ECHOES, DECISIONS AND A NEW DAWN

The bustle of the main square enveloped him, but it was no longer an anonymous noise. Now, heads were turning as he passed. He heard his name in whispers, "It's him," "The one who survived the Pit." People looked at him, some with curiosity, others with hesitant respect. He was not used to it. After all, he hadn't been a hero. He had only survived. He had only stepped up when everyone else was falling.

He made his way to the guild, feeling like an imposter. He saw Sacres and Lyra chatting with a clan officer. Sacres waved at him and walked over as the officer left.

— Just in time, Asimil — said Sacres, though his face was serious. — We have just received disturbing reports. It is said that something strange happened in the Asian regions during your Pit. A rumor of massive instability in the Asian regions. —

— It's probably nothing. — Lyra added, her calm expressionless. — Rumors are just unverified facts until proven otherwise.

Asimil nodded, though he could barely hear them. His thoughts were elsewhere. His gaze had settled on a family of three citizens walking together. A father, mother and son, laughing. The scene was so simple, so programmed, but a pang of a nostalgia he didn't understand pierced his chest. He imagined what it would be like to have a home like that, one where he could laugh with his parents without that silent weight...memories that felt like they never existed, but hurt as if they had been taken from him.

Asimil laughed, and for a moment, he felt comfortable. Almost normal. Until, distracted, he collided with another player. The impact was mild, but the panic froze him. His mind went blank. He didn't know how to react. The other player, with his ornate helmet, just shook his head and walked on. His heart was pounding. Even here, where he was supposedly "somebody," his body was betraying him.

When Ikel and Asimil returned to where the others were, the atmosphere was icy. Noelia and Lyra were in the middle of an argument, their voices low but charged with tension.

— ...and that's why he needs an environment that challenges him! — said Noelia with restrained passion, — The Harmonia Clan is for beginners! It will never reach its true potential here. My original clan, the Azure Knights, have the best trainers, the best equipment. It's the only logical choice if you really want him to improve! —

— Logic does not make a hero. Will, yes — Lyra replied, her face expressionless. — Your clan would turn him into a weapon of their own. He needs to become a person. And that choice must be his, not yours. —

They both turned to him the moment they arrived. He felt like a mouse caught between two lions.

— Asimil — said Noelia, her voice an order. — You will fight with the best. You will come with me. —

— Asimil — said Lyra, her voice a calm invitation. — What do you want to do? —

He was paralyzed, caught in the crossfire. He looked at Noelia, her gaze intense, demanding, promising power at the cost of a pressure he felt would choke him. Then he looked at Lyra, her face serene, offering him not a solution, but the freedom to find his own. The freedom to fail.

He was not prepared for Noelia's reaction. Her face did not show anger, but a deep wound. It was as if his words were not a simple decision, but a personal betrayal. The Ice Queen's mask cracked, revealing a heartbroken girl. She turned abruptly, fleeing the scene without another word, as if she could not bear to be in the same space as him a second longer.

But before he could respond, a new voice, cheerful and full of energy, interrupted the scene.  — Lyra! I got your message! The trip was crazy, I almost got eaten by a Sand Gryphon! Is this the guy with the tangled soul you told me about? —

They all turned around. A girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes waved at them. She wore black, practical combat attire and a giant backpack that seemed to weigh more than she did. She radiated a charisma and cheerfulness that seemed otherworldly, her outlook on things refreshingly childlike.

Lyra sketched the tiniest of smiles. — Asimil, Ikel, Sacres... this is Luce. Asimil, this is the girl I told you about, I called her because of the "situation" we talked about last night. I think her particular kind of chaos is just what we need right now. —