As we cheered for Lynn, the old man started to wriggle further in his binds. I glanced over to him, and he seemed to be moving in a very specific, rapid motion. Before I could realize what he was doing, he burst free from his restraints and took off down the streets.

"HAHA! LATER, JACKASS!"

He ran about 6 feet away before he bumped into someone on the street, face first. Stumbling back, while he was still on his feet, he rubbed his head where the other person's heavy armor had bumped him. "H-Hey! Watch where you're going-" He looked up at the man. Kaeya looked down on him.

"Going somewhere, 'Jackass?"

The old man fell back and tried to run in the other direction when he was grabbed by a soldier. "Hold it pal, we got some talking to do." The old man tried to break free, but he was no match for the soldier's giant posture.

"No! No, no no no no NO!" He furtively wrenched back and forth even harder. I was worried he was going to break his own arms. "Not now, not after everything I've done and worked up towards! Not after what he gave me! I REFUUUUSSEEE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Then, he started to foam at the mouth and fell back limp.

The soldier held him like he just killed him. Gently, he set him on the ground, and pulled out a set of shackles to clip between his hands and legs. "Well, I was going to ask if this was the guy, but it seems obvious that it is."

The soldier looked down at the old bastard, and sighed. "Thanks James. Couldn't have arrested him without you." Kaeya spoke to the soldier.

The guard laughed. "No problem at all, Kaeya. Would've done it for someone who isn't a good friend of mine. It's the right thing to do."

Kaeya nodded, then glared at the old man. I was honestly really surprised to see him, especially since he brought a guard along.

"Something is off though. Who is this 'he' the bastard was talking about?" I stared at Kaeya while I thought, pondering this previous thought and surprised he brought a soldier along.

"What is it?" He asked angrily, though I thought I could hear just a bit of respect in his voice.

I shrugged. "Nothing, Kaeya. Thank's for grabbing the soldier. Oh, and thanks to the man of the hour himself. Your name is James, right?"

The soldier nodded and saluted. "Yes sir, First Lieutenant James Gander at your service!"

Again, I was a bit surprised. A first lieutenant? That's actually a role that might actually have some say in the old man's sentence, rather than just a foot soldier. I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Gander, my pleasure. My name is Maddox Fulbright, and I'm the current Shield Hero."

Gander didn't seem too affected by my declaration of my title, but I did notice he stood up a bit straighter and looked at me with a little bit more respect. "Ah, I see, Sir. Well in any case, I should investigate the base of this crook. I have a couple of other trustworthy men of mine coming soon, and they'll arrive shortly. In any case, these are the demi-humans that were violated by this man?"

Eldener stepped forward. "Oh yes, dear soldier. It was horrible… the things he did… the kinky things he did…" She seemed like she was hiding a smile.

"Goddamnit, she IS into this shit. Was that the reason the old man didn't put a slave seal on them, cause he knew she wouldn't run away?" I didn't have any idea how someone could actually enjoy being raped by this old bag of shit, but maybe her twisted personality was a result of being a rape-ee for so long, that it had just became a coping mechanism to 'enjoy' it. In any case, it was pretty fucked up.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm sure it was… uh, horrible, in case that wasn't clear." Lieutenant Gander said awkwardly. I cleared my throat.

"Anyways, is there anything else you need from me, Lieutenant Gander? I have errands to run, but I'd rather stay in contact in order to know what happens."

Gander nodded. "I'll notify you if anything comes up. Kaeya, would you mind being a middleman? My men are more trusting of you than someone I just met, even if they are a holy hero."

Kaeya scoffed, but he reluctantly nodded his head. "Fine. I don't see why not."

I was starting to get a good read on what made Kaeya tick. Though, I still don't understand why he felt so vehemently when coming to mistreatment of demi-humans. I understand being upset, I feel the same, but he acted like he was losing himself in blind rage. Then again, he brought a trustworthy guard without us having to ask, so maybe he was thinking more rationally than I realized.

"Well, there is another thing." I said to L. Gander.

He tilted his head. "Yes, what can I do for you, Lord Shield Hero?"

"Man, is that just my title now?" I thought to myself. I cleared my throat. "Would you mind taking these demi-humans to a trusted shelter or foster home?" Lynn looked at me, shocked. She firmly latched onto my arm and wouldn't let go.

