The six of them sat around a table, nursing their drinks, a candle flickering softly and casting jagged shadows along the stone walls. The air in the room was heavy, thick with uncertainty, and the occasional creak of old wood filled the silence between words.

  Jax exhaled sharply, shaking his head. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his gaze shifting from one face to another, searching for any hint of deception. "I still can't believe the king is dead," he muttered. "Honestly, I'm still half a mind that you guys are just making this up as some elaborate joke. It’s exactly the kind of thing Fenric would pull."

  Fenric snorted. "Yeah, because I’ve got nothing better to do than to make up a story just to mess with you. Get over yourself."

  Jax narrowed his eyes and pointed at Soren. "You, you look suspiciously smug."

  Soren held up his hands. "Don't look at me. Even I wouldn’t joke about something like this."

  Viktor sighed, rubbing his temple. "It’s not a prank, Jax. I wish it was."

  Jax sighed, drumming his fingers on the table. "Yeah, I know. It’s just... Phanos was supposed to be untouchable. He’s been ruling since before we were born. Feels like the whole world just shifted."

  Mira, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. "What do you guys think this will mean for the guild? For us?"

  Arelos rolled his shoulders, glancing toward the candlelight as though searching for an answer within the flickering glow. "Depends on how the dukes react. If they start clawing at the throne, the guild’s going to get a lot more cautious. Combat training will ramp up, but missions? Might see fewer of them for a while."

  Viktor nodded. "Voralis warned us not to dally when we headed out today."

  Mira frowned. "Because of this? You think he already knew?"

  "Wouldn’t surprise me," Viktor admitted. "The way he looked at me before we left... It was like he knew something was coming. He wouldn’t say a word about it, though."

  Jax groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "What is with that guy? Why is he so invested in your training and safety, especially yours, Viktor?"

  Viktor’s jaw tightened. "We've got history."

  Jax waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that. But what history? You claim you're not related."

  Viktor’s voice turned firm. "And as I’ve said before, I can’t disclose that, Jax. So quit asking."

  Fenric, who had been growing increasingly annoyed, finally cut in. "Yeah, drop it, Jax. Not everything has to be your business."

  Jax held up his hands. "Fine, fine. You all act like I’m prying into some deep, sacred mystery."

  Fenric rolled his eyes. "Because maybe you are."

  Jax ignored him and stood. "Whatever. I need a refill. Anyone else?"

  "We only brought six ciders," Viktor reminded him.

  Jax smirked, tapping his knuckles against the edge of the table. "Yeah, but we picked up something a little stronger on the way back. Any takers?"

  Viktor glanced around the table, then shrugged. "Sure, I’ll have one."

  "Same here," Mira added, offering a small smile.

  Jax looked over at Arelos and Soren, but both shook their heads.

  He pulled out a bottle from his pack and started filling up the mugs. The rich, amber liquid caught the candlelight, glinting as he poured. Just as he was about to hand out the drinks, Fenric huffed and crossed his arms.

  "What about me?"

  Jax raised an eyebrow. "Do you want one?"

  Fenric scoffed, shaking his head. "No, but it would've been polite to ask at least."

  Jax rolled his eyes. "Oh, forgive me, your highness. Next time, I’ll formally inquire."

  Fenric muttered something under his breath, but Jax ignored him and slid the drinks toward Mira and Viktor.

  Jax raised his mug. "To King Phanos."

  They clinked their mugs together and downed the drink in one go. Viktor barely swallowed before wincing, his face scrunching up as the alcohol burned its way down.

  "That’s... spicier than I expected," he admitted, coughing slightly.

  Mira smirked, setting her mug down with a satisfying thunk. "You're just weak."

  Viktor shot her a look. "Who are you calling weak? Pretty sure I humiliated you the last time Cadugan paired us together."

  Mira leaned in slightly, her smirk deepening. "Oh yeah? That’s not how I remember it."

  Viktor arched a brow. "What, I beat you so badly your memory got jostled?"

  Mira tilted her head. "Maybe. How about you give me a reminder?"

  Viktor’s grin widened. "That can be arranged."

  Jax groaned dramatically. "Ugh, get a room, you two."

  Viktor shot him a glance. "Good idea."

  Without hesitation, he stood, took Mira by the hand, and led her toward the adjacent room. Mira threw a playful glance over her shoulder before disappearing through the doorway with him, leaving the rest of the group behind at the table.

  Jax sighed, shaking his head as he reached for the bottle. "I’m gonna need another drink."

  Viktor and Mira sat on a bench, positioned just out of earshot from the others. The murmur of voices from the next room filled the quiet space between them, distant but ever-present. Viktor reached over, gently tucking a loose strand of Mira’s hair behind her ear. She let him, but her eyes stayed sharp and amused.

  “So…” Viktor started, tilting his head slightly. “You gonna tell me what you guys did in the city today?”

  Mira smirked. “Nope.”

  Viktor let out a short chuckle. “C’mon now, not even a little hint?”

