Nyra clapped for both of them, relaxing her shoulders and letting out a soft sigh. "Huhhh… you both fought really well. It's hard to say who's the winner, but technically… Auren, I guess you won."

Dax rubbed the back of his head, smirking. "Yeah, I guess he's impressive. Great work, buddy."

Auren wiped sweat from his brow, a tired smile forming on his face. He bent over, hands on his knees, catching his breath, finally feeling at ease with their rhythm. He glanced up at the cave ceiling where water dripped slowly, opened his mouth, and tilted his head—gag gag gag!

Nyra raised an eyebrow. "What… is that?"

Auren shot her a cheeky glance. "Hmm… what? You should drink this water. It's sweet."

Nyra hesitated. "Ah… um… really?"

Dax, never missing a chance, leaned over and started drinking right beside Auren. Their cheeks pressed together. "Aahhh gag gag gag!"

Auren pushed him lightly with his shoulder. "Hey! Let me breathe!"

Dax grinned. "What, let me try too!"

Auren pointed to the droplets around them. "There's plenty more water dripping all over."

Dax chuckled. "You said it's sweet. But what if the others are salty?"

Auren blinked at him. "Your head hit a stone when you were a kid, didn't it?"

Dax flashed a mischievous smile. "Oh… how did you know?"

Nyra shook her head, laughing. "We can all see it, clearly."

Meanwhile

On the cliff of Ryuki City where Auren and Rose always met, Rose stood, pouting cutely, her arms wrapped around her waist, while Sunny sat beside her.

"I'm sorry," Sunny said, slightly out of breath, "I know I'm late… but you can forgive me, right?"

Rose crossed her arms, a hint of playful aggression in her tone. "You know I've been sitting here for an hour! It's not good to make someone wait that long."

Sunny quickly pinched both of his ears. "I'm sorry, sorry! Really!"

Rose's expression softened, a small smile breaking through her pout. "Okay, alright… now tell me—will you come to the night party? If you do, I'll be happy. You can see me singing."

Sunny thought for a moment, glancing at the sunset painting the city in shades of gold and crimson. "Well… I'm thinking… I should come."

Rose's eyes lit up, a tiny laugh escaping her lips. "Good! You better not miss it, Sunny."

Sunny spoke slowly, his voice low, "You know the party is organized by the people of Ryuki City for the birthday of the city's hero… Veon Ryuki."

Rose nodded, her gaze fixed ahead. The wind teased her hair and whipped her skirt gently, carrying the faint scent of the city below and the distant flowers along the cliff edge.

Sunny continued, "He's Auren's older brother."

Rose stiffened, trying to control the sudden rush of thoughts and memories. But then, without warning, a flash appeared in front of her eyes—her mind conjuring a memory of herself cuddling him, hugging him, feeling the warmth of his touch. She forced herself to stand tall, gripping the edge of the cliff lightly. I know… so what?

Sunny's voice cut through the moment. "You heard the news… he killed someone, on a ship. I never knew his real side before, but now… he's showing it. We should be happy to know he's no longer the friend we knew. He's a criminal—no different from the Tideborn."

He turned to Rose, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay? Say something."

Rose's first finger twitched, her hand trembling slightly. Her eyes widened as they swept across the city below, glowing in the evening light like scattered jewels. The cliff beneath her feet felt alive with the whisper of the wind, the subtle sway of the grass around her brushing against her legs.

She whispered to herself, almost inaudibly, "Then… who did I meet? Who was that innocent boy, the kind-hearted one who cared for others, who protected me from danger? Who was he?"

A single tear slipped down her cheek, carried briefly by the breeze. Her heart thumped with longing, the wind catching her skirt again as if urging her forward. "I… I want to meet that Auren again… even if it's just a shadow of him… even if it's fake."

The city lights flickered below, reflecting in her wide, glistening eyes, and for a moment, the world felt suspended—just Rose, the wind, and her memories of a boy who had touched her heart.

