Chapter 25: Reunion

"Isn't that kinda cheatin'?" asked Larkin as they made their way to the coliseum.

"I need every advantage I can get, old man," Xain shot back without looking at him.

Mae's gaze bore into him. He could feel it. "So you strapped a few pieces of armor on. It'll help, but not as much as you seem to think," she remarked.

Xain merely shrugged, neither answering her nor turning to face her. She was competition after all. More than that, she still made him uncomfortable.

*Smart thinking, ape. Didn't think you had enough brains to do something like this,* Ercale sneered in his head.

*Why do you keep thinking I'm dumb?* Xain fired back. *Like, I don't understand much about magic, sure, but I'm not dumb!*

He felt the mental equivalent of a shrug. *You just give off that vibe—of someone utterly moronic.*

Xain grumbled but let it drop. Arguing with Ercale was pointless.

They were nearing the coliseum now, and by goddess, it was enormous up close.

"I didn't think anything could come close to the Shadow Tree, but this comes pretty close," Zee remarked as they all craned their necks, staring up at the structure.

"There sure are a lot of people here," Drack muttered, shifting uncomfortably. The crowd was enormous—throngs of people from all walks of life, wealth, social standing, and race, all flooding toward the coliseum with eager anticipation. The sheer energy of the place was almost overwhelming.

"Fighting in front of all these people is going to be nerve-racking," Xain admitted, his earlier confidence cracking.

Mae, however, seemed almost amused. "Hmm, having all these people find out what I am is going to be so much fun," she mused, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

Larkin let out a chuckle. "Talk about havin' differin' reactions, eh, Zee?"

But Zee didn't answer. She was scanning the crowd, her gaze darting from face to face as if searching for something—or someone.

Larkin frowned. "Who or what are ya lookin' for, Zee?"

"Eh? Oh, a friend," she replied absentmindedly before going right back to searching. "They should be here any moment."

Larkin raised a brow. "You have friends here?"

Zee didn't answer. Instead, her eyes suddenly locked onto someone in the sea of people, and her face lit up.

"Hey! Over here, we're over here!" she shouted, jumping on the spot and waving excitedly.

The rest of the group turned to her, startled.

"Who are you calling for?" Xain asked, following her gaze into the crowd, as did the others.

"You'll see," Zee said, still smiling, before resuming her frantic waving and shouting.

And then—someone emerged from the crowd.

Xain's eyes widened.

It was a girl—around his age, maybe even the exact same age. Her golden hair faded to white at the tips, stopping just above her chin, styled in a way that hid her ears from view. Striking magenta eyes gleamed with a subtle, star-like shimmer, sharp yet oddly delicate. She stood a couple of inches shorter than him, clad in a long blue dress—simple yet elegant. It wasn't the kind of outfit that screamed nobility or wealth, but it still had an undeniable charm, something that drew the eye.

What stood out most, though, was her. The sheer, almost ethereal beauty of her face—overwhelmingly cute, like a fairy plucked straight from a storybook. Her cheeks were flushed a deep red, only adding to the effect. She would have been downright enchanting if not for the way she was currently glaring daggers at Zee, her expression locked in pure, unfiltered murder.

Mae let out a low whistle. "Wow. Her looks make Zee look average by comparison."

Zee immediately spun on her. "Me and you look exactly the same!" she snapped before turning right back to the girl, beaming. "See? I told you it would fit you perfectly!"

The girl's glare only intensified.

Larkin cleared his throat. "Uh, wanna introduce everyone, Zee?"

Zee grinned, skipping to the girl's side and throwing an arm around her shoulder. "This is No—Nerissa! Nerissa… Rain," she said, starting off confident, then stuttering, then completely losing her certainty by the end.

Larkin arched a brow at the hesitation but shrugged it off. "Well, nice to meet ya, I guess... Nerissa. Name's Larkin. Larkin Vorsk."

"I'm Mae Eirina Qinra, Zee's older sister. Nice to meet you," Mae said, extending her hand. After a moment of hesitation, 'Nerissa' shook it lightly before turning to Drack.

"Drack," was all he said, offering no more than a nod.

Finally, she turned to Xain.

But Xain wasn't just looking at her. He was staring.

Not in a casual, fleeting way, but in a way that made it seem like the entire world had disappeared. Like everything else had faded into the background, and only she remained.

"Xain?" Zee called out.

He blinked, snapping back to reality. "Sorry... it's just—it's..." He hesitated, rubbing the back of his head, searching for the right words. "You just reminded me of someone." His voice was quieter now, as if the thought had thrown him off balance. Then, regaining himself, he straightened and held out his hand. "Xain. Just Xain."

Nerissa—Nori—stared at his outstretched hand, his heart hammering against his ribs.

It had been four years.

Four years since he'd last seen Xain without a mask. Four years since they had stood face to face like this. It felt unreal. Like a dream he might wake from at any second.

And yet—he couldn't move. His fingers twitched, but he couldn't bring himself to take Xain's hand.

"Oh~ looks like someone got rejected," Mae teased, her smirk growing.

Xain let his hand fall with a dramatic sigh. "Probably creeped her out by how I was staring," he muttered.

Panic flickered in Nori's chest. He hadn't meant to give the wrong impression. Quickly, he signed, Sorry, it's not that I don't like you, it's just... He hesitated before continuing. I don't have much experience talking to guys.

It was humiliating to play this persona, but whatever.

Larkin scratched his beard. "Sign language?" He frowned, clearly not understanding.

"I was wondering why she hadn't said a word," Mae remarked.

Xain, however, chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not offended or anything."

For a rare moment, Drack spoke up. "Is she going to be joining us, Ms. Zee?"

Zee nodded. "Yep! I ran into her last night when I went out, and she told me she was going to watch the tournament, so I figured she might as well join us."

Drack gave a small nod of approval.

"Speaking of which," Xain said, turning to Mae. "We should get going."

Mae nodded, stepping forward. "Bye-bye! You'll see us in the coliseum!" she called over her shoulder as she and Xain walked off.

Nori's eyes never left Xain. He watched him until he was gone from sight.

Zee leaned in, whispering in his ear. "Are you happy, Nori?"

Nori, despite absolutely hating what he was wearing, nodded.

As long as he could cheer for his childhood friend, he could endure the embarrassment.

He was happy.