"We, the Night Savers, bestow upon you the title of Night Watcher."

"The greatest title of our order, you are called to protect our Elrios with the people who seek your aid."

"Look beyond the horizon; see how the world is tainted with darkness. Be swift, be merciless, be unseen."

"Are you prepared, Night Watcher?" The captain turned towards the chosen elf, looking for signs of hesitation and pleased upon finding none. She was the bravest elf of them all, her powers absolute. The Night Savers remembered (with a bit of amusement) upon first meeting this heroine kneeling before the captain: childishly positive and always trying to see the light of El in everything; ridiculous. Now she was trained. She had seen firsthand the suffering and evil that ravaged this world. Her immature attitude had changed; she was now ruthless as her namesake, for night does not wait for the world to sleep.

"Ash'kavar Morvella." She made a brisk motion, twisting her hand over her heart as the elven gesture of solemnity and strength. "It is an honour I protect with my life."

"Eldrasil have favour upon you." The leader raised his hand, signalling her to rise. "The honour you protect is not yours alone. It is of mine, the Night Savers, the pride of our race, and all of Elrios. A responsibility most humans would crumble underneath."

"But I am not human, Captain."

He barked a laugh. "That is why you are the Night Watcher, is it not?"

The ceremony, like all the other rituals of the Night Savers, was quick and to the point. Assassins and secret agents that run underground do not have time for frivolities, after all. But at the end, when Rena made to leave for a series of self-training before facing her former comrades, the rest of the elves touched their right hand fingertips to their forehead, their heads slightly bowed. Even the captain, which was quite a surprise. Such a motion of respect was rarely displayed, less so by the leader himself.

"Night shield us." was she said, sheathing her Erendil and melting into the familiar shadows of a moonless night.

That Elsword was the leader of the original El team was never questioned. But time was a devious trickster; the commandership slowly drifted to Rena, who took it without pleasure or smugness. She was now the one who organized the initial formation of combat; every battle started upon her command. As Infinity Sword, the Knight felt only a slight annoyance at most, but it was hard to argue when her guidance led to landslide victories almost every time. Anyway, all the other matters regarding direction and objective she left to him, only dropping bits of advice when asked her opinion.

In combat, she was a formidable opponent. Armed with enchanted winds, countless traps, Erendil, and an indomitable spirit, she cut through her enemies so swiftly that most never saw it becoming ere their souls leaked out of gaping wounds. Even the shadows of every corner seemed to bend to her, cloaking her in darkness and allowing her to strike out almost as fast as Aisha's teleportation magic. Most monsters cowered before her presence alone, and those who underestimated her never made it alive.

What discomfited the others were during the brief periods of peace. Rena did not go out of her way to be malicious or spiteful, but most were wondering if she remembered how to smile anymore. When they went to town to trade for food and supplies, she got a lot of stares for her conspicuous ears, her revealing garb, and her large chest. It was too often that she received unwanted attention, mostly from lecherous drunkards and men who thought she was a prostitute looking for customers, but sometimes from overly conservative villagers who poorly disguised their distaste for both her kind and attire. She dealt this patiently till a group of men tried to grab her, too inebriated to notice the sword strapped to her waist.

All nine of them were sent to the local hospice, the worst being a cracked skull and red welts lashed everywhere. From then on, people kept their distance, and the worst Rena suffered now was nothing more than a disapproving glare and a snide whisper.

But those who wanted a rise out of her were severely disappointed. Her face seemed perpetually darkened by a mask of serious calm, one who kept both feet firmly planted to the ground. Those who remembered Rena as the carelessly cheerful elf that shared her smiles as generously as the wind sorely missed her, now that her smiles were rarer than the purest Moonstones. The times where her laughter rang out was a cold, stiff silence that rang painfully against their ears. Whenever Aisha and Elsword had one of their spats, she usually flipped to her room, shooting barely more than a bored look or a questioning frown.

Aisha and Elsword were painfully uncomfortable with this stranger that had replaced their sister figure from the past, but there was nothing they could really say. She was an excellent combatant, a good tactician, but...sometimes Aisha ached for someone to share her problems with or a good joke to laugh with. Eve was worse, for she literally had no emotions, and Ara was...absorbed with worries for her brother. It didn't hep that she was the only Dimension Witch in existence, either.

Was it worse for Elsword? She wasn't sure. Bereft of a sister, Elsword had seen a sister in Rena, who cared for him as his parents never had, looked out for him the way Elsa would have done. Now whenever she was around, Elsword would get...quiet. He wouldn't snap at Rena (old habits die hard), but there was something...off. The tension couldn't go on forever; it had to snap someday.

"You're so damn serious!" Elsword grouched at her, actually stopping his argument with Aisha to turn to the elf. "What the hell happened to you?"

She raised her eyebrows, her face maddeningly tranquil. "I now refrain from exploding with anger at trivial matters. Is that not good?"

"Can't believe I'm saying this," Aisha muttered under her breath, then said to Rena, "Unni, Elsword is right. We're not always fighting, can't you have a bit more fun while we still can?"

