Mira remembered it clearly. The night after she took Vera's place as Siegrain's partner, that night her nightmares became unbearable. She fell asleep and opened her eyes in the dark forests outside Paragon, and he was there. He was sitting on a fallen log, with the moon overhead, highlighting the gaping hole in his side and the blood dripping down his mouth. His pitch-black hair looked dirty, and his narrow eyes saw straight through her. She recognized him; it was hard not to; she had dreamed of him every night since she killed him.

"Look at you," Kageyama said, his eyes hollow as she felt the forests staring holes through her. She felt like she was losing air, but the dream wouldn't let her faint to hide from the terror. Mira hated her dreams, but never had they been so direct. Never had they been so horrifyingly honest.

"The rune knights let you off with a warning. Your little family's safe. Even better, you got your partner handed to you on a silver platter. You're so lucky." He said. It felt like his words were being used by the dream to drill directly into her brain. She tried to run, tried to escape, but shadowed hands shot from the ground and held her in place. She struggled, but nothing could get her out, not even her useless begging, "I didn't mean to! I just wanted-"

"Bullshit!" Kageyama roared, his eyes dull and lifeless as he dragged himself down to her level, and she could see the light fade from his eyes once again. His head tilted mockingly as if to remind her of the sight of his death, "Is that all you have to say for yourself? Some fucking excuses." He laughed, his teeth stained with blood that had drifted up his throat from the hole she had carved through his body, "You're a fucking murderer!"

Mira remembered crying.

"I'm dead, girlie! I'm dead, but are you living happily? What gives you the right to? I can't. You don't deserve to be happy. You never did."

She remembered gasping for air that the dream couldn't provide. It was a vivid memory—so vivid that she remembered the taste of bile on her lips as she woke up in a shaking sweat. The parting words of the dream echoed in her ears as she tried to keep her barfing quiet not to wake her siblings.

"You ruin everything you touch."

She succeeded in cleaning up the evidence before Lisanna and Elfman woke up. The smell was all that was left, but she was able to get her siblings out the door before then. They stopped by Vera and Siegrain's apartment daily, mostly because she wanted to ask Vera about the news. She didn't understand why she was becoming Siegrain's partner; she wanted to know why, and she tried to forget about her dream, but neither happened.

"Hey Vera, can I play with Sho?" Lisanna had asked during breakfast, unaware of the way Vera and Siegrain's faces stiffened in response. The two glanced quietly before Vera spoke with a hidden frown, "Sorry, Lisanna."

Mira had wanted to know why.

"Sho's pretty mad at me. He's not..."

She now knew.

"He's not talking to me anymore."

Vera didn't say it specifically, but she could connect the dots. He hadn't brought Sho out since the forest, not since he'd been in a coma. Vera had lost Sho, his magic, because of the mission to save her family. That was why she was Siegrain's partner. Mira was Vera's replacement. The timing was too much of a coincidence to ignore. It took everything in Mira's power not to throw up the second she realized that she had stolen Vera's partner.

"Sho's not coming out anytime soon."

After her request cost Vera his magic to begin with.

"Sorry." Was what Mira believed came out of Vera's mouth next? She was too stunned to notice. She did recall that Lisanna was disappointed but seemed to understand, and the rest of the month went without mention of Sho, but Mira's dreams persisted. They haunted her sleep, but she could focus on other things in the day—the missions, her magic, her siblings, her friends, anything other than the nightmares, anything other than his voice.

"You ruin everything you touch."

Then this one mission, this one fucking mission, had gone wrong again, and Siegrain, of all people, noticed something was wrong with her. Those dreams flashed through her mind every time she threw a punch. How did he even notice? Mira didn't even consider the possibility of him finding out till she emptied her stomach, and the smell of bile cleared up her senses slightly. Tears in her eyes as she heard Siegrain's voice lose its usual dullness in favor of concern. It was her first time hearing it.

"Hey brute, what's wrong?"

Mira preferred his bland tone.

