[S2] Chapter 34: Together

"Once again, a big thank you from the ministry of magic. It is only thanks to the exceptionally close cooperation that we were able to end this year's Dungeon Raid with these incredible results. The people of our country can look forward to a relaxing holiday season and a happy new year."

The speaker who opened the event three months ago ended it with these words. Most of the guilds are heading for the buffet, yet we are aiming for the exit. Although Lilith disappeared with her sister seven weeks ago, we continued to take part in the Raid, partly out of a sense of duty, but also in the hope of finding some clues regarding Lilith... without any success.

As we step outside the building, we are greeted by an icy wind. It is mid-December and we can be glad if the temperature stays above 0°C. At least it snows from time to time, which at least creates a somewhat pretty scenery in this rather ugly capital city.

"Kayla! Wait!"

Don't shout like that, as if I'm just going to run off. It's Maisy, with Jora and Wace in tow, who decided to join us outside. The little healer with her turquoise hair, who I have grown so fond of over the past few weeks, throws herself at me, and I return her somewhat over-enthusiastic hug.

Shortly afterwards, the two gentlemen also arrive at our location. Jora says goodbye to everyone with a friendly handshake. Only Eliza, he takes into his arms and whispers something to her. Eliza, who had taken over the leadership of the guild since Lilith's disappearance, looks even more tired than she typically does. Luna has supported her a lot and at least unofficially taken over the position of Co-leader. Miko and Kajsa continued to regularly delve into dungeons, which, according to them, were almost boringly ordinary. For my part, I haven't seen the inside of a dungeon since my last visit and have been concentrating more on helping the healers.

"We write every day, okay?"

"If you want to."

"Yes, I do."

I stroke Maisy's head a little. How can I refuse her when she's so sweet? Although she's the same age as Miko, she seems more like a little sister I never had. All the more shocking are her occasionally dirty comments or questions about what happens between Miko and me. For those who are interested as well, yes, we managed to catch up on a few things, but more about that another time... maybe?

"Are you finishing any time soon? I'm freezing." Miko moans, just because she is standing there all alone.

"Want a hug, too?"

Hey Maisy, watch out, that's my girlfriend. I look at Miko questioningly, as she is thinking about the offer for a little too long, so I almost breathe a sigh of relief when she shakes her head and declines.

"Thanks, but I just want to get in the car and go home."

Jora chuckles and claps his gloved hands together.

"Then we won't keep you any longer. It was a great pleasure to work with you all. See you soon."

See you soon? Does he know something I don't? His satisfied grin doesn't promise anything good, but I can think of worse things than meeting him again, as long as he brings Maisy.

It's not as if I miss him, but I did notice that Krystoff is not part of our farewell committee. As far as I know, he has continued to improve after the fight against Ayma, which I can't say about myself. It's not as if I don't have time to study how to defend myself, but at least for now, I'm tired of violence, I don't want to be hurt by anyone, let alone cause someone any pain. I'm a healer, and I want to stay one.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The question of where in the car I want to sit."

"Next to me? We'll leave the row at the back for Luna and Kajsa. We'll sit one in front of them, and Eliza will drive."

Miko is a great girlfriend. She knows that I probably haven't really thought about such an obvious thing but simply picks up on it.

When I arrive at the car, I take off my coat and throw it into the trunk with the rest of the luggage that we loaded this morning. Kajsa comes over to me and also takes off her winter clothes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a little too much of her purple skin and, unbelievingly, give her a little full-body inspection. Shorts, a crop top, and wait...

"Where are your shoes?"

"Have you ever seen me in shoes, you idiot?"

Oh, and since Kajsa got rid of her seals, thanks to Ayma, she can finally think, act, and speak as she pleases. In fact, things like insults were also part of the restriction regarding violence. She hasn't turned into some kind of jerk, but she does wear her heart on her sleeve.

"You got a point. But not that you'll get sick."

"Then you just heal me."

"I'm not your personal healer."

"But we're friends, aren't we?"

I am momentarily speechless. Somehow, it both moves and saddens me to hear these words from Kajsa. I am happy that she sees me as a friend. Still, I think that we spend far too little time together to call ourselves that... but ultimately, she is one of the people with whom I spend the most time apart from Miko.

"If you think about your answer for a little longer, I'll take it back."

"No, please don't!" I say a little more forcefully than intended.

"There you go."

She grins broadly and flashes her sharp teeth. When we get home, I definitely have to get to know her better... Luna and Eliza, too, not that Miko isn't enough for me, but I have the feeling that everyone is always there for me. Still, I don't know them well enough to give anything back.

The loud slam of one of the car doors scares me to death. Slightly shaken, I close the trunk, let Kajsa go ahead so she can crawl into the back row, and finally sit down next to Miko, the one who had abused that poor door.

"Are you angry?" I ask a little too boldly.

