"It's been nearly two weeks... Will he ever wake up?" Cain's voice was tinged with a hint of desperation.

"Arthur isn't the type to lay down and rest. He'll wake up before you know it," Raphael replied.

They stared at Arthur, who remained still on the white bed in the infirmary. The opened window allowed a warm breeze to flow freely in the room, and the bright sunlight pierced through the ivory curtains. After the priests and doctors examined Arthur, they told them everything would be fine and that he had lost consciousness from the side effects of being healed. But it was the first time they had seen someone rest for so long.

Cain leaned on the windowsill and stared at the ruined courtyard. He released a disheartened sigh at the sight before him. When they escaped the tunnels, countless dead bodies were scattered throughout the streets in the slums. To make matters worse, the situation wasn't any better when he reached the western gates. If it wasn't for the Captains and David, then it most likely would have been a one-sided massacre.

Rustling his hair, Cain looked at Raphael and said, "How are you holding up? Are you feeling fine after what happened?"

Raphael gently pulled the bedsheet over Arthur's shoulders. "I'll be lying if I said I was okay. It just seems like I keep relying on others without being able to do much."

"You're young, so it's fine to rely on others. Don't get discouraged."

"Yeah, but what about Arthur? He's also a child, yet he's completely from me." Raphael stared at Arthur with a trace of sadness. "Because of us—"

"Raphael." Cain immediately cut him off and glared at him. "Don't you dare say that it was your fault. What happened was beyond anyone's control. We're lucky to even be alive."

Raphael looked down at the ground and nodded. "But I just can't help but feel like it would have been better...if we weren't here."

The air grew heavy as Cain considered everything that had happened. It was nothing short of a miracle that the town survived, but the price paid in blood was high. Nearly the entire strike force died, and the reinforcing guards from the other gates lost a considerable number of men. He stared at the flags that were lowered halfway down their respective positions with a pained look in his eyes. The funeral was completed, and the town was shaken to its core; things would take a while to return to normal.

A wooden creaking sound drew their attention as Cain and Raphael gazed at the open door. Slowly, Paul walked in carrying a basket of bread and cheese. He glanced over at Arthur and forced a smile.

"Seems like Arthur is still taking his well-deserved nap." Paul placed the basket on a nearby table and pulled out the tucked-in chair before sitting on it. "He hardly rested when he was awake, so it's good for him to finally get some shut-eye."

"A bit too much if you ask me," Cain jokingly said.

"Yeah..." Raphael nudged Arthur's shoulder and quietly laughed. "This idiot is such a heavy sleeper."

Cain glanced at Paul and awkwardly exchanged a look of concern. He scratched his cheek and then stared at Raphael and asked, "Do you plan to wait for him to wake up, or are you going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"I don't know yet...but I'm thinking about taking him with us if it comes to it," Raphael answered.

"Will your parents allow that?" Paul asked.

"I'll convince them somehow; after all, even though we aren't brothers by blood, he has done a lot for us without expecting much in return," Raphael replied.

"Well, we should let him get some rest and check up on him later," Paul said while rising from his seat. "We don't want to cause too much of a ruckus here."

"Fair enough," Cain reluctantly agreed and ushered Raphael to follow them.

As they were leaving the room, a faint rustling sound entered their ears from the bed where Arthur rested. They immediately turned their heads and watched as the young boy stretched his arms in the air. Their eyes brimmed with small tears as they watched Arthur let out a brief yawn before fluffing his pillow and laying back down.

They blankly watched as their minds took a moment to process what had just happened. All three felt a rollercoaster of emotions surge through their heads as they quickly rushed over to stop Arthur from falling asleep.

"What the hell are you doing!" Raphael grabbed Arthur by the collar and dragged him out of the bed. While Cain and Paul both flipped the bed over.

"Huh?" Arthur blankly stared at them but kept his mouth shut at their tearful expressions.

"It's good to have you back," Paul smiled and rustled Arthur's white hair.

"Yeah, I won't lie. I was starting to think you were a goner," Cain smirked but soon felt a sharp pain from his shin as Paul kicked it. "I'm just joking."

Paul glared at Cain, who slowly backed away. From the side, Raphael was doing his best to hold back his tears. With a sudden bang, the wooden door flung open. Claire stared at Arthur with watery eyes and ran towards him with both arms out. After jumping into Arthur's arms, she tightly held onto him without letting go.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Arthur worriedly asked.

"Well... it's a long story," Paul answered.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He cleared his throat as they flipped the bed back into its original position. After Arthur was back in bed, Paul soon began explaining to Arthur everything that had happened within the past few days, from the death of the guards to the events after the demon was killed. Arthur's eyes widened in shock as Paul told them every single detail, including what happened with David. His heart sank after hearing everything.

"So...I missed the funeral?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, many guards are resting at the town's cemetery now, and David hasn't shown up after he heard what happened to you and the children," Paul answered.

"It's not David's fault; even if he did try to save Raphael and Claire, he would have most likely died having to fight both of those demons at the same time," Arthur said.

"We know. We told him that, but he's still blaming himself for what happened." Cain shook his head and added, "It's not looking good. Apparently, he hasn't been responding to Stella either."

