Chapter 7: A Step Forward

The Journey Back to Orario

The sun was just starting to rise when Bell and Naaza broke camp, packing up their supplies with a newfound quiet between them. Not awkward—just different.

Bell noticed it right away. Naaza wasn't making any of her usual snarky remarks like about him being too slow or not packing right. Instead, she moved with a kind of carefulness, her mind clearly somewhere else.

Bell cleared his throat. "Naaza, are you okay?"

She paused, as she was sitting, adjusting the strap of her satchel before finally sighing. "I don't know… I think so."

Bell waited, sensing this was important.

Naaza turned to him. "For so long, I've just… accepted that I would always be afraid of monsters. That I would never fight in the dungeon again. And yet…" She trailed off, looking off into the quiet woods.

Bell felt his heart clench. He wanted to tell her she was strong, that she had already proved herself. But before he could say anything—

She smirked. "And yet, here I am, still alive. Thanks to you, Bell. Being by your side at that moment is one of the best things that has happened to me."

Bell smiled at Naaza.

Naaza stood up putting on her satchel. "So are you ready to head off Bell?"

Bell stood with the full backpack on. " Yeah, let's go! But honestly, I thought this backpack was going to be lighter after eating a lot of the food we brought."

"Well I thought you would have gotten stronger out here, Bell." Naaza smirked. "But I guess not."

Bell laughed, rubbing the back of his head, as per usual. "I'm pretty sure I did, but this backpack was really heavy to begin with."

They started on their way out of the forest, Bell found himself reflecting on his own growth.If this had happened weeks ago, would I have been able to save her? Would I have had the strength?He wasn't just watching Naaza change—he was changing too.

A Stop For Facing the Past

Naaza was a bit farther ahead than Bell down the wooded trail, Bell noticed Naaza had stopped.

They had reached a small, sunlit meadow at the edge of the woods, filled with wildflowers of all shapes and colors swaying in the breeze.

Bell turned to her. "Naaza? Are you alright?"

She stared at the field, unmoving. "Before I lost my arm... I used to come here with my friends. We'd stop here after a long expedition of foraging and fighting in the woods," she continued, voice quiet. " And just… Rest, laugh, and have fun enjoying each other's company... They did their best to protect me that day in the dungeon, and they are the only reason I'm here today."

Bell's breath caught.

She was talking about her old Familia—the ones who never came back.

"The monsters killed my closest friends in the Familia, those who tried to protect me. After that, the monsters did their best to kill me as well."

Naaza looked down at her arm. "Thankfully, we had others in our party that were able to save me, but I was beaten up pretty bad. The monsters took my arm and tore me to shreds the best they could. After getting back to the surface, Miach did the best he could to heal me and get my arm back. Which involved spending all of our Familia's money and putting us in debt to Dian Cecht. Once the rest of our Familia found out about the massive debt, they all left. Leaving just Miach and myself. He has taken care of me so much. And all I've done is destroy our Familia..." Naaza trailed off.

Bell swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't interrupt.

Naaza started to tear up, hugging her arm, tail low. "I can hardly remember their faces."

Bell hesitated—then gently reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Naaza tensed at first, then relaxed, letting out a breath.

"I think…" she whispered. "I think I want to honor them properly. To stop living in fear, but… in courage and strength."

"Then I'll do my best to honor them with you." Bell's grip on her shoulder tightened. "I want to help you out with whatever I can."

Naaza, then turned to look at him—really looked at him. And for the first time in a long time, she felt something in her chest loosen.

"Thank you, Bell," Naaza said softly with a warm smile.

A Welcome From The Gods

Bell and Naaza had made it back to Orario, just as the sun began to set giving the sky a soft orange glow.

As they approached the Blue Pharmacy, a blur of dark hair suddenly tackled Bell.

"BEEEELLLLL!"

Hestia's arms locked around his waist, as she knocked him over. "I swear, if you die on me, I'll bring you back just to kill you again! But then bring you back a second time!"

Bell awkwardly laughed, rubbing his neck. "Don't worry Goddess, I'm alright…"

Hestia immediately looked up and turned on Naaza, pouting. "And YOU! Why did you let my precious Bell get hurt?!"

Naaza crossed her arms. "He doesn't know when to quit."

Bell protested. "But I do know!"

Miach appeared, shaking his head. "I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see you two again."

Naaza rolled her eyes but smiled slightly. "We made it back in one piece… mostly."

Miach's expression softened. He gently touched Naaza's shoulder. "You're hurt."

Naaza looked away. "It's nothing."

Miach sighed. "Still, let's check your injuries when we get inside."

He then suddenly pulled both Bell and Naaza into a tight hug.

Bell flailed. "I'm glad you were worried about us, Miach, but—can't breathe—"

Naaza squirmed. "Get off Miach!"

Miach just chuckled, hugging tighter. "I'm just really glad to see you both back safe!"

"Miach! Stop hogging my Bell!" Hestia said as she tried to tear Bell away from the group hug.
Bell and Hestia eventually said their farewells and started off for the church leaving Naaza and Miach at the Pharmacy.

A Quiet Conversation – A New Promise

At the Pharmacy, Miach had just finished treating Naaza's wounds. The two sat in the quiet of the pharmacy. Naaza winced slightly as Miach wrapped a fresh bandage around her still tender arm, his expression soft with concern.

"You really went through a lot out there, didn't you?" Miach murmured, tying off the bandage. "I imagine it wasn't just the monsters that made this trip difficult."

