As soon as Clara took the initiative to gather people, Marcus stuck to her like chewing gum. They listened to the requests of those who had come from afar, from places neither of them knew very well. Some had fled from authoritarian regimes, like Antton’s, while others had previously made a living gathering resources for the Jones. However, life was more worthwhile than working oneself to death for scraps.

Clara had no idea what life was like for people in other parts of Kappz. What scared her the most was that, for so long, she had thought their own place was precarious. In reality, from the way they described it, it was worse than having nothing at all.

"They made us work from six in the morning until nine at night."

"Some days, we only got six hours of sleep."

"They once held a sword to my throat."

Statements that shaped Clara throughout the entire day. If these people returned with nothing but immense sorrow from not being welcomed, Antton or Jones would finish them off. And some claimed to come from even farther, from a place called Rapine. There, people were ordered to work as slaves.

The mother with two children who had come from there was completely repressed, speaking so softly they could barely hear her. Clara knelt in front of her, touching her hand and the hand of the child she carried in her arms.

"You don’t have to be afraid here. We are not like them. If you want to stay, you can stay. I’ll ask for new clothes to be prepared."

"I… know how to knit." Her voice was a whisper. "I can help, if… you want."

Clara held her hand. Her face, her posture, the children—everything was filled with sadness, thinking about how far she had traveled alone, hiding from the Felroz by day and escaping pursuers at night. She wouldn’t abandon these people. She couldn’t do that.

Others offered to collect materials, some could shape structures—an excellent skill for rebuilding the building. But it was an elderly man, with a thin beard, who presented them with something neither even knew existed.

"I brought this…" He opened his hand. "I found it a long time ago, but I’m sure it can help. I just ask for a little time to talk."

Clara received a yellow stone. It was pointed but perfectly polished. Cosmic Energy radiated from within, a warm, light, and comforting energy.

"Of course, we can talk."

The old man shook his head.

"I want to talk to him." His arm stretched toward Dante, sitting on a cushion in the other building, staring at the city. "I need to thank him for something he did for me."

The man’s face, his words—he had made his way here to speak with Dante, only with him. A man Clara had never seen before in Kappz, but he raised his voice.

"Dante, this man wants to talk to you."

Dante tilted his head to the side and nodded. The old man thanked Clara and Marcus, using his cane to cross the bridge. Another man appeared and sat in the chair in front of her, taking a deep breath.

"I came to apologize." His first words were confusing, but he clasped his hands together, lowering his head. "I was always afraid. I watched you all for so long—I live in another building, about 500 meters from here, but I thought you were like those bastards who charge for shelter. I have children, a wife, and a mother. I know that’s a lot of people, but if I can pay for them to stay, I can…"

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"Stop talking about paying to be here," Clara interrupted. "I don’t want anything from you. Bring your family, we will take care of them."

"I appreciate it, but I can’t just accept like that." The man looked around but didn’t touch anything. Then, he saw Marcus with his hand on his carbine pistol. "Can you lend me your weapon? I’ll show you how I can help."

Marcus looked at Clara. She nodded without hesitation. The shooter unfastened the holster at his waist and removed the weapon, handing it over.

"Before we start, my name is Clerk." He held the weapon from below with both hands. "My ability is a bit strange, but I hid because of it. I kept waiting for a chance—one that would show me I could stay here and not regret it. I didn’t want to, but my wife said I could help a lot of people this way."

The wood of the carbine pistol darkened, the iron barrel thinned, and the trigger guard and trigger lost some of their rust. When Clerk returned it to Marcus, the shooter immediately frowned and stared at him.

"It’s much lighter, but it hasn’t lost strength." He spun the weapon a few times and twirled it around his finger before holstering it. "It’s much sturdier and stronger. How did you do that?"

Clerk gave a shy smile, gently scratching his palm while keeping his gaze down. Clara was impressed but wanted to hear from him.

"When I was younger, I discovered I could improve things depending on my vitality. I know I’m not that good, but it helped my father a lot before he lost our house to the collectors."

"When you say ‘improve,’ do you mean anything?" Clara asked, very interested. "Does that mean walls, windows…?"

"Yes, all of that. My wife is waiting where I shaped my old house, but we can’t live like that anymore. The Felroz scare the children, ma’am." He clenched his hands and stretched them out. "Please, let us stay for a few days. She needs this. The children too…" Tears suddenly streamed down his face. "We lost people this past year, and we have nothing left."

Clara wanted to cry with him. She never liked being on the rooftops—up here, all she could see was how far the ground was and that there had been a time when people lived down there, surrounded by life.

Now, a family lost in despair and surrounded by death was pleading to stay up here. This request touched her soul.

"Bring your family." She wanted to say more. Perhaps a better explanation of his ability would come at another time. She didn’t want to seem more interested in what he could offer than in his overall situation. "Once you’re settled, we can talk about the rest. Get comfortable, and then come find me, okay?"

Clerk stood up with a huge smile, thanking her more times than she could remember ever hearing in her life. Clara watched Marcus, still fascinated by his weapon—even though it didn’t look different, its feel had changed, and the compliments kept coming.

When she looked at Dante, she saw the old man beside him, both laughing, discussing something she couldn’t quite hear. But she was happy that Dante still held the same stance as before. Even being part of the city, he only wanted to handle certain situations.

And hearing the old man tell the story of how the Reservoir had once been a nightmare, she also realized the man was more than just an elder.

"I like believing this city can shine again. When I heard the creature that lived there had died, I came straight here. I didn’t expect an old man like me to stand a chance, and they told me you’ve got plenty of grit."

"Sir Jix, you should’ve seen what I did to it," Dante raised his fists and mimicked punches. "When it went down, I wrecked its face. I need to get a lot better to handle more of these creatures."

"Strong people are arrogant, Mr. Dante," Jix said. "You seem like a young man, you know? When I look at the city and hear you speak with such determination, it reminds me of the boys I used to train when I was younger. Arrogance changes a man, makes him more exposed. I want to believe there’s an effective way to kill the Felroz, and I want to make that my last mission. I want to pass on what I’ve learned fighting these demons for so many years to you—but you have to accept without complaining. I hate complainers."

Dante burst into laughter.

"How can I be arrogant if I’m weak, Jix? Look at me—do you think I don’t need to improve? Anyone who says they have nothing left to learn can never be more than they already are."

Jix pointed a finger, accepting his words.

The old man was generous, calm, and kind. Dante liked his presence. The tranquility of his Cosmic Energy was also a barrier that kept Dante from truly sensing him.

A battle veteran, like his father had been. Dante was excited.

"Shall we help each other, Dante? I’ll teach you what I know, and you wipe out those pests multiplying down there?"

Dante and Jix laughed, drawing attention, and shook hands.

"Let’s do it. Show me what you can do, and I’ll hit them until they fear humans again. What do you think?"

"That’ll do."