Rene woke up to something small and cold nudging against his face. He blinked a few times, his vision blurry and confused. It took him a second to realize that it was hair, dark blue, soft and messy, sticking to his skin.
"Mmm..." a sleepy voice mumbled.
He shifted, only to find that Nihara was practically draped over him like a blanket. One of her arms was tossed across his chest, and her cheek was squished against his shoulder.
"...Nihara." he said, voice rough and a little embarrassed.
"Mhm?" she mumbled without moving.
"You're... kind of crushing me."
He didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to just—let her sleep like that? Was it rude to push her off? What were the rules here? Nobody taught him how to handle half-asleep girls with no concept of personal space.
Carefully, he tried to move, but Nihara only dug in closer like a stubborn cat.
He gave up after a minute and just stared up at the ceiling, his heart beating way faster than necessary. Her breathing was slow and steady, and every now and then a little sigh escaped her lips. It was honestly kind of cute.
"You're unbelievable." he muttered under his breath.
And even though he was trapped, and kind of uncomfortable, Rene realized he didn't really mind. There was nothing he could do after all. She was an angel; she had no idea what personal space meant. To her this was normal.
"Hey, uh, Nihara. I just want to let you know... this is something more for people who are really close..."
She pushed herself up, sitting cross-legged beside him and rubbing her eyes. Her hair stuck out in every direction. Rene had to look away for a second to stop himself from laughing.
"So do you want me to not do that?"
"For now, at least."
"Anyway, it's time we go."
"Go where?"
"Raskolvia. To reforge the Dusk Blade."
"Wait, wait—You said I have two weeks to make a decision, why would we already go reforge it?"
"You're acting like it wasn't a hundred percent chance of you accepting. I can tell. You don't know what you want to do in life, do you? You yearn for a new purpose. And I'm giving you a one in a million chance."
Rene looked at the floor as he went silent. He wasn't going to lie to himself. He wouldn't deny it. What she said was the truth. Slowly, he rose from the bed, following behind her.
"I trust you." he said. "Let's go."
They left the quiet comfort of the academy behind, stepping out into the early morning air. The city below was just beginning to stir—smoke rising from chimneys, distant footsteps echoing from cobbled paths, the smell of baked bread wafting from somewhere unseen.
As they made their way down the winding steps of the hillside, Nihara glanced sideways. "You've never been to Raskolvia, have you?"
"Only heard stories. Snowy. Dangerous. People walk around with swords like it's nothing."
"That's the outer region." she said. "Where conflict never died out. Full of mercenaries, bounty hunters, even Black Knights patrolling streets like common guards. But that's not where we need to go, luckily."
Upon reaching the harbor, he watched the ship that would take them eastward sway gently at dock. It wasn't grand—just a sturdy vessel of steel, manned by a few sailors who gave Nihara a nod without question.
"You arranged this ahead of time?" Rene asked.
"I have friends."
He raised an eyebrow but followed her onboard. A sailor guided them toward a small cabin below deck—tight quarters, barely enough for two—but it would do. As the boat began to drift from shore, Rene sat at the edge of the bed, watching the shoreline shrink.
"What do we do once we get there?" he asked quietly.
Nihara leaned against the doorframe. "We get the materials, we find a blacksmith."
"And then?"
"Then we give you a blade worthy of ending kings."
The ship sailed onward, leaving comfort behind and carrying them into the unknown.