The shadow of departure

The great hall of the guild was bathed in dim light from the stained-glass windows. The midday sun's rays slid lazily over the empty tables, brushing against the boards worn by the years and the boots of the few adventurers left inside. Most had already left on missions, and only a few low voices rose here and there, coming from the receptionists concentrated on piles of parchment and sealed documents. The rustling of papers and the steady scratching of quills echoed in this eerily quiet space.

The front door opened with a quiet creak. Kyle stepped through the door, the scent of humus and damp wood wafting behind him. His clothes, stained with dark stains and dust, clearly bore the impression of having just returned from the field. His heavy footsteps echoed on the polished wooden floor as he crossed the room, his imposing figure attracting a few curious glances.

He walked straight to Eris's counter, his expression more relaxed than usual. A slight smile played on his lips, as if something pleasant had erased the usual coldness from his face.

"Mission accomplished," he said simply, placing his hands on the polished wood of the counter.

Eris stared at him for a moment, surprised by his almost warm tone.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Affirmative."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't try to press the point. Her fingers brushed the stack of parchment before picking up one with curled edges. Unfolding it, she quickly scanned the lines.

"Hm... there's a small problem," she said finally.

"What problem?"

"The mission stipulated that you were to collect trean wood, but... you came back empty-handed."

Kyle didn't answer right away. A simple movement of her hand was enough.

The atmosphere in the room changed immediately: the lantern flames flickered, the brightness of the day seemed to fade, and shadows crept along the walls as if trying to engulf the room. The floor was tinged with a shifting darkness that stretched from her feet, before twisting and swelling. With an almost organic whisper, a colossal mass of wood suddenly appeared, filling the air with a sharp, resinous scent. 

A deathly silence fell over the guild. The few adventurers present froze, some widening their eyes, others unconsciously placing their hands on the hilts of their weapons, as if this display of power had put them on alert. Even the usually impassive Eris gaped for a moment before regaining her composure.

And among those stares, there was a more insistent, almost troubled one: that of Lys, who had just entered. The familiar gleam of golden wood reflected in her eyes, but it was Kyle's presence that seemed to have frozen her in place.

"He has... way too many," Eris finally said, putting down her scroll.

"Really?" Kyle replied neutrally.

"Yes. It's more than twenty times the requested amount."

"No problem. Pay me as agreed," he said, almost distracted.

"Impossible, Kyle." Trean wood is a rare and extremely valuable material, used for both magical artifacts and luxury items."

"I understand... so what do we do now?"

"The guild will pay you the reward for the quest and buy back the rest. I'll take care of it."

He nodded.

"I'll leave that to you. I'll come back and collect what I've earned."

He turned away. His footsteps made the wooden floor creak under his weight. But looking up, he saw the Dawn Shard, lined up near the entrance. His gaze fell, as if held by an invisible thread, on Lys.

She, for her part, was still staring at him, her lips parted, as if the words she wanted to say had been lost in the air filled with the scent of wood and the heavy silence that had followed her arrival.

The group moved toward the guild counter, their footsteps echoing lightly on the polished floorboards. Kyle, who had been walking in a parallel aisle, sped up to catch up with them and finally slipped in beside them with a fluid movement.

"Hi, everyone," he said calmly.

Tristan was the first to answer, a slight smile on his lips.

"Hey." 

Iris, her eyes sparkling, couldn't hide her enthusiasm.

"Your demonstration earlier... was really impressive!"

Kyle shrugged slightly.

"It's just a new Dark magic ability."

Anne, crossing her arms, gave a small, admiring laugh.

"Still... it's a damn useful power."

"I think so too," Kyle replied with a half-smile. "And you? What have you been up to?"

Tristan replied simply:

"Nothing complicated. A little quest to learn how to work better with Harry."

"Like the one we did when I arrived," Kyle affirmed.

"Exactly."

Kyle nodded.

"In that case... I wish you good luck for the future. Harry, congratulations on your place on the team."

Harry smiled, almost embarrassed.

 "Thanks, I'll do my best."

Kyle took a step back.

"Okay, I won't keep you any longer."

He turned away, but stopped before going any further.

"If ever... I'd like to talk to you about something, all together."