"Are you-"

"Shut up," Mira murmured as she coughed out the last of her vomit. She felt lightheaded, and a gentle hand touched her shoulder before she smacked it away. Her eyes trembled as she looked around and saw everyone staring at her, whispering words she couldn't quite hear. She hated it. She hated the stares and the murmurs. She needed to leave.

"Fuck off."

So that's exactly what she did. There was tension in her legs as she cracked the ground and jumped over the crowd and on top of a nearby roof, where she immediately booked it to the woods at the edge of town. She needed to get away. It was too much. Everything was too much.

"Just leave me alone."

Everything was too much.

Siegrain didn't expect the brute to vomit, but his first instinct was to reach out. He expected her to slap his hand away even less, and by the time she jumped out of the crowd, making a mad dash for the edge of town, he was at a total loss. He could only think to follow after her, scaling the rooftops as he trailed behind her escape. He was confused.

What did I say wrong...

Was it the question? He felt it was an honest one, though. She hadn't reacted well; it didn't work out well the last time he asked a question. Did the brute not like to be asked things? Should he stop? Siegrain didn't know. He was lost.

What should I do?

He didn't know what to do. Again. The only thing he could think of was to chase after her, and even then, he knew it wouldn't solve everything. He didn't know what to say when he caught up to her. She didn't look like she was in the mood to talk.

What will I say if I catch her...

Siegrain's footsteps faltered slightly as he tailed after the brute, his mind running faster than his legs as he tried to piece together the trigger. What had he said that had made her react that way? It must've been something. She wouldn't react that way if it were nothing. If his theory were wrong, she would've just said so, and that would've been it.

She must be afraid of hitting people.

That had to be it. He was right, but then why was she afraid of hitting people? Why was the mere mention of it enough to send her into a panic? What was it? Siegrain couldn't even begin to guess. Whatever it was, the brute held it close to her chest, and he didn't know her well enough to know.

Why is she scared of hitting people?

The only thing he could conjure up was that she was afraid of hurting people, but that still didn't fit. The brute loved fighting, and she had enough control over her magic that it shouldn't be an issue. He was stumped. It didn't make any sense.

She shouldn't be afraid of hitting others...

Siegeain didn't know the reason or the solution, but he ran out of time. He frowned as the brute jumped towards the last building at the edge of town, and his mind was brought back to the first time she fought him. He had won; it wasn't too tricky, but he remembered the look on her face. It was odd.

What do I say...

She looked relieved.

How can I talk to her without making it worse?

Siegrain felt his breath waver, his eyes wide as he saw the brute vault over the last building at the edge of town and dash into the woods. She would be alone; some of him wanted to let it be. She wanted to be left alone. He should respect that. He knew it, but another part of him didn't want to.

Alone...

He'd been alone for years. After Seven died, he was left alone with his thoughts for more time than he could count. It was hellish. He hated it.

I think...

He didn't want her to feel that way.

She'll hate being alone.

Siegrain stopped at the edge of the last rooftop, looking over the forest as he watched the brute get further away. If he stayed still, it wouldn't be long before he lost her tracks, and then he wouldn't be able to find her in the thicket of woods. He had to decide, but it returned to the same thing every time he considered chasing further.

Even if I catch her, what will I say...

Siegrain didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to stitch whatever wound he reopened. He was terrible at this stuff; Aria was better at it. He couldn't communicate in a way that worked through the mess of emotions she was going through. He'd probably make it worse, and then he'd ruin it. He'd destroy his partnership with someone he considered a friend—a rude, loud, arrogant, battle-crazy friend, but a friend nonetheless.

What words do I use...

He wondered if chasing after her was worth the risk or if he should just let her go.

What words...

Siegrain was hesitant, but at the thought of that crazy maniac running away from him in the battle, he thought of something stupid but possible.

Words...

He felt it had a chance of working at least.

Why do I need words?

