone floor, the shadows swallowing the rest of his expression.

  Ren (quietly):

  "...That's the problem, Rica.

  You guys would go to such lengths... and I don't want that."

  Rica (voice breaking, furious):

  "Oh shut up, you hypocrite!

  You're the one who always goes to such lengths—even when we tell you not to!"

  She shook her head, stepping back a pace as the emotions she held back for hours began to pour.

  Rica:

  "You think we didn't notice?

  Back then, when you faced Aequinox alone? When you told us not to worry with that stupid smile—that smile with tears clinging to your eyes—and said..."

  Her voice cracked as she mimicked:

  Rica (mocking, trembling):

  "Don't worry... I'm strong."

  She clenched her fists. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

  Rica:

  "My ass."

  She looked at him—really looked.

  Rica (soft but sharp):

  "Stop being like this, Ren."

  Ren finally raised his gaze to meet hers. No smirk. Just quiet.

  Rica (through gritted teeth):

  "You always act like we're fragile. Like we'll break.

  Well, we won't.

  Because we cherish you too, idiot."

  She stepped forward, placing a hand gently on the bars.

  Rica (firmly):

  "So I'm making a promise.

  Not you. Me.

  We're going to save you from this."

  She leaned in—eyes unwavering.

  Rica:

  "And this time...

  We go home.

  Together."