Then he walked away to an empty table, sitting down alone, his back slightly hunched.

Anne followed him with her eyes.

"Was that Kyle?"

Elena frowned.

"Yes... but the strange thing is, this morning, as usual, he ignored me."

Iris, intrigued, turned to Lys.

"Do you know what's happening to him?"

Lys shrugged, looking away.

"Not really... although... I think I can guess why."

They gradually dispersed. Anne asked Tristan if she could accompany him, saying she wanted to speak to Eris. Iris insisted that Lys sit at the same table as Kyle.

"I'd rather stay here," Lys replied uncomfortably.

Elena finally cut her off.

"Leave her alone, Iris."

The three girls sat down at another table. From there, Lys glanced furtively at Kyle, but he didn't seem to notice her, lost in thought. This indifference left a pang of sadness deep in his chest.

A few minutes later, Kyle stood up and walked over to the counter. The rustle of his cloak accompanied each step.

Eris handed him his reward for the quest and the purchase of the precious wood. Anne and Tristan, who were there, looked at him questioningly.

 "I wanted everyone together, but oh well," he said. "I'm leaving today."

"Really?" Anne asked in surprise.

"You need the master's approval for that first," Eris added.

"I already have it."

Tristan crossed his arms, a serious crease on his brow.

"So... I hope your next adventures go well."

Kyle gave a small, almost nostalgic smile.

"Since this might be the last time we see each other, I have something to tell you."

He looked Tristan straight in the eye.

"You're exactly the kind of guy I've always wanted to punch."

Tristan blinked, taken aback.

Kyle continued, more quietly, "But... I still enjoyed spending time with you." 

Tristan, a little disoriented, simply replied

"Thanks, I guess."

"Well... now that that's out of the way, I can go."

"What do you mean?... You don't want to tell the other guy first?" Anne asked.

"Since you know, you can spread the word to the others. See you soon, but not too soon."

He took a few steps toward the door, but Tristan grabbed his wrist.

"You can't just leave like that."

Kyle calmly pulled away.

"Why not? It's precisely for scenes like this that I hate people like you."

Then he continued walking, walking through the large door of the guild without a single backward glance.

Behind him, daylight poured into the room, then the heavy door closed with a dull thud, leaving an eerie silence in the air... and the discreet weight of a departure that seemed final.

 Conversations had died down a bit since Kyle had left, leaving an almost palpable emptiness in the air.

Anne and Tristan joined the girls at their table, placing their belongings heavily on the wood, which was marked with sword marks and improvised carvings.

"What's going on?" Iris asked, frowning slightly.

Tristan exchanged a look with Anne before replying.

"Kyle just left town."

Lys, who had been leaning back in her chair until then, suddenly raised her head. Her voice, low but sharp, betrayed a bitterness that was hard to contain.

"What?... How... Why did he leave like that?"

Elena leaned forward slightly, her elbows resting on the table.

"So that's what he wanted to tell us?"

Anne nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"But why didn't he come and talk to us directly anymore?" Iris protested, her fingers drumming nervously on the table.

Anne shrugged.

"He just asked us to pass the word on."

"That's very mean of him," Iris whispered, almost to herself.

"Or maybe he didn't know how to tell us," Elena whispered, her gaze wandering for a moment towards the horizon. "All that's left is to wish him the best for his new adventures."

Tristan crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"If he hadn't insisted I make him talk..."

Anne interrupted him:

"He's been saying for a while now that he wanted to leave."

Iris looked up at the ceiling as if to gather her thoughts.

"That's true... and knowing him, it's almost a miracle he stayed this long."

Elena nodded.

"Yes."

"With his ability to fly, he must be far away already," Tristan continued.

Iris gave a slight, bitter laugh.

"I understand... if I had such freedom, I wouldn't be able to stay still either."

All this time, Lys remained silent, her gaze lost somewhere between the table and the void. Her fingers absently played with the rim of her cup, tracing invisible circles in the condensation.

Elena finally turned her head towards her.

"Lys... are you okay?"

She looked up slowly, as if awakened from a dream, and replied in a muffled voice,

"Yes..."

"We should call it a day," Iris suggested.

Anne nodded.