Naaza exhaled, leaning back slightly. "It wasn't... but I think I needed it. I needed to see that I wasn't as helpless as I thought. And Bell..." She trailed off looking away from Miach.

Miach smiled knowingly. "He has a way of changing people, doesn't he?"

Naaza huffed. "Yeah. That idiot..."

Miach chuckled, shaking his head as he stood up. "You should rest, Naaza. We can talk more in the morning."

She nodded but didn't move. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, she stood and walked toward the door, pushing it open to step into the cool night air. She needed some time to think—to process everything.

That evening, after settling back at the church, Bell sat beside the small magic stone-lit table, deep in thought. Hestia was humming as she flipped through an old book, but she noticed his distracted expression.

"Bell? You've been quiet ever since we got back," Hestia said, setting her book aside.

Bell blinked, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "Oh, sorry, Goddess. I was just thinking about… Naaza."

Hestia raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk forming on her lips. "Oh? Missing her already?"

Bell flushed. "N-No! That's not it! Well, kind of, I just… I want to check on her. She went through a lot."

Hestia leaned forward on her elbows. "You could go see her, you know."

Bell hesitated. "Would that be weird? I mean, we just got back. Maybe she wants some time alone."

Hestia rolled her eyes. "You won't know unless you go."

Bell rubbed the back of his neck, debating with himself before finally standing. "Alright… I'll go."

Hestia grinned triumphantly. "Tell her I said hi!"

Bell waved her off with a sigh and made his way toward the Blue Pharmacy, his heart oddly light despite his exhaustion.

The streets were as busy as usual with adventurers heading home or to their favorite tavern as Bell was heading to the pharmacy.

"Hello Miach." Bell said as he entered to find Miach doing some busy work.

Miach turned to Bell with a smile. "Greetings Bell, anything I can help you with?"

"Yes please, I was wondering is Naaza around?" Bell questioned.

"I haven't seen her, she left a while ago." Miach started to think. "But if I had to guess, she's probably out at the pond north west of here."

"Got it, thanks Miach, I'll go find her!" Bell said with enthusiasm as he started towards the door.

"Before you leave Bell." Miach said as Bell stopped to listen. "She hasn't told me anything. But I've noticed she has changed quite a lot since you two came back. Can you help her with whatever she needs, Bell?"

Bell smiled, "of course!"

The pond that Miach was talking about was nothing special but quite beautiful. It wasn't a busy area, and there was a path and stone railing around the pond. As Bell got to the pond he found Naaza sitting on the railing next to the pond, staring up at the stars.

The night was calm, but inside her, a storm of emotions brewed. The fear that had once held her back was still there, lurking in the depths of her heart, but something new had begun to take root—resolve.

Bell silently sat beside her. He didn't say anything at first, simply offering his quiet presence, waiting for her to speak when she was ready.

For a while, neither spoke, letting the stillness of the night settle around them. The beauty of the stars shining down upon them. As Bell sat beside Naaza, watching her silhouette against the stars, he felt something tighten in his chest. From the moment she had pulled him from the jaws of death, from the moment he had woken up and seen her face, something had changed inside him. He admired her resilience, her wit, her strength. He admired the way she carried the weight of her past and still stood tall. He had spent all this time trying to get stronger—for himself, for his Familia, but also… For her. Because he wanted to be someone she could lean on, just like she had saved him.

Naaza sighed, resting her arms over her knees. "I think… I want to go back."

Bell blinked, turning to her. "Go back?"

"To the Dungeon." She looked at him then, her purple eyes filled with something he hadn't seen before—not fear, not regret, but determination. "I'm done letting fear control me."

Bell's breath caught. He could see it—this wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment thought. This was a decision she had fought to make, a battle against the part of her that had clung to fear for so long. She was choosing this. Not out of fear. Not out of obligation. But because she wanted to. He couldn't stop the smile that pulled at his lips. It wasn't just relief or pride—it was admiration. And something else, something deeper that had been growing inside him all along; since the day they met at the dungeon.

His grin was bright, filled with admiration. "Then let's go together."

He had spent all this time trying to get stronger—for himself, for his Familia, but also… For her. Because he wanted to be someone she could lean on, just like she had saved him.

It was admiration, yes. But it was also more than that. He wanted to be beside her—not just as an ally, not just as a friend—but something deeper, something unspoken that made his heart pound whenever she looked at him like that.

And maybe… just maybe… he had felt this way for far longer than he had ever realized.

Before he could think about it, his hand met hers—light, hesitant, as if testing the waters.

For a moment, Naaza didn't react.

Then, ever so slightly, her ears twitched. Her tail flicked once, then settled. She glanced down at their hands, then up at him, her cheeks dusted with the faintest pink.

And yet, she didn't pull away. Instead, she let out a quiet, amused sigh.

"You really are something else, Bell." She exhaled, shaking her head with a soft chuckle before her voice dropped to almost a whisper.

"You always make me feel like I'm not alone."

She squeezed his hand just slightly. "And I… I think I want to believe in that."

Bell felt his heart skip a beat.

Naaza blushed slightly, and then, for the first time in a long time, she let herself smile—a true, genuine smile. She let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she looked away.

A comfortable silence stretched between them, but unlike before, it wasn't filled with hesitation. It was filled with something warm, something hopeful.

Naaza shifted slightly, leaning ever so softly on Bell's side, her tail curling around her side. "How about tomorrow then?"

Bell nodded, his heart pounding a little faster. "Tomorrow."

And for the first time in a long time, Naaza no longer felt afraid of facing the dungeon and what lay beyond in its depths.

Because she wasn't facing it alone.