How beautiful it would have been if everything had been fixed after that last encounter. She didn't even mind getting lost for a moment and not finding the inn. Why, she didn't even care about entering the oddly silent room. Until she did.

Perhaps it was the sounds of the city or light from outside. But she didn't realise how awfully small the room was. Just a bed, a nightstand and another door leading to what she guessed was an even smaller bathroom. Regardless, it did not feel as antagonising as an old desert ruin. But it was oppressing as if the city itself wanted to swallow her whole with an evil intent. And walking into this closed space was no different from entering a wolf's mouth. It was just her imagination, but logic did not pierce through that irrationality.

The idea of having a panic attack was starting to be more frightening than the room itself, so Faruzan backed away and fled the inn barely a minute after arriving.

Faruzan was tired; fatigued from days of constant walking, inappropriate accidents and constant fears. And on top of that, she had not slept in two days. She should have just asked that Nameless Wanderer to just spend the night with her. Now she was all alone again, in the middle of the night in a city that she did not recognise. What's more, she did not carry her notebook so she had nothing to do.

Too exhausted to walk around anymore, Faruzan sat down on a bench facing east and just waited for sunrise. It was a bit cold and too risky to fall asleep. So she took her vision and just fiddled around with it. Better than thinking of what had just transpired.

"Really, being scared of indoors… Who's like that? Stupid, so stupid. And I'm not like that." If anyone was walking by, they certainly would try to ignore the strange woman muttering to herself while playing with an anemo vision. "And then I kissed the first person I meet. Goodness gracious, he must think I'm a frivolous woman. Maybe it's normal now… but how would I know? I need friends…"

This was too much drama to handle after 100 years of nothing. She had enough of being scared of four walls and a ceiling! Why did she have to do that? It was a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing! Back in the day, you only kissed after at least a few dates. And not in the mouth. Maybe on the hand. Or the cheek at most. And definitely not with the tongue, though that was on him.

These were the kind of topics she'd speak with her mother. And now, what? She wasn't some young scholar anymore. Her mother wasn't there for her either.

It was just depressing. But better than falling asleep and having nightmares.

At some point, the sun slowly broke over the horizon. Though tired mentally and physically, Faruzan began the long trek towards the Akademiya's endless slopes.

She wasn't quite sure what hour it was but by the time she reached over the main entrance, the doorkeeper was already opening it. She just strolled inside and hoped for the best.

The main lobby of the Akademiya had luckily not changed much. It was wide and tall, of an oval shape. In the middle, anyone's eyes were lured towards a beautiful fountain that had been renovated over the years. Walking down the lobby and past the fountain, there was an oblong-shaped reception that seemed empty, save for one man that had just sat down on one of its many chairs.

The man at the reception seemed to be dilly-dallying, more focused on not falling asleep rather than doing his job.

This was it.

Faruzan breathed in and walked towards him.

"Excuse me." Faruzan was quite confident, or rather, she wanted to be like that. The man quickly fixed his posture as she approached. "Good morning. I would like to access the Akademiya's records."

"The records, right." The man rubbed his face before opening a drawer below the desk. "Since you're a student, you need to get your teacher to vouch for you." He pulled out a paper, filled with words she couldn't quite read.

"Ehem, no. I'm a Professor here."

The man stared at her as if he was trying to recognise her. "Right, well, just show your credentials and you can enter whenever you feel like. Unless it's a holiday."

"What if I have misplaced those credentials?"

Again, the receptionist was too tired to actually follow through with his job. "Good heavens… Just tell me your name. I'll start the procedure to replace them."

As he once again rummaged through his folders, Faruzan spoke up. "Right, the name. It's Faruzan, but it won't appear on the list. You see, I'm that Faruzan, do you understand? The one from a hundred years ago? I never passed away in the desert, I became trapped and… Do you follow?"

"Aha… Well, miss. It's a decent prank, I guess? But I'm really busy doing, uh, maintenance."

"What's so hard to believe? Do you not understand you're speaking to walking history?" Her Pupil believed her straight away! What was so hard to believe? "Fine, be that way. What's your name?"