  “Not a chance.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. “But Jax knows?”

  “Yep.”

  “Because he was with you?”

  Mira hummed affirmatively, the corners of her lips twitching upward.

  Viktor let out a dramatic sigh. “Should I be jealous?”

  She raised a brow, feigning innocence. “Are you?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  Mira leaned in slightly, her voice teasing. “Just a little?”

  “Fine,” he relented. “Maybe a lot.”

  “Good.”

  Viktor scoffed, shaking his head. “How is that good?”

  Mira grinned, the playful glint in her eyes unmistakable. “It’s nice to know you care.”

  Before Viktor could counter, she reached up and kissed him. He responded without hesitation, his hand finding the curve of her back as she leaned into him. When they finally parted, Mira rested her head on his shoulder, their fingers loosely intertwined. For a moment, they simply sat there, listening to the quiet buzz of conversation from the other room, the warmth between them enough to fill the silence.

  After a beat, Mira shifted slightly, reaching into her pocket. She pulled something out and held it toward him. “This is for you.”

  Viktor took it, turning the object over in his hands. A leather armband, rich and dark, with intricate carvings etched along its surface. His thumb ran along the patterns as he studied it.

  “It’s nice,” he admitted, impressed. “But why are you giving it to me?”

  Mira shrugged, though there was a softness to her expression. “Well, it’s not your birthday or anything, but we weren’t really close for your last one. And I’ve been wanting to get you something for a while now.”

  Viktor’s lips twitched. “So that’s what you were doing in the city?”

  Mira nodded. “Yeah. Jax tagged along after he finished his errands, because I didn’t want to go to the markets alone.”

  Viktor turned the band over once more, then held it out to her. “Here, help me put it on.”

  She took it and slid it over his wrist, adjusting it so it sat securely. She gave a satisfied nod. “Looks good on you.”

  Viktor flexed his wrist slightly, admiring it. “Now I feel bad I haven’t gotten you anything.”

  Mira let out a soft laugh. “Don’t start that. I didn’t give it to you expecting something in return. That’d kind of defeat the whole point, wouldn’t it?”

  “Maybe,” Viktor conceded, though his smirk lingered.

  Mira leaned in again, capturing his lips in another kiss. He responded in kind, letting the moment stretch between them, until once again, they settled back into comfortable silence.

  Then, after a long pause, Mira spoke. “Things are going to change soon, aren’t they?”

  Viktor exhaled slowly. “Yeah. I think so.”

  Mira’s fingers toyed with the edge of his sleeve. “It’ll be dangerous, won’t it?”

  Another nod. “I’d imagine so.”

  She hesitated before speaking again, her voice quieter this time. “Ever thought about just leaving?”

  Viktor turned his head slightly to look at her. “Leaving?”

  “Yeah.” Mira’s gaze remained fixed ahead. “The kingdom. Maybe go to Dastara, Vorum… maybe even somewhere beyond the fractured empire.”

  He blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion. “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “Well… think about it,” she murmured. “We could, you know.”

  Viktor let out a breathy chuckle. “And do what?”

  Mira shrugged. “I don’t know. We’d figure something out.”

  “What, like farming?” he teased.

  She turned to him with a mock-serious expression. “I mean, sure, that’d be an option.”

  Viktor snorted. “You? Farming?”

  Mira smirked. “What? I could do it.”

  “I’d pay to see that.”

  She lightly elbowed him. “Okay, rude.”

  He chuckled, but after a beat, his expression sobered. “It’s not that I don’t like the idea. It’s just…” He paused. “I still have things I need to do here.”

  Mira’s brows drew together, frustration flickering across her face. “The family you refuse to talk about?”

  Viktor shifted uncomfortably. “It’s complicated.”

  Mira exhaled through her nose. “You always say that.”

  Rather than respond, Viktor pivoted. “Besides, the guild would never let us just run away.”

  Mira scoffed. “The guild deals with deserters all the time. Their reach isn’t endless, despite what the warden wants you to believe.”

  “I know,” Viktor admitted. “But still. The guild’s been good to me. To us.”

  Mira made a face. “Has it?”

  Viktor gave her a look. “Come on.”

  She exhaled, shaking her head. “I just don’t want you feeling like you owe them your life.”

  Viktor leaned back slightly. “It’s not that I owe them my life. But I can’t just leave my friends behind.”

  “Bring them,” Mira said simply.

  Viktor chuckled. “Just bring them?”

  Mira nodded. “Yeah. Knowing them, they’d probably follow you without hesitation.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Viktor mused. “Arelos seems to really enjoy his current life.”

  Mira scoffed. “You sure? He always looks so bored.”

  “Nah,” Viktor said with a smirk. “That’s his happy face.”

  Mira shot him a skeptical look. “If you say so.”

  “I do say so.” He grinned before leaning in once more, capturing her lips in another kiss.