"Where is he? Let me talk to him." Arthur tried to get up, but Raphael and Claire stopped him.

"Nu-uh." Claire made an X shape with her arms.

"Claire's right. You need to rest. Maybe not sleep, but just relax in bed." Raphael pushed Arthur's shoulder back and said, "My parents will be here in a day or two, so you need to rest for the trip back to the dukedom."

"Dukedom?" Arthur stared at Raphael and watched as he nodded.

"That's right, the Captain told me about everything," Raphael revealed a troubled expression. "Once we get on the carriage, there are a lot of things we need to go through. Especially what you should and should not do because apparently, etiquette is very important according to the letter my parents sent."

Arthur gazed at Cain and Paul and asked, "Sorry to trouble you guys, but I need to speak to Raphael in private. Could you guys take Claire out with you?"

Paul curled his mustache with one hand and motioned for Cain to grab Claire. As they were about to leave the room, Paul nodded at Arthur, ignoring Cain, who was struggling to drag Claire out of the room, and said, "Take your time."

"Thanks." Arthur waved at them as they left and looked at Raphael, who had a confused look on his face and said, "I'm not going with you guys."

Raphael felt his heart stop as if the world had frozen. He gritted his teeth but soon calmed himself and asked a single question. "Why?"

"Because I want to see more of the world, I want to travel and cross the mountains, see the crystal oceans and many other places," Arthur replied.

"Then why did you help us? Surely you wanted something, right?" Raphael's voice grew louder with each word. "I mean, why else did you help some kids you met in an alley? You knew we were nobles, didn't you?"

"I didn't care if you and Claire were nobles, and I never did it expecting something in return," Arthur replied.

"Then why! You're just some kid that I met in an alley. I never asked you to go that far for us!" Raphael angrily shouted at Arthur. "Don't you care about your own life?! How could you just do that for someone you hardly know!"

"I made a promise to reunite you-"

"So what!" Raphael slammed his fist against the wall. " It's just a promise you didn't need to nearly die for us!"

"If I didn't, then you guys would have definitely died." Arthur watched as Raphael grew more upset and then said, "You don't have to feel bad. It's okay."

"Then what about you? Can't you just value your life more? Didn't you think about how Claire and I felt!" Raphael struggled to hold back his tears and said, "We thought you died when that thing struck you, and I couldn't help but feel devastated knowing that my friend died saving me."

"I do value my life, but if I had to make that choice again, I would have done the same thing."

"And that's why I'm upset! You don't need to do that; just worry about yourself."

"You're right, I don't need to, but I wanted to." Arthur lightly patted Raphael on the back.

Raphael rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Isn't there any way I can convince you to join us? My parents are from a dukedom, so I'm sure they can take care of you if I ask. You'll be given a life with no hardships."

"Thanks for the offer, but... I want to go on an adventure."

"Then what about Claire? She'll be heartbroken when she finds out."

"I know, that's why it'll be up to you to comfort her."

Raphael's eyes filled with frustration, but he reluctantly nodded, understanding Arthur's reason. After a slight pause, he walked towards an old wooden cabinet near the door and opened it's drawer. In his hands was a neatly folded and clean black cloak. He returned to the bedside while carrying the cloak and sat on the wooden chair.

"Here," Raphael held the cloak towards Arthur.

"Isn't that the cloak I gave you two?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah... but we probably won't be needing it anymore. You'll have more use for it."

Arthur took the cloak and held it before him. He inspected it with bright eyes and pleasantly smiled. "I won't lie. I wasn't expecting to see this again."

Raphael frowned at him. "What? Did you think we were going to steal it or something?"

"No, I just thought you guys would like to keep it as a memento of our little adventure together," Arthur replied.

"Ha! Claire might want it, but apparently, nobles have a funny way of dressing, so I doubt they'll let her keep it."

Arthur chuckled as the sunlight landed on his face. Its warmth was comforting, and as he stared out the window at the ruined courtyard, he revealed a content smile.

"Will you visit us?" Raphael asked.

"Yeah, I don't see why not." Arthur chuckled and added, "Just make sure you guys don't turn me away in case I'm covered in dirt or something."

"Don't worry, even if you look like a beggar. Just let them know that you're here to see me and that your name is Arthur. The guards will probably let you in." Raphael forced a smile before standing. "I know you said you weren't going to come with us, but you have time to decide, so think about it a bit more."

"I don't think I'll change my mind."

"I know, but still." Raphael walked towards the door and said, "I want to repay you for everything you've done, despite the short time we spent together. I consider you my brother, so I want what's best for you as well. I'm not asking for much. Just think about it and let me know before I leave."

Arthur looked at Raphael and nodded with a slight laugh. "I didn't see you as the stubborn type, to be honest."

"Only when it matters." Raphael stopped in front of the door and let out a long, drawn-out breath. "Man, you've made everyone worry like crazy the past few days, but it's good to have you back. Get some rest Arthur, you deserve it."

"Thanks, and I will."

Arthur leaned back against the bedframe as the sound of the wooden door closing echoed throughout the room. He stared at the black cloak in his hands and placed it on the chair near the bed before looking out the window. He scratched the back of his head while letting out a sigh.

I should check up on David tonight.