Chapter 56: Finally, Some Familiar Faces

Rin was beginning to think that peace was personally offended by his existence.

Every time things became quiet, something happened.

A curse. A god. A forgotten memory. A mysterious message. A strange feather. A System notification.

And now...he had just discovered that even sleeping could apparently become dangerous.

Rin sat at the breakfast table, staring blankly at his food.

Sol looked at him.

"You haven’t eaten."

"I’m thinking."

"That’s dangerous."

Rin looked offended.

"Why does everyone say that?"

"Because every time you think too much, something explodes."

Noctis, sitting across the table, nodded.

"He’s right."

Rin pointed at both of them.

"I hate this family."

Sol smiled.

"You love us."

"Unfortunately."

Kaelith, who was standing nearby while reading a report, quietly said:

"You haven’t touched your food."

Rin looked at him.

"You too?"

"Yes."

Rin sighed.

"Fine."

He picked up his fork. He took one bite. Then put it down.

Sol stared.

"That doesn’t count."

"It absolutely counts."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Rin narrowed his eyes.

"You’re annoying."

"And you’re avoiding eating."

"I ate."

"You tasted it."

"That’s basically eating."

Kaelith quietly turned a page.

"You two sound like children."

Rin and Sol looked at him simultaneously.

"Stay out of this."

Kaelith’s mouth twitched.

"Fine."

Noctis covered a laugh with his hand. Rin pointed at him.

"And you."

"What did I do?"

"You look entertained."

"I am."

"Traitor."

Before Noctis could answer, the doors to the hall opened. A soldier stepped inside. He bowed toward Kaelith.

"General."

Kaelith looked up.

"What is it?"

The soldier smiled.

"They’ve returned."

Kaelith frowned.

"Who?"

The soldier looked toward the entrance.

"Your assistant."

Kaelith immediately stood.

"Selena?"

"Yes."

Rin blinked.

"Selena’s back?"

The soldier nodded.

"And she’s not alone."

Rin’s expression brightened.

"Who came with her?"

The soldier barely had time to answer. A loud voice echoed through the hall.

"RIN!"

Rin’s eyes widened.

"Oh no."

A huge figure came charging through the entrance.

"RIN!"

"NO."

"RIN!"

"Vorak!"

Vorak crossed the hall at an unreasonable speed. Rin barely had time to stand before the Champion of the Demon Forests grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him several centimeters off the ground.

"You’re alive!"

Rin stared at him.

"Put me down."

"You look alive!"

"I am alive!"

"Good!"

"Vorak."

"Yes?"

"Put."

"Yes?"

"Me."

"Yes?"

"DOWN."

Vorak finally lowered him. Rin fixed his clothes.

"You haven’t changed."

Vorak grinned.

"Neither have you."

"I hope that’s not true."

A woman’s voice came from behind him.

"Unfortunately, it is."

Rin turned. Selena stood in the doorway. Her expression was calm. Her clothes were slightly dusty from travel, but otherwise she looked exactly as Rin remembered.

Rin smiled.

"Selena."

She walked toward him.

"Rin."

"You came back."

"I told you we would."

"I know."

Rin looked behind her.

"Where’s—"

A familiar voice interrupted him.

"Trying to keep these two alive."

Rin’s smile widened. Lucien walked into the hall.

The General of the Holy Knights. His armor was marked from travel, and his expression carried the exhaustion of someone who had spent far too much time dealing with Vorak.

Rin stared.

"Lucien."

Lucien smiled.

"Hello, trouble."

Rin immediately walked toward him.

"You came back too."

"Of course."

Rin shook his head.

"I thought you were going to be gone longer."

"We were."

Selena nodded.

"We finished what we needed to check."

Kaelith approached them.

"Did you find anything?"

Selena handed him a small stack of documents.

"We checked the northern routes, the old ruins and the movements around the border."

Kaelith took the papers.

"And?"

"Nothing urgent."

"Good."

Kaelith looked at Selena.

"You should rest."

Selena stared at him.

"I’ve been traveling for days."

"Exactly."

"I know."

"Then rest."

Selena sighed.

"You haven’t changed either."

Rin laughed.

"See? Everyone says that about everyone."

Lucien looked at Rin.

"We specifically came back because we wanted to see you."

Rin blinked.

"Me?"

Vorak immediately raised his hand.

"I wanted to make sure you were eating."

Rin stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because last time you nearly forgot."

"I did not."

Selena looked at him.

"You did."

Rin looked at Kaelith.

"Did I?"

Kaelith nodded.

"You did."

Rin stared at all of them.

"Why does everyone remember things I don’t?"

Sol quietly raised his hand.

"I also remember."

Rin put his head in his hands.

"Wonderful."

They moved to another room. The atmosphere changed immediately. There was something different about having Lucien, Selena and Vorak back.

They weren’t strangers. They weren’t new allies. They were people who had already stood beside Rin when everything had first begun.

People who had seen him when he was still trying to understand the strange world around him. People who had fought beside him. Argued with him. Protected him.

And, in Vorak’s case... eaten half his food.

Rin looked around the table.

"This feels familiar."

Selena smiled.

"Because it is."

Lucien leaned back.

"We’ve been away checking several things. We didn’t expect the fortress to become this chaotic while we were gone."

Rin looked at him.

"You left me alone."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"You survived."

"That isn’t the point."

"What is the point?"

"You should have taken me."

Selena laughed.

"You would have gotten distracted."

"I don’t get distracted."

Vorak immediately answered:

"You do."

Rin looked at him.

"Give me one example."

Vorak thought.

"You once spent thirty minutes arguing with a cat."

Rin froze.