Siegrian blinked for a second, a relieved chuckle escaping his lips as he teetered on the roof's edge, his hands sweaty as he felt his fingers twitch. Magic erupted from his body, and he stepped forward, his instincts taking over as an epiphany washed his senses. His eyes widened as the ground grew closer, and his choice became more evident. The words that escaped his lips were the catalyst for it.

"Floating Magic"

Siegrain felt his descent falter, a stumble as his magic shakily whirred to life. An inch before the ground, he'd gotten it under control, and while he had it under his grasp, he soared over the forest. His flight path was in a low arc as he tilted his head and scanned the leaves blurring beneath him. He wasn't good at floating yet, nowhere near Jose's level, so he knew the spell would break soon, but it was okay.

There you are.

He'd already found who he was looking for.

"Hey, brute!" Siegrain yelled at the sprinting head of white hair below, startling his partner as he grasped an upturned branch and used it to alter his trajectory and launch himself to the forest floor. The spell he had scrappily put together faded as he landed with a boom before the brute's escape path.

"We aren't done yet," Siegrain murmured as dust plumed around his body. Dancing away in the breeze, he watched the brute come to a hasty stop once she realized he was in the way and wasn't moving. It wasn't long before her demonic arm was thrumming with fury, and the sea of emotions erupted through her yell, "I told you to leave me the fuck alone!"

The brute wanted to be alone. Siegrain understood that, and on some level, he knew he was trespassing. He was pushing too far, but he didn't care. He felt like if he had let her leave, this would never have happened again. She wouldn't allow it to be. So he'd be a little persistent. This once, he wouldn't let it go. He'd try to dress the wound he reopened, and since words wouldn't work, he wouldn't use any.

"Make me."

He was better at fighting anyway.

Mira didn't think she'd snap so soon.

Make me?

Then again, she also didn't believe Siegrain would be so bold as to block her path and pick a fight with her when she was already stressed out. After she had already told him to fuck off, she hadn't expected his response, and in this instance, she felt the tension in her body finally break. None of the nightmares, memories, or people back in the town mattered anymore.

He said, fucking make me?

She was honestly too pissed to care.

"Fucking bastard!" Mira growled as she felt her arms tense, the magic engulfing her body. A wing ripped out her back, and her eyes narrowed like a serpent's. She was still reeling from the emotional roller coaster that fucking question had put her through, but even more than that, she was pissed. She was pissed at her dreams, pissed at her luck, pissed at the blue-haired fuck, and pissed at herself for being such a mess. She needed to be alone, but on a more intuitive level, she wanted to take it out on someone.

"I have to make you leave! Fine!"

The blue-haired bastard had just volunteered.

"Fucking watch me!" Mira roared as her legs tensed, and she shot off the ground with the force of a ballistic missile. Her fist was before Siegrain's face, covering the distance instantly before he could even blink, but shot through with zero resistance. The mirage of Siegrain faded in a puff of smoke as Mira looked around with a new vein popping out of her head. She hated that fucking move. The blue-haired asshole loved his damn illusions.

"What's wrong, brute..."

He wasn't usually this talkative, though.

"Your fist isn't shaking anymore." Siegrain's voice echoed multiple times through the woods as Mira scanned her surroundings and three copies of the blue-haired asshole strolled out. Their footsteps measured as they circled her like sharks in the water. She couldn't tell which one was real, but she'd been reading up on illusions, and apparently, they weren't too hard to figure out. She just had to be creative, "Maybe I just really want to hit you." Mira taunted as she raised her demonic fist and slammed it into the ground, and muttered, "Asshole."

Dust bloomed from beneath her fist, leveling the ground as a crack spiderwebbed beneath her knuckles. She traced them, whipping her head to the illusions as she watched the cracks appear beneath their feet. Their footsteps haltered as the ground shook, and they had to catch their balance before they fell; it took them a second or two—maybe less.

There you are...

The real one adjusted immediately.

"Your illusions aren't as graceful as you." Mira mocked as she dashed towards the true Siegrain. She noticed how his eyes widened imperceptibly before settling back into that dull gaze he used whenever they sparred. She hated it. At least when she lost to Vera back when he was training her, she could see some fire in his eyes. Siegrain's was different. His eyes never lit up once when they fought. They were cold from beginning to end. It was the same now, so she didn't get it.

