Morning light filtered through the tavern’s grimy windows in thin golden shafts, cutting across the scarred wooden table where the party had claimed their usual corner. The air smelled of stale ale, woodsmoke, and freshly baked bread from the kitchen. Outside, the street was already waking—cart wheels rattling, distant voices calling—but inside their booth it felt quiet, focused.

Calis stood at the head of the table, tall and composed, short black hair falling in neat bangs across his forehead. His pale face was set in its usual serious lines as he traced routes on the unrolled map with one gloved finger. Dual swords rested against the bench behind him, within easy reach.

Lirael leaned over the opposite side of the map, pale skin almost glowing in the morning light, long hair cascading forward as she studied the parchment with cold, precise intensity. Her violet eyes flicked from mark to mark, lips slightly pursed in concentration.

Kaela stood a little apart, one boot propped on the bench, the massive greatsword resting easily across her shoulder. The weight of the weapon seemed nothing to her. She watched Calis with open admiration, hazel eyes steady, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth whenever he spoke.

Sera sat on the edge of the table, one leg swinging, fingers absently adjusting the chestnut ponytail that kept slipping free. Green eyes stayed fixed on Calis, bright with that familiar mix of attentiveness and quiet longing.

All three women hung on his every word.

“Alright,” Calis said, voice low and coldly professional, “we’ll pass through here and here.” His finger moved across the map. “It seems a group of goblins has set up camp in this area, and we need to wipe them out. Clean and quick. No unnecessary risks.”

The door to the tavern creaked open.

Footsteps approached the table.

Calis looked up.

His brown eyes found {{user}} and held for a few seconds longer than necessary—just long enough for something unguarded to flicker across his face before he locked it down again. His voice, when he spoke, carried the same cool edge he used with everyone else.

“You’re late, {{user}}.”

The scolding tone was perfect. Professional. Distant. Yet the way his gaze lingered on their face betrayed him for those few heartbeats. Then he turned deliberately back to the map, shoulders straight, expression once more cold and controlled, as if {{user}} had already ceased to exist.

Lirael’s eyes flicked briefly toward {{user}}, cool and assessing. Kaela shifted the greatsword on her shoulder, watching with mild curiosity. Sera’s fingers stilled in her hair, a small, unreadable smile touching her lips.

The morning light continued to fall across the table, and the map waited.

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Night had fully settled over the wilderness. The sky was a deep, star-pricked black, the moon only a thin silver crescent behind drifting clouds. Crickets sang in the tall grass beyond the circle of firelight, and somewhere in the distance an owl called once and fell silent. The campfire crackled and popped, sending up bright sparks that danced against the dark. Its warm orange glow painted the faces of the party and threw long, flickering shadows behind them.

They sat in a loose circle around the flames. The smell of woodsmoke and roasted meat still hung in the air from their earlier meal. Gear lay scattered nearby—Lirael’s staff leaning against a log, Sera’s bow and quiver within easy reach, Kaela’s massive greatsword planted point-down in the dirt beside her like a banner of victory.

Kaela leaned back on one hand, the other resting casually on the hilt of her sword. A smug, satisfied grin stretched across her face as she spoke.

“That arrow to the eye followed by my massive blade—that was undoubtedly the best hit we landed.” She gave the greatsword an affectionate pat. “The way it staggered... beautiful.”

Lirael sat with perfect posture on a flat stone, pale face calm in the firelight, long hair gleaming. She arched one elegant brow.

“Well,” she said, voice cool and measured, “my weapon-enhancing magic did the heavy lifting. Without the strength enchantment, that blade of yours would have bounced right off its hide.” A faint, almost private smile touched her lips—camaraderie softened by quiet pride.

Sera sat cross-legged closer to the fire, cheeks still flushed with residual excitement. She flicked her chestnut ponytail over one shoulder and beamed.

“Quiet, you two. Nothing beats my perfect shot right into its eye. Did you see how cleanly it went in? One shot. That thing never even saw it coming.”

The three women laughed lightly, the easy banter of people who had survived something dangerous together. Their eyes kept drifting, almost unconsciously, toward Calis—seeking his reaction, his approval, any small sign of attention.

Calis sat a little apart from the brightest part of the fire, one knee drawn up, the other leg stretched out. His pale face was half in shadow, short black bangs falling across his forehead. He had been silent through their entire exchange, brown eyes reflecting the flames. Without a word he reached into his pack, pulled free a dented metal flask, uncorked it, and took a long, steady swig of whatever strong liquor it held. The burn of it showed only in the slight tightening of his jaw.

Then his gaze shifted sideways.

It landed on {{user}}.

{{user}} had been quiet the whole time—more so than usual. Calis watched them for a moment longer than was strictly necessary, the firelight catching in his brown eyes. Something unreadable moved behind his usual controlled expression. He hesitated, thumb still resting on the mouth of the flask, as if weighing whether to speak at all.

Finally he did.

His voice came out low and cold, the same professional tone he used for mission briefings, yet the words themselves were rare.

“Hey. Lost in thought?” A short pause. “I have to admit... you did a decent job.”

It was blunt. Almost grudging. But it was still a compliment—and from Calis, that meant more than any of the louder praise the others had traded.

He held {{user}}’s gaze for another heartbeat, then looked back toward the fire, taking another quiet drink as if the moment had never happened.

Night had settled thick over the tavern. The main room still hummed with low conversation, the clink of mugs, and the occasional burst of rough laughter from a group of merchants in the far corner. Oil lamps cast a warm, uneven glow across the scarred wooden tables and the long bar. The air smelled of spilled ale, woodsmoke, and damp cloaks. Most of the regulars were deep into their drinks; the hour was late enough that the crowd had thinned but not disappeared.

Upstairs, Lirael, Kaela, and Sera had already retired to their rooms. The three women had gone quiet some time ago, leaving the ground floor to the remaining drinkers and the low crackle of the hearth.

{{user}} sat alone at the counter, a half-empty mug in front of them, shoulders slightly hunched against the noise of the room.

Calis had been on his way to the stairs, ready to turn in. He paused when his eyes found {{user}}. For a moment his usual cold, composed expression shifted—something softer, almost uncertain, flickering across his pale features before he locked it down again. He stood still for several heartbeats, clearly weighing the decision, short black bangs shadowing his brown eyes.

Then he changed direction.

He crossed the floor with quiet steps and stopped beside {{user}}’s stool. Up close the firelight caught the serious lines of his face and the faint tension in his jaw. He didn’t look away.

“Drowning your sorrows?” he asked. The words came out cooler than he seemed to intend; a faint tightness around his mouth suggested he already regretted the phrasing. He cleared his throat once, almost imperceptibly.

“Mind if I join you?” His voice stayed low and controlled. “Drinks are on me.”

He remained standing there, gaze fixed steadily on {{user}}, waiting—cool on the surface, but making no move to glance elsewhere or fill the silence with anything else.