"It started it."

The room went silent. Then everyone burst out laughing. Even Kaelith.

Rin looked horrified.

"It scratched me!"

Selena wiped a tear from her eye.

"You were trying to convince it that you were more important than a fish."

"Because I was."

Lucien shook his head.

"You’re still the same."

Rin crossed his arms.

"I’m surrounded by disrespect."

Vorak leaned toward him.

"Want some cake?"

Rin immediately uncrossed his arms.

"Yes."

Selena laughed again.

"Predictable."

After lunch, Selena returned to her duties. She had barely been back for an hour before she had already taken three piles of reports from Kaelith.

Rin watched from across the room.

"You’re working already?"

Selena looked at him.

"Someone has to."

Kaelith glanced at her.

"Take a break."

Selena stared at him.

"You are the one giving me these reports."

Kaelith paused. Rin covered his mouth. Selena pointed at Kaelith.

"Don’t tell me to rest while handing me more work."

Kaelith slowly lowered the papers.

"Fair."

Rin laughed.

"I missed this."

Selena looked at him.

"What?"

"You yelling at him."

She smiled.

"Someone has to."

Kaelith sighed.

"I regret bringing you back."

"You didn’t bring me back."

Selena smiled sweetly.

"I came back because I wanted to."

Kaelith had no response. Rin laughed.

"She got you."

"Yes."

Later, Lucien found Rin in the courtyard. The Holy Knight General leaned against one of the stone pillars.

"You’ve changed."

Rin looked at him.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"You have."

"How?"

Lucien considered the question.

"You’re calmer."

Rin smiled.

"Maybe."

"You used to carry every problem like it was yours."

"I still do."

"Yes."

Lucien laughed.

"But now you know you don’t have to solve everything alone."

Rin looked away. That was true. He had learned that recently.

Kaelith. Sol. Even Noctis. And now his old friends were back. Lucien studied him.

"You’re happy."

Rin looked at him.

"I am."

"Good."

Lucien smiled.

"We wanted to see that."

Rin became quiet.

"Why?"

"Because when we left, you weren’t doing well."

Rin remembered. There had been a time when everything felt too heavy. When he didn’t understand what was happening around him. When he barely trusted anyone. When every new mystery felt like another weight on his shoulders.

Now... he still had mysteries. Far too many but he wasn’t alone.

"Thank you."

Lucien smiled.

"Don’t get sentimental."

Rin laughed.

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

"You’re imagining things."

Lucien shook his head.

"Still the same."

Near sunset, Vorak dragged Rin toward the training grounds.

"Come."

"Why?"

"Training."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"You need exercise."

"I walked today."

"That’s not training."

Rin looked at Kaelith.

"Help."

Kaelith folded his arms.

"I’m staying out of this."

"Traitor."

Vorak grabbed Rin’s shoulder.

"Come."

"Vorak!"

"You’ll enjoy it."

"I won’t."

"You will."

"I absolutely won’t."

Five minutes later, Rin was holding a wooden sword. Vorak stood opposite him.

"Attack."

Rin stared.

"Can I surrender?"

"No."

"Can I run?"

"No."

"Can I pretend I’m injured?"

"No."

Rin sighed.

"You’re cruel."

Vorak grinned.

"Attack."

Rin charged. He immediately tripped. Everyone watching went silent. Rin slowly stood.

"I’m fine."

Selena covered her face. Lucien was trying not to laugh. Kaelith looked away. Rin pointed at him.

"I saw that."

"I didn’t laugh."

"You wanted to."

"Maybe."

Rin looked at Vorak.

"You distracted me."

Vorak stared.

"How?"

"You exist."

Vorak laughed so loudly that several birds flew from the nearby trees. Rin couldn’t help laughing too. That evening, all six of them gathered together.

Lucien. Selena. Vorak. Kaelith. Sol. Rin.

For once, there were no ancient ruins.

No mysterious voices. No cursed memories. No gods appearing in golden light.

Just food. Laughter. Arguments. Vorak stealing food from Sol’s plate. Sol threatening him.

Selena complaining about paperwork. Lucien trying to maintain order and failing.

Noctis watching everything from the corner with an amused expression and Kaelith quietly sitting beside Rin.

Rin looked around the table. He smiled.

For a moment, he forgot about Aelion. Forgot about the curse. Forgot about the strange memory. He was simply Rin.

A person sitting with people he cared about. Then Vorak suddenly stood.

"I have an announcement."

Everyone stopped. Rin looked suspicious.

"What?"

Vorak placed a hand dramatically against his chest.

"I have decided..."

A pause.

"...to stay here."

Rin blinked.

"Why?"

Vorak smiled.

"Because your kitchen is better."

Rin stared.

"That’s it?"

"Yes."

Selena sighed.

"I knew it."

Lucien shook his head.

"I spent three days traveling with him."

Rin laughed.

"Welcome back, Vorak."

Vorak grinned.

"Thank you."

Rin looked around again.

Lucien. Selena. Vorak. They were back and somehow, their return made the fortress feel warmer, but Rin didn’t notice the small golden glow beneath his skin.

He didn’t notice the way Kaelith looked at him when he laughed and he didn’t notice the faint smile on Selena’s face when she watched them together.

She had known Kaelith for a long time. Long enough to recognize when something about him had changed.

And lately... Kaelith looked at Rin differently.

Selena said nothing.

Some things were better left alone. Especially when the two people involved hadn’t figured them out themselves.

Outside, the night deepened.

Inside, Rin laughed with his friends. For one evening, there were no mysteries and perhaps that was exactly what he needed.

Because tomorrow...the mysteries would still be waiting.