  Another hour or so passed in quiet and intimate conversation, murmured words exchanged in the low flickering candlelight, until the door creaked open and Soren stepped inside, stretching his arms over his head with a weary sigh.

  "C'mon, guys, we're all feeling pretty beat," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's head back home."

  Viktor glanced at Mira, who met his gaze before nodding.

  "Alright, let's go," he agreed, standing and offering Mira a hand up.

  The group made quick work of packing away what little remained of the drinks and gathering their scattered belongings. Cloaks were shrugged on, packs were swung over shoulders, and with a final glance around to ensure nothing was left behind, they filed out into the night.

  The walk back to the Orphanage was slow and easy, the night air crisp but not unpleasant. As they strolled through the quiet streets, voices filled the silence, and inevitably, the conversation turned competitive.

  "Oh, please, I could easily take you," Fenric scoffed, shaking his head as he squared his shoulders beside Jax.

  Jax raised an eyebrow. "I don't deny that you're a monster with that blade of yours," he said, hands tucked into his pockets. "But that doesn’t make you the best. Compared to someone like Neros, you still have some ways to go."

  Fenric let out a sharp, dismissive snort. "That’s damn convenient. Comparing me to someone who’s already graduated so I can’t refute it."

  "Or rather inconvenient," Jax countered smoothly, "since if he were here, he could prove me right, just like that."

  Fenric rolled his eyes. "I remember Neros. He was good, I’ll give you that. But I’d still take him."

  Jax scoffed. "Yeah, in your dreams. That guy earned the respect of seasoned operators before he even graduated."

  "That doesn’t mean anything," Fenric dismissed, waving a hand. "Half the operators barely know which end is the sharp one. Cadugan said it himself—up until the last five years or so, combat training wasn't prioritized the way it is now."

  Jax considered this for a moment before conceding, "I’ll give you that. But there are well-trained fighters in the guild. Just look at your buddy Voralis."

  Fenric’s lips twitched, thoughtful. "I think I could take Voralis."

  Jax let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Okay, now you’re just delusional."

  Fenric’s demeanor shifted, his voice carrying a darker edge. "Who you calling delusional? People have caught stabbings for less than that."

  Jax exhaled sharply, frustration creeping into his tone. "Seriously, you’re so damn volatile. Everything with you just devolves into threats and violence. I don’t see how your friends even tolerate you."

  Soren let out a resigned sigh. "Eh, not like I have much choice, do I?" he muttered. "He’s family. For better or worse."

  Arelos shrugged. "It is what it is. I like Soren."

  "Yeah, same," Viktor added with an easy nod. "They’re kind of a package deal."

  Fenric smirked, though his tone remained sharp. "I'll remember this. So don’t come to me acting surprised if you wake up with a dagger stuck in your throat."

  Arelos arched an eyebrow, his voice entirely too casual. "Why would we? If we somehow manage to wake up after having had a dagger plunged into our throats, we’d probably seek out a healer. Not you."

  Viktor snorted. "Exactly. We all have basic first aid training, but Gavric almost threw you out of the class for how bad you were."

  "Yeah," Soren said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "You’re my brother and all, but I’d probably seek out the Hollow Hand for help before I came to you with my 'medical problems.'"

  Fenric groaned, throwing his hands up. "Seriously, I’m gonna murder all of you."

  Jax let out an exasperated sigh. "See? There he goes again. Threats or violence. Every damn time."

  Arelos smirked. "Honestly, it’s kind of impressive. He’s consistent, at least."

  Viktor laughed, shaking his head as the group continued onward, their banter echoing through the empty streets.

  As they neared the orphanage, Soren slowed his pace and turned to the others. "Front or back?" he asked, his voice low but casual.

  Mira tilted her head, considering. "Front, I assume? It’s our day off, we were allowed out, and there’s no curfew today."

  Viktor nodded. "Yeah. No reason to sneak around when we don’t have to."

  Jax, walking a few steps ahead, reached the front gate first—and frowned. The gate stood slightly ajar, the usual creak of its hinges absent in the still night air. He scratched his head. "That’s… odd. Shouldn’t Darin be out here?"

  Mira’s expression tightened, her gaze scanning the dimly lit entryway. "Yeah. He’s always posted at the front. Even when he takes a break, he never leaves the gate open."

  Soren’s brow furrowed as he glanced around. "Is it just me, or is it quieter than usual?"

  Jax shrugged. "It’s usually pretty quiet around this time."

  Viktor, however, felt an unease creeping up his spine. Something about the silence wasn’t right—it was too complete, too heavy. "I don’t like this."

  Fenric gave him a sidelong glance. "Why? What are you thinking?"

  Viktor hesitated, the feeling gnawing at the edge of his thoughts. "Not sure yet. Just… something feels off."

  Arelos, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke. "Jax, Fenric—you both have knives on you, right?"

  Jax patted the hilt at his side. "Always."

  Fenric smirked, tapping the handle of his own. "Obviously."

  Arelos nodded once, voice firm. "Keep them ready."