Since they had left the lab at dawn, Alvin had been messaging someone almost constantly. His phone would buzz, he'd flash a brief smile or frown, type a quick message, then pocket his phone, only to do it all again a few minutes later. Jude felt it strange for him to be so avidly interested in a GHS conversation when they were out in the open; shouldn't he be keeping an eye out for any potential attackers? Or did he feel they were both safe at the moment and they could relax?

It'd be great if he could convey that to me so I could relax… Jude sighed and took a seat on one of the benches overlooking the ship's deck, watching the currents flow around the vessel.

Commuting to and from Helioborg had become easier recently. With the Spyrius Corporation funding all the new projects, the increase in workers prompted a new seahaven to be constructed. It was small, with space for only two commuter ferries and a supply ship, but it was far easier than hiring the amount of guards needed to escort the civilian workers through Torbalan. That, and the ferry cut down the commute time significantly; Jude could get across the bay in under an hour, as opposed to taking two hours or longer depending on the level of beast activity.

It was less dangerous as well, for which Jude was grateful. He was dedicated to his job, but that dedication meant late hours, and traversing the highroad late at night often left him with cuts and bruises from run-ins with hungry monsters. Nothing a good healing spell couldn't fix, but it was the principal of the thing.

Jude's eyes drifted to Alvin, who was still messaging someone, and his disgruntled face and hectic typing cued him on the current mood of the conversation. Was he having an argument with someone? His boss? A friend? A lover?

His eye twitched at the last possibility, but for what reason he couldn't tell.

Fed up with the silence, Jude spoke up. "Hey, Alvin? Who are you talking to?"

Alvin's hand stilled and his head whipped around, his eyes falling on Jude who was, at the moment, staring up at him, arms crossed. Alvin gave a weak chuckle and pocketed his phone, ignoring the next two buzzes as he responded. "Don't you worry your little head about it, Jude. It's just boring adult stuff."

Jude quirked a brow. "Boring adult stuff? I'm not a kid, you know."

To that, Alvin chuckled again, and turned to lean his back against the railing, propping his elbows on the metal bar. "With a reaction like that, I'd say you are. It's nothing, really. Just a debate with someone."

"A debate? With who?" He looked far too into the conversation for it to be someone he didn't care about. This was something Jude didn't like about Alvin; he avoided anything even remotely close to his personal life. Even after they had spent this much time together, Jude hadn't learned anything past his love for fashion and good booze. Anytime the topic ventured in the direction of his life, Alvin would expertly reroute the conversation to something else. Jude was unsure if this was due to his line of work, or for personal reasons, but it was a bit daunting knowing so little about someone that was living with him.

At his inquiry, Alvin merely shrugged. "A man is entitled to his secrets."

There he goes again. "I bet it's a woman," Jude accused, shaking his head.

Even Alvin had to laugh at that. "What, are you jealous, Jude? Should I message you more?"

"Messaging me would be pointless if you're standing next to me!" Jude countered. "And besides, any woman who dates you must have poor taste."

"Ouch!" Alvin gripped his chest. "You wound me, Jude. However will I recover from that sick burn? I may need to see a doctor!" He nudged at Jude's side just for affect, grinning mischievously.

Jude gave an exasperated sigh and returned to the railing. "Whatever, I need to shower when we get back then head out. I have a lecture this afternoon."

"No time for a nap?"

"I want to get there early." Jude shook his head, though the man's sentiment was noted. Was Alvin really all that concerned about his sleeping habits? He got a few hours last night, he'd be fine…

Alvin shrugged and sighed. "All right, but you should go to bed at a decent hour tonight. Kids your age should enjoy their free time, not spend all of it glued to books and paperwork."

A glare was cast his way. "Stop calling me a kid. I'm old enough to attend university and hold a high-profile job, you can at least treat me like an adult."

"That's a pretty childish thing to say."

Jude frowned deeply and was about to retort when his own GHS buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and flipped the screen open. Two messages from Leia.

tell alvin he DOES look like that frog! :[

it has his droopy eyes and everything!

Attached was a cartoon depiction of a frog, and suddenly Jude was snickering. "Have you been talking to Leia all this time?"

Now it was Alvin's turn to frown. "She asked for my number when she came over the first time. Why?"

"She says you look like a frog." Jude turned the device around for Alvin to see the message. "I agree."

Alvin groaned inwardly and scrubbed his face. "I can't handle you kids."