"That's true... we already completed one mission this morning. Everyone should go home and rest."

"But I had planned for us to prepare the strategy for the next ones... I'd like us to complete as many missions as possible before Lys leaves us," Tristan began.

"I understand, but that's enough for today," Elena said, giving her a pointed look, then glancing back at Lys.

"The majority wins," Iris concluded with a small smile. "We'll stop here." 

"Okay…" Tristan said, resigned.

Lys inhaled gently, as if to dispel an invisible weight.

"Thank you…"

She stood up. Her footsteps echoed faintly on the wooden floor as she walked toward the exit, her shoulders slightly hunched, her gaze vacant. The warm breath of midday air entered through the door, which she pushed open with a distracted gesture.

And there… right in front of the entrance, motionless as if he'd been waiting for her forever, stood Kyle.

He was looking straight into her eyes. His expression was neither cold nor smiling; just intense, as if dozens of things remained to be said, none of which found their place in this silence.

Lys's heart skipped a beat. The bright light outside formed a halo behind him, outlining his silhouette with an almost unreal clarity. For a moment, the noise of the guild, the conversations, and the clanging of weapons disappeared completely from his ears. There was only him.

She remained frozen, unable to utter a single word. Her throat seemed to have closed, and her hands were trembling slightly.

Kyle, for his part, slowly closed the distance between them. His footsteps echoed faintly on the cobblestones still warm from the sun. Without a word, he took her hand with unexpected gentleness, a slight smile on his lips.

"Come on... Let's walk together," he said simply.

And before she could even reply, he began to walk, pulling her along behind him. The warm, firm touch of his hand on hers made her heart beat faster.

She inhaled gently, letting her lungs absorb the cool evening air, as if to calm the tumult pounding against her chest.

"I... I wanted... to apologize... for my behavior... last night." His voice trembled slightly, betraying his nervousness.

 Kyle continued forward without slowing down, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I'm just as responsible."

Lys shook her head, a shiver running down her shoulders.

"No... if I hadn't... pushed you... we never would have... done what we did..."

He stopped, letting the wind caress his hair. A deep sigh escaped his chest, as if expelling the weight of a truth he hadn't yet articulated.

"If we keep beating around the bush, we'll never say what we really feel."

Her brows furrowed, a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"What do you mean?"

Kyle turned his head slightly toward her, his dark eyes locked with hers.

"We slept together... That's a fact." 

A shiver ran through her. Her hands tightened on the fabric, her burning cheeks betraying the tumult of her thoughts.

"Y-you can't... say it like that..." she stammered.

He gave a wry smile, full of suppressed mischief, and leaned in, just close enough for his breath to brush against her skin.

"Yet... you were much more... adventurous last night."

The hot breath against her skin made her shiver. She pushed him away abruptly, her eyes shining with tears.

"It's... you know, it was my first time... And if you can't take it seriously..."

She didn't have time to finish.

"It was my first time too," he interrupted.

He trailed off, as if the next words were too heavy to pronounce.

Lys took a step toward him, her eyes flickering between concern and curiosity, a slight tension in her shoulders betraying her hesitation.

"So... what do we do now?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kyle was silent for a long moment, his fingers absently brushing the air in front of him. The sky was slowly fading to a dark purple, as if the world was holding its breath with them.

 "I don't know... But what I do know is that we can never be just friends again."

His words fell, heavy and irreparable.

"...It's true." Lys's voice cracked almost imperceptibly, and she looked away.

"And we can't be a couple either... not now."

The sentence cut into her heart, a painful pang rising to her throat.

"Why?" she asked, breathless.

He ran a hand through his hair, as if to shake off an invisible weight, and let out a sigh laden with fatigue.

"Because I know this kind of scenario... If we jump in now, it will be unhealthy. A relationship driven solely by physical attraction, and nothing else."

Lys looked down, chewing her lower lip, her heart aching with the inevitable.

 "So... what do you suggest?"

A silence fell, broken only by the rustling of the wind in the leaves.

"I don't know... I don't know anymore..." he murmured, his voice hoarse. "I've spent all day thinking about it... and I can't think of any alternative."

He paused for a moment, his fingers clenched in his hair, and let out a heavy breath.

