Zarek and Rose.

"Oh, holy shit—I made it out alive!"

After surviving his little odyssey, Zarek took a detour to a jewelry store to pick up the order he had placed earlier. Then, without wasting a second, he headed straight for the tiny apartment they could barely afford. Finally safe, he collapsed onto their ancient couch—so old it came with its own colony of cockroaches. The biggest one? He had named her Sancha.

Jokes aside, that brush with death had cost him a damn good pair of pants, ones that had been with him through countless "expeditions" into the Rift.

But there was no time to relax. If his roommate, Rose, caught him in his very professional (and definitely not improvised) thief outfit, she'd lose her mind.

"…Yeah, no way I'm telling her I almost died."

The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine. Honestly, getting torn apart by those crystal hounds might've been a kinder fate than facing her wrath.

"What was that? What do you mean you almost died?"

Zarek froze. His heart nearly stopped. Slowly, he turned toward the open doorway—where a young girl stood, arms crossed, watching him with curious eyes.

(Shit.)

He needed an excuse, fast.

"Uh… This? This is a cosplay!"

Rose tilted her head, unimpressed. A knowing smile—one that looked almost angelic—spread across her face.

"I mean, I just got back from a convention. You know, for explorer fans?"

She shook her head, stepping forward. Her boots clacked softly against the old ceramic tiles as she approached the couch with an angelic smile.

"…Okay, fine! I—I snuck into the Rift at the border and almost got tenderly nibbled on by the local death hounds. But hey, at least I got a few laughs out of it, right?"

Her fist met his arm before he could blink.

"Ow! Okay, okay—I get it. You're mad." Zarek groaned, rubbing the sore spot. "But look, at least I got something good out of it. Enough to cover us for the rest of the month. Just… don't tell the landlord. He still thinks I work in construction."

"…You don't?"

That sharp, disapproving glare of hers. It killed him every time.

"…I do, technically," he muttered, looking away. "But sometimes we need a little extra cash. And you know I'm a Nen. It's not that dangerous for me to go into the Rift."

"You know I don't like you stealing," Rose said, arms tightening across her chest. "You should let me help. I can try to find a team to go in legally—"

"No way in hell!" Zarek snapped before she could finish.

He meant it. He knew exactly what would happen to someone like her in there. Normal people didn't last. Hell, even the Conjurers had a 90% mortality rate. That meant nine out of ten explorers never came back.

And what happened to them?

Well, guys like Zarek lived another day because of their "generous donations". Noble, really, if you thought about it. Not like he was just mentally gymnastics-ing his way into justifying his job…

"I'm not a kid anymore, Zarek," Rose argued, her brows furrowing. "Stop treating me like one."

"Dude, I'm two years older than you. You're still seventeen—legally, that means you have to listen to me." He smirked. "So, no Rifts for you. Just stick to the flower shop job."

Being a Nen gave him a naturally high resistance to Ethereal Corruption. Sure, his Chi levels were a joke, but that one trait made him an excellent scavenger. And if he was really lucky, sometimes he could even loot some dumbass hunter who thought he was hot shit—until he wasn't.

Not exactly honorable, but it paid the bills.

And it wasn't like normal jobs treated people like him fairly.

"I just want to help, Zarek…" Rose said, voice softer now.

"I know," he sighed. "And you will, someday."

"I just worry about you."

"I swear I'll be more careful."

"No, not that…"

Zarek blinked. "Oh, so my safety doesn't matter now? Wow. That hurts."

He threw himself back onto the couch in the most dramatic, theatrical display of heartbreak—worthy of an award-winning performance. Or at least a subway performance.

"D-Don't twist my words!" Rose stammered. "I do care about that! But… I meant something else."

"Hm?"

She hesitated for a moment before finally blurting it out.

"I think the Corruption's starting to mess with your brain. You said I was seventeen. I'm sixteen."

Zarek raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure I'm the one with memory problems?"

"Huh?"

Rose looked genuinely confused.

Without another word, Zarek reached into the front pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a small box. He placed it gently in her hands.

"Happy birthday."

Rose's eyes widened. For a second, she just stared at the box—then back at him.

"…Zarek… Thank you. I—I actually forgot."

"That's what I'm here for," he said, grinning. "I know I haven't given you the life you deserve yet, but I swear I'll make it happen."

"I know you will." Rose smiled. "I believe in you. We're family, after all."

"That's the spirit! Now, make a wish! We don't have cake, but whatever, just go for it."

She closed her eyes, looking surprisingly serious about it.

After a few moments, he asked, "Soo? What'd you wish for?"

"If I tell you, it won't come true."

"Cheater." Zarek pouted. "Fine, fine—just open your gift. I need to know if my amazing taste ruined the surprise."

With a quiet chuckle, Rose carefully opened the small box. Inside, nestled in soft fabric, was a beautiful platinum pendant.

"…Zarek," she whispered, running her fingers over the smooth metal. "It's beautiful."

"That's what brothers are for."

They smiled at each other.

Maybe they weren't related by blood.

But that never mattered.

It was Zarek and Rose against the world.