"Fun?" The elven warrior had barely raised her voice, but there was a certain shill that could not go unnoticed. "I still sense the dark forces threatening to swallow Elrios, Ran the evil demon still has Priestess Sasha in his grasp for his nefarious schemes, and while all this transpires, you speak of fun?"

Aisha was frantically mouthing at Rena to be silent, and she realized why: Ara had been standing behind listening. Her eyes started to glimmer at the mention of her brother; a topic that was taboo with the girl. But as Rena stared with impassive eyes, she could not feel more than an atom of pity among much scorn. Did the girl not know to face the truth?

"P-please...don't talk about Orabeoni that way, Rena-Unni." she stammered under the elder's intense gaze. "You said we would save him..."

"And if we cannot?" Her shoulder wings fluttered. "We said that, yes, but as we take our sweet time, your brother falls more to darkness. If the choice falls to saving one human over the future of this world, what would you choose?" She pointed at Ara. "If Ran fuses with the evil to become one twisted entity, then he is beyond hope. Killing him would be—"

"No!" Ara screamed, making Elsword and Aisha jump. "That's enough!" Tears that pooled around golden eyes now leaked, tricking down her face. "Please, do not continue..." With a swift turn, she fled the room.

"Nice going." Elsword muttered. Even Rena's steel heart could feel the prick of conscience, a shard refused to be silenced. Perhaps she need not have gone so far. But they were warriors, not children. If one word was enough to offend one so easily...they certainly had a lot to catch up on.

"And while you're at it, why don't you also get some clothes to make you look less of a stripper?"

She turned to look. He may have gotten black hair, drink in Dark El...but he was still that brash, hotheaded Elsword who couldn't tolerate injustice. Judging from how his hand itched over his sword, he was raring for a fight, but Rena could see that with his temper flaring with insults, it would take less than second to pin him down. That was pointless and would only dent his pride, flaming enmity among a group of warriors that were to work together.

Taking insults from a human...that certainly wasn't part of being a Night Watcher. Biting back a wry smile, she turned to the hallway, where she could see him walking from the other end.

"I heard what happened." was his way of greeting.

"Indeed?" she leaned against the wall. "And do you agree with the others that she should be coddled with half-truths?"

"No, that's the worst we can do to her."

"Then?"

"But what you did was no better."

Irritation flared like a match; unlike with Elsword, Raven's quiet rebuke was like how one would scold a child, which threatened to crack Rena's calm. How strange. "I was seeking no one's approval." she made to brush past him, but his bulk suddenly deem to double as he blocked the corridor with his giant, metal spikes of a hand. "What is the meaning of this?" She looked up, expecting another insult.

His eyes, however, did not contain the surprised hurt or bemused anger as the others. It was...something like wistful sadness, a deep...yearning, and...pity?

"What...exactly happened to you?"

"Same as everyone else." As the gap between them slowly grew smaller, Rena was finding it a bit difficult to keep tranquil. She never got this near anyone unless she was dealing the killing blow. Such contact was unfamiliar. "I have carved my path to become stronger in my own right and protect those I care for. With power comes change, but surely you know that." She looked pointedly at the Nasod Arm that barred her path, then barely restrained herself from flinching at the alien contact that rested on her shoulder: Raven's human arm. It wasn't a death clamp, but it felt like it was pinning her down. But it wasn't...that...bad...

"You're still here."

"You are holding me, so yes, I am still here."

He grimaced. "...Not you."

"Sorry?"

"I'm talking to the Rena who knew how to smile, laugh, and comfort her friends instead of crushing them...the one who still knew of hope in the world, the hope she herself had taught me to see..."

Her heart felt funny, like it was trying to do somersaults. This wasn't how a Night Watcher was supposed to be! Captain had said, the Night Watcher lives in the shadows, fulfilling her duty with the swiftness of darkness, serene as the Northern Star. Hope and faith were trivial things, quickly crushed by the face of the cold, harsh truth. This was...this was ridiculous! So why did words suddenly leave her dry, and why was it suddenly a challenge to maintain eye contact with this man? She forced herself to not look away.

"...show me the cheerful elf that showed me the joys as well as the sadness, not someone who gave up all faith."

"I...did not give up." She willed her mind to clear. "I bear the trust and pride of elvenkind, the Night Savers, and the fate of this world. A Night Watcher does not shirk her duties and never shows fear."

"I'm not talking about the Night Watcher." He said impatiently. "I'm talking about Rena, the elf who kept the group together with her cheerfulness, before she threw away hope and trust in a brighter world."

Her lips, which parted to shot back a retort, fell silent. But why? He wasn't right; she was fighting for a better world.

"Now she's just like another Eve. Why is that?"

That was probably just a harmless comment, but somehow it rubbed Rena entirely the wrong way. So now she was like Eve, was she? And the way he said her name...like she was a reference for everything emotionless and cold-hearted. That was Raven; that was always Raven. He had never seen her as Rena, the elf or Eryuell; it was always Seris, his lover. Now she was Eve, a hunk of machinery. She was always someone else, never Rena. And to think that she believed that he had fallen for her...