"Uh, Mahir?"

"Well, youngster, since you clearly lack the ingenuity necessary to find my story plausible, I want to appoint a schedule with whatever Scribe is available. I can easily verify my story with written records."

"If you're not of the Akademiya, then you can't appoint—"

"Are you perhaps deaf? I am a Professor of the Haravatat Darshan. I graduated with the highest of honours, wrote hundreds of research papers, and advanced the field of semiotics! I can give more solid evidence if you let me access the records and demonstrate my identity."

The receptionist was certainly not paid enough to deal with such a barrage of words, nor did he seem to care enough about Faruzan's story to even pretend.

"Professor of the Haravatat Darshan?" A deep yet mellow voice suddenly said from behind her.

It was a tall, well-built man with greyish hair reading a book. Much like her Pupil, he wore his coat completely half-heartedly, showing his toned chest. Was this really the new trend? Walking around to show how much you used your muscles? So uncivilised! Back in the day, it was about dressing up properly with a nice hat to match the set!

The receptionist was quicker to act. "A-Acting Grand Sage, please pay her no mind. She's just some whacko—"

"Whacko?! I'm Faruzan! I didn't spend a century alone to be disrespected in such a way!"

"No yelling at these hours of the morning, I can hear you even with my earpieces." The Grand Sage closed his book, seemingly bothered by the situation. "You claim you're… who?"

"Faruzan! The Professor who disappeared a century ago while researching Al-Ahmar's civilization."

The Sage glanced over at her whole body. "You certainly smell and look like you've disappeared. For a couple of days at most." His green eyes suddenly hardened as he stared at Faruzan's. "Though that does seem out of place. Have your eyes always been like that?"

"My… eyes? The heterochromia?"

"No. The shape. Unusual pupil shapes are not strange. Triangular-shaped and pupillary heterochromia, however... It's the first time I ever see ones like yours. And not easily faked." He was lost in thought for an instant. "Come."

Higher-ups were always so dull. In any case, she followed the Grand Sage into the depths of the Akademiya. Not before pulling out her tongue at the rude and lazy receptionist.

"Bear in mind, I don't trust your story. Yet, I also see no benefit in faking it. I've read Faruzan's works, so I feel some obligation in clearing this confusion." His voice wavered little. It seemed like showing this lack of emotion served him well. "But if you are who you say you are, there will be much paperwork to work around. I would like to get that over with as soon as possible."

"Hmph. Nothing has changed in one hundred years."


Unbeknownst to Faruzan, hidden behind one of the supporting pillars of the main hall, the nameless Wanderer witnessed her little adventure for recognition. If she wished to do it on her own, he had no choice but to acquiesce to her demands. But that didn't mean he would stand idle.

Bad tongues, or perhaps even his dear Buer, would say that this was no different from stalking.

However, he dashed such rumours.

A kid observing how ants carried grain through long distances was not stalking, but observing. That's what he was doing. It was mere curiosity about the situation unfolding. Nothing more, nothing less. And if things got hot, and old Twintails hit herself against whatever bureaucratic wall that could emerge… He'd descend from the heavens like a guardian angel.

Just like with every problem that had appeared so far.

That was the formula for the whole trip. She bumped into trouble and he'd fix it. Sure, he didn't like being entangled in issues, much less being forced to help. Yet, there was an eccentric, budding satisfaction building up inside his chest every time Faruzan passed over a hurdle thanks to him. Pride, perhaps? Because of that, he wanted to replicate that situation again and again. He was Faruzan's purveyor of solutions. And that was a purpose he was beginning to appreciate.

A slight problem, however.

They weren't in the wilderness anymore.

Sure, Faruzan did hit herself against a wall. But he should have calculated that she was as stubborn as a mule. Because she just kept crashing against that wall until it broke. And right when she had seemingly met her match, that Alhaitham just had to enter the scene.

Oh, had it been some other fool he would have stopped him before he even approached her. But Buer's friends were off-limits. Especially the ones who were involved in the great plan to free her. One false move, one hiccup, and Buer would never forgive him. He didn't want that. He couldn't hurt Buer, either directly or indirectly.