"Yes," she answers a bit too honestly.

We couldn't have chosen a worse time to have a fight. We will be stuck in the car for the next three hours before we arrive at home.

"Can we sort this out later?" I whisper apologetically, but she turns her head away and snorts in annoyance.

"There's nothing to sort out, I'm just cold, and I want to go home."

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

I look around a little hesitantly, checking how the others are reacting to our little drama, only to realize that Luna is already asleep, Kajsa is clinging to her chest, and Eliza is not even in the car yet.

"Kajsa, you should fasten your seat belt."

"We're not driving yet, are we?" she whispers with her eyes shut. Another point for her. The darkness of the parking lot and the warmth of the car invite me to close my eyes for a moment as well, even though I'm not that sleepy.

"Don't you want to wake her?"

"Why? If she's sleeping so deeply, she'll probably need it."

"I'm awake," I say without meaning it. What happened? Have we already set off?

"Oh, it's alive," Eliza comments from the driver's seat, slurping on a coffee cup.

"Where are we?"

"Just twenty minutes from home."

I turn my head towards the car window, and despite the lanterns that are scattered around the service area, it is pitch black. I dig my phone out of my pocket and check the time. It is just before midnight, so we have traveled relatively quickly. With a loud moan, I stretch my arms behind me and hear several cracks coming from my back.

Kajsa is lying fast asleep on the back bench, snoring softly. If it weren't for the drool at the corner of her mouth, I'd almost describe her as cute.

"Where is Luna?"

"Putting on a new shirt. You should have seen how wet it was. All covered in demon drool."

A moment later, the passenger door opens, and Luna sits down next to Eliza. Luna looks at me and smiles with a gentle expression on her face. This is what someone who has had a good two hours of sleep looks like.

"Can we just leave Kajsa lying there?"

"She'll survive," Luna says and fastens her seat belt. The sign for Eliza to drive off. On the highway, I even recognize where exactly we are, and the joy of being home rises a little. The last minutes feel like an eternity because, apparently, time passes a little faster when you're sleeping, so I close my eyes again. Still, there's absolutely no chance of me drifting off again. I'm a little worried about the night ahead... I have no idea how I'm going to fall asleep.

"Can I sleep at your place tonight?" Miko asks as we cross the town border.

"Sure."

With this information, Eliza drives us to my place. Miko and I say goodbye to the awake guild members, get our bags from the trunk, and march through the snow toward the outside stairs of my apartment building.

"It's so fucking cold. Is your heating on?"

I nod proudly. "Of course, I specifically asked my father to check the apartment regularly and turn on the heating when it got so cold."

"What a hero."

I unlock the door and am a little startled when I see that the light in the kitchen is burning. Maybe Dad just forgot to turn it off, but Miko suddenly takes a step in front of me and holds an arm to block my way. Out of nowhere, the atmosphere is incredibly tense, and when I hear footsteps, my heart races. A moment later, a tall, young, dark-haired man with blue eyes is standing in the hallway opposite us.

He looks at us. We look at him. Then, he casually approaches us and takes our luggage. Both Miko and I are speechless. When he disappears into my bed/living room, Miko looks at me with an expression of disgust.

"Your lover?"

"No! My brother."

◇◆◇

"And that's why I'm here."

"Makes sense," I say, nodding, and take a sip of my warm cocoa. Miko, on the other hand, is eyeing my big brother with extreme skepticism. Personally, I didn't think I would warm up to him so quickly either since we had only seen each other three or four times in the last ten years. However, we spent more time together when we were children.

"Have we met?" Miko asks, staring holes into him.

"Hard to say. Who are you, anyway? A friend of Kayla's?"

"Her girlfriend. Name's Miko."

"Oh."

What does oh mean? Is he shocked that I'm not single or that I'm dating another woman? I am ready to fight him! Come on, say it.

"You're that arrogant brat that killed a few people during that last election, aren't you?"

Why am I not surprised that the two of them know each other? Everyone knows Miko, but I have no idea how famous my brother is.

"What's your name?"

"Aaron."

"Who?"

"Come on! We worked together and have fought side by side."

"And why should I remember you? Can you imagine how many people I've worked with in the past?"

"I remembered you!"

"Of course you do. I'm quite special, and rarely someone forgets me."

Oh, old Miko is making her comeback, but why are they arguing? Miko is supposed to be tired as hell, yet somehow, she seems to be full of energy all of a sudden.

"Can you stop? It's late, I don't want the neighbors to start hating me because you have to yell at each other."

"We aren't yelling!" "We aren't yelling!"

It's frightening how synchronized they are. Maybe I should just leave my apartment to my brother and my girlfriend. It seems that I'm not needed here. I sigh heavily and pout a little. If they can behave like children, so can I. I look away until Miko puts a hand on mine. I lift my head and look her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"Me too," Aaron says and lowers his head apologetically.

"It's all right."

