In the morning, when I woke up, Argenta was already awake, waiting for me in the kitchen.

"Your father came home some hours ago, he already went back to work," she informed.

"Oh... I would've hoped he'd wake me up. He must've been confused seeing you," I confessed, feeling a bit of embarrassment.

"Don't worry, we had a nice chit-chat," she said, showing a subtle smirk.

"Oh, really?"

"Hmm-hm."

Argenta was ready to leave, but I insisted on making breakfast first. After that, we set off towards her home. The path was longer than I imagined; I had never thought she would walk alone for such a long distance as a kid.

We were walking alongside a tall stone fence, when she suddenly halted at the junction where the fence gave way to a narrow gravel path. "Here we are," she announced.

I turned around, but all I could see was the gravel path leading to what appeared to be old, burnt debris.

"Huh?" I let out, confused.

"This is my home," she calmly said.

"Huh... what do you mean? It's..."

Destroyed. Only remnants of a house remained. The windows were broken, the wood charred, its interior... Nothing resembled a house anymore; everything was gone.

"What happened?!" I almost shouted.

"I did this. Months after my mother's death," she confessed, her voice barely audible.

"Huh? You did this... you mean, you burnt it down?" I asked, my eyes wide open as I stared at her.

She slowly nodded.

"But... what do you mean? Why would you do this?"

She stood silent for a moment. "Joey, do you remember my mother's funeral?" she softly asked, her gaze fixed on what once was a house.

"Yes, of course I remember."

"I didn't believe it... I just couldn't believe that my mother really died. I kept telling myself that it was just a lie, a bad dream, or one of her ridiculous jokes, perhaps even a lesson... I couldn't believe it. But when I returned home and opened the door... it hit me. Her perfume was still in the air, but she didn't come to welcome me back with a hug as she always did. I went into her room, and it was empty, I went into mine, and it was empty; the kitchen, too, was empty. My home was empty... That's when I understood... my mother died. She was dead, I would never see her again... When I realized it was reality, I started crying," she recounted.

"Argenta..." my heart was breaking apart and tears were welling up in my eyes.

"Ever since my mother passed away..." she continued. "My life had been completely different. It was pure chaos, but a few days after the funeral, they accepted me into a guild."

"A guild?!" I exclaimed in shock. "But you were only fourteen!"

"I had no other choice," she said as she turned to face me. "That was the only way I could survive. I had to move on. I embarked into dungeons, completing numerous quests. But I couldn't trust anyone. I didn't have anyone... I was alone. Whenever I returned from a quest, I would come back here, even if only for a few minutes, but every time I stepped inside... I would immediately start crying. Sometimes I would go to sleep in my mother's bed to feel close to her; it still had her perfume, but that only made me feel worse... It went like this for months, and I understood that I couldn't move on if I kept coming back to this place. This home was my comfort zone, but it also became my chain, and I couldn't break free from it. So I burnt it down, in order to break free, to move on... I have no home to return to, nor a place to consider as such. But perhaps it's for the best..." she explained, her eyes faintly glistened with tears.

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I hugged her without a second thought; I couldn't stand hearing something so painful from her. And yet, I was the one truly crying.

"Joey?!" she exclaimed, startled.

"Sorry, Argenta..." I murmured, my voice choked with tears as I held her close. "You're incredible... You're so strong. I could never... do something like this."

"Why are you crying? Relax," she said, patting my back, trying to calm me down.

"I'm not as strong as you... so I'm shedding tears on your behalf," I tried to come up with an excuse.

It took me a while, but eventually, I managed to calm down, thanks to her help.

"Are you okay now?" she asked me.

"Yes..." I replied, my nose still sniffing.

"Jeez, you really haven't changed a bit... You're still the same wimp you were years ago."

"You're the one who changed too much! Though you're still as tactless as ever..." I playfully retorted.

She chuckled. "Well? What do you want to do now?" she asked with a smile.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I tilted my head.

"It's not the weekend, but it doesn't have to be anymore to spend some time together. What do you want to do?" she clarified.

"Ah..." a reassured smile played on my lips, and my heart felt lighter. "Let's decide together."

From then on, Argenta and I quickly rekindled our friendship, perhaps even more closely than before. We often found joy in simply spending time together, even if it meant doing nothing at all. As time passed, I noticed a return to her stoic expression, but it didn't bother me; I always felt like she was comfortable around me. A few years later, she invited me for a walk. I accepted without hesitation, only to find halfway we were directed to Zafferbridge; an unexpected detour she orchestrated for a 'change of pace', she said...

...

"And now we're here," I recounted to Elizabeth, still directed towards the good weapon vendor.

"Hmm. I'm a bit jealous," she commented.

"Huh? How come?" I asked, glancing at her with curiosity.

"I'd also like to have a bond with her. I'm interested, but I'm not very good at this kind of thing," she confessed, a hint of embarrassment in her face.

"Don't worry about it, now that you two are part of the same guild, you'll have plenty of chances to be her friend. I'll also help you out," I reassured, showing a warm smile.

"Huh? You don't have to..." she said, turning away.

"You're helping me, so it's only fair that I help you in return. You can count on me," I insisted.

"Hmm... fine. The good weapons are here by the way," she pointed out, redirecting our attention to our original purpose.

"Oh, let's see..."

Before us stood a stall adorned with an array of pocket weapons. Their glint was intensified by the sunlight; luckily, the tent above cast shadows that allowed me to observe the daggers. Though, I couldn't really decide.

"Which one do you think it's better, Elizabeth? You're the expert here," I asked, seeking her help.

"Hmm... This one."

Elizabeth pointed a light-blue curved dagger, it was slightly different from Argenta's one, but it looked similar enough. It was expensive indeed.

"Oh! You've got a good eye, girlie," the vendor chimed in, reaching for the dagger. "This dagger was crafted with an enchanted sapphire. It can easily cut through the sturdiest monsters as if they were butter. It's one of the best backup weapons you could have in dire situations," he explained.

"I'll take it!" I decided.

"Could you put it inside a gift box?" Elizabeth requested.

"Sure!" the vendor agreed, retrieving a decorated gift box from beneath the stall counter.

"Is it really necessary to wrap it?" I asked her.

"Of course. Trust me," she replied, her tone suggesting I asked something obvious.

"It seems a little... morbid to gift a weapon inside a gift box, but alright. I'll trust you," I conceded, feeling strangely uncomfortable.

Took the box, Elizabeth and I made our way back to the guild.

"I'll tell Argenta you helped me choose the knife. It's a good way for you to start becoming her friend, don't you think?" I gently suggested.

"No, don't do it," she stopped me there.

"Huh?"

"I think she'll be happier knowing you went to the trouble of getting her a good weapon right before the dungeon. She's known you for a long time, she'll appreciate it more. I'll just get to know her differently for the time being, but I appreciate your help," she explained, offering me a gentle smile.

"Oh, alright then. I won't tell her. I'll find another way to help you," I reciprocated the smile.

"Anyway, since I'm here, I'll stop by to buy some gemstones. You can head back without me, it will take a while," she said afterward.

"Alright. Thanks again for the help!"

I said goodbye to Elizabeth and made my way through the stalls. Along the path, I couldn't resist the temptation to stop at one selling ice-cold drinks. I opted for a beverage made with frozen fruit, you could even sip it through a straw; it was so refreshing I felt rejuvenated. Then, I finally headed to the guild. Outside of it, Argenta sat over the short staircase of three steps, seemingly relaxed enjoying the breeze gently caressing her hair, resting nonchalantly her arm over her knee. It seemed the perfect opportunity to give her the dagger, so I approached her.

"Argenta, this is for you!"