But now he had to watch as some other guy aided her and led her somewhere inside the Akademiya. Something about validating her story? Yeah, right. As if he'd believe that. Buer could trust that Cowlick hair, but he wouldn't.

All these people were the same. They saw someone vulnerable and only thought of a way to exploit them. He wouldn't let that happen.

The Wanderer didn't even bother passing by the reception. He strolled right into the depths of the Akademiya, and nobody stopped him. There were barely any scholars around at that hour of the morning. A confident gait was enough to fool whoever saw him, Matra included. Clearly, Faruzan had to stop thinking by the book.

The halls seemed infinite, and he was too late to even see where they had walked by. That's what a normal person would think. A former Harbinger, however, had more than a thousand solutions for such a trivial issue. His own physiology already had an innate ability to detect elemental traces, and the vision only added to that. The Akademiya seemed to be imbued itself with energy, but the faint anemo trail that the exhausted Faruzan left behind was distinguishable enough.

That idiot was using her vision to push her body and not sleep. Were her nightmares really that bad? It didn't matter at the moment. In that state, where she was running on fumes with only her vision tying her to the real world, Faruzan was too vulnerable.

He hurried through the empty hallways, following the trail until he hit a closed door. He hastily reached over to the handle.

And paused.

There was no explanation as to why. He didn't have an answer either.

Open the door and save her. That was the plan. He didn't have to explain anything to Faruzan or that Scribe. It was the latter's fault, and whatever lies he was feeding her. His theory was sound. This was for her good. It's what he'd always do. So why was he hesitating now?

Because that was the issue. Bursting in to do what he wanted, that was what he had been doing for the past few centuries. What would Faruzan do if he appeared right now? Would she be upset? Disappointed? Surprised perhaps? All three at the same time? Or maybe she'd be glad?

He didn't know.

It would be proof that he still did not trust her. That he stalked her all the way here and throughout the night.

Then again…

Why did he care about that? This whole endeavour, from the moment he pried her out of the clutches of the desert, was not about feeling all warm and happy. It was to return Faruzan to her lost life. And he played no role in that life. If she wanted to use him as a comfort toy, then whatever. He didn't care. If she didn't, then who cared? There would be no issue with her hating him as long as the end goal was accomplished.

Glancing down at the door handle, he released it and pressed his ear against the door. Little besides muffled voices. What he did hear was the sound of hurried footsteps coming from around the corner of the hall.

Backing away and stepping on thin air, he quickly hovered towards the fork of the hall and waited for the sudden intruder.

He could not peek around the corner without appearing suspicious. The fast pace of those steps was hectic, but there was no way he could have been followed or noticed. Whoever it was, they weren't after him. Regardless, if it was the Matra, or worse, the Corps of Thirty, then he'd have to make up a quick excuse as to why he was there. Or create a distraction and flee.

So, he waited beside the corner for the opportune moment. Right when the running person passed by, he deliberately tripped them up. In a split-second decision when he decided whether to flee or knock them up, he assessed the threat.

The blondie had been completely surprised. No guard up. No uniform nor distinct badges.

They weren't a threat.

Before the stranger could fully fall, the Wanderer managed to hold onto him and stop his fall.

"Wow, sorry!" Putting up a calm and poignant voice, he feigned distress. "I'm so, so sorry. I wasn't looking, I'm stressed, I can't…"

The blonde scholar, who he decided to name Goldilocks, seemed even sorrier than Wanderer's façade. The man quickly stood up on his own.

"I'm the one who should be saying that! Are you alright?" Goldilocks quickly asked. "You seem alright, thank goodness. It's my fault for rushing when I shouldn't."

Wanderer did not care about his reasons, but he did need him out of there so he could return to his mission. Anyone awake at this hour was already a weirdo, and he would rather not get involved much. Barring Buer, who did not sleep, and Faruzan, who had her own reasons, everyone else was mad to be awake at sunrise.

