REPAID

A warm breeze mingled the melody of chirping crickets with the fresh scent of the hot spring resort's wooden walkways, crafting the perfect atmosphere for the midsummer night. With most of the tourists asleep, the cabins were draped in quiet peace. Without many man-made lights to hide them, the stars sparkled like a billion snowflakes.

Ludger Kresnik took it all in with quiet reverie as he wandered down the path. Even though he had been journeying outside of cities for the last few weeks, that night was his first chance to enjoy something of the natural world; it was a welcome reprieve from worrying about his troubling obligation, if only for a little while.

A little thirsty, he made his way towards the rest area between the baths, where he remembered seeing a vending machine. An extra wave of relief washed over him as he remembered he had paid off his massive debt, and that Verland Bank would no longer track his every purchase; it would be the first time in a while that only he would know he had bought a drink.

As he reached the wooden crossroads, though, something else caught his attention. Leaning on the nearby railing was Nova the collection agent, his high school crush and also his recent financial ball-and-chain. She stared out at the distant mountains, her usually cheerful face solemn and pensive. He drew closer and she quickly turned toward him. "Oh! Hi, Ludger," she started, a smile briefly springing to her mouth.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"Ugh, would you believe my sister snores like a chainsaw?" she said, rolling her eyes. "I had to get out for a bit." She turned and looked at the sky. "At least it's a lovely night…"

Ludger exhaled with approval, forgot about his drink and stood at the railing beside her, quietly staring at the dark mountains with her for several minutes. Finally, she gave a sad sigh and leaned heavily on the railing. "Y'know… I don't think I'm cut out for debt collection anymore," she admitted.

Ludger blinked at her; Nova was usually so confident, he couldn't remember the last time he heard her voicing self-doubts. "Oh?" he asked, his surprise audible despite the single noise.

Nova dug her finger into a knot in the railing. "It wasn't so bad when I just crunched numbers and shook down deadbeats… u-um, I mean, real deadbeats… at least I thought they were!" she quickly corrected herself, then shook her head again. "And, well… that's kinda the problem. Being put on your case… well, I can't see it that way anymore. Money, debts, the bank… they're not as black and white as I thought." She looked hard at him. "I can't just see names on paper any more. They're all people, and if they're in as much trouble as you were…" She broke her gaze and stared down at the rocks.

He nodded in understanding. She sighed and looked up at the stars again. "I think I need a new job," she said. "I just don't have the heart for this now."

Ludger's heart felt like it had sank alongside hers; he hated seeing usually peppy Nova so sad, and knowing he was partly to blame pushed him to make it better even faster. He thought for a few moments, then remembered something that could help. "Alvin's got a little produce company," he said. "He could use a sales rep. You have the people skills for it."

Nova looked at him oddly. "Alvin?" she asked. "The guy who tried to peep on us?"

Ludger awkwardly scratched the back of his head, remembering that Alvin had been the reason all the men had been engulfed by Elize's living doll in the bath that afternoon. "Uh… he's nicer when we all have clothes on," he tried.

Nova looked at him for a moment more, then sighed and gave a little smile. "Well, if you think he's OK, maybe I'll go talk to him," she said.

Ludger smiled back, and they turned back to the nightscape. Ludger waited with her for a few moments, then began to feel the pull of sleep on the backs of his eyes. As nice as the scene was, he had to get his rest for the next day. "Well…" he said, beginning to turn away.

"W-wait a second," she said quickly. "Ludger…"

He looked back and saw her eyes had changed from thoughtful to fearful… almost pleading. "Ludger, Vera can't tell me about Spirius Corp, and I don't want to get you in trouble, but I have to know." she said, her knuckles white on the bannister. "Is Julius really… dead?"

Ludger's face fell, remembering how Nova always seemed to like his dead half-brother more than him—it had been why he couldn't get closer to her in school—but he couldn't keep her in painful suspense. He sighed darkly. "...Yes," he said softly, "Julius is gone."

Her blue eyes sparked like a broken lightbulb, and she turned away, her arms trembling as she gripped the railing. "I… I can't ask how… or why… can I?" she stuttered, trying to keep her voice steady. "B-but… he probably was… doing his job… right? That's what h-he was always f-focused on, after all…"

Seeing her so upset broke his heart all over again. He ached to explain what had happened, but knowing how convoluted the time-and-dimension-breaking mess they were all stuck in was, coupled with knowing that Julius had asked Ludger to kill him—and he had obliged—he knew that she would never understand. He could only give a pathetic sigh. "I'm sorry, Nova," he said softly.

She sniffled several times, then looked at him again. "Vera said… you were going away, too," she said, "maybe… right after we get home?"

Ludger grimly thought of the eerie Land of Canaan floating in the sky, where his young kind-of-daughter Elle was held captive. He had worked to pay off his debt and get his affairs in order just in case the worst happened when he went… but again, he could not tell her why. "…Yeah," was all he said.

She squeezed her eyes shut and turned back to the railing for a moment, sniffling twice more. He came back and stood beside her, the only thing he could really think to do. Finally she took a long, shuddering breath. "I have no idea what's going on… and I know you and Vera aren't gonna tell me," she whispered, "but Ludger… I want you to know… I want you to be safe." Her hand let go of the railing and, trembling like a branch in a cold wind, found its way onto the top of his. "I-I… I want you to come back," she said.

His eyes widened at the touch, a faint blush springing to his cheeks. Nova turned and gave him her usual warm smile beneath her wet eyes. "After all, if you don't, who's gonna feed your cat?" she asked.

Ludger winced and gave an awkward chuckle, feeling warm all over despite the joke. "OK," he said, "I will."

She sighed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, resuming her usual cheerful demeanor. "Well, I think I can get to sleep now," she said. "I'm glad I got to work with you, Luds… and thanks for talking to me. G'night." She gave his hand a short, tight squeeze before she let go and started back to her cabin.

Ludger watched her walk down the path, then disappear around the corner. He turned and started back towards the men's cabins, a fresh surge of motivation swelling his heart. He already had a reason to bring Elle back from the Land of Canaan, but now he had one for himself, too.