"What's with you?" Mira asked as she swung and watched Siegrain dodge by a hair's breadth, his movements controlled down to the last millimeter and began peppering her with lightning-quick blows. "This isn't like you," Mira ground out as she put her guard up, inched closer, swung, and missed before he retaliated swiftly; she grunted at the blow.

"You're supposed to be dull, you fucking bastard!"

Mira threw another fist that grazed his ear, and he instantly snapped her head back with a straight jab. She ignored the blood that splashed from her nose and kept close with a frustrated growl. "Why are you being so goddamn stubborn about this! Just leave me the fuck alone! Is that so hard!?"

Mira stomped on the ground with more force than necessary, sending a tremor through the earth as she tried to barrel into the bastard in the millisecond he readjusted his footing. She dashed in quickly, her arms guarding her head in case he tried something, only for her to be greeted by a scorching hot flame inches from her nose. She had less than a second to get her demonic arm in front of her face to tank the damage, but the blast still launched her away. She tumbled to a stand, her eyes narrowed, and her teeth gnashed as she shook off the explosion and was greeted with a sight that made her curse.

"Fucking wonderful." Mira scowled. The illusions were back, three of them this time. Three Siegrains were strolling quietly towards her, with the middle one speaking, "If it makes you feel any better." It said, and Mira quickly dismissed the chance that any were the actual Siegrain. He wouldn't get close and risk falling for the same trick twice. He was probably watching from the woods while his illusions distracted her with shitty words.

"I don't know why I'm doing this either."

Well, Mira wasn't going to let it go that way. She dashed over already crumbled ground towards the nearest illusion, content with shattering it swiftly to move on to the next one. The longer she spent on them, the more opportunities Siegran would have to attack her; the best option was to break them as quickly as possible. That's why she didn't hesitate to aim her demonic fist toward the middle one, uncaring for its shitty speech.

"I don't understand a lot of things."

Her fist sailed past its nonexistent guard, planting itself into the illusion's stomach with full force. The wind pressure was so high it imploded and left her with widened eyes because her fist didn't fly through it as expected. There was resistance beneath her fist. She felt something akin to metal cloth beneath her knuckles, and she heard a loud crack of a bone that wasn't her own before she came to a realization.

This isn't a fake one.

Mira's face froze in horror as she watched Siegrain, the real Siegrain, get into the woods from the force of her punch. The two illusions by his side shattered as she was left alone, with memories of Kageyama's corpse flashing beneath her eyelids. Her quickened, and her stomach churned. She was a second from vomiting whatever bile she had left before she felt the ground shift underneath her and glanced down. Her eyes widened as the dirt swallowed her legs like chains and stopped her from escaping.

What the-

"You're one of the things I don't understand, brute."

Mira's brain was still catching up when she heard an icy voice echo from in front of her. She looked up to see Siegrain, covered in dirt and with a bored look on his face. His fingers inches from her face as blue electricity arced hungrily between them. His words were spoken so plainly they couldn't be anything but honest.

"I don't understand why you're afraid of hitting people..."

His fingers made contact, and Mira screamed a chorus of jolting applause. Volts coursed through her body as she was shocked unconscious.

"Your punches don't even hurt."

Funnily enough, relief was the last thing she felt before her vision went black.

Hours later, Mira woke up to the night sky overhead. Her hair splayed out underneath her as she groggily sat at the crackling of a nearby campfire. She looked around with a wince, the dull pain from being electrocuted still in her system when she noticed Siegerain stoking the campfire.

"Sorry." Siegrain said, not looking at her as he poked the flames with a stick, "I broke the braid."

Mira blinked, letting out a disbelieving chuckle before she shook her head, "It's fine." Mira pulled herself to her feet, stumbling closer to the fire before sitting across from Siegrain and shrugging, "It was too fancy for my taste anyways."