"Where are you going?" He asked, stepping away from Goldilocks. "You shouldn't go around running in the hallways. There are rules for a reason."

Blondie seemed truly remorseful of the whole ordeal. "No, you're right. I was looking for someone and got a bit antsy. You see, I was… Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you."

"If it's the Acting Grand Sage, I saw him entering…" He turned around and raised a hand. "The third door to my left?"

"Oh! Really? Thank you! I'll give him a piece of my mind and—"

Wanderer tuned out by the second sentence and merely watched as that foolish man headed into his doom like a lemming. He didn't care much, but disrupting whatever was going on in there was enough of a reward.

He was unsure of his actions, but having that Goldilocks or however he said he was called… Caveat or something? Having him do that was something he was 100% certain about.

This hesitance he displayed was dangerous.

That's why, instead of approaching that door and continue stalking Faruzan, he simply backed away and retreated towards the lobby.

"When in stress, we revert to training."

He hated that quote. But that was the issue he had been displaying throughout this whole mission. His training was the disregard of anything that wasn't him. That was how a proper Harbinger did his job. That's how he was supposed to claim the throne of Godhood.

But he didn't care about those delusions anymore. He had gained a greater understanding of himself, but the memories of treating others were faraway dreams. And when faced with anyone that wasn't Buer, he didn't know how to act. He'd get stressed. And in stress, we revert to training. That's why people avoided him. He usually didn't mind it. But he didn't want Faruzan to think the same, not anymore at least.

He was certain that, now that there were other options around, Faruzan would simply discard him for someone better. Or was that too part of his old, hateful self? He didn't know. He knew nothing at the moment.

"Just what the hell am I doing…"

He said out loud, groaning like an old man.

"Uh, are you lost, mister…?"

Wanderer snapped back to reality, noticing that he was back in the lobby, next to the wide reception area.

"What? Do you have something to say? Hmm?" All it took was a loud voice to make the receptionist cower in fear. "That's what I thought."

Wanderer fixed his hat and returned to brood appropriately.

He doubted every movement. Paranoia seemed to grip his entire reasoning. Undoing 400 years of programming was not easy, even if he knew when it was occurring. His body and mind were accustomed to making only certain movements, as callous and heartless as they were. He could stop himself. But the fact that they were still his natural inclinations was something he hated.

Those thoughts were abruptly thrown aside as his body spun around and blocked the incoming attack with superb precision. Except that there was no attack. Or any enemy around.

"Gee, you don't even let your guard down for a second?" Faruzan stepped back, once again escaping his grasp like many times before. She was getting a bit too good at it. "I wanted to surprise you, what are you doing here?"

From up close, Faruzan's signs of fatigue and sleep deprivation were even more clear. She acted seemingly okay, but her body didn't keep up the charade. The droopy shoulders, restless drumming of her fingers, baggy eyes…

He had not replied yet. Perhaps he should.

"Just having a stroll around the area and decided to see if you were around." He answered, looking back towards the reception and the hall behind. Did Cowlick and Goldilocks not return with her? "Did you do… whatever you were doing? Getting readmitted?"

"Look at you caring. Mostly. But no, that would have been too fast for this forsaken system. They had to confirm I wasn't lying, can you believe it? How daft could they be? As if the return of the best prodigy of this Akademiya could be faked at all! Which reminds me…! You didn't tell me my pupils were triangular! I must look like a freak!"

He did not look at Faruzan's eyes at the very beginning of their trip, so it took him a while to notice their shape. Still, they were not the oddest pupils he had ever seen. So he paid them no mind.

"I thought your eyes were always like that. It's unique." He answered.

"Well if it wasn't because of that, they'd never have believed me. Even after telling them all my passwords and identity checks, that lousy Scribe just said that I could have found an ancient cache of information and supplanted my own identity. Even showing him my prowess didn't work! This is why I hate higher-ups, so stuck-up."

As long as Faruzan hated Cowlick, he didn't care. What was more important was another issue.

"Do you want your pupils to be normal again?"

