Echoes of the Past

The next morning broke with golden light streaming through the arched windows. Morning doves cooed from the rooftops, and the Noble House grounds bustled with soft activity, clinking dishes from the kitchen, guards changing posts, and somewhere in the garden, Eric was already yelling at a plant for "disrespecting his aesthetic."

Rowdy stood by the corridor wall near the tea courtyard, fidgeting with the cuff of his shirt. His hair was neater than usual, combed back with a touch of rose oil that Joshua had insisted on lending him.

Sam emerged from the parlor doors, carrying a tray of half-eaten fruit slices, her soft white apron slightly stained with grape juice. She looked up and gave Rowdy a polite smile.

"Morning," she greeted.

"Morning," he replied, more nervous than he meant to sound. He scratched the back of his neck. "Hey… uh… Sam?"

She paused, tilting her head. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering if…" He took a deep breath. "If you'd like to come with me today. To the Human District. Just us. As… not as friends, but something else. A… date, I guess."

Sam blinked.

A moment passed.

Then another.

Rowdy's chest tightened.

But then Sam smiled gently. "Sure. I'd love to."

He blinked. "Wait... really?"

"Yeah." She shrugged. "We've never hung out alone before. And I haven't been to the Human District in months. Sounds fun."

Rowdy smiled, the breath he was holding slipping out like sunlight. "Great. I'll get ready."

Later – The Human District

The streets were alive.

Colorful paper lanterns swayed above cobbled roads. Smells of roasted nuts, candied pears, grilled meats and fried dumplings danced together in the breeze. Human children ran barefoot, laughing, with streamers trailing behind them. Merchants shouted over each other, selling toys, spices, handmade trinkets.

Rowdy and Sam walked side by side through the chaos, their outfits simple but clean. Rowdy wore a cream shirt and brown vest, with rolled sleeves and black boots, while Sam wore a light blue dress with her hair tied up in a short braid.

"This place is amazing," she said, spinning slightly as she passed a stall filled with glittering hairpins.

Rowdy smiled. "Told you. No nobles. No politics. Just music, chaos, and sugar."

Sam laughed. "I feel like a kid again."

They wandered into a crowded plaza where a group of performers played wooden flutes and danced in masks shaped like sun gods and moon spirits.

Rowdy turned to her. "Dance with me."

Sam blinked, surprised. "Seriously?"

"C'mon," he grinned. "No one here knows us. No rules."

She hesitated, then took his hand.

They spun into the crowd. The music was fast and imperfect, but it made her laugh. Rowdy led her awkwardly but earnestly, stumbling once and nearly stepping on a flutist's foot. They twirled and stumbled together until they were breathless, leaning on each other, cheeks flushed with joy.

Afterward, they sat on the edge of a stone fountain, sharing a fried honey cake.

Sam giggled, licking sugar from her fingers. "You're surprisingly good at this."

"At dancing or dates?" Rowdy teased.

"Both," she admitted, smiling at him with bright, playful eyes.

For a moment, Rowdy felt something… warm, open. He leaned in slightly.

But then...

"You know…" she began, looking at the water. "James would've loved this place too. I remember he said when he was a kid, he said if he ever escaped the Vampire Court, he'd would of loved to open a music shop right in a place like this. Maybe even play in the streets."

Rowdy's smile froze.

Sam continued, eyes full of memories. "He had this exact smile when he was happy. That soft kind of grin. You're so much like him sometimes. It's weird. I keep forgetting you're not him."

The honey cake turned cold in Rowdy's hand.

"…Right," he said quietly.

"I mean that in a good way," she added quickly. "It's like he's still here. Through you."

He didn't answer.

Later That Evening – On the Walk Back

They walked in silence.

The street lanterns flickered on one by one as the sun dipped behind the tall trees of the outer Noble boundary. A few crickets chirped, the only sound between them.

Rowdy kept his hands in his pockets, eyes distant.