"H-Hey. This'll be better for you and Eldener. It's too dangerous to travel with me, so I don't want to have you in a spot where you can't fight back. And you especially should know that you aren't cut out for adventuring, and though that may seem harsh, it's the truth."

Lynn looked like she wanted to argue. She opened her mouth, and a small noise came out, but nothing resembling a language that I know of. Frustrated, she looked around for something. I was curious. She looked like she had something to say, but lacked the means to do so.

"...a-ah…" She struggled to communicate.

"Mr. Maddox. It seems like she wants to share something." Raphtalia said. Kneeling down beside Lynn, she held out her hand. "I'll try to understand the best I can, alright? Is it possible for you to show me what's wrong?"

Lynn looked straight at me, like she knew what to do, and I should watch. Instead of taking Raphtalia's hand, she clasped hers in a strange gesture. Her mouth moving soundlessly, she chanted something. Then, out of nowhere, Raphtalia stood up and moved back to the rest of the group.

"H-Hey, Raphtalia. Weren't you trying to reassure Lynn?"

She turned back to me. "Lynn? Mr. Maddox, I'm afraid I don't know who you are referring to. Who is Lynn?"

I looked at her like she was crazy. "Y'know, Lynn. The demi-human we saved? The one standing 2 feet away from you?"

Raphtalia looked around. "Mr. Maddox, if this is a joke, it isn't very funny. You know very well that we only saved one demi-human from the slaver. Why all of a sudden do you think there were two?"

Dumbfounded, I looked at Lynn. She had stopped chanting, and looked at me for praise. "Uhh… Yeah, you can come." Lynn looked ecstatic. Quickly chanting, she undid the spell.

"Oh, Lynn! Where did you come from? I could've sworn you weren't standing there just a moment ago…"

I thought for a moment. "She has a spell to hide herself from sight? No, more than that, it's like she can erase her entire existence from anyone who is under the spell. Or is it more of a self-enhancement rather than a debuff on an enemy? Either way, it is especially strong."

Raphtalia frowned at me. "Why are you looking at me like that, Mr. Maddox?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing, Raphtalia. I just think Lynn would be a great addition to our team."

Raphtalia's frown deepened. "Mr. Maddox, surely you don't think she can survive against monsters with her condition?" Lynn looked up at me herself, as if she was asking me just as much as Raphtalia was.

I puffed out my chest. "Y'know what? I think she can! I believe she won't bring the team down, not only that, but also provide a great new perspective on life that we may need one day. Yeah, she's coming."

Raphtalia sighed. "You don't have to put on that much of a show, Mr. Maddox. I think a simple yes would have sufficed. In any case, if you are so sure, I'll happily welcome her along." She smiled at Lynn.

I'm glad they were already building a good relationship. What I found strange was that Lynn seemed to have a similar attachment to me as Atla did for Naofumi, but a big difference was that Raphtalia didn't seem to feel as competitive with her than she did with Atla in Naofumi's adventure. I found that intriguing, to say the least.

L. Gander had watched the entire exchange very carefully, studying us as much as possible. After we had finished talking, he said, "Well, it seems you'll have Miss Lynn along with you. As for Eldener, I'll see what I can do."

I nodded in thanks. A short distance away, the rest of the group was chatting excitedly with Eldener. Apparently they took no notice of this interaction. I walked over to them.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but L. Gander and I have figured out a couple things. First off, I decided to have Lynn come along on my adventure. Second, if Eldener wishes, she can join a shelter or the such for demi-humans. It's up to her."

They didn't look as shocked as I thought they would. I thought they would call me crazy for having Lynn join me, being deaf and all, not to mention her other disability, if she had the one I was thinking of. Instead, they just looked a bit awkwardly at each other.

"Well… actually…" Red started.

Then Eldener stepped forward. "I intend to join Amanda's party, if possible. In fact, I was hoping that Lynn would come as well."

The air froze. I was stunned for a bit, then I remembered that I was a part of this conversation.

"Ah, uh, well… I suppose it's up to Lynn, isn't it?"

Lynn, somehow keeping track of everything that has gone on since I met her, looked torn. She had to choose between the one who kept her going through hardship, or a stranger with a status equal to their own god. I would have a hard time choosing as well.

Eldener crouched down before Lynn, though not touching her. She spoke softly, "If you feel the need to go with him, that is fine. Even if it leads you astray, follow your heart, and it'll set you on the correct path. Do not worry, I believe you are capable enough to take care of yourself, even if I may not be there." Eldener smiled.

