A flicker of doubt crossed Yuna's eyes...so brief it could've gone unnoticed, but to Ren, it was like a razor slicing across his heart.
Yet, in the very next moment, that hesitation vanished. In its place was a sharp, resolute gaze, one Ren had never seen from her before.
She was no longer the timid Yuna who looked to him for reassurance. No longer the girl who trailed behind, waiting for a signal or a decision.
Her eyes brushed past Ren, quickly, fleetingly, as if she had just severed some invisible thread on her own.
She said nothing. She didn't need permission.
Yuna stepped out of the tunnel, each stride steady, as though she were crossing a boundary within herself.
Then, without a trace of hesitation, she charged into the battlefield, where a group of four was overpowering a pack of Kobolds. The light from her sword gleamed in her eyes like fire.
It wasn't impulsive. It was choice. For the first time, she wasn't following someone else's lead. She was acting for herself.
Nautilus froze for a beat when he saw Yuna rush forward. He hadn't expected it, no one had expected such decisiveness.
In that moment, Yuna was no longer someone who needed protecting. She was the one in front, acting before thought could catch up.
A trace of astonishment crossed his face, but it was quickly overtaken by something else, a familiar urge, a quiet but firm belief strong enough to move him.
Without a second thought, Nautilus gripped his sword and ran after Yuna, as if instinct alone propelled his legs.
He couldn't let her go alone. Not this time. Not after everything the three of them had been through.
And so Ren was left behind, standing at the mouth of the tunnel, caught in the flickering light, watching the silhouettes of his two companions blend into the clash of swords ahead.
The sudden appearance of Yuna and Nautilus made the group of players falter briefly.
They turned, eyes wary, scanning the two who had burst into the fray. Hands tightened on weapons, stances shifted slightly, reflexive, defensive, instinctive.
Especially the one who seemed to be the leader, a young man with long, blue-tinged hair and a calm face, though his eyes brimmed with caution.
He seemed to say something, short, clipped words of warning or restraint.
But whatever he said, it didn't slow Yuna and Nautilus. Their resolve had already been forged the moment they left the tunnel.
The two quickly joined the battle. At first, their movements were off-rhythm, clashing with the tempo of the established team.
But soon enough, their skills and combat instincts kicked in. Their motions grew smoother, attacks more precise, their timing in sync, gradually stabilizing the fight.
The initial suspicion in the players' eyes began to fade. Concern turned to recognition. They no longer saw the two as strangers, but as temporary allies.
Only the leader still glanced back at them occasionally between parries and counters.
His gaze no longer held just caution. It turned observant, as if he were assessing or remembering, something.
Part of his thoughts seemed to be swept up in the rhythm of their swords and the courage of the two newcomers.
One by one, the Kobolds fell to the relentless and precise assault. The clash of steel, the howls of fury, all dissolved into shattering bursts of red pixels, marking the end of each virtual life.
In just a few short minutes, nearly a dozen monsters were wiped out.
The chaotic battlefield settled into heavy breaths, fading glimmers from blades, and footprints etched into cracked ground.
No one spoke, but in that silence, one truth was clear: strength and unity, even if just beginning, could change everything.
Ren still stood rooted in place, as if the rest of the world had moved too quickly and left him behind.
He watched the backs of Yuna and Nautilus, now blending into the team, the light from their swords dancing in his eyes like something distant and unreachable.
How could she still trust strangers… after everything that happened?
The forest. The betrayal. The doubt. Didn't Yuna fear being deceived again?
Or maybe… her trust was simply greater. Greater than fear. Greater than pain.
Ren didn't know. He couldn't understand.
And perhaps, he didn't dare ask.
She hadn't changed.
She was still the same girl who, from the very beginning, welcomed a stranger like him into the group, gave him her trust, even when he himself didn't know if he deserved it.
But… even so, now he knew, something between them had shifted. Something more fragile, more faint, like a thread connecting the three of them had been stretched to its limit.
Ren's eyes drifted to Nautilus.
He was no longer the timid boy who shrank back in every battle. Nautilus was moving forward, with surprising speed. Stronger. More decisive. No longer trembling before danger.
He had found his reason to fight.
Ren didn't know exactly what it was. But he was certain, it had something to do with that girl.
And in that fleeting moment, Ren felt something quietly settle in his chest...
He was falling behind.
Watching them...Yuna and Nautilus, interact so naturally and warmly with those unfamiliar players, Ren quietly lowered his gaze.
A strange feeling crept into his chest. It wasn't jealousy, nor was it blame.
It was just... loneliness.
Or perhaps, to be more precise, he had always been a lonely person. Even when standing among others, even when fighting beside them, he still carried an emptiness no one could see.
Then, a sudden movement made Ren's heartbeat falter. The blue-haired young man who had been leading that entire party abruptly turned his head toward him.
That gaze... calm and deep, but a flicker of surprise flashed within it the moment it met Ren's.
The man stared for a long while, as if trying to remember something, then leaned over and said something to Nautilus.
The greenish-brown-haired boy hesitated for a moment before turning and pointing in Ren's direction.
Nautilus's eyes briefly showed surprise, then narrowed slightly, as if he were thinking about what to say, or what to call him, companion, or… something else?
But then, Ren realized… it seemed they weren't truly seeing him.
The blue-haired man's gaze hadn't paused out of recognition, but out of… intuition?
Because the cloak Ren wore had the ability to conceal his presence and aura, a rare item he had acquired... from a memory he didn't like to revisit. Even now, just thinking about that revolting worm made his skin crawl.
Still, he had to admit...
It was this very cloak that both protected and rendered him invisible in this moment.
Ren stood still for a bit longer, watching from the shadows. Yuna smiled gently. Nautilus spoke. And the group of players nodded, their expressions friendly.
A light breeze swept through the mine corridor, carrying with it something all too familiar… the feeling of being left behind.
Taking a deep breath, Ren slowly stepped out of hiding. Each footfall felt heavier, not from fear, but from emotions he hadn't yet named.
He emerged from the darkness, saying nothing, quietly approaching the group now beginning to sense his presence.
A few eyes turned toward him. A faint silence trickled in among the ragged breaths after battle.
No one said it aloud, but Ren knew, that moment would be a turning point, however small, in the fragile connection between these strangers.
The blue-haired leader froze slightly when he saw Ren step into the light. His eyes narrowed briefly, then widened as recognition dawned.
"…You?" he murmured, taking a few steps forward to get a better look. "It really is you… The one who asked me about this mine a few days ago."
Ren said nothing. He only gave a slight nod.
The man sheathed his sword and crossed his arms, tilting his head, a smile forming, part surprise, part reproach. "I remember being very clear. Don't go deeper unless you're truly ready. This isn't a place for beginners, especially not for a group with no experience."
His gaze flicked toward Yuna and Nautilus, who were still catching their breath after the battle.
A flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes. For newcomers, they hadn't fought badly at all.
"But I have to admit… I didn't expect you to bring two others all the way down here," he said, voice tinged with scolding, though not harsh. "And even less expected that they'd survive."
He stepped back half a pace, eyeing Ren as if reassessing the person before him. "I don't know what your goal is, but it seems… you're not like the average player."
There was a quiet note of respect in that statement, though his words might've sounded like a lecture to others.
"Are you willing to explain, or do you plan to stay silent like you have until now?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Ren's eyes, as if a storm of questions had suddenly stirred inside...but he remained quiet.
That familiar sense of loneliness returned once more…
He didn't answer right away, only turned slightly toward Yuna and Nautilus, as if searching for a word of encouragement, some unseen support from them.
But then he realized, it wasn't necessary. Their relationship had changed. It wasn't as simple as before anymore.