A part of her had expected him to understand. Elsword, Aisha, Chung? They were young. Despite how infuriating they could be, it was like getting mad by a couple of toddlers; she had to understand their inexperience with the world. But Raven had seen the worst the world had to offer, the cruel suffering he had endured. She had also seen the dark facets of this world, many which were near-unspeakable. Now he was berating her that she did not show enough smiles?! How did smiles and laughter drive away the evil forces?

For a Veteran Commander, he was acting unusually childish. It seemed that she had greatly overestimated the capacity of humans. They were fighters, but she presumed that with their short lifespan came a severe shortage of perception and wisdom.

Again, she was the elf that had to understand for the good of Elrios.

The words Raven would have said next might have drained all anger from Rena, maybe open her eyes to a new perspective. But whatever he was about to say she would never know, for then a strong gale suddenly slammed Raven against the opposite wall, knocking all the air from his lungs. When his vision stopped spinning, he faced a Rena whose face was self-possessed only skin deep. Her eyes blazed with anger and another emotion the Veteran commander knew too well: Hurt. What had he said?

"Rena." He walked towards her, only to be blasted back by another screaming gust. The enchanted winds raged around her like an angry hurricane, circling protectively around her like an ancient guardian. Raven couldn't go near her without being blasted away like a twig. "What...what's wrong?"

"You're digging up a past that only brings sorrow." For him, he wondered, or for her? "I find it pitiful that you search for joys and hope; dreams of a child."

"They're not dreams, they're real. You saw them in the Ponggos, the small villages; we all fight, but we never lose hope." he retorted.

She shook her head. "I keep overestimating you humans. Was losing your entire family not enough for you?"

"That's enough, Night Watcher." he voice went flat. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

Again, she had stepped too far, all to keep the upper hand in remaining calm. That thought drove all anger from Rena, though the winds continued to swirl around her like a barrier. Raven was probing her, looking for something that shouldn't be disturbed, because it was long gone. She would have to stay away from him in the future. After all, feelings were not a part of saving the world. As soon as Ran was purified, destroyed, whatever was needed, she would go back with the Night Savers, her people that knew better the crisis of Elrios. Mission first, Rena reminded herself, others can come later.

"Do not bother me again." Rena lifted Erendil warningly. "We have a mission to fulfill. I accept these rest periods. I face the scrutiny of foolish villagers. I hone my skills with the others. But do not—" she edged the blade closer, "—do or say anything that hinders my mission. If things go well, my affiliation with your group will be minimized as possible. Let us remain civil while our goals overlap."

Your group, she said. Like she had never been part of it before.

She sheathed her blade and turned to go, stopping only to say, "And you catch well, Veteran Commander. From now on, call me by my title; I am the Night Watcher, commander of the Night Savers. I am not Rena, and I was never Seris."

"Hyung, are you okay?" Chung asked upon seeing Raven, whose hair looked like a small tornado had ravaged through. "Is it windy outside?"

He grunted, which the Trooper took for an affirmation, checking outside the windows for a breeze. Night was falling again, which lowered Raven's mood even more, for it reminded him of the elf and the fiasco in the hallway. She was probably out there, prowling the woods. After all, night was when she worked best. Did she even sleep?

Fate truly had a sense of humour. It hurt Raven most that he used to be like what she was now. Blunt, cold, and shut off to the world. Whatever the Night Savers did with her fighting skill, they had stripped her of her original heart, replacing it with a chunk of ice that refused to see anything else other than the evil that needed to be exterminated.

You're digging up a past that only brings sorrow.

He would have believed that. But no, there was something that he couldn't quite get his finger around, but he saw a glimpse of it. Some small part of her, like a speck of light in darkness, was still there. Very small, probably so insignificant that she herself didn't notice, but he did. He saw it once, before the winds knocked him off his feet. Like a small shard of El, it gave him a sense of hope that made him want to still try.

I find it pitiful that you search for joys and hope; dreams of a child.

He said something similar to her not long after he first joined them, when she tried to keep him from slipping into depression. He couldn't remember what exactly she said after, but it helped him. She had always helped him, even when (he hated to admit it) he saw her as a replacement for Seris. As a Veteran Commander, he honoured his Crow Mercenary Brothers, his brave ex-fiancée that sacrificed everything to free him, to give him the life he had now. But they were gone, gone and buried. His views altogether had changed, from mindless rage to endless guilt to an iron resolve to live for them.

I was never Seris.

No, she wasn't.

He wanted to tell her that, right before she blasted him away. He wanted to tell her that...that...when he closed his eyes, the one he always saw was a golden haired elf with a beaming smile, full of confidence and pride. That she was the one who showed him the path to right himself and the memory of his fallen. Now, somehow, their roles were reversed. If he were to come near her again, he'd probably be lucky to come out alive. So what was he to do...?

Do not bother me again.

Well, he never was good at following orders. This was going to be challenging.