Lynn's eyes filled up with tears. Reaching out to take Eldener's hand, Lynn looked like she was close to sobbing. Eldener started to cry as well, and they both gently held hands for a bit. I thought this would be a certified hug moment, but considering Lynn's condition, maybe not for her.

Lynn nodded, then unclasped her hand from Eldener's and moved over to me, where she clasped mine. Lynn looked up at me, a bit sad, but also somehow happy at the same time. I smiled at her. "Well, I guess that settles it. Welcome aboard, Lynn." She nodded, a bit sadly.

I haven't mentioned this before, but I have been exaggerating her facial expressions a bit. Overall, her face didn't seem able to make over-the-top emotions, like everything had been toned down. When she was excited, she smiled a bit, and I could see her eyes light up, but I didn't see the level of excitement that I felt radiating from her. Her sad face wasn't all there either, but I noticed it was exceptionally strong whenever she had to leave Eldener. It was so vastly different compared to what I had done at her age, despite being only a few years ago.

Maybe that was something I could chalk up to her lack of hearing; I've read of characters in books with more hidden personalities without the ability to voice their mind. In any case, it was another thing I found interesting about her. Suddenly, I had a dumb brain moment.

"Wait, I know that all of us know each other's names, but we never formally introduced each other."

Red looked shocked. "I am so sorry, Lord Shield Hero. I cannot believe that we have gone this long without an official introduction. My name is Redginald Furgonsun, Son of Frank Furgonson. This is Kaeya Grayshard, fighter for former glory and The Avenger. Amanda Stormleaf, Daughter of Reya Stormleaf. Finally, this is Lisse Aftermoon, Daughter of Duchess Aftermoon. It is a pleasure."

I didn't expect him to go all out, and it didn't seem his companions did either. It felt like an entire D&D introduction. I cleared my throat. "My name is Maddox Fulbright, Son of Zachary Fulbright, and the resident Shield Hero. This is Raphtalia, hailing from Luralona Village, and recently placed in my care. And in addition to my party, Lynn, the silent prodigy of unwieldable magic." Raphtalia glanced at me curiously, while the rest of the group looked curious for an entirely different reason.

"Magic… prodigy? What magic can Lynn wield?" Lisse asked curiously. Lynn looked up at me, as if I said too much. I took this as a warning, and changed direction.

"Well, surely she's gotta have some sort of power in her, being a disciple of yours truly. Plus, she obviously isn't cut out for close quarters combat, so I figured magic would be a good fit for her."

The group nodded, thinking it was more of an idealistic dream rather than fact. Lynn breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Anyway, it may be time to say our goodbyes. I appreciate all the help you've given me, and I hope we can fight beside each other in the waves." Suddenly, I was hit with an idea. "Hey, why don't you join my battle formation?" The group looked confused.

"Battle formation?" Red asked. "What's that?"

Opening the shield menu, I looked through its interface. "Well, when a wave occurs, the heroes automatically get sent to the location, as well as their party. However, using battle formations, we can have other allies teleport alongside the hero without being in their party." I looked up. "How about it?"

Red looked eagerly at the rest of his party. Lisse and Amanda looked like they were on board, but Kaeya was aloof as ever. "C'mon Kaeya. We want to fight in the waves anyway, so why not fight alongside the shield hero?"

Kaeya sighed. "Fine. Whatever works, Red."

Red seemed like he was about to be jumping for joy. "Thanks Kaeya!"

I smiled. "Alright, I'll send you guys a request." I sent them a request, and all of them accepted without hesitation, including Kaeya, which surprised me a bit.

Red looked pumped. "Heck yeah! I'm looking forward to that day!"

Amanda smiled at him. "We'll be waiting and willing."

Lisse determinedly nodded her head. "Y-Yes!"

Kaeya, still aloof, was looking off into the distance. Then, trying to maintain some sort of 'cool,' he flashed me a smirk. "All right, you better not get me killed."

I was a bit surprised that Kaeya gave me a somewhat friendly goodbye message. I smirked right back. We clasped hands.

"Whatever Greyshard, just don't die out there, else I'm gonna come give you an ass whippin' in hell." He laughed. We said our goodbyes, and we walked our own ways.

