ECHOES OF WARMTH AND NEW PATHS

The dream, for the first time, was not a nightmare.

There were no dark alleys or hostile classrooms. He was on a cobblestone street in a village bathed in warm, friendly light. He was a child. Childish tears were running down his cheeks, but a hand, wrinkled and soft, tenderly wiped them away. He looked up and saw an old woman. Of all the ghosts that had populated his dreams, she was the only one whose face he could see. She had a warm smile but was visibly exhausted.

It was an incredibly simple dream. And the most beautiful and pleasurable one he had had in years.

Asimil woke up in his clan bed with a wet face. He was crying, but not from sadness, but from a strange and overwhelming happiness. He didn't know who that old woman was, but just remembering her face made him feel... complete.

With a feeling of lightness, he left his room and went to look for Sacres. He found him in his usual place, the workshop near the waterfalls. — You look... different — he said, not looking up from a piece of armor he was polishing. — Less... tormented. —

Asimil briefly told him about the dream. He nodded slowly. — Good memories are the best armor, Asimil. Don't forget them. —

— Speaking of which... — he said, opening his inventory. The Dagger of the Broken Echo appeared in his hand, its dark steel not reflecting the light. — We are preparing for a long journey. I can't use it, but... I feel I must carry it. — 

Sacres stopped his work and examined the dagger. His gray eyes narrowed. — A warrior's intuition is often his best weapon, Asimil. If your soul tells you to carry it with you, then you carry it. Sometimes the most important keys don't seem to have a lock... until you come across the right door. —

He handed him a pendant with a deep red gem. — For your left ear — he said. — A reminder. That you don't fight alone. —

Asimil put it on, feeling the cold metal. He thanked him and, as he left the workshop, he almost collided with someone running in his direction.

It was an awkward and amusing encounter. They both bent down to pick up the potions, their hands brushing together, eliciting a nervous giggle from him and a crystalline laugh from her. 

— I was just looking for you! — she said. — Our next trip will be a long one. We need to stock up! I invite you to check out the best potion stores before we go. I know a guy who sells bottled smoke that makes enemies dance! —

In another perspective, hidden behind a column in the square, Noelia had seen them in the distance. She had left her room with the same idea. She was thinking of inviting Asimil to check the equipment before leaving, an excuse to talk, to try to understand what had happened in the tournament. But Luce had beaten him to it. He saw the ease with which they laughed, the naturalness of their awkwardness, and felt a pang of something that looked dangerously like envy.

— A missed opportunity. — Lyra's expressionless voice sounded right next to her, making her startle. She was standing, watching the same scene.

— What are you doing here? — hissed Noelia. 

— Observing the team's emotional variables — Lyra replied with her usual calmness. — Yours is particularly... noisy. —

Time passed. Asimil and Luce were now sitting on the edge of a fence, eating some sweet bread sandwiches they had bought. It was then that Asimil seemed to react, as if he had been struck by lightning.

Luce burst out laughing. — So, are you having fun? —

Asimil smiled a little, a genuine gesture. — Yes. — He looked at her, his smile softening. — How do you do it? How can you be so... happy, with everything that's going on? —

Luce's smile dimmed, but did not disappear. — Because it's not worth losing your spark. My story is kind of tragic too, you know, but I decided I wouldn't let that define me. — She gave him a friendly nudge. — Besides, Lyra told me a lot about you. I was looking forward to meeting you, to see if the rumors were true. —

— Rumors? — Asimil asked nervously.

— Yes, that you were a soul in pain with the potential of a dragon. After seeing you in battle yesterday, I confirmed it. You are not strong because of your muscles, Asimil. You are strong because of your mind. And your heart. —

The compliment, so direct and sincere, caused Asimil to blush and look away.

— Well, well, am I interrupting a romantic date? — Ikel approached, with his shark-like grin.

— It's not a date! — Asimil exclaimed, his blush now the color of Ikel's hair. Luce simply laughed, her joy was immune to the chaos.

The three of them headed back to the clan's meeting point. There, leaning against the entrance, Mitsu was waiting for them, arms crossed and an impatient expression. Lyra was already there. Only one person was missing.

Noelia arrived at the end. She walked with her usual air of arrogance, but something about her had changed. She was quieter, and when her gaze met Asimil's, he noticed something in her eyes: a deep sadness, a vulnerability that had not been there before.

The team was complete. Without further words, they turned and began to walk, exiting through the great gates of the citadel into the devastated world that awaited them. The next battle was about to begin.