After my words are out of my mouth, Miko's gaze wanders back to my brother, and she points at him with one finger.

"When does he leave?"

My eyes wander to him and then to the clock hanging on the wall. It's actually quite late.

"Are you here by car?"

"Train."

"Well, nothing's going anywhere at this time."

"Tragic."

"You're right, Miko."

"I hope he doesn't freeze to death."

"Are you going to throw me out? Do you have plans?"

This time, it's Miko and I who sigh in unison.

"You can sleep on the floor."

"Thank you, sister."

"No problem, brother."

Once that's been cleared up, Miko disappears into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Aaron and I stay at the table for the time being. I notice how he stares at me without saying anything.

"Something on your mind?"

"Do you know what Miko does for a living?"

"I'm dating her, so that's a stupid question."

"Even couples have secrets from one another." It seems that someone is speaking from experience.

"She's a witch. In fact, we work together in the same guild."

"You're doing what? Why didn't I know?"

"Why should you? I didn't even tell Dad."

"You hated magic."

"That is true." I take my mage license out of my wallet and slide it over to him.

"Congratulations, I guess. What happened? How did it come about?"

"Miko happened."

"She didn't force you, did she?"

"No, not really."

I don't have to think for long. At first glance, it may seem as if she forced me to join the guild back then, but ultimately, I made the decision to do so of my own free will. I have been through a lot of situations that confirmed to me that I'm not really cut out for this job. But still, I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to quit.

I hate the fighting. But no matter how I feel about it, whether I am a part of it or not, it will not stop, so I have to keep my focus on what I can do. Today, I can offer my brother a place to sleep and cuddle with my girlfriend at night, who doesn't want to be alone. Whatever comes next, I'll deal with it at the time.

"Are you finished talking about me?"

"We weren't talking about you," I say, turning to Miko and almost choking on my own spit. She's wearing black shorts so skimpy that you can practically see her entire legs and a white skin-tight top that emphasizes her perfect body a little too much. I'm happy to be able to look at and call such a hottie my girlfriend, but hello? My brother, a guy, is also present!

I feel the urge to jump up and stand protectively in front of Miko, but how would that look? Miko heads towards the bedroom, and just to make sure she's safe, I look after her and find myself staring at her butt. With a slightly glowing head, I turn to Aaron to check if he is shameless enough to stare at my girlfriend as well, only to realize that he's no longer sitting in his place.

After taking a deep breath, I get up and make my way to the bedroom, too.

"Have you seen Aaron?"

"He went into the bathroom after me."

"Oh... then I'll just quickly change in here."

Before I can even undo the first button on my shirt, Miko jumps past me and stands guard at the door like a watchdog.

"Everything okay?"

"I know you're brother and sister, but I don't want to risk him catching a glimpse."

Somehow, she makes it weird. I don't think he's interested in seeing anything, whether sister or not... I still wonder how Miko can find me attractive in any way.

"I'll turn off the light, okay?"

"Yes, please."

In the car, I was worrying about how I was going to fall asleep. Still, now, after this unexpected reunion with my brother, I am so beat that I doubt I will be able to stay awake for more than a few seconds.

"Good night."

"Sleep tight, girls."

"Same to you."

Is there anything better than waking up to the rising sun and not to a nerve-wracking alarm clock? For the last three months, I have been getting up on time, even when neither Miko nor I had anything to do, just to be ready for Dungeon Raid activities at all times.

Do I feel guilty when I look at my smartphone and notice that it's already 1 p.m.? Yes, a little, but my cute snoring girlfriend next to me kind of takes the weight off my shoulders. I carefully crawl out of bed, put away the mattress on which Aaron slept, and put the sheets in the laundry basket.

When I get to the kitchen, I find a paper bag from the bakery and a note with a mobile number on it. If he provides this kind of service every time, he's welcome to come around more often.

"Seems like a reasonable guy. Too bad I can't remember him."

Since I heard her footsteps, I'm not startled this time. Instead, I'm surprised at how she puts her head on my shoulder.

"Miko… how do you feel?"

"I don't know."

"Can I help you in any way?"

"I'd find it inappropriate to ask you that."

That? If I wasn't awake before, I am now for sure.

"You can try asking... maybe I want the same?"

"Okay, but we don't have to do it."

"All right, spill it."

"I want to go on vacation. I don't want to hear about work, I don't want to see dungeons, I don't want to talk about missions, and I don't want to use any magic. I don't want to be a witch for just some time. I just want to be Miko."

I feel her chest pressed against my back. Her breath is agitated. I don't know what she is imagining, what I would say. It was probably not even difficult for her to express these wishes to me but to speak them out loud for herself.

In retrospect, Miko did everything for Lilith and the guild, and now that Lilith is gone, as painful as it is, Miko has gained a sense of freedom for the first time in her life.

"Let's take some time off. Together."