Remembering something from before, I looked around the old man's stall. I found a relatively big sized bag of money, and I stuffed it into my shield storage. By now two other guards were looking around as well, but they seemed to turn a blind eye to my thievery.

"Mr. Maddox, do you think we should be taking that?" Raphtalia asked, genuinely.

"Hell yeah, fuck that old man. He caused us and Lynn so much trouble, and this is just the first bit of compensation." Raphtalia nodded. I expected her to call me out on it, like at the fake magician's stall, but it seemed like this time she agreed.

Lynn, still ever so silent, was still picking at her sleeves and pants. Raphtalia's clothes weren't much better, it was high time she got some bigger ones. "Alright then! To the clothing store we go!" Raphtalia nodded, and Lynn looked a bit uncomfortable.

I led the way, and we emerged inside of the clothing store from before. I saw a man talking exasperated at someone behind the counter. "Anita, you have to start being more willing to please the customer! You can't just be passive-aggressive all the time, or our regulars will stop coming back!"

The woman he was talking to was the checker from before. She had no look of shame or embarrassment on her face, rather it was stone cold. Strangely, I thought that the checker was the owner of the store, so who was this guy?"

Noticing me walking in, the man smiled. "Welcome! What can I get started for you today?"

I looked around the store from where I was standing. "Well, I need some bigger clothes for one of my allies, and then another set for my other."

The man nodded. "Sure! I see that the lady here does have some quite tight fitting clothes. Actually, that is just a part of a specific set of clothing line I've been working on. There are various other bits and pieces that make it able to be worn by any age!" He snapped his fingers. "Anita! Go bring out the rest of the set, please!"

Anita muttered something to herself, then walked off. The man, who I'll be calling 'The Styler' until I could get an official name, was looking up and down at Lynn. "Hmm. Well, I don't see anything wrong with her clothing. Why do you feel the need to get her new ones? Or are you buying another set just to have it?"

Lynn was taking no notice of The Styler, and was scratching at her arms. "Well, I was hoping to get her something more comfortable. She doesn't seem to do well with tight-fitting clothes, and while those themselves are a tad big, I was hoping to get something baggier so it wouldn't irritate her as much."

The Styler nodded in understanding. "Ahhh, I see! Well… let me see what we have."

He quickly walked around the store, popping up in one place only to appear in another not even a moment later. I had no idea how he traveled that fast, not to mention the rate he was looking at outfits in. Suddenly, he came back holding three different clothing pieces.

"Well, if you are looking for something airy, then maybe a dress such as this may suffice." He held up a plain gray dress, nothing extravagant about it, but maybe that's what Lynn needed.

Walking over to The Styler, Lynn started examining the dress. She rubbed the material between her fingers, then she looked back at me. It was hard to read her expression, but I assumed this was a no.

"Hmm. Maybe not a dress. I think she'd rather something more… practical."

The Styler nodded, thinking. "I see, I see. Well, that's not leaving too many options, sadly. I do have these though, but they may just be a bit similar to what she already has. He showed us a plain short-sleeved T-Shirt and some oversized pants.

The pants were honestly huge, I couldn't even fit in them, though that wasn't saying much. The T-Shirt was basic as well, but I noticed both were made of a slightly different material than Lynn's current clothing. Once again, Lynn felt the clothing, then looked back at me. This time I think she liked it.

"All right, I think we'll go with the second set." The Styler looked ecstatic. "Well, that works perfectly! Would you like to try it on, M'lady?"

Lynn nodded, then took the clothing and moved to the changing rooms. After a faint rustling, she emerged, seeming a lot more comfortable than before. But she was frowning and holding her arms, which were revealed by the T-shirt's shorter sleeves.

The Styler nodded approvingly. "That seems to fit your needs, no?"

Frowning to myself, I reached out to Lynn. "Is it comfortable?" She nodded, but she held her arms tighter to her body. I don't think she liked the feel of the air on her skin, which is something I can relate to. I haven't worn shorts in quite some time because I didn't like revealing my legs. Then, I remembered something.

Pulling it out of my shield's inventory, I gave my oversized hoodie to Lynn. It had a picture of Troupe Master Grimm from Hollow Knight on it, one of my favorite characters from that game.

She held it in her hands, then looked at me with surprise. "Try it on." I said.

