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  The morning after the celebration carried a different kind of silence.

  It was the kind of quiet that appears when something ends and, at the same time, something begins.

  Cirgo was breathing.

  I could feel it.

  I was still at the castle. I had just said goodbye to Hogan, King Zered, and Sentil.

  The sky still held the soft hues of dawn when I heard footsteps behind me.

  I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

  “You’re leaving already?” Her voice was low but steady.

  I turned.

  Serena stood a few meters away, holding something in her hands. It wasn’t just an object. It was something she carried with far too much care to be ordinary.

  “I was just about to come see you.”

  She walked closer.

  Only then did I see it.

  A small cylindrical glass vial sealed with silver details around the lid. Inside, suspended as if untouched by time, was a translucent blue rose with fragments of snow drifting from it.

  Each petal looked sculpted with impossible precision, thin as crystal, yet alive. The morning light passed through the ice and scattered into delicate reflections, as if winter itself had been imprisoned inside.

  “I made it with [Ice Rose]. I had to practice a lot.” She avoided my eyes for a second.

  “Wow. You’ve already reached that level of control?”

  She smiled.

  “It will never melt. As long as my will remains intact, it will stay.”

  She lifted the vial slightly.

  I remained silent for a few seconds, admiring it.

  “I did a lot of research. I know you’re going to live for many, many years... So when this rose starts to shatter, it means it’s time to come see me, okay?”

  She said the last part playfully, but it weighed more than it should have.

  I hadn’t thought about that until now. If I’m not careful, I’ll eventually lose everyone I’ve met.

  One by one.

  ‘The only one who would stay…’ Merlin’s image crossed my mind.

  Serena extended the vial toward me.

  “Have a safe trip, Victor.”

  I took the glass carefully. Even through it, I could feel the subtle cold emanating from within. It wasn’t a harsh cold.

  “I also wanted to…” she hesitated, looking away. “Apologize.”

  “For what?”

  “I caused you a lot of trouble. You got hurt because of me.”

  I looked at her for a few seconds.

  “Without you, a lot of things would have gone wrong. You saved me in the end. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

  She didn’t reply.

  I looked back at the rose.

  “You also showed me a new way to see the world. Because of you, I can move forward without feeling so alone. So thank you.”

  Serena frowned slightly.

  “The next time we meet,” she continued, her voice firmer now, “I’ll be different. More reliable. Stronger.”

  I slowly absorbed the vial into my storage. The cold sensation ran through my body for a brief instant before fading.

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  As long as this rose exists, Serena will remain steadfast. I wanted to believe that.

  I could try to argue and say she was already reliable and strong. But who am I to deny such determination?

  I smiled and lightly tapped her shoulder with my fist.

  “I’ll remember those words. I won’t fall behind, so let’s grow a lot.”

  She smiled, and a small silence formed between us.

  “When you come back, tell me everything.”

  “You got it.”

  I turned away and began walking.

  For a brief moment, I thought about saying something more.

  But some things don’t need words.

  And some goodbyes are stronger when they are not complete.

  Before heading to the main gate, I made a small detour.

  The shop was still open, even at that early hour. The dark wooden facade, reinforced with stone blocks, seemed less imposing than the first time I had been there.

  I pushed the door open. The bell above it chimed softly.

  “Ah, you’re back,” the shopkeeper said, recognizing me almost immediately. “Your clothes are ready.”

  I nodded.

  My clothes. I had almost forgotten the state I left them in.

  My coat had been stained with Dragan’s dried blood. Torn by the labyrinth. Worn down by battles.

  But that wasn’t just any coat.

  It was the first thing I received when I arrived here.

  Eliza had given it to me, and I had liked it immediately.

  The shopkeeper brought the folded set with impeccable precision.

  The dark blue coat looked brand new. The fur on the collar had been restored, clean and full. The seams were reinforced with stronger thread.

  I ran my hand over the fabric.

  “We added some internal reinforcements,” the man commented. “It can withstand much more impact now.”

  I blinked, confused.

  “But you didn’t have to go that far.”

  He shook his head with a smile.

  “That man who was with you asked for it and paid extra. He said it was valuable to you, so he wanted it to be more durable.” He scratched his head. “Even if it’s not battle gear, I think it will hold up well now.”

  It was Don. He hadn’t told me anything.

  I smiled to myself and made a mental note to thank him later.