"Serves you right."

Trigleph was just as busy as one would expect on a weekday morning. The commuters were making their way to and from the station and docks, ready for the day. Save for Jude, of course, who trudged along beside Alvin with bleary eyes and unkempt hair. Adrenaline kept him upright on the ferry ride in, but that had long since worn off once they arrived in the city.

"How're people so active this early in the morning…" Jude asked, bringing a hand up to stifle a yawn before glancing Alvin's way. "What time is it anyhow?"

Alvin pulled his phone from his pocket, checking the time before tucking it away again. "I wouldn't call it early. It's half past nine."

"That's early, Alvin." Jude groused, running his hands through his dark locks. He winced when his fingers caught on a tangle. I really need to shower… Perhaps Alvin was right about his sleeping habits; Jude did tend to keep odd hours, and he caught himself dozing off more and more during the day. Not for not trying, of course. Jude had made an effort to get more sleep, even just an hour or two, yet somehow time always managed to get away from him when he was in the middle of his work.

It was an unexpected benefit of Alvin's constant presence; having him around meant an alarm clock he couldn't sleep through and a constant reminder that he required sleep. It was like having a roommate. A roommate that somehow had his life together far better than Jude did.

Once they arrived at the apartment, Jude shed his shoes and lab coat, tossing them onto the couch before shutting himself in the bathroom. It was one of the few places in his home that Alvin did not follow. It wasn't for his privacy; Alvin had followed him into public bathrooms on a number of occasions, citing it was one of the best places for Jude to be attacked. But at home, without any windows and only one door, it was merely unnecessary.

For a long moment, Jude stood beneath the steady stream of hot water and collected himself. The heat relaxed his weary joints and tense muscles. With a sigh, he allowed his mind to decompress. He had been doing better lately; he didn't feel so scared of going out, and he found he wasn't constantly on the lookout either. It felt like things were finally starting to calm down around him, the excitement of the attack just a few weeks ago dying off, leaving those involved to pick up the pieces.

Yet there was a strange sort of peace with that; with Alvin around, Jude didn't feel as if he needed to worry about the dangers of another attempt on his life. He supposed that was the intended purpose of having a bodyguard; to make you feel safe while you went about your daily life. That lead Jude to wonder what would happen after Alvin was released from his duty. Would he still be safe? Would they wait for the attackers to be apprehended? Or just for his project to be finished? Jude supposed if he finished and went home to Leronde he'd be all right, but… What if they didn't stop at the border? What if they continued chasing him simply for finishing his work? If Alvin wasn't getting paid, he wouldn't follow him, wouldn't protect him…

Jude pressed his back against the cheap tile of the standing shower and he forced himself to take a slow, deep breath. I can't do this… he thought. If I finish then Alvin will leave, and I'll have to go back to looking over my shoulder… What do I do? Will I ever be safe?

A sudden knock on the door startled him out of his reverie and Jude nearly jumped out of his skin, his hand knocking over the small array of soap bottles on the shelf. His mind flashed to all the possibilities of who could be on the other side of the door, who could be coming for him, until—

"Hey, kid, you okay in there?" Alvin. Of course it was Alvin. Who else would it be?

Jude took a second to calm his erratic breathing before sliding the shower door open to answer. "Yeah, I'm fine." His voice cracked slightly and he grimaced, clearing his throat. "What's up?"

"Are you sure you don't want to take a nap or something?" Alvin asked, his concerned voice muffled by the door. "You didn't sleep much last night."

A nap does sound nice, but… Jude shook his head even though Alvin couldn't see it. "No, it's better that I just power through it and sleep when I get back. If I nap, I'll sleep right through the lecture."

"You can always skip lecture, you know." It was a weak, but valid argument, yet Jude wasn't inclined to play hooky just because he worked too late the night before. Even though he had been tardy a number of times, he never actually missed a class. Many of his professors docked points if you missed more than a few days, and Jude wanted to save those for emergencies.

That didn't mean he wasn't tempted.

Jude slid the glass door shut again and went about his bathing regiment, effectively cutting off any means of protest Alvin could offer.

Somehow the square seemed more crowded than usual, not even with the usual businessmen and commuters, but with visitors as well. It was one of the biggest cities in Elympios, yet even knowing this there seemed to be an unreasonable amount of people wandering around it.