She stared at me for a moment longer, then shrugged the hoodie on. It was already too big for me, so on her it looked like a dress. She rolled up the sleeves a bit, then after realizing there was a hood, she put that on as well. It was hard to see her face, but I think she was smiling.

"Do you like it?" She walked up to me and took my hand. She brushed her fingers over the back of my hand, which I think means she's symbolizing a yes. "We'll go with this outfit, if we may."

The Styler nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! We'll get that rung up for you in just a moment." As if expecting it, he managed to make a perfect segway into Raphtalia's clothing, which Anita had brought just then.

Raphtalia took them gratefully, then moved into the changing station herself. After a time, she emerged, wearing exactly the outfit she did in Naofumi's adventure. I don't know if it's predetermined or blind luck, but I got to see her as I've always viewed her from afar.

I grinned. "It looks great on you!"

Raphtalia blushed a bit. "Oh, ah, thank you, Mr. Maddox."

The Styler was nodding approvingly again. "It does indeed. Anyway, I think a fair price would be 30 Silver for the little miss, then another 50 for the attachments to the young woman here. Is that fair?"

Lynn's clothing was bigger than my current ones were, so I understood they were more expensive. Raphtalia's outfit came with shoes, socks, an undershirt, ribbons, gloves, and even what seemed to be a built in leather breastplate. "More than fair, I would say." I told The Styler.

He grinned, and I passed over 80 Silver. "Much obliged." Nodding to him, I led the way out the door. "Good day sir! I hope we see you again!" As we left, I faintly heard the Styler say, "See? That's how you need to do it!" Chuckling, we made our way down the streets.

We walked for a while, a little aimlessly, when I realized we were right in front of the tavern from before. "You guys hungry?" I asked Lynn and Raphtalia. Both of their stomachs growled in unison, one noticeably louder than the other. Raphtalia blushed, and Lynn looked down at her belly, as if questioning why it did as it did. I smirked. "I assume that's a yes. Let's go, shall we?"

I led the way inside, and there was a smaller population of people than the first time Raphtalia and I were here. Sitting at the same table as before, I passed a menu over to Raphtalia and Lynn. Raphtalia looked it over, with some difficulty, while Lynn just stared at it.

"Choose something you like Lynn." I encouraged her. She picked up the menu, then after a moment's hesitation, she set it back down. She looked at me, a bit sadly, and shook her head. I was confused. "You aren't hungry?" She shook her head again, then opened her mouth to speak, but closed it and looked down at her lap.

"Mr. Maddox…" Raphtalia said to me. "I don't think she knows how to read."

I was shocked, though I really shouldn't have been. It's a lot harder to teach a deaf person to read, especially in this world where special needs programs didn't exist for people like Lynn. Lynn, while looking down at her lap, didn't notice this interaction. I was starting to get frustrated, not at Lynn, but at whatever shitty god gave people conditions like lack of hearing in Lynn's case, or lack of sight in Atla's. I was frustrated that even though I got this amazing, unorthodox opportunity, a lot of people were stuck in a shitty situation. I cleared my head.

"Alright, I'll read out the menu and tell me what sounds good." I stood up and walked over towards Lynn's side of the table and started reading off menu items. She watched my face while I read them off, carefully reading my lips. Her eyes darted back and forth between the menu and my face when I paused to show her each item. After I had finished, she pointed a finger at the kids menu, the one Raphtalia had when she was here for the first time.

"Okay, that's what we'll get for you." I smiled.

Just then, I heard a loud thud, like a heartbeat. My fingers started to scrape against the table. Head down, I felt like I couldn't move a muscle. I saw drops of water fall from my face onto the table, and I shakily put a hand to my face. "Why… am I crying?" I tried my best to keep myself from sobbing.

"Mr. Maddox? Are you okay?" Raphtalia asked.

I couldn't move, just frozen in that position. I let out a horrifying scream. "AaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" It wasn't one of anger or fear, but one that consumed my whole mind and body with pure anguish, as if every cell in my body was being force fed liquid dread. I stood over the table as the entire bar looked at me, my facial expression blank, but the tears endlessly flowing from my eyes. "What… is happening… to me?"

I started to lose the feel of reality around me, but I could vaguely sense stumbling around a busy street, a person on my right and another trembling person on my left dragging me along. All the while, I felt like I was the embodiment of every emotional and physical pain anyone had ever experienced, like all the suffering in the world had suddenly transferred into my body.

I never stopped crying, nor did I stop screaming.

