Tonight the stars are out in their full, unembellished beauty, the sky clear as far as the eyes could see, not a single puff of cloud in the deep purple cosmos.

He paused a little to crane his neck and look up at the constellations spread out above him, but quickly continued on through the tall grass.

The stars are beautiful, how he wished he could look at them a little longer.

Even through these borrowed eyes.

*****

The room was left in stunned silence.

They stared at Iris with wide eyes, trying to make sense of her words.

“We find them,” pronounced Thomas in a voice Idris had never heard before, filled with anger and hate. “We start tomorrow morning, trace their tracks, search the whole city if we must.”

“Thomas…”

“Interrogate those near the outpost, whatever suspicious activity they saw. Ask Reiner for help if we still come up empty-handed.”

“Thomas!” Bruno roared.

Thomas stared at Bruno silently.

“Just stop. They left nothing to find, nothing to track. It’s impossible to find them in this city, even if they are still here. You know it.”

Thomas held Bruno’s stare for a moment longer, before slowly raising his shaking hand.

“Damn it!” He screamed, hurling his mug down, the porcelain exploding into a million little pieces.

Idris felt himself flinching.

This must be the first time he’s seen Thomas at his wit’s end.

Kana and Raina sat with their heads low, peeking at Thomas from the corner of their eyes. Bruno stood still, his jaw trembling from rage.

Nobody dared to move, the tension in the air too much for them to try.

They could hear Thomas’ heaving breaths, roaring with anger, boiling with rage.

He ran his hands over his face and through his hair, breathing deeply a few times to calm himself.

“We’ll be splitting up…” said Thomas, keeping his voice as steady as he could. “We’ll need to.”

The others said nothing.

“Otto, Kana, Idris, Saya, and I, we’ll be heading to the mountains in search of answers. The rest of you stay here to prepare for the contract and find clues about the perpetrator.”

Nobody spoke up.

“Understood?”

“Understood…”

“Pack your things, get some rest, we leave at dawn,” said Thomas as he got to his feet. “I apologize about the mug…”

“I’ll clean it,” Saya muttered.

“Thank you, Saya…”

Then he turned and left the room without another word.

Bruno followed him out the door, their footsteps disappearing down the hallway.

Kana watched them go, before breaking into ragged sobbing.

“Kana, it’s okay…” said Raina, wrapping her arms around her. “It’s okay…”

“I’ve…” Kana mumbled between stifled breaths. “I’ve never seen him like that…”

“Me neither.”

Otto got up too, sighing as he headed for the door.

“You four apprentices, go to sleep,” said Otto as he walked past them. “It’s late.”

“Yes…” Idris answered.

They left the room in silence, biding Iris and Nina, who opted to stay with the former, goodnight, before heading for their rooms. Kana continued sobbing, and Raina stayed with her a while longer to comfort her.

“I’m scared…” Saya mumbled as they walked.

Idris sighed. “It’s… It’s okay…”

He reached an arm around Saya’s shoulder, holding her tightly. Her thick hair itched at his skin, but he didn’t mind.

They arrived at Saya and Nina’s room, though the latter would not be there tonight.

“I’ll come wake you up tomorrow morning,” said Idris. “Sleep soon, try not to think about things too much.”

“Idris…” Saya whispered.

“Yes?”

“I’m scared…”

“I know.”

“I’m really scared…” she whimpered, looking up at him with teary eyes. “I’ll be even more scared alone in a dark room…”

“Then keep a candle lit.”

“I…”

Idris sighed with a little smile. “I guess I’ll keep you company.”

“Thank you…” Saya whispered happily, giving Idris a tight hug.

She really is a little terrified, which doesn’t happen often. Saving their friend from death and seeing their stoic upperclassman screaming in rage must have shaken her up.

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They didn’t bother changing clothes, they’re too used to being dirty while on busy assignments. Plus, they don’t have any clean clothes anyway.

Idris slept on Nina’s bed, and Saya on her own. She used her telekinesis to slide her bed just a little closer to Idris’ before snuggling into the blankets.

“We’ll be on the road again tomorrow, huh?” Saya mused, looking up at the dark ceiling.

“Yeah…”

“Are you scared?”

“Maybe…”›

She turned to her side to look at Idris. “I’ll comfort you if you’re scared,” she said jokingly.

“Sure…” grumbled Idris as he rubbed his eyes. “Let’s sleep now, it’s late and I’m exhausted…”

“Fine…” she whispered. “Goodnight.”

“Good night,” Idris replied, turning over so his back was facing her and quickly falling asleep.

Saya stared at his moonlit silhouette in the darkness, rising and falling lightly with his breathing, an unexplainable warmth slowly but surely creeping through her chest. She smiled sweetly to herself, before closing her eyes.

*****

“Thomas!” Bruno shouted as he chased after him.

He stormed down the hallway, kicking in the door to his room, and stood there with his back to the entrance, breathing heavily. While addressing everyone he had used up the last bit of his patience, and now he could no longer control himself.

“Thomas…” mumbled Bruno as he walked up next to him.

“How dare you… I’ll kill you… I’ll…”

“What?”

“I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you…” Thomas growled through clenched teeth. “I’ll kill you…”

Bruno grabbed Thomas’ shoulders and twisted him around. “Tho…” He began, but his words caught in his throat once he saw the madness in Thomas’ eyes.

