After leaving the temple, the party continued to Guild Headquarters. Meanwhile, Caleb's stress began to soar with the passing moments, alerting everyone to his distress. Lukia kept a watchful eye on him, hoping that he would return to his usual self, but he strayed further into despair.

"Guys, I think Caleb needs another minute before we continue," Lukia suggests while holding onto his arm.

"We could delay for a moment. There is an empty spot over here; we can sit him down." Gale evades the crowds around them in the city square and has Yann carry Caleb to the site.

"Herk, do you think you can help with this?" Ivian kneels next to Caleb, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"If it's not something physical, then I am afraid I won't be much help. I could put him to sleep, but I don't think that would solve anything. We must report to Headquarters soon; otherwise, we will be leaking time."

Gale ponders for a moment but then directly looks at their little brother. "Caleb, hey. Could you tell us what's going on?"

Caleb's eyes shift back and forth before blinking, snapping out of his trance. "I uhh... What is it?"

"You've been worrying us ever since you returned from Father Kharl. Did he...did he say something to you?" Gale presses. Caleb tries to speak but shuts himself from speaking further on the topic.

Ivian sighs and smacks Caleb. "Oi! Listen here! If you can't talk about it, then sober up. What happened to that cool and collected boy, huh?"

His mouth shivers the words through his teeth; the pain on his cheek brought warmth to the cold feeling he held. "I'm sorry... I-"

Gale pulls Ivian back to give Caleb space, cutting them both off from speaking. "I'll see if we can get a few days off before continuing the rest of the quest. Can you keep a strong front for now? We understand it isn't easy to speak, but could you hold out for a bit longer?"

"I'm going to see that Kharl and show him what-" Lukia speaks out of turn, but Gale raises his hand to her.

"You're not helping Lukia. This is Caleb's choice as our partner. So, what do you say, brother?"

A soft glimmer weaves through his eyes, looking at Gale. It was short and sudden, but the confidence and respect Gale had shown in Caleb fought against the debilitating thoughts that racked through his mind. "Okay... I... Let's go. I can at least join you till then."

Gale smiles softly and runs his fingers through Caleb's hair. He tries to swat his hand away in resistance, but Gale doesn't budge. "Alright. You heard him; we keep going. I promise I'll get us a few days for you."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"It's fine. I'll be okay as long as I have you guys..." His voice hinted at uncertainty but held a piece of hope within his companions. Unsure about what his future held, but with the support of his friends, he needed to focus on the present.

Lukia held his hand and quickly felt flustered as she showed affection. Passersby looked at the group briefly before continuing the rest of their days. It took a few moments, but Caleb relieved the stress on his mind and got to his feet. The issue stayed in his mind, but his focus shifted to their current goal in the meantime.

"Guild Headquarters is only a few more blocks away," Gale announced while walking through the streets.

"You sound like you've been here before, Gale," Lukia asked. Gale chuckled and rubbed the back of his head gently.

"I was here once before on some personal business. It wasn't my favorite memory of this place."

"Gale doesn't like to talk about it, but he spent some time here and returned to Saiana with a grim look for weeks," Herk stated. Lukia turned to everyone and read their faces, which told the same story.

Caleb looks around and inspects Gale. He begins to wonder what could have happened, and the moment he does, he quickly holds his tongue. It's best not to bring back any bad memories.

After about twenty minutes of slow walking through crowds and turns, the Guild Headquarters was set in an ample private space with large walls and gates. They were housing multiple guards and adventurers coming and going.

"Halt! State your business with the Guild!" The guards stop the party.

Gale takes the proper forms, including his identification, and extends them to the guards. "We are the Phantom Blades; we have vital information about the strange encounters occurring within the mountains and we are to report for the next part of our quest."

The guards look at each other and examine each of the members, their eyes linger at Caleb who still had his hood over his head after they continued from the small break. "Sorry, sir, but we haven't heard of your visit, and we must ask you to wait until we can confirm your presence."

Gale stares with a confused look before turning his chin to the side. "Umm... We were expected around this time; I mean, it was a bit longer than we hoped, but-"

"Our orders are final. If you wish to delay our duties, we can talk with you behind bars."

"Whoa, no need for that, guys. Look, I have some contacts here who can back me up, just tell that Gale Lurick and his party the Phantom Thieves are here for the Platinum Quest they requested at Saiana Village."

"Sorry, but it will be a while before we can check your identity with the Guild. Recent thefts and rogues sneaking into vital portions of our city have been occurring, and we need to ensure we don't make mistakes." The guards look adamant about not budging or hurrying to allow us in. Gale slowly becomes heated while the rest of us keep quiet, not wanting to make enemies with the guards.

"You listen here! We have come a long way. Just go in and just let the receptionist know of our name, and they will let you know why we are here!"

"Sir, last chance; otherwise, we will be forced to"

"Stand down!" The guards shift in their spots and quickly turn to the woman who shouts. Upon realizing who was speaking, their faces began to sweat profusely.

"M-Ma'am! We're sorry, but we just wanted to ensure they were cleared to come in!"

"You're doing a shit job at that. They are with me for official Guild business. Let them through before I crush those helmets with your skulls still inside!"

"Right away, Ma'am!!" Without hesitation, they quickly pull the gates open after unlocking them.

Everyone begins to step forward but stops short in front of Gale, who stares at the woman. His eyes filled with terror and regret. He struggles to speak for a moment, but he utters a name...

"Kayla...?"