Connection

He takes deep breaths, calming himself down. Why is he acting up this much? They're just teasing him. Saito rubs his forehead, flustered.
(Maybe I should check on the soldiers. Lot of them got injured.)

What about Uriak? Or that one guy standing over him? His arm was awfully bleeding.
He looks over near the edge of the village. Various tents have been raised. 
Making his way closer, many of them wear bandages. In fact, all of them are wearing bandages.
From lightly wounded to critically wounded, some of them seems capable of walking. Others, less lucky, are laying down in makeshift beds, resting. Krist is probably in there too.

He approaches the closest man. 
"Excuse me."

The soldier turns around, looking him down.
"Oh, it's you. You're the guys that fought with us."
"Yeah, thank you for helping me. I was wondering, is Uriak around?"

The man stares at him, his expression neutral, unchanging. With the most natural tone, he delivers the news. "Uriak is dead."

..No way. There was maybe 15 seconds at most before he killed Velres after taking off his arm.
He was really strong. I guess Velres really was just that strong.

"What about... Umm.. I'm not sure what his name is. He was down with me in the crater."
"Oh Jeffrey. Yeah he's over there." He points at the distance. The medic sitting on a trunk, staring off at the distance.
"Thanks."
 
The man waves him off, going on his way. 
Saito walks up to Jeffrey, but he doesn't seem to notice him at all.
"Hey."

Jeffrey jumps a little, looking back.
"Sorry, I spaced out. Oh, it's you."
"I wanted to see you. Did you protect me down that pit?" He asks, curious.

Jeff rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed. 
"Well, I tried to. Someone saved me."
"Had you not been there, I could've died while I was unconscious. Thank you very much."
He takes a deep bow to show his respect.

Jeffrey looks uncomfortable. 
"Woah there, I did nothing amazing. I just won you like. A second maybe."
"A second is a pretty big deal of time when people move that fast."
"..I guess."

Saito sits beside him. This guy seems nice. 
"What made you want to be a medic?"

Immediately as he finishes his sentence, Jeffrey looks hurt.
"If I said anything bad.."
"No, it's fine. I don't want to be a medic. I want to be a soldier."
"Then.. Why?"
"I don't do well in my trainings, so they don't trust me with that role."

That's understandable. Maybe with more training he can get on the right path then.
"But aren't you all in-training still?"
"We always are. But I'm just seen that badly."
"What makes you under-perform?" Ponders the survivor.

Jeffrey rubs his arm. He didn't anticipate having this kind of talk with a complete stranger.
"Stress. I get performing anxiety and I can't do well."

(I can relate to that so much).
Back in his home world, he got few jobs. But regardless of how hard he tried, he couldn't do well. The anxiety kept getting to him purely because he felt pressured to meet his superior's expectations.

"But in real combat scenarios, do you get that anxiety?"
"..No, I don't. All I can think about is saving people."

(This guy's a gem and nobody sees him for what he is.)
He can't fault the military. Tests are generally used to evaluate someone's potential.
If he can't perform well during those tests, he'll naturally get discarded.
"I'm sure you got this, given time. Trust yourself more. I'll go check on Krist."
"Uh. Sure."

Saito stands up, looking around for Krist and Chloe. 
(They're probably close by.)

As expected, it takes little time to find them. Sitting by his bed, Krist looks in top condition. His ring saved him, as expected. (I want my ring back though..)
Getting closer, he can't help but notice their bearing resemblance. Almost like twins.

Chloe: "Saito! Come!"

He smile, approaching. He pulls a chair left nearby closer, sitting down.
Krist's eyes meet his. He nods in respect.

Krist: "She told me what you've done for this village. You fought with us and you even saved my life just now. You're one of a kind, you have my respect."

"Right, it's no big deal really. I'm happy to be of use."
Krist: "Have you considered joining the military?"
Chloe: "Bro!"

The protagonist smiles awkwardly. He's already signed himself up, but he'd like to tell Chloe aside later, once he can talk to her alone. 

Krist: "I'm kidding. It's the first time I saw someone wielding red magic. Chloe spoke really highly of you. Is our home to your liking?"

In response to his question, Saito smiles and nods.
"Yeah. I haven't had such a warm welcome in a long time."
Krist: "Better not. We're better than our competition."

It's a competition now?
Krist: "I'm glad to see your health intact. How did you kill that man?"

His eyes grow wider, staring at him with full focus, as if entirely invested in hearing out his story.
Embarrassed, Saito quietly laughs. 

"Um. I flew up the sky and crashed down at him. His body broke under the impact."
Krist: "That's so cool!"
Chloe: "Kristt."
Krist: "Okay okay. Saito, mind if we talk later? We'll spend a bit more time. I'm sure you understand we haven't seen each other in a very long time."

"Of course, take your time."
Pulling his chair back, he then heads out a bit further in the woods, just taking the air in, relaxing.
All his threats have been subjugated. He no longer has to worry about tomorrow. 
For the first time since he's gotten here, he feels like he can breathe. Truly breathe.
The sound of nature reaches his ears. A bird is singing. The sound of the rustling leaves echoes through the forest around him. The fresh smell of wood and grass tickling his nose. 

He closes his eyes, taking in this peace of mind.
He's alive. He's gone above and beyond. While there's a goal, he can live his life as he wishes.
To him, in this very moment, there is no greater gift but this freedom of mind.
 
He relaxes so much that he loses track of time. 
Saito only snaps back to reality upon hearing the sound of leaves behind him crack underneath the weight of a foot. His senses have been honed. His sense of smell, hearing and vision have improved considerably. 

"Yeah?" Inquires the protagonist, wondering who it is.
"Oh." Replies Chloe, disappointed. 

He chuckles.
"Did you just try to sneak up on me?"
"Maybeee...?" She then laughs.

She softly walks closer, sitting down right beside him.
There's a long moment of silence. But he's grown used to it now. 
It feels nice when she's around.

"Are you still in danger?"
He shakes his head.
"No. No longer. Everything is gone."
"Good. I wanted to hear that."

That's sweet of her. 
"Will you stay over now?"

As he opens his mouth to respond, he stops. 
It sounds wonderful. But he already agreed to join the military. He has to tell her.
"Chloe, I-"
His throat freezes up as he feels her hand reach his, holding it gently.

Oh. Oh my god. She's into him. It's happening. His emotions boils inside. 
(What am I suppose to do? Am I suppose to say something? If I tell her I'm leaving, is it going to ruin everything?)

Despite his chaotic thoughts, his heart blossoms. A warm feeling fills his stomach.
A sense of happiness takes over his emotions.
He doesn't say anything. It's not needed right now.
His hand grabs hers back. And they sit there in silence for a long time.

"Chloe."
"Yes?"
"There's something I must tell you."

She looks up at him. Her face betrays her feelings. She looks anxious.
"I will settle down here. I want to have my own family here. Trevor gave me his blessings. But before I do that, I'd like to join Krist for a while."

Her eyes stare into his, seeking meaning.
Since the very beginning, Saito has been difficult to read for her. But everything he has done so far had meaning. There's no doubt he has a reason behind this too.
"Okay. I know you'll come back. But don't make me wait too long, okay?"
"Yeah. I promise."