Balan had mentioned that Trigleph had one of the highest cost-of-living rates in the area, and that many people chose to live in the outlying towns and made the commute to save money. It would definitely save him a good chunk of gald, but the convenience of being within walking distance of school and just a ferry away from work beat riding a train multiple times a day.

"Is there an event going on?" He asked of Alvin, who pulled out his phone and brought up the calendar.

"I think today was supposed to be the United Market in Marksburg."

"Oh, that was today?" With all the goings-on, Jude had completely lost track. The monthly United Market allowed vendors from both sides of the border to sell within Marksburg without having to pay the international tariffs normally imposed to regulate trade. The increase in variety and decrease in cost brought shoppers from all around to stock up on goods they couldn't normally obtain. These crowds often spilled further inland, with Trigleph becoming a hotspot for the newest fashion trends not found in Rieze Maxia.

Jude himself usually took advantage of this to buy produce only available in his homeland. His mouth watered at the thought of fresh napples and poranges from the orchards in Hamil, and the fresh caught fish that only swam off the coast of Sharilton and served over rice…

"Jude, you're drooling."

Jude jumped, quickly wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve, only to find it completely dry. He aimed a pout Alvin's way, cheeks lightly flushed. "Jerk."

Alvin gave a chuckle and clapped him on the back. "You sure you don't want to skip class? We could go to the market before they close up for the day."

Tempted, sorely tempted. "No, I'll-"

Jude was cut off mid-retort when he suddenly smacked face-first into the back of another pedestrian, falling back with an indignant squawk. "S-sorry, I…" He froze when his eyes met with whom he had run into; a tall man, pale with silvery hair accented with crimson streaks. He wore a suit of indigo and black, one Jude recognized as a designer brand that he had caught Alvin, and carry a briefcase in each hand. But perhaps what struck him speechless was his eyes, barely visible beneath his locks and glaring almost hatefully down at Jude. He said nothing, not even a remark on his clumsiness, before turning away and disappearing into the crowd.

A shudder ran through his thin frame. Scary…

"You all right, kid?" Alvin knelt at his side, picking up his books that spilled onto the sidewalk when he fell.

"Yeah, I…"

"It's not too late to go back and sleep," Alvin said, and there was no play in his voice, only concern. "You're really out of it today."

Jude sighed and carefully stood, dusting off his pants. Maybe I should consider going back… He took his bag back from Alvin and slung it over his shoulder. "Maybe, but…"

There was a startled yelp somewhere behind him, and the clamor of footsteps against pavement as a group of men pushed their way to the center of the square. A dozen of them, all with sunglasses, medical masks, black fatigues… and guns.

"Listen up, Rieze Maxians!" shouted a man from the center of the group, drawing the attention of the mass of visitors. "Your fool king may believe that peace can reign between monsters and men, but we proud Elympions will not stand to have the heathens tainting our land!"

Jude stared, the feeling of dread filing his chest as he looked to Alvin for answers. "A protest?" He asked quietly, but something told him these were not mere demonstrators exercising their right to picket.

Alvin's angered expression confirmed this. "Jude, we need to go."

"What?"

There was a collective gasp as the guns were lifted into place, pointed directly at the people gathered around the square. "We of Exodus will purge the filth from these lands! Men, destroy the Rieze Maxian scum that plagues us!"

Exodus.

Jude felt his blood go cold, frozen in fear. Exodus, the anti-Rieze Maxian group. Exodus, the terrorists. Exodus, the ones that killed Professor Haus.

"Jude!"

All at once he was forced onto the ground as the terrorists opened fire, Alvin shielding him with his body as bullets sprayed into the crowd. Their leader cackled insanely as people yelled and screamed around him. Jude couldn't see, but he could hear the cries of pain, the men and women alike crumpling to the cobblestone as others climbed over them to escape the chaos. He wanted to scream, he wanted to run, but Alvin was holding him down and even if he hadn't been, he would've been too terrified to move.

More gunfire, more shouts of dismay, calls for the guards, for anyone to stop the madness. And through it all was Alvin, his voice stern, lips pressed against the crown of his head. "When I say go, I'm going to let you up, and you're going to run as fast as you can back to the apartment."

"What about you?" In spite of his fears, Jude's first thought was not of himself, but of others, of Alvin. "And these people… We have to help them!"