  “Thank you.”

  I never wanted to owe anyone. I still don’t.

  But I realized that accepting help doesn’t mean you’re weak.

  It means you’re not alone.

  My battlewear was there too. The white tank top. The black pants with red straps. The belt with the blue gem that consumed mana to form barriers.

  That outfit had been made for battle, unlike the other one.

  Orion had destroyed half of it. I had to commission a new one. It took a while, but it arrived before the trip.

  Zered had given me a generous amount of gold for protecting Serena, so the price wasn’t an issue. I also gave some to Thom’s family as thanks.

  I changed into my battlewear in the fitting room. I had grown a little, so it felt different.

  I picked up the blue coat and put it on over the tank top, leaving it open this time.

  I looked at myself in the mirror.

  My hair was a little longer. My gaze felt heavier.

  'I really do look like Zara... Maybe I can make those hair antennas she has.'

  I grabbed two strands and tried to lift them.

  They fell immediately as soon as I let go.

  'Yeah, nope. I’ll cut my hair at some point.'

  I left the shop.

  The morning air touched my face.

  Cirgo wasn’t the same city I had found, and I definitely wasn’t the same person who had arrived.

  Now all that was left was to say goodbye.

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  The main gate was open.

  The flow of people going in and out was constant now. Merchants, travelers, adventurers. Cirgo no longer looked like a city on the verge of collapse.

  Thom was leaning against one of the stone columns, arms crossed. Eliza stood beside him, Lilia a little behind them.

  “So this is it. The time finally came.” Thom uncrossed his arms.

  I nodded.

  “Yes. Thank you very much for everything you did for me.” I bowed slightly.

  Merlin, who was beside me, did the same.

  “It was nothing. We’re just glad you’re okay now.”

  For a moment, no one spoke.

  The morning wind passed through the flags above the gate. The sound of fabric moving filled the silence between us.

  Eliza was the first to step forward.

  She took my hands suddenly.

  “You’ll take care of yourself, won’t you?”

  “I will. You know, I might look like it, but I’m not a kid.” I smiled.

  “Sorry. Sometimes I forget.”

  “I know.”

  She pulled me into a hug.

  It was quick.

  But firm.

  When she pulled back, she adjusted the fur on my collar naturally.

  “That outfit really suits you. Good luck.”

  Thom stepped forward next.

  He wasn’t the hugging type.

  He extended his hand.

  I shook it.

  Behind us, Eliza was already hugging Merlin. Unlike me, Merlin seemed perfectly comfortable, maybe a little too comfortable.

  “You too,” Eliza told her. “And take care of him.”

  “I will, I will,” Merlin replied, laughing.

  “I can hear you,” I muttered.

  I looked at Lilia.

  She was still standing a little behind.

  “Hey,” I called.

  She walked over slowly.

  Her eyes weren’t as distant as before.

  I knelt slightly to meet her height.

  “When I come back, I’ll bring you a really cool gift, okay?”

  She tilted her head slightly.

  “Promise?”

  “I promise. Have I ever broken a promise to you?” I leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “I did punch Orion like I said I would.”

  I pulled back and smiled. She gave a small smile too.

  I placed my hand on her head.

  “Enjoy yourself. Everything’s okay now, alright?”

  “Okay.”

  This time, it didn’t sound distant.

  Just small.

  I stood up and walked toward Thom while Merlin went to say goodbye to Lilia as well.

  “She’s been like this for two months now.”

  “Yes. Eliza and I are worried. We took her to a doctor. He said it’s trauma, and that the best we can do is stay by her side and help her move past it.”

  Eliza stepped closer.

  “We’re thinking about taking her to other places for a while. I think getting out of Cirgo for a bit will do her good.”

  “We just need to see how the market settles from now on. When we have time, we’ll take a vacation.”

  “That’s good. Do you have any idea what Cirgo will be like from now on?”

  “Valoria wants to strengthen relations. They talked about building a few guilds here. That should prevent something like that from happening again,” Thom replied.

  “Now that Cirgo is productive again, it’s natural they would invest in us.”

  I nodded. There was nothing I could do now. That was up to them.

  Merlin walked over to me, and we turned toward the bus.

  I looked at the three of them one last time.

  Cirgo behind them.

  The road ahead of me.

  Then Merlin and I waved one final time.

  And we boarded the bus.

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