After a while, I lost all feeling in the world around me. Just stopped caring, almost. I felt like I was no longer a part of that world, or any world for that matter. I felt a light rustling, like sand against my back, and I heard a snippet of a voice. "Get… water…" The voice felt so familiar, as if I knew who it was, but couldn't place it.

That made me delve deeper into depression, as if forgetting that voice was the last string of fraying rope that held me to the living world. This continued for who knows how long, when I realized that something was coming into focus around me.

I finally stopped crying, and slowly but surely, a room formed around me. It wasn't just any room, it was MY room, back from when I lived with my parents in my original reality. I was sitting on the floor in front of my bed.

"Wh…Wha…" I said sluggishly. Then I heard a laugh from above me.

"Haha! You sure are interesting!"

I slowly looked up, my face crackling from all the tears that I had cried. "W… Who…?"

The figure on my bed looked down at me. I would like to give him some sort of physical features, but he had none. Or was it more like he had all of them? I wasn't quite sure. He grinned at me.

"Who? You shouldn't be asking me that, you should be asking yourself!"

I despondently looked down at my hands. "W…Who?" I asked myself. I tried to remember. It wasn't that I had forgotten anything from my world, but I remembered it strangely. I could remember life events that happened, and people I knew, but all of it seemed… blank, if that makes sense. As if I was there, experiencing it, but there was no joy or emotion, or even thought process behind all of my actions. It was like living life through a puppet. I was the puppet, but the puppet never felt or thought anything. It was just controlled by the puppeteer.

I looked back up at the figure. "Maddox?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Bingo!" I was lost.

"W… Why?" He laughed again. I say he, and even though he had feminine features as well as masculine, he gave off a really 'male' vibe to me.

"That's the question, isn't it? The Why! Why does gravity hold everything down? Why do humans sometimes cause destruction wherever they go, but also spread joy and growth as well? Why do YOU…" He stared right into my eyes. "...Feel the way you feel?"

I felt I couldn't get a grip, like I was losing myself even now. I stared at my hands again. "W…Why…" The figure kicked his legs in the air, like some sort of kid. He could've easily been a kid, but I could also picture him as an old man as well.

"The why… such an interesting topic! Always so desired, but always out of reach. People may think of the why to be answered, and some even answer it themselves, but they are always wrong. I have yet to see a person be right. But maybe… maybe you can be the first, and I'll give you a clue on how you need to do that. Not all at once, mind you, that wouldn't be interesting at all! But maybe… maybe you have the ability to rewrite the already written."

I felt a small spark inside of me. I turned to my head to the figure, and with all my might, I forced out. "I'm… listening…"

The figure laughed even louder. "Ahh, that's the spirit! You're just proving me right that you'll be different!" He chuckled, then sighed, as if remembering good times. "Well, let's get started. First off, I want to be clear, every bit of information I give you comes with a price, but that price will pay off in the end. In fact, it will be refunded tenfold! It's a matter of endurance, get me?"

I nodded, sluggish as ever.

"Now, the bit of advice. These feelings… they are yours. Not just yours, but only yours. You are feeling the culmination of all of those Maddox's who are out there in the multiverse, every timeline, every single Maddox who despairs life at it's core. They all are so similar, yet so different. They do have one thing in common. Well, two actually, but you have always assumed one, so it's not important. To me at least. The thing in common is that whole-hearted apathy of life; the fact you don't want to go on living, not in any reality. You have always thought life wasn't worth it, and what do you know! You're right! But… there's a major difference between you and the other Maddox's." He smiled, almost kindly at me.

"And that's the other thing in common."

The room warped all around me, and I gasped as I sat up. I noticed I was right next to Raphtalia, as if she had been hugging me, then Lynn to the side holding my hand. They both had very worried looks on their faces.

"Mr. Maddox? Is it over?" I just sat there, completely drained.

"...Yeah. It is."

Raphtalia quickly wrapped her arms back around me and held me close to her chest. "You can't just do that! You can't just go off and leave me like that! You… You…!" She pulled me away from her and held me at arms length. Tears were streaming down her face. "You… please… don't leave me like everyone else…" She broke down crying, and huddled on her knees, grabbing at her chest. I started to cry too, and even Lynn seemed close to bawling. I pulled Lynn close and Raphtalia closer, and while all of us were sharing the same space, we cried our worries away.