She watched Siegrain hum in response, the two sitting silently as the fire crackled between them. Mira didn't know what to say. The fight had gotten the worst of the panic out of her system. The involuntary nap helped her cool her head, too; that's why she eventually came up with something to say. It was the thing she was most curious about.

"Why didn't you dodge?" Mira asked as she watched Siegrain shrug, "You wouldn't have hit me if I did."

"How gracious of you," Mira said dryly as she huffed slightly, picked some stray grass, and tossed it into the fire. She didn't want to sound petty because she knew what he meant. She wouldn't have hit him with full force if he had dodged.

"Hope it was worth it, idiot."

It was still a little annoying that her fist hit against him was an act of charity.

"I could've... hurt you," Mira mumbled quietly as she curled her arms around her knees and stared at the fire. She knew hurt wasn't the word she wanted to use, but she couldn't voice it. Then it would be honest, and she couldn't do it.

"I told you, brute, your punches don't hurt..."

Siegrain was still breathing. That was all that-

"You only broke a rib," Siegrain said plainly, shocking Mira out of her thoughts as she whipped her head upwards with a panicked expression. Her eyes were wide as she saw Siegrain lift his shirt and show a new bruise that was the wrong shade of purple, "It'll heal in a month or two."

"That counts as hurt dumbass!" Mira yelled as she watched Siegrain shrug uncaringly before wrapping some thread around his chest to act as a brace. His expression never changed once during the entire ordeal. His voice didn't either, "It's fine. I have a high pain tolerance."

"Bullshit," Mira grumbled. She wasn't a doctor, but she knew a broken rib should fucking hurt.

"No one's pain tolerance is that high." Mira said as she watched Siegrain frown, "Mine is. I'm not lying. Vera's is pretty high, too. We both." Mira watched Siegrain's words falter. His head tilted away as his eyes fell silent, "We've been through worse."

Mira blinked in surprise, the sudden shift in mood drying her throat as she turned her head back to the fire. Her thoughts quietly churned until she realized that she believed it. She hadn't been a member of Phantom Lord long, but she'd talked to a few of the older members. They told her stories about Siegrain and Vera, who showed up out of nowhere with a past they never discussed. A past no one knew the specifics of. Not even the guild master.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, then."

Mira somehow doubted they had a happy upbringing.

"I'm also sorry for freaking out back in town," Mira mumbled, her head low as she watched Siegrain look at her curiously out of the corner of her eyes. She didn't want to say it, she didn't, but she felt like he'd shared something meaningful with her. Something close to a secret. She was grateful.

"I'm not scared of hitting people... I mean, maybe I am, but the reason isn't because I'm afraid of hurting them. It's different..."

Mira felt it best to do the same.

"I'm terrified of killing them," Mira whispered, her ears ringing with fear as she cupped her hands over them to try and stop it. She was scared of the truth that rang in her own words, but the voice she heard through her palms wasn't scared at all, "Oh... that makes sense."

Siegrain's voice wasn't even surprised if she was being honest.

"I was wondering why you never hesitated against me," Siegrain mumbled appreciatively as he stoked the fire and saw Mira's expression switch from slightly stunned to a hint of annoyance. Mira's voice oddly strained as she hissed, "You saying I couldn't kill you even if I wanted to."

"No." Siegrain denied. "You said it."

"Fuck you." Mira clicked her tongue as she threw dirt over the fire at Siegrain. A slight huff escaped her lips as she saw Siegrain tank it without a single motion to dodge before wiping the dirt off his face with a dry mumble, "I feel like you aren't exactly happy with not being able to kill me."

"Of course not!" Mira hissed, "I don't want to kill you, but I want to beat you one day, asshole."

"Why?" Siegrain asked honestly, watching as his words seemed to take the wind out of Mira's sails, and she reevaluated her life choices. A few seconds of inner monologue flashed across her face before she sighed and scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "You're strong."

"So is Aria. Why not fight him?"