"Don't worry about them!" Alvin scolded, his arms bracing on either side of Jude as someone stepped on the man's back, tripped, then scampered away. Not once did he allow any weight on Jude, using his own body as a shield from anything that might bring him to harm. "These guys aren't messing around. We need to get you out of here."

"But…"

Another scream, this time closer, and from beneath the fabric of Alvin's jacket Jude could see a man collapsing to the ground, his blood seeping onto the stone. Dead.

Jude squeezed his eyes shut, and Alvin's grip only tightened.

"You're too important," Alvin whispered, almost too quiet for Jude to hear. He nodded silently against his chest.

The weight left him entirely and suddenly Alvin was towering over him, gun cocked and aimed straight ahead. He fired two bullets, both landing into the chest of the proclaimed ringleader of the attack. An opening.

"Run! Now!"

Jude scrambled to his feet and broke into a sprint, pushing his way through the mass of horrified pedestrians making their escape. More shots in the distance, more of his fellow countrymen shrieking, begging for mercy. And all he could do was keep running, because if he didn't, he'd be next.

But that was it, wasn't it? Those people, Exodus… They weren't just after Rieze Maxians in general. They had killed Professor Haus, and the entire reason why Bakur hired a bodyguard for him was because he was a target, not just the people of his country.

It was this thought that stopped Jude in his tracks.

They're after me.

The guilt that struck him was unlike any he had felt before.

These people are getting hurt, because of me.

Another round of gunfire in the distance; streams of bloodied and injured civilians limping their way to safety. Jude watched as a woman hobbled along, unable to keep up with the crowd, a gash along her leg. She made it only a few more steps before collapsing mere feet from him, sobbing in agony as others bashed into her, caring not for her injuries as they fled.

She was Elympion, Jude realized. Exodus had fired indiscriminately into the crowd, not even caring if their own people were caught in the fray.

Because of me.

His body moved without thinking, crouching before the woman, pressing his hands against her wounded leg. Jude took a deep, steadying breath, and focused his mana, willing the skin to mend. For a moment the woman stared, eyes filled with tears and fright both.

"What are you doing?" She asked, voice shaking. Had she not seen Spirit Artes before?

"Don't worry, I'm a doctor," he said, trying for the most clinical voice he could muster under such pressure.

Somehow, she looked even more frightened, "You're… You're one of them, aren't you? Rieze Maxian."

There was really no denying it, not when he was already pouring energy into healing her injuries. "Please hold still, I'll have you fixed in no time." A small smile graced his features when the tear in the skin began to slowly stitch together. I can do something. I can help.

His hand was smacked away before he could finish.

"Don't touch me, you monster!" She shrieked. "It's because of you that this happened!"

Jude stared at her, stunned, as she forced herself to her feet again, caring little of the freshly closed wound tearing open again from her struggles. She pushed past Jude, as if he was the enemy all along. As if he was something to fear.

All the while Jude could only stare, his heart sinking in his chest.

Monster.

Because of you this happened.

Because of you!

"Because of… me…"

A bullet whizzed over his head and Jude hardly had time to duck before another barrage came his way. He couldn't tell if the fire was coming from Exodus, the guards, or both, but they had moved beyond the square and into the streets. How long would this go on before the authorities got it under control? Jude didn't know; he could only crouch on the ground with his hands over his head, begging for it to be over.

Jude was grabbed roughly by the back of his shirt and wrenched upright. With a gasp he was dragged to his feet by none other than Alvin, and if looks could kill, he'd be dead upon impact.

"The hell did you stop running for?! Do you have a death wish?!"

Jude blinked rapidly, a mix of relief and renewed fear filling his chest, "I-I was trying to help and…"

A group of black-clad men rounded the corner, stopping when they spotted the pair. Alvin cursed openly and fired a warning shot in their direction, running in the other, forcing Jude along with him.

"Go, go, go!"

The two sprinted onward, weaving through the escaping mob, Alvin at Jude's back, putting himself between him and any danger that could come his way. A shot sounded, this one too close for comfort, and Alvin stumbled, muttering another colorful phrase before firing a shot behind him. It quickly became clear that just running wasn't going to get them to safety, not with this many people and more agents coming their way. Alvin dragged hold of Jude's shirt again and ducked into an alleyway, pulling him into the darkness.

Alvin pressed Jude against the wall and waited, watching like a hawk as the assailants rushed past the entry, pursued by the military.

Safe, for now.