“I’ll kill you!” Thomas screamed, spittle flying, as he shoved Bruno aside and grabbed his own head.

“Thomas!” Shouted Bruno, grabbing him by the shoulders again and shaking him violently. “Snap out of it!”

“I’ll kill you…” Thomas whimpered, dropping to his knees. “I’ll…”

“Thomas…”

He cried silently into his hands as Bruno knelt next to him.

Everything, everything was just too much. They had been so busy for the past several weeks that he barely had a chance to register his pain. He kept himself walled up, emotionless, so those around him wouldn’t be affected.

But now that wall was crumbling, and everything came pouring out.

They had come so close, but they were still too slow. If only they had been there an hour earlier, this could all be over. This was the closest they'd come, yet their enemy had again slipped through their fingers.

“There’s no way we’d find him in this city, is there?” Thomas whispered.

“No…”

“No way at all?”

Bruno didn’t reply.

“I thought we’re trained to find a needle in a haystack…”

“But the needle is invisible and the haystack is venomous.”

Thomas slowly got to his feet, drying his eyes on his shirt sleeve.

“Let’s rest for the night, Thomas. We must set off tomorrow.”

“For what?”

“For vengeance…”

There was a knock on the door, followed shortly by Otto’s entrance. He looked at the two before him and the fire in Thomas’ eyes.

“Take this, Thomas,” he said, placing a pearly pink pendant in Thomas’ hand. “I commissioned this in a port of Aerion. It was supposed to be a gift for Lily. Now it’s yours.”

“I can’t… take this…” Thomas stuttered. “It’s meant for Lily, not me…”

“Take it,” demanded Otto. “Take it and never forget.”

Thomas clenched the pendant tightly in his hand, the metal carvings digging into his palm. “Thank you…”

“I’ll go get our wagon ready for tomorrow,” said Otto as he turned to leave. “We can resupply along the way, there should be no shortage of small towns.”

Then he left, his footsteps resounding down the hallway.

Thomas looked at the pendant in his hands, the pinkness of the pearl barely visible in the darkness, and he couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

*****

The morning air was but a little chilly, a little temperate even, much warmer than just a few weeks prior. Summer comes fast, faster than they notice.

They sat onboard Otto’s large wagon, by the side of the street, ready to set off for the northern mountains.

“Be safe, okay?” Said Andrei, standing beside the wagon, looking up at his friends.

“Haha of course,” chuckled Saya. “Stop talking to us like we’re youngsters.”

Andrei thought about making a snarky remark but decided against it. Yesterday’s events had left everyone in a low mood, and he had no energy to tease his friends.

Now they would be parting ways, for at least the next several weeks, and, if things don’t go to plan, maybe even forever.

They all knew that, in one way or another, splitting apart would be even more dangerous than staying together. Their enemies are strong, stronger than anyone they’ve ever faced, and they may strike at any time.

But such is the nature of their circumstances.

Bruno, Thomas, and Otto were exchanging some words at the front of the wagon, their voices low enough that Idris could not hear the content of their conversation. Kana and Raina stood together, the former’s head hung low and the latter softly patting her shoulders.

Then Thomas approached her, kneeling a little and tilting his head to see her eyes. Kana raised her head to meet Thomas’ gaze, her eyes slightly red around the edges.

“I’m sorry, Kana,” said Thomas. “I know you gave me that mug a long time ago… I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay…” she replied in a quiet voice, wiping her eyes softly with her fingers.

“Please, cheer up a little, okay?”

“It’s… not about the mug…”

“Is it not?”

“It’s…” Kana sulked, covering her face with her hands. “It’s… I’ve never seen you so angry…”

“I… I’m sorry…”

Raina sighed, pulling Thomas aside and whispering into his ear. “Stop apologizing! You know she cares about you! She’s cared about you for a long time! Just accept this piece of affection and get on with it!”

“I see…”

“You’re so dull with these things sometimes,” Raina sighed again, shoving him back towards Kana.

Thomas stumbled to a stop before Kana, who met his slightly bewildered gaze with a slightly hurt one. He couldn’t help but smile at her teary eyes and pink cheeks.

“Thank you… Kana…” said Thomas.

Kana nodded, wiping her eyes again with her sleeve. “Be safe.”

“I will,” Thomas replied, before leaping onto the wagon. “We must get going now, time is not on our side.”

“Wait!” Shouted Nina from the door as she helped Iris out to the street.

“Nina! Iris!” Saya called out happily.

“She wanted to come say goodbye,” explained Nina, carefully letting go of Iris and letting her walk up to the wagon.

“Hey,” Iris spoke softly, yet to recover fully from her injuries. “Thank you… for saving my life.”

“You’re welcome!” Saya replied energetically before looking up at Nina. “Nina!”

“Yes?”

“Let me know if Andrei is mean to you, okay?” said Saya with an evil smirk.

“Sure…?”

“Saya…” Andrei grumbled. “How could a gentleman like me ever be mean?”

“Hehe…” Saya giggled, sticking his tongue out. “Stay safe!”

“You too!” Nina shouted back. “Safe journey!”

Otto snapped the reins and the horses began moving, pulling the wagon down the packed street.

Once again they were on the road, toward a distant place, a place where they might finally find their answers.