"Well, he's too busy kicking your ass most days for one." Mira grumbled dryly as Siegrain shrugged in agreement before she crossed her arms and elaborated, "Besides, when I said strong, I meant the strongest person I've met that's my age."

Siegrain opened his mouth to rebuttal before thinking about it and shrugging. He guessed it was fair; since Vera was out of commission in terms of magic, there wasn't anyone else in their age bracket who could keep up with the brute, at least not in Phantom Lord. Siegrain was Mira's best opponent regarding difficulty.

"I want to be a badass."

Mira knew how vital the challenge known as Siegrain would be for her.

"Beating you is the quickest way to do that."

Mira didn't want to be the same person she was back in the woods outside Magnolia. That was the reason she joined Phantom Lord in the first place. She couldn't do that if she weren't willing to chase someone who already had the strength she desired. She was trying to change.

"But none of that matters..."

So far, she was failing spectacularly.

"Since I can't even hit some thief without losing my nerve," Mira muttered, flicking a pebble into the campfire. It was getting low, and she was getting tired, but she heard Siegrain speak without a hint of hesitation before she could hide in her restless sleep. "Then why don't you hit me."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mira asked with a skeptical glance. She was pretty sure that broken rib must've been fucking with Siegrain more than he wanted to admit. Still, the shrug he gave her said otherwise, "You already know you can't kill me, so keep hitting me until you figure out exactly how much strength you need to use against regular people."

Siegrain seemed to have thought it out more thoroughly than she would've expected him to.

"Once you can confidently hit thieves with enough strength not to kill them, there'll be no issue, right?" Siegrain asked as he watched Mira blink slowly. Her mouth was slightly agape as if she wasn't sure whether to laugh at or balk at his proposal. After a few seconds of silence, though, she realized his idea had some merit. Mira sighed, disgruntled, and pinched her nose, "You're insane."

"It'll work, though, won't it."

"I don't know." Mira hissed as she glanced at Siegrain's chest, "Even if it did, I'm not hitting you when you have a broken rib."

"It doesn't hurt, though."

"Doesn't matter, I'm not doing it." Mira narrowed her eyes as she watched Siegrain furrow his brows in response, presumably confused why a broken rib was such a big issue, before resigning and offering a compromise, "We can stop by Cait Shelter on the way back to Oak Town. Wendy will heal my rib."

Mira frowned as she watched Siegrain hold a hand out over the dying fire, "After that, you can use my body to figure out your strength. You'll never make any progress at the rate you're going."

Mira didn't know Siegrain could barter.

"So let me help you. I promise you I don't mind." Siegrain offered honestly because he didn't mind. A hit was a hit. There was nothing else to talk about. He could take a thousand of the brute's punches and never feel a thing. The pain was nothing new.

"If you want, we can stay at Cait Shelter for a few days to work on it."

This was just the only way he knew how to help.

"Wendy will be able to heal me if anything goes wrong." Siegrain finished his speech as he watched Mira's eyes linger on his outstretched hands. Her fingers fidgeted for a few seconds before she reached out her hand and let it hover over the fire, along with a hesitant question.

"Why did you braid my hair."

Siegrain blinked in surprise. His head tilted slightly as the question hung in the wind before he answered honestly, "You were having nightmares."

Siegrain couldn't tell what emotion flickered across Mira's face, but he felt it was soft.

"I thought it would help."

He was hoping that meant he'd done alright.

"I think this will help, too," Siegrain said as he watched Mira's eyes widen for a second before she gulped and nodded lowly. Her eyes lingered on the dying fire before she shook his hand and sealed the agreement. "Thanks, Siegrain."

Mira didn't think this would solve her problem. Not entirely. It was more of a bandaid than a stitch. She would still have nightmares, and she would still shiver at the thought of taking another life, but she felt this would help with the missions. That was enough.

"You're welcome, Mira."

Siegrain felt the same, so he retracted his hand with a slight smile before reigniting the campfire with a snap of Fire magic. He was ready to go to bed and have the brute take her shift, but she asked him a question he hadn't expected before he could.