Sunny smirked, a mix of amusement and emotion in his eyes. "I love that about Auren too… he's a great actor."

Rose interrupted sharply, shaking her head. "No… he's not an actor. He was beaten by someone when he spoke to me harshly. Someone was coming from his house… and he was heading toward Baku City, to Hollow Mountain. He doesn't want us there. I don't know why, but he must be hiding something. What if the Auren we knew… is the real Auren? What if he's suffering more than we are?"

She hugged herself, letting the wind whip her hair and skirt, feeling it push against her as if encouraging her to let go. Yet her gaze fell to the city below. But what he said… he meant it. I know he wasn't lying.

"I will never show my face to him again," she whispered, almost to herself.

Sunny stretched his legs forward, leaning back on his hands, the breeze ruffling his hair. "Well… what happens, happens. I just hope… wherever he is… he stays safe. I don't want to see him die."

Rose wiped her tears with the sleeves of her blue hoodie, taking a deep breath, letting the wind carry away the heaviness in her chest. A small smile began to form on her face. "I hope he got what he wanted. Okay… I will never talk about Auren again."

Sunny raised his eyebrows, a teasing grin forming. "You really say that every day. You don't know how it feels to hate someone who hurt you, do you? But… by the way, you look good in that blue hoodie."

Rose's cheeks flushed slightly, but she allowed herself a small, amused smile, feeling the wind playfully lift her hair around her face.

She grabbed the edges of her skirt with both hands, lifting it slightly and tilting her body to the side. A bright smile spread across her face as she whispered, "Thank you!" The movement made her skirt flutter in the wind, adding a playful bounce to her gesture..

Meanwhile, in their room at Ryuki City…

Nyra was rubbing her damp hair with a towel, completely carefree, still not wearing a top. Auren, sitting on the edge of his bed, quickly turned his back with a deep sigh. Dax, on the other hand, looked as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

Auren muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on the wall.

"Couldn't you at least use the bathroom for that? It's… inappropriate, you know."

Nyra strolled around the room, rummaging through her things without a care.

"Oh please, get a life, Auren. We're roommates, aren't we? No difference between your chest and mine—mine's just a little softer and bigger, that's all."

Dax chuckled under his breath.

"Man, I told you, living with Nyra isn't for the faint of heart."

Auren groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Meanwhile, Auren, Nyra, and Dax sat in their room.

Nyra, being a girl but never acting like one in a conventional way, was drying her damp hair with a towel. She wore no top, moving around carelessly, searching for her clothes.

Auren quickly turned his back to her, trying to keep his composure.

"Hey, why don't you use the bathroom for that? It's… inappropriate, you know." His voice cracked slightly.

Nyra chuckled, brushing it off. "Get a life, Auren. We're roommates. There's no difference between your chest and mine. Mine's just… a little bigger and softer, that's all."

She then sat beside him, placing her hands on his shoulders. As she leaned closer, her body pressed lightly against his arm. Auren immediately buried his face in his hands, flustered.

"So, Auren…" her voice softened, almost teasing but with a hint of curiosity, "do you love anyone?"

Before he could answer, Dax's voice came from his bed. Calm, as always.

"Well, we're like family now. You might as well tell us about yourself."

Now Auren sat caught between the two — Nyra leaning from one side, Dax watching from the other. He shook his head stubbornly.

"No. I don't want to tell. And I don't want to see her like this either."

Nyra pouted, then snapped, "Enough. Open your eyes."

Reluctantly, Auren cracked his eyes open — only for his gaze to drop instantly, landing on Nyra's chest. A sudden rush of heat stormed through him, and he jolted.

"What—?" He froze.

Dax, completely unbothered, leaned back. "Calm down, it's normal."

Nyra smirked, tilting her face closer, her voice low and playful.

"So, Auren… you do love someone."

Auren shut his eyes again, exhaling slowly. When he finally spoke, his voice carried a rare weight of sincerity.

Yes. I love someone. And her name is…

Rose.

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