[The system would like to apologize for the scare it gave everyone yesterday. Due to some technical issue, the system malfunctioned and was not able to act properly. The system apologizes for any trouble it might have caused.]

Shuu and the others woke up with that warning blazing right in front of their eyes and it surprised them all.

The message hovered in the air, bright and impossible to ignore. It lingered longer than usual, as if the system wanted to make absolutely sure that every word was read and understood.

Shuu stared at it in silence, his mind still sluggish from sleep but quickly catching up. The wording was clean, almost too clean, and it left no room for doubt or further questioning.

"A malfunction..."

He repeated the word quietly, more to himself than anyone else. He looked around and noticed that Kaiden was not sleeping in the bed any longer.

"Huh! When did Kaiden leave..."

He questioned and by the time he was able to shake his doubt, the other two had woken up as well.

Rin was the first to react. He pushed himself up, his expression already turning sour as he reread the message.

"What is an error? The previous message?"

His tone carried clear irritation.

Caelis sat up next, his brows furrowing as he looked at the fading screen.

"I don’t like this message. It feels like someone is trying very hard to cover something up. It has the potential to cause us trouble."

There was a hint of disbelief in his voice as well.

Shuu remained quiet for a moment, his gaze lingering on where the message had been. He remembered the tension from yesterday too clearly for it to be dismissed so easily. Nothing about it had felt like a simple malfunction.

Still, he exhaled slowly and pushed those thoughts aside.

"Maybe it doesn’t matter right now."

Both Rin and Caelis turned to look at him.

Shuu met their eyes, his expression calm even if there was a faint trace of unease beneath it.

"We don’t have any way to verify it, and thinking about it won’t change anything. For now, it’s better to focus on what we can actually control."

Rin did not look satisfied, but he did not argue either. He clicked his tongue softly and looked away.

Before the conversation could go any further, the door opened and Kaiden walked in.

His presence immediately shifted the atmosphere. His gaze swept across the room and settled on Shuu, sharp and assessing as always.

"You’re awake."

Shuu nodded.

"I am."

Kaiden stepped closer, his eyes lingering on Shuu just long enough to confirm that he was fine. Only then did he speak again.

"We’re leaving."

The words were direct and left no room for discussion.

Caelis straightened slightly at that, while Rin’s attention snapped fully toward Kaiden.

Shuu, however, did not look surprised.

"...Today?"

"Maybe. I need some time to prepare things, but it will be soon."

Kaiden’s answer was immediate.

"There’s no reason for us to stay here any longer."

Shuu lowered his gaze briefly before nodding.

"Alright."

Kaiden watched him for a second, as if expecting some hesitation, but when none came, he continued.

"Then go and say your goodbyes. We’ll leave once you’re done."

Shuu pushed himself up from the bed, ignoring the slight heaviness in his body.

"I won’t take long."

Caelis stood up immediately.

"We’re coming with you."

There was no hesitation in his voice, and Caelis silently moved to stand on Shuu’s other side, making his stance just as clear.

Shuu glanced at them and gave a small nod.

"Okay."

Kaiden did not interfere. He simply stepped aside and let them leave.

"Be quick. I will; come to get you if you start taking too long."

That was a promise as well as a threat.

__________

The guild building felt quieter than usual when Shuu entered it. There was a strange tension lingering in the air, as if something had unsettled everyone but no one was willing to speak about it openly.

A few people noticed Shuu as he walked in, their expressions shifting between surprise and unease. However, no one approached him.

Shuu did not stop walking. He headed straight toward Secretary Ann’s office and knocked before stepping inside.

Secretary Ann looked up immediately. He was buried in even more paperwork compared to yesterday, but he even looked more lively after seeing Shuu’s wellbeing.

The moment his eyes landed on Shuu, he froze.

"...Shuu."

There was clear shock in his voice, followed quickly by something heavier. Guilt settled across his face in an instant.

"You’re... alright?"

Shuu nodded.

"I am."

That seemed to make things worse.

Secretary Ann stood up abruptly, his hands tightening at his sides.

"This is my fault."

His voice came out strained.

"I should have known something was wrong. I should have checked everything more carefully. I should have made sure you were safe before sending you out."

He paused, his jaw tightening.

"But I didn’t."

The room fell silent.

Caelis and Rin stood close to Shuu, their expressions cold as they watched the man in front of them. Neither of them made any effort to hide their displeasure.

Shuu stepped forward slightly.

"It’s alright. I’m not too hurt so I see no reason to make a big deal out of it. I will forgive you since you seem like you need it."

Secretary Ann looked up, startled.

"It’s not alright—"

"I’m fine."

Shuu’s voice remained calm and steady.

"That’s what matters."

Secretary Ann opened his mouth as if to argue, but no words came out. After a moment, he lowered his gaze.

"...I will still take responsibility. The guild will take responsibility for what happened to you. Please tell us what we can do to help you."

Shuu did not respond to that.

Instead, he spoke again.

"We’re leaving soon. I have no idea if we will be able to meet again or not, but I thought I should at least tell you this much before I leave for good."

That drew another reaction.

Secretary Ann looked up again, surprise flickering across his face.

"...I see. From the way you are speaking, I can assume that you will likely never be back."

His voice was quieter now. The lack of an answer gave him all the answers he needed.

"...Then take care."

Shuu nodded.

He turned to leave, but before he could take more than a step, the door opened again.

Kris walked in.

He stopped the moment he saw Shuu.

"...You’re here."

The surprise in his voice was obvious, but it quickly shifted into something more resolute.

Before anyone could react, he stepped forward and grabbed Shuu’s arm.

"I need to talk to you—"

He did not get to finish. Rin moved instantly and shoved him back, placing himself firmly between Kris and Shuu.

"Don’t."

His voice was cold and carried a clear warning.

Kris steadied himself, his expression tightening.

"I have a right to speak."

"No, you don’t. You are wasting your time."

Rin did not move from his position. His actions surprised everyone because no one had even seen him this active before.

"You’ve already done enough."

The tension in the room rose sharply.

Caelis remained silent, but his gaze was just as hostile as Rin’s.

Kris exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm.

"I’m not here to cause trouble."

His eyes shifted back to Shuu.

"I just want to confess."

The word hung in the air, clear and deliberate.

Shuu did not hesitate to give the final blow before Kris could shake his resolve.

He had a feeling he knew what Kris needed to confess, so he decided to dash in his hopes before they even developed.

"No."

The answer came immediately, firm and final.

Kris froze for a brief moment before letting out a short laugh. He did not look surprised and his face had a bitterness to it that was different from what Shuu was used to seeing.

"...That was fast. I guess I deserved that. But still, I would have liked to see that I had a chance as well."

Kris ran a hand through his hair and stepped back. His tone sounded light, but there was a faint strain beneath it that he could not completely hide.

"I’ll accept your decision. As much as I don’t like it, you have a right to refuse me."

He looked at Shuu again.

"But I’m not giving up."

"Idiot."

Caelis spoke without hesitation. He was letting Kris know that he had no chance and he did not have time either. But Kris glanced at him and raised an eyebrow, clearly not ready to give up just yet.

"Maybe."

He shrugged lightly.

"But that’s my choice. If I am going to suffer, then I want it to be something I chose."

No one responded to that.

Shuu turned away.

"Let’s go."

Rin and Caelis followed immediately, staying close to him as they left the room.

This time, Kris did not try to stop them.