"The only Pupil I want back to normal is you. Did you have a bad night? You're tense again." She raised a brow. "And don't say to think about myself first, or I will personally introduce you to my right hook."

"A tempting offer." He rubbed his nape, glancing down at the ground before his eyes landed on Faruzan. "I said I'd help you. So whatever issue you have, I can fix it."

As if she had been waiting for this moment all along, Faruzan's eyes gleamed with mischief. "You should think about yourself first."

"Fuck off, old hag. I can do whatever I want. You can't. That's just how it works."

"Well that's the spark I was expecting, are you still waking up? No matter, I'll—"

The mention of waking up prompted the Pupil to analyse Faruzan's entire body at a lightning-fast glance.

"Any nightmares?" He asked, crossing his arms.

She was caught completely off guard. "O-Of course not."

"Because you didn't sleep?"

"I don't like these questions."

He sighed and pulled up the brim of his hat. "I gave you a free room to stay. The least you could do is properly use it. Or use it for basic hygiene, you still reek."

"Stop insulting me. I didn't sleep, but it was because… Umm… Because you acted promiscuously!" She paused, seemingly growing in shame. "By that, I mean that I'm an old-school lady! You can't just give me kisses like those, I spent all night thinking about the implications!"

That didn't explain anything at all, but judging from Faruzan's erratic behaviour, he guessed that it was just a big lie. She kept having nightmares or was too scared to sleep. Either answer was not good.

"You're an awful liar. What is it you're dreaming about that you're refusing to sleep?"

"I'm not… refusing to sleep. I couldn't stay inside the room and left the inn. And sleeping on the streets is too demeaning for someone like me."

She didn't answer, though he didn't expect her to do so. Whether it was reticence or pride, Faruzan didn't speak of her nightmares before a few off-handed comments that did not help him at all. And without knowing what to fight, he could do nothing. Nothing but watch helplessly how she hurt herself.

"So!" Faruzan perked up again. "Stay in the room while I sleep!"

Well, that did not take a long while.

"Aha. And what do I get out of this?" He quickly answered.

She scoffed at his answer. "Nothing. You will do it because you like me."

"Whatever gave you that idea? Just one little kiss and you think we're something?"

Faruzan seemed to think a million thoughts in the span of half a second. "Y-Yes! I don't care about how courtship has developed, you can't just shove your tongue down my throat and expect me to think we're not something!"

He really was not prepared for any of this. Not now, or ever. "Alright then. So what are we?"

"You're the hopeless wooer, and I'm the mistress that is really outside your range." She had that answer ready for a while. And it was awful.

"You really choose the worst words in existence, do you? Wooer? Mistress? Is this a century-old erotica?" He cracked a smile, unable to keep it hidden.

"Whatever do you mean! They're normal words. You're courting me, and I'm the recipient of your… Why are you laughing?!"

His laugh was but a brief chuckle. "Recipient? Let's just not use those words in this context ever again."

"Urgh, whatever! I don't know how people court nowadays, but I don't kiss just about anyone. And you shouldn't kiss me in the mouth, much less with the tongue! That's too promiscuous. Did I say that already? It's to reinforce the point."

Whether it was her fatigue or embarrassment, Faruzan seemed completely out of her element. It was kind of endearing in a way. And somewhat comforting. He wasn't that different, so no use in laughing at her.

"So what I've gotten out of this conversation is that you're completely deluded at the moment, and should really sleep." He simply said, shrugging. "And something about no kisses in the mouth." She didn't say anything about kisses anywhere else.

"Yeah! No kisses in the mouth, or with tongue, because…"

She was losing it.

"Yes, too promiscuous. Whatever that means. How about you go to sleep, Faruzan? You're getting a bit repetitive."

Faruzan quickly shook her head, taking a step back. "No, I'm fine. I have to sign documents and then ask for an office, or a workshop and… and then sign more things."

Right now, the only thing he wanted to do was carry her like before and just let her sleep already. But, though he very well could, she didn't want that.

"How long will it take? I'll wait for you." The offer came from a good place, but Faruzan didn't seem to see that.