Sam finally broke the silence. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," he replied softly. "You didn't."

"Then why do you look so sad?"

He stopped walking.

She turned, confused. "James?"

He looked up at her with a hollow expression. "Because I'm not James. I'm not my brother. I'm not some shadow of your past. I'm me. And I was hoping you'd see that today."

Sam's breath caught in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know," he said. "But that doesn't make it hurt less."

A soft wind moved between them, cold despite the summer air.

Rowdy looked away. "Thanks for coming with me. I'm glad you had fun."

Sam wanted to say something. Anything. But no words came.

Rowdy walked ahead, hands clenched, heart heavy. Behind him, Sam stood frozen, her eyes shimmering with a guilt she didn't yet understand.

The lanterns flickered in rhythm with Rowdy's heart as he walked beneath their glow, fists tight in his pockets, jaw clenched. Sam followed several steps behind, her voice silent now, too heavy with shame to reach out.

Then...

A gust of wind.

And the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoing ahead of them.

A cloaked figure stood in the middle of the path, facing them. Huge. Unmoving. The kind of presence that didn't just stand, it loomed. His breath misted the air despite the warmth.

Rowdy stopped.

The man's cloak fluttered in the breeze, and in one sudden gust, it ripped off completely, caught by the wind and swept aside like paper.

Revealed beneath was a mountain of a man.

Eight feet tall. Muscles rippling like armor plates beneath pale skin. His face was a battlefield of scars, deep and old, one splitting his cheek to the jawline, another carving through a milky white eye. His remaining eye gleamed ice-blue with unnatural light. Long white hair flowed down his back, messy and wild, with wolf ears twitching at the top of his skull. A thick, white werewolf tail flicked behind him like a whip.

Sam's eyes widened in horror.

"Sawyl..." she whispered, taking a step back. "That's Sawyl… One of the 36 Heroes. The Crocodile."

Rowdy froze.

Sam's hands shook. "I thought Blanchette killed you... I saw the report, she... she said you were..."

The giant let out a gravelly chuckle that scraped the air like a whetstone. "If it ain't King Siegfried's little whore."

His voice was cold, cruel, ancient.

Sawyl stepped forward, his boots cracking stone underfoot.

"The King will be real happy if I bring you back," he growled. "Your noble bitch of a friend should've made sure I was dead. But I always come back. Crocodiles never drown."

Rowdy's eyes flared red. His pupils narrowed into thin, dangerous slits. He stepped in front of Sam protectively, his claws already extended.

"Touch her," he hissed, "and I'll rip your spine out."

Sawyl raised an eyebrow, amused. "Now that's interesting..."

Rowdy's fangs bared, his voice dipped into a dark growl. "I don't care who you are."

He lunged forward with vampire speed, slashing for Sawyl's scarred face with his claws. The air cracked with the force of the strike.

But Sawyl didn't flinch.

CLANG!

In a blur, he drew a massive greatsword from behind his back, nearly taller than Rowdy and blocked the attack with one hand, steel grinding against claw.

Sawyl's glowing blue eye narrowed. "You're not James... You're something else. Too much fire in you. Hmph... Must be his twin."

He sneered.

"I enjoyed killing your brother. He begged so sweetly."

Rowdy's pupils shrank to dots, fury surging through his chest like wildfire.

"You ugly bastard, I'm going to kill you."

He launched another strike, faster, sharper. Sawyl grinned, catching his wrist mid-air and slamming Rowdy into the ground with terrifying force. The earth cracked beneath them.

Sam screamed.

But Rowdy bounced back, blood trailing from his lip. His body radiated unnatural energy, the air around him vibrating with rage. His fangs were longer now, his eyes pure red. A dark mist rose from his skin.

Sawyl licked his lips.

"You smell like revenge. I like it."

He hoisted his greatsword, the runes along the blade glowing bright blue. "Come then, twin. Let's see if you scream like he did."

Rowdy dashed forward with a roar.

And the night exploded into violence.