The next few weeks flew by in a blur.

Cydney continued her job at the cafe. She had given up joining guilds; after all, only the best of the best mages could probably help her get home, so what was the point of joining other mediocre guilds? Instead, she spent her free time in the Boston Public Library. If the enhancer magic textbook had taught her everything she knew, surely an elemental magic textbook could work in teaching her too.

Except it didn't. Unlike the enhancer magic textbook that broke down every step and process in detail, every elemental magic textbook assumed one already knew how to do basic magic. She would stumble at the very first exercise in a first-grade-level textbook.

And so, she fell into a dismal routine: working at the cafe in the morning and scouring through different textbooks at night. It was hellishly exhausting, and the only thing that kept her going every day was... Lyn.

Yes, despite unknowingly breaking her heart into a million pieces, the redhead still visited the cafe every day. Cydney even had her orders memorized; an espresso shot for a normal workday, an americano for when she wanted to stay and chat for longer, or a red-eye coffee on days she looked exceptionally exhausted. Lyn would also always order something random from the pastry display and give them to Cydney; she would blush and stammer like an idiot, and Lyn would chuckle and give her the most radiant smile ever.

Why was she so nice to her? She had Emily! Tall, beautiful, slightly scary Emily. She really didn't need to wrench on Cydney's poor heart even more. Cydney sighed to herself as she lugged the bag of trash out of the cafe.

As she neared the dumpster, a familiar voice froze Cydney in place.

"It's because of Irene, isn't it?"

"I told you already, it's not." That was Lyn's voice; Cydney could recognize it anywhere. "And please stop bringing that up, okay? I'm still not over the fact that you got her into trouble."

Intrigued, Cydney inched closer and poked her head out from behind the dumpster. Two tall figures stood in the middle of the dumpster alley. A head of auburn shielded Cydney from the taller blonde's view, and she ducked back behind the trash bin before Emily could see her.

"I got her into trouble? She broke the fucking rules, Lyn, you know that! Why the fuck do you always side with her?"

"I don't—" Lyn let out an exasperated sigh; her tone was unusually harsh. "Whatever, I don't want to fight over this again, okay? This is not about her."

"Everything is about her! Everything is always about her!"

"Em-cakes, please, that is not t—"

"And now, because of her, you want to leave the guild? People are dying to get into Dawn Avengers and you want to leave the guild over a stupid dispute? One that makes zero sense, by the way, Irene was rightfully punished and I stand by it!"

"Stop it. It has nothing to do with that. It's my own decision, okay? There's no room for me to grow in the guild, so I'm quitting after this month."

"No room to grow?" Emily's voice had risen to almost a screech. "Everyone in the guild loves you! You're the fucking star, the fucking lightning mage! And the people over at the QA perk up like those screaming children whenever we tell them we're including you in quests! What the fuck do you mean you have no room to grow?"

Cydney kept herself hidden, her panicking heart almost beating out of her chest. The way the two women were yelling at each other was terrifying, especially Lyn. She was not screaming as loudly as Emily, but her cold, biting tone sent chills down Cydney's spine. Perhaps she should leave the trash bag on the ground and get out of here...

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"It's over."

Those two words simultaneously stopped the argument and Cydney.

What? Cydney backtracked and peeked around the dumpster.

"What?" Lyn said, the anger in her voice completely dissolved. "What are you talking about, Em-cakes?"

"I'm done, okay? I'm sick of being the only one in the relationship trying so damn hard for a future. I can't do this anymore."

Lyn let out a soft, nervous chuckle. "Em-cakes, you... you don't mean that..."

"I do. Quit the guild, do whatever you want, I won't care anymore. We're done here."

Emily turned away, but Lyn must have grabbed her.

"Em-cakes, please—"

"Let me go, Lyn! We're done!"

"Please, I'm trying too, just trust me, I—"

A loud slap echoed across the alleyway. Cydney had to cover her mouth to stop herself from gasping out loud.

"It's over," Emily spat, before stomping away. Her echoing footsteps became fainter by the seconds. Then, silence fell.

Cydney stood, transfixed on Lyn's hunched back. An indescribable mix of emotions filled her heart. She could not see Lyn's face. Was she okay? Was she... crying?

After what seemed like forever, Lyn raised her hand and pulled on her braid. "Fuck! God damn it, Lyn! What the fuck did you do? Shit, shit, shit!"

Lyn's yells were like knives, piercing straight into Cydney's heart, while the slight tremors in her voice were the serrated blades. Shouting more expletives, she began kicking and punching the trash bin next to her—the one that Cydney was hiding behind.

Cydney jumped at every clang of the dumpster. She was still keeping herself quiet until a spark of yellow blinded her eyes. Pain shot through her body as she yelped and fell on her butt.

The kicking stopped.

"Cydney? Is that you?" Lyn's worried face appeared in front of her.

Oh no, she found me. Cydney's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "S- Sorry Lyn... I- I was just—"

"Oh my god, I am so, so, so sorry, Cydney. I- I lost control of my magic, but I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Cydney had never seen Lyn this flustered before. "I'm fine, Lyn, really."

"No, no, this is really bad. Using quester-level magic like this, and- and hurting you... I'm very, very sorry, Cydney, I need to make it up to you, somehow. Can I... I don't know, can I treat you to something? As an apology?" Lyn asked as she held out a hand.

Gulping, Cydney nodded and lifted her hand. Lyn grasped it—her palm was so soft and warm—and soon, Cydney found herself whizzed off into another animated adventure with Lyn.

Yes, she was back at the cafe, sitting in front of a grinning Lyn and a full table of pastries and cakes. She munched on the mountain of food as Lyn talked. Despite her merry facade, Cydney could still see the veiled sadness under Lyn's eyes as she droned on and on about Dawn Avengers, how suffocating it was, how dissatisfied she had been.

"But it is the best guild in the world, you know? I worked so hard to get here and it'll feel like I'm shooting myself in the foot." She sighed as she rested her head on her hand. "It's just strange, like, I've always had this vague, idealized goal of being a famous quester, and I guess my life worked out well and I sort of achieved it now. But now that I got here, I no longer know what I'm working for anymore, you know? I'm... lost, all over again. I think I just need something... more real to work towards, something I actually care for."

Cydney stared at Lyn's solemn expression. It seemed that Lyn was the opposite of her in every way. She had gotten everything she had ever wanted, while Cydney had been stumbling at every step of her way. Lyn now wished for a new goal to work towards, while Cydney was finding it harder and harder to focus on her current goal... because of Lyn.

Her heart clenched. She wanted to go home, but she wanted Lyn too. And it just occurred to her that she couldn't have both. She had to choose. She had to give one of them up.

What should I do?

"What do you think I should do?" Lyn asked, snapping Cydney from her thoughts.

"I don't know either," Cydney whispered. "Maybe... you should do what makes you happy."

"Well, I know I'll be very happy leaving Dawn Avengers."

"Then you should leave it behind."

A smile broke across Lyn's face—a genuine, delighted smile. "You're the first person who supports my decision. Thank you." Then, she let out an abashed chuckle. "And thank you for sitting through my rants. You're very sweet, like this cinnamon roll."

The entirety of Cydney's body heated up as if someone had set her on fire. "Oh... T- Thank you..."

"And I hope you're taking your own advice too," Lyn continued with a wink. "You should also do what makes you happy."

Cydney was still burning up, so she managed a meek nod. She wasn't sure if she should tell Lyn that choosing what made her happy might mean giving up on ever going back home.