"It's fine… You can go do other things."

"I insist."

He stopped talking as the figure of the Acting Grand Sage crossed into the main lobby. Faruzan saw her Pupil's eyes moving away, so she turned to see the Scribe as well.

"I was hoping you'd wait outside the office, and not walk all the way out here." Alhaitham said, not particularly bothered. "I have the paperwork ready, but that's only half the requirements." The Scribe tensed up as he saw the Wanderer hide beneath his hat. "And you are?"

"Oh, he's the man who rescued me from the desert," Faruzan answered, seeing his own reticence. "He was just checking up on me."

Alhaitham didn't answer straight away, perhaps sensing the slight hostility that was emanating from the Wanderer. To keep up appearances, the Pupil merely stepped back.

"I was already going my own way. I'll leave you two be." He said, his words full of poison.

No wave or goodbye. He was already leaving the premises by the time Faruzan noticed he was walking away as nothing had ever occurred.

Of course, he didn't quite leave. He retreated to the shadows, where he observed how both Faruzan and Alhaitham returned to whatever bureaucratic hijinks she needed to do.

As Faruzan again slipped from his fingers, he slowly and methodically crossed his arms. Making each movement as calm and collected as possible. This was good for her, she was taking back her life just like they planned.

Those questionable thoughts returned. Those thoughts told him how everyone was out to get her. To make her abandon him, just like everyone had abandoned him before. Wouldn't it be so much better if they both wandered around the world? No location in mind, just the two of them alone. Without nobody else to get in their way.

Under stress, we revert to training. Again that phrase popped up in his mind. Unlearning that awful behaviour was taking a toll on his mind. He was aware of the irrational path his thoughts were slowly sinking into, yet it didn't help to steer them away. So he folded his arms and tried to hold it together.

Those thoughts were not his own. He should be glad that she was feeling happy even with such exhaustion. That was what Nahida would say, and that's what he'd do.

So he sighed and turned towards the pillar he had been hiding before his stupid fifteen-minute adventure began. And right behind it, he found an unexpected guest.

"Communication is the basis of any relationship."

Wanderer facepalmed in a fit of momentary shame, before dragging his hand across his own face and turning around. Nahida was meek and playful as she rocked back and forth, enjoying her slight game of balance.

"Have you gained a fixation on stalking me now?" He pulled down the brim of his hat, pivoting his head down towards the Dendro Archon. "If you recall, I told you to not spy on me. Stalker."

"I wasn't spying, I live here. I only saw you saying goodbye. Or well, walking away." Nahida stopped moving. "Yes, communication. You need to talk about what you feel and think. People aren't psychic, and it will only confuse them."

"Do you have to do this now?" He looked around, aware that the Akademiya was mostly empty. "Don't treat me like a child, I'm as old as you. Of course I know I have to communicate."

"It's not just about saying it. Half the challenge is about how you say it. But I know that glint of your eyes, so you're going to say that you know that as well. Then, I assume that the reason you act so awkwardly is because you're too embarrassed to say something?"

God of Wisdom she might be, but she was also the God of Prying into what she shouldn't.

"Is this why you're here? To mock me?"

"I'm not mocking you… You know that. Being hostile isn't going to help anyone." She approached him and tugged at his coat. "I just don't want you to lose someone just because you're too scared to talk sincerely. Or misinterpret a sign and end up regretting an action."

He sighed, aware that the action served no purpose in his body. "The issue is that… let's say, I'm feeling very possessive of that girl. And even if I try not to be, I fear that someday, I will give in to that desire."

Looking down again, he saw Nahida with her arms up. She wanted him to hold her. So he moved behind the pillar and picked her up like he had done many times before.

"Yay! Thank you!" She started, her face now level with his own. "Possessiveness, you say? Hmm… This is new for you. It's a quite selfish desire, especially when applied to another human being. But you are realising it's an issue, and that is a good step in the right direction."