"Hey, blue-haired bastard..."

He thought it was a good idea, though.

"Can you make a hair tie?"

She fought better with her hair up.

October 23, x778 (One Month Later)

Oak Town was busy preparing for the Hallows Eve Festival. Its streets were lined with orange pumpkins and all shapes and sizes of ghouls. The old stone walls scattered through the city were drenched in fake blood and spiderwebs, and the guild hall at the top of it all was a vampire's delight. It stood with an eerie feeling atop Oak Town, and the members of Phantom Lord were inside preparing for the coming week. It would be a week for frights and fun, sweets and surprises, it was a week where anything could happen.

"Guess who's back, losers!"

No one could have expected the news, though. When a girl with white hair tied in a ponytail kicked the main doors open with a grin and a reward poster in her hand, they weren't expecting her following declaration. It might've been the greatest surprise of the week.

"We just finished a B-rank request!"

It was definitely the most amusing one, though.

"With zero damages!" Mira roared triumphantly as the guild hall responded with utter silence, reminding Mira that her little problem wasn't well-known among the guild members. She could practically hear crickets, and at that point, she had to decide whether she wanted to start a brawl to hide her embarrassment or run away—tough choices.

Thankfully, her victory speech was salvaged by her little siblings cheering for her near the back of the guild hall, "Good job, Sis!" Elfman said with his nose half buried in a book on take-over magic. "I knew you could do it, Mira!" Lisanna yelled from over his shoulder. It was almost comical how quickly those two made her forget about the rest of the guild as she jumped over the tables and practically tackled her little siblings in a hug.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I missed you two so much." Mira coddled as she nearly hugged the life out of her two little siblings, but in her defense, how could she not? They were adorable, and the last mission had taken an entire week. It felt like she hadn't seen them in forever. "So, what have you two been up to since I was gone?" Mira said as she spared the two from her hug before letting them catch her up on their progress with Take-over Magic. Elfman, having made the most, and Lisanna, having fallen slightly behind. Which wasn't that surprising. Lisanna's heart wasn't invested in Take-over Magic, but that could wait for another time.

Meanwhile, the quieter, less glaringly obvious person who walked into the guild made a beeline for the bar, his white cloak and blue hair catching people's attention before things resumed like usual. It didn't take long for Siegrain to sit next to Aria and pour himself some orange juice from the vast array of nonalcoholic drinks they had stashed behind the bar counter. He was thirsty, and it wasn't long before his mug was empty, after which Aria asked with a sly glance, "So, is what she said true? You two finally had a mission with no damages?"

"Yeah, no damages. We even got a bonus for doing so well. "

"Congratulations." Aria offered sincerely as he softly patted Siegrain on the back, watching from behind his blindfold as Siegrain's lips twitched upwards. Aria asked out of jest more than anything, "Then can I assume your parade of property damage is over."

Siegrain chuckled slightly at the joke, his mouth open to respond before he heard wood shattering, followed by Mira yelling, 'Shit.' Siegrain and Aria glanced back and saw her holding next to her little siblings, holding a broken chair before murmuring, "When'd this shit get so feeble?"

Siegrain and Aria turned around silently, with Siegrain glancing away guiltily before murmuring, "I think the worst of it is done."

"That'll be enough." Aria sighed, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he watched Siegrain's shoulders sag slightly before they perked up again. Siegrain then scanned around the guild hall and asked with a slight curiosity, "Hey, where's Vera? I figured he'd be here by now."

Siegrain tilted his head back to Aria, waiting for an answer that he wasn't expecting.

"Oh, you just missed him. He left Oak Town yesterday."

Siegrain froze, his heart skipping a beat before he recalled one of the lacrimal conversations they'd had a couple of days ago and let out an 'ah' of understanding. Siegrain had thought Vera would wait until after the Hollow's Eve festival, but he guessed he'd also be impatient if he were in Vera's shoes.

"He said he'd be back in a couple of months."

It was the first time since the coma that Vera's body was in decent condition after all.