"I'm completely lost."

Without thinking, Lys moved closer and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"We don't necessarily need to name what we are..."

Her words hung in the air, mingling with the scent of earth and leaves carried by the evening breeze.

Kyle raised his head and looked deep into Lys's eyes.

"Do you really think it can be that simple?"

She answered him with a small smile, sweet but sure.

"We can just... try it. See where it takes us."

Kyle stared at her for a few moments, as if trying to determine if she truly believed his own words. Then he shrugged slightly.

"Okay... Now what?" 

"What if... we took a stroll around town?"

she suggested mischievously.

"Why not... even though I already did that yesterday."

"Yes, but this time we'll do it together."

She grabbed his arm, a spontaneous gesture, and pulled him along.

An impromptu stroll, almost like a date.

The cobblestone streets echoed beneath their feet, lit by the lanterns that the vendors were lighting one by one. The sweet smell of pastries wafted through the air, mingled with the salty aromas of street food. The children's laughter faded behind them, replaced by the quiet singing of a musician playing the lute on a street corner.

They walked hand in hand, their fingers intertwined like those of a couple who don't need to speak to understand each other. Sometimes their eyes met, and a simple smile was enough to fill the silences.

When the sky turned orange and purple, Lys looked up at the horizon, the warm colors almost burning her retinas.

"Maybe we should head back now."

Kyle simply nodded, but remained silent.

A few steps from the inn, he stopped. His hand found hers, soft but firm, and he slowly pulled her against him. The contact made Lys shiver; her cheeks immediately burned. She felt Kyle's breath against her cheek, deep and steady, as if he were seeking the courage to speak what was on his mind.

"What if... you came on adventures with me?" he finally whispered, his voice a little hoarse, thick with uncertainty.

Lys's eyes widened. Her heart pounded against her chest, threatening to make her falter. The urge to shout, "Yes, with pleasure!" shot through her with brutal force... but she held back. Her commitments, her promises, and those goals she could not abandon clung to her like invisible chains.

She looked down, clenching her fingers around her hand to hide her confusion.

"I... I can't. Sorry."

Kyle's face darkened, but he shook his head slowly.

"No... I'm the one who should apologize."

"It's not that I don't want to... it's just..."

"It's okay," he interrupted, a forced smile on his lips. "I'm sure your reason is better than the ones that make me want to leave."

They resumed their walk toward the inn, each step echoing in the heavy silence that had settled between them. The air seemed to thicken, as if the twilight were holding its breath.

At the door, Lys finally broke the tension.

"Do you want to say goodbye to my aunt, Rose?"

"I already have."

A moment of hesitation.

 "Okay... Could you... wait until tomorrow morning?"

"No. If I don't leave now... I won't have the strength or the desire to leave you."

He turned away and took a few steps. Each stride felt like it weighed a ton. In his chest, it wasn't fatigue that gripped him, but something more insidious, more insidious... as if this world had finally found a way to anchor him, to tie him down where he didn't want to stay. The evening wind brushed against the back of his neck, but nothing could lighten the weight.

The warm evening wind carried the scent of wood, sun-baked stones, and spices from the nearby stalls. Once, he would have seen all this as a simple backdrop for quests. Today, every scent, every breath of wind had the taste of the present moment, charged with an urgency he couldn't ignore.

 He stopped abruptly. Instinct took over before reason could, and he turned to return to her.

Wordlessly, he pulled her close. It wasn't a mechanical goodbye; it was an embrace that spoke for him, that said everything he dared not utter. Lys's heart raced, her breath mingling with his.

Their lips met in a soft, trembling kiss, filled with promises and regrets, as if each stolen second could seal a fragment of their story.

He pulled back gently, just enough to meet her eyes. In that gaze, there was a simple, implacable truth: this world was no longer just a story. It was real, and so were they.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and took flight. Lys's hair rustled as the wind his moving figure had left behind blew past. She followed him with her gaze, his silhouette silhouetted against the violet light of dusk before disappearing into the clouds, light and elusive.

And there, in that suspended silence, she knew neither of them would ever be the same again. The world seemed to hold its breath, as if to seal this fragile and definitive moment.