"Oh, holy shit—I made it out alive!"

After surviving his little odyssey, Zarek took a detour to a jewelry store to pick up the order he had placed earlier. Then, without wasting a second, he headed straight for the tiny apartment they could barely afford. Finally safe, he collapsed onto their ancient couch—so old it came with its own colony of cockroaches. The biggest one? He had named her Sancha.

Jokes aside, that brush with death had cost him a damn good pair of pants, ones that had been with him through countless "expeditions" into the Rift.

But there was no time to relax. If his roommate, Rose, caught him in his very professional (and definitely not improvised) thief outfit, she'd lose her mind.

"…Yeah, no way I'm telling her I almost died."

The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine. Honestly, getting torn apart by those crystal hounds might've been a kinder fate than facing her wrath.

"What was that? What do you mean you almost died?"

Zarek froze. His heart nearly stopped. Slowly, he turned toward the open doorway—where a young girl stood, arms crossed, watching him with curious eyes.

(Shit.)

He needed an excuse, fast.

"Uh… This? This is a cosplay!"

Rose tilted her head, unimpressed. A knowing smile—one that looked almost angelic—spread across her face.

"I mean, I just got back from a convention. You know, for explorer fans?"

She shook her head, stepping forward. Her boots clacked softly against the old ceramic tiles as she approached the couch with an angelic smile.

"…Okay, fine! I—I snuck into the Rift at the border and almost got tenderly nibbled on by the local death hounds. But hey, at least I got a few laughs out of it, right?"

Her fist met his arm before he could blink.

"Ow! Okay, okay—I get it. You're mad." Zarek groaned, rubbing the sore spot. "But look, at least I got something good out of it. Enough to cover us for the rest of the month. Just… don't tell the landlord. He still thinks I work in construction."

"…You don't?"

That sharp, disapproving glare of hers. It killed him every time.

"…I do, technically," he muttered, looking away. "But sometimes we need a little extra cash. And you know I'm a Nen. It's not that dangerous for me to go into the Rift."

"You know I don't like you stealing," Rose said, arms tightening across her chest. "You should let me help. I can try to find a team to go in legally—"

"No way in hell!" Zarek snapped before she could finish.

He meant it. He knew exactly what would happen to someone like her in there. Normal people didn't last. Hell, even the Conjurers had a 90% mortality rate. That meant nine out of ten explorers never came back.

And what happened to them?

Well, guys like Zarek lived another day because of their "generous donations". Noble, really, if you thought about it. Not like he was just mentally gymnastics-ing his way into justifying his job…

"I'm not a kid anymore, Zarek," Rose argued, her brows furrowing. "Stop treating me like one."

"Dude, I'm two years older than you. You're still seventeen—legally, that means you have to listen to me." He smirked. "So, no Rifts for you. Just stick to the flower shop job."

Being a Nen gave him a naturally high resistance to Ethereal Corruption. Sure, his Chi levels were a joke, but that one trait made him an excellent scavenger. And if he was really lucky, sometimes he could even loot some dumbass hunter who thought he was hot shit—until he wasn't.

Not exactly honorable, but it paid the bills.

And it wasn't like normal jobs treated people like him fairly.

"I just want to help, Zarek…" Rose said, voice softer now.

"I know," he sighed. "And you will, someday."

"I just worry about you."

"I swear I'll be more careful."

"No, not that…"

Zarek blinked. "Oh, so my safety doesn't matter now? Wow. That hurts."

He threw himself back onto the couch in the most dramatic, theatrical display of heartbreak—worthy of an award-winning performance. Or at least a subway performance.

"D-Don't twist my words!" Rose stammered. "I do care about that! But… I meant something else."

"Hm?"

She hesitated for a moment before finally blurting it out.

"I think the Corruption's starting to mess with your brain. You said I was seventeen. I'm sixteen."

Zarek raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure I'm the one with memory problems?"

"Huh?"

Rose looked genuinely confused.

Without another word, Zarek reached into the front pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a small box. He placed it gently in her hands.

"Happy birthday."

Rose's eyes widened. For a second, she just stared at the box—then back at him.

"…Zarek… Thank you. I—I actually forgot."

"That's what I'm here for," he said, grinning. "I know I haven't given you the life you deserve yet, but I swear I'll make it happen."

"I know you will." Rose smiled. "I believe in you. We're family, after all."

"That's the spirit! Now, make a wish! We don't have cake, but whatever, just go for it."

She closed her eyes, looking surprisingly serious about it.

After a few moments, he asked, "Soo? What'd you wish for?"

"If I tell you, it won't come true."

"Cheater." Zarek pouted. "Fine, fine—just open your gift. I need to know if my amazing taste ruined the surprise."

With a quiet chuckle, Rose carefully opened the small box. Inside, nestled in soft fabric, was a beautiful platinum pendant.

"…Zarek," she whispered, running her fingers over the smooth metal. "It's beautiful."

"That's what brothers are for."

They smiled at each other.

Maybe they weren't related by blood.

But that never mattered.

It was Zarek and Rose against the world.