"And how many good steps will there be? It takes a lot of strength to pull myself away from those thoughts. If I make a mistake even once I feel…"

"I might not be as great with human emotion as I am with other topics, but… We both knew this wasn't going to be easy. But with time, it does get easier. The urge might never truly disappear, but each time, you'll tame it more and more. There'll be a time when you might be able to do it subconsciously. That's why it's important to let out your thoughts and focus on other subjects, like those in the Akademiya. And… even if you do fall back into those desires, it doesn't mean everything is over. If that ever happens and you do something you regret, which won't happen, you promise you'll tell me, right?"

There was an urge to hold his vision for comfort, but instead, he simply tightened his grip on Nahida.

He had already done something he regretted. So now, what? Did he disappoint her now? So soon after she placed her trust in him?

"Of… course. I promise."

He lied. He knew it was a lie, and still said it. But it was just a small lie. What he did was just trivial. In a couple of days, nobody would even remember it as it was not important.

"Speaking of something lighter," Nahida continued, cocking her head. "You two talk very strangely. Are you two hiding secrets?"

"…Secrets?"

"You're hiding something, and she's hiding something as well. You might know what you're doing, but I don't think she does. If I had to guess…"

"She's just hiding how bad her nightmares are. Rather, that she didn't sleep at all. And I'm not sure if you knew, but I'm a fucking tin man, I'm obviously hiding that from her."

"Don't be so harsh on yourself. There's barely any difference between you and any human. Save the lack of a heartbeat and breathing. Still, if you really like her, you should tell her. It's kind of a big deal, I think."

"You think." Well, in that regard she was right. "I would rather not let another machine maniac tinker with my body."

Nahida looked at his chest, poking at it as if it would open up. "I don't think she'd do that."

"She gets really touchy when… I don't want about this with you." He pulled her away from his body and let her down on the floor.

"Hey! No, I liked it!" Nahida threw up her arms again, jumping to the spot while confounded.

"You ate all the sweets I gave you last night. No more rides for you until next week." He crossed his arms, unaffected by her sudden cuteness. "Or until tomorrow if you're nice and stop Faruz— Twintails' nightmares."

"I could do that. But she will return to having nightmares the moment I stop." She stopped her small tantrum. "It's something she has to learn as well."

"That's fine. Just for one day, so she can sleep peacefully. I'll figure out something to make her sleep if she doesn't just collapse in the next two hours. If I know that stubborn girl, she would rather pass out of exhaustion rather than give in to her sleep deprivation." He looked down at Nahida one last time before turning away. "I'll leave you be. I need to think on my own."

Nahida waited for his goodbye on tiptoe. "Oh, that's right. I do have to ask."

"What? Do you want more sweets?" At this point, he already knew how her mind worked.

"No, no. Well, I do. But that's beside the point. I wanted to ask if the first time you met Faruzan was in the desert."

His blood froze.

His eyes widened ever so slightly, not showing the frantic panic that had arisen out of his very being. His mouth dried immediately and swallowed air. The only tether to the real world was the curious stare of Buer, who now felt completely hostile and threatening. He had no time to think of anything without appearing suspicious.

"What's that about?"

"Well, if anyone could have met her a century ago, it was you. Though… I suppose it would be better if you didn't."

His insides felt like they burnt and collapsed into himself. All his senses screamed that he should run. Yet he couldn't. Fear had completely taken hold of his being. Fear that he'd be forced to confess.

Buer knew.

She must have known all along that Faruzan never wandered into those ruins on her own.

…Right?

No. That was not possible unless he revealed it. Even her memories were affected by the Irminsul. Only he knew that despicable truth.

"I cared little about humans unless they had a use."

A shoddy answer.

If she pressed on…

"That's why it's good to see your progress. A month ago you wouldn't be doing any of this. And you're still talking with her even though you don't need to. I was joking when I told you if you fell in love, but now I feel like I was right!"

He pushed down the brim of his hat and spun around, heading towards the entrance of the Akademiya. Still, his blood had not thawed. He could feel the Archon's stare pierce his back as he forced his feet to move away. He hoped it was only from not waving goodbye.

He had to solve this on his own. Relying on Nahida would not help if she found out before Faruzan did.