Jude let a sigh of relief, the tension leaving his limbs all at once. "We made it…"

His rest was short-lived; Alvin grabbed ahold of his collar and gave him a firm shake, rage flashing across his eyes. "What the hell were you trying to pull back there? Why did you stop running?!" he shouted, mere inches from Jude's face. "Those guys were out for your blood and you just stop halfway down the street?!"

"I was trying to help!" he protested, pushing the man off as best as he could. But Alvin remained close, his anger practically radiating off his skin.

"They don't want your help!" Alvin shook him again. "You're the reason they're in this mess, don't you get that?!"

"I'm… That's not…!" Jude shoved Alvin back, holding him at arm's length. "How can you say that?!" he shouted, shaking his head, the beginnings of tears pricking at his eyes. "I didn't do anything! Are you saying Exodus attacked all those people because of me!?"

Those words caused Alvin to falter, his gaze falling away from Jude. "I didn't mean it like that."

Jude scowled, clutching at the silk of Alvin's shirt. "Then how did you mean it, Alvin?!"

For a long moment, Alvin refused to look at him, brows furrowed, teeth grit. Finally his hands came up and tugged at Jude's, loosening them from his lapels. "It's not you, but the Rieze Maxians," Alvin said, voice low, his vermillion eyes finally connecting with Jude's amber. "The Elympion people will see this as another reason to hate your people. Exodus is just a group of people; they can't single handedly stop Rieze Maxians from coming to their land, so they incite unrest with their actions."

Suddenly there was some sense to Alvin's words. "And if they make the Elympions hate Rieze Maxians…" The woman's words echoed in his head. 'Because of you… This wouldn't have happened…'

Alvin nodded, leaning heavily against the brick opposite Jude. "Then Rieze Maxians eventually stop coming to Elympios for fear that they'll be next."

It made sense, yet somehow something didn't feel right. Yes, they came from different worlds, but their people were not all that different. That, and researchers like Jude were brought over to help Elympios, to solve their energy crisis. And the participants of the United Market brought fresh fruits and vegetables that couldn't grow in the dying region for everyone to enjoy. Why? Why did they insist on driving his people out?

'Monster!'

"They're afraid of us, because of what we can do with the help of spirits." Jude murmured, his gaze falling to his hands, the sticky red that was there.

Blood? From that woman? Or…

His eyes darted to Alvin as the man ambled towards the opposite entrance, leaning heavily to his left, "Let's go back to the apartment. The police should have things under control…" He staggered, barely catching himself on the brick before he could fall.

"Alvin!" Jude rushed to his side, steadying him as best as he could. It was then he saw it; the blood seeping onto Alvin's shirt, a tear just beneath his ribs, a bullet wound. "You idiot! Why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm fine." Alvin waved him off, pushing away from the wall again. "Let's just get to the apartment, I have a first aid kit in my stuff."

Jude pressed his hands against the wound, provoking a pained curse from Alvin. He didn't ask permission, he didn't try to offer the clinical comfort he was taught to give his patients when performing emergency first aid; he just focused on healing Alvin, even as his mana lobe strained, out of practice from months of disuse.

All the while, Alvin stared awe at the boy before him. "Jude, you…"

"We're not monsters," Jude muttered, voice trembling, breathless. The alley around them started to move of its own accord, a fog filling his head from the sudden outpouring of mana, but Jude refused to stop until the wound was completely closed. "We're people, too, and we just want to help."

The boy let a shaky breath and pulled away, bracing a hand against the brick to steady himself. He watched with a vague sense of satisfaction as Alvin gingerly lifted his shirt, finding the skin there coated in blood, but otherwise unmarred.

"I didn't know you could do that." Alvin's mesmerized gaze returned to Jude, who smiled in return.

"I told you before," he chuckled, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "I'm a doctor, and I want to help people." In spite of his efforts, the tears finally slid down his cheeks.

Alvin clutched Jude's shoulder, trying to get a better look at his face. "What are you crying for?"

Jude shook his head, smiling through his tears. "I'm just… relieved. I was able to heal you just fine, even though I'm not that strong." He wasn't able to save Professor Haus, or help the woman at the square, but he was able to help Alvin, heal him fully. He hadn't failed, and for that he felt so happy he wanted to cry.

A hand came to rest upon his head, gently ruffling his hair, an action he was quickly coming to associate with Alvin. He brought his teary gaze up to meet the Alvin's, who smiled in return.

"You did good, Jude."