I told you not to twist his ears too hard!

"Theron!" Lirien's voice carried through the room as she stepped inside, her elven grace faltering at the sight before her. The space was a disaster. Papers, wires, and gadgets were scattered across every surface, and the unmistakable hum of overworked machinery filled the air. Theron was in the center of it all, pacing furiously, muttering to himself as Rex, in its mecha form, stood nearby, dutifully following his frantic instructions.

The gnome looked utterly unrecognizable. His usually tidy hair was a tangled mess, his eyes were red and sunken as if they hadn't closed in days, and his clothes were rumpled, stained, and mismatched. It wasn't just physical exhaustion she saw—it was something deeper, something broken.

"Theron," she said softly, carefully stepping further into the chaos. Her tone was calm, measured, like one would use to approach a cornered animal.

The sudden sound of her voice startled Theron. He stumbled over a loose cable, tripping and landing unceremoniously on the floor. But instead of getting up, he just stayed there, sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Lirien approached cautiously, her heart aching at the sight. Folding her arms, she looked down at him, her worry etched across her face. "What are you doing?" she asked gently.

Theron didn't respond. He barely blinked.

"Are you okay?" she pressed, though the answer was painfully obvious. When he still didn't reply, she sighed and crouched down beside him, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Her voice softened further. "Theron, what's going on? You've been locked in here for days. You missed classes, skipped meals, and ignored everyone. Bronn and Aelric are worried sick. Kael's been pacing around like a caged wolf—literally. He says you've been ignoring his calls. And me? I'm about two seconds away from dragging you out of here by your ears. So, please, just talk to me"

Still, he said nothing. He lay there, motionless, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. The silence was heavy, oppressive.

Lirien studied him closely, her sharp elven senses picking up on the faint tremor in his hands and the sheen of tears glistening in his eyes. This wasn't just stress or fatigue—this was something far worse.

"Theron," she whispered, her voice trembling with concern. "You're scaring me."

Finally, a single tear slipped down Theron's cheek, tracing a slow path before being joined by another, and then another. Within moments, silent tears turned into quiet sobs, and Lirien's heart broke for her friend.

Theron covered his face with his hands, his voice muffled but raw. "I… I can't fix it, Lirien. I've tried everything, but it's all wrong. It's all so wrong."

"Fix what?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "What are you trying to do?"

He shook his head, his sobs intensifying. "Everything. My life. My… my feelings. I just—I can't—" His words dissolved into incoherent muttering, his body trembling with the weight of his despair.

Lirien hesitated for only a moment before reaching out to gently place a hand on his shoulder. "Theron, whatever it is, you don't have to face it alone. You have us. Let us help you."

Before Theron could respond, the door burst open, and Bronn and Aelric rushed in.

"Theron!" Bronn's sharp vampire senses had likely picked up the sound of his crying from the hallway. His crimson eyes widened at the scene before him—Theron lying on the floor, Lirien kneeling beside him, and the chaos of the room surrounding them.

Aelric, however, immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. "I told you not to twist his ears too hard!" the fairy yelled, darting forward with surprising speed and planting himself protectively between Lirien and Theron. His tiny fists were clenched, and his wings buzzed with indignation.

Lirien shot him a withering look. "I didn't do anything, Aelric. He's been like this since I got here."

Bronn knelt on Theron's other side, his normally stoic expression softening with concern. "Theron, talk to us," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "What's going on? We're your friends. Whatever this is, we'll figure it out together."

Theron let out a shaky breath, his hands falling away from his face to reveal tear-streaked cheeks and eyes filled with anguish.

Bronn exchanged a glance with Lirien, his brow furrowing as he placed a firm but gentle hand on Theron's shoulder. "Come on, Theron," he said quietly. "You're not staying like this. Let us help."

Theron opened his mouth, as if to argue, but no words came. He was too drained to resist, and a part of him—the small, flickering part that still trusted his friends—relented. He let Bronn and Lirien help him to his feet.

"First things first," Lirien said briskly, her tone brooking no argument. "You're getting cleaned up. You look like you've been wrestling with a gremlin in a grease pit."

Aelric buzzed around Theron's head, inspecting him critically. "More like lost to the gremlin, if you ask me."

Theron managed a faint, humorless chuckle, but his gaze remained distant.

Lirien shot Aelric a warning look. "Not the time, Aelric."

"Fine, fine," the fairy muttered, crossing his tiny arms. "But I'm just saying, a little humor never hurt anyone."

With some effort, they managed to coax Theron into the small adjoining bathroom. Lirien handed him a fresh set of clothes she found in his cluttered drawers, while Bronn set about tidying the workspace, muttering about the fire hazards of leaving wires tangled near energy cores.

When Theron emerged twenty minutes later, his hair damp and his face scrubbed clean, he looked marginally better. The dark circles under his eyes were still there, and his shoulders still slumped, but at least he didn't seem on the verge of collapsing anymore.

"Much better," Lirien said, her tone approving. She handed him a plate of food Bronn had fetched from the dining hall. "Now eat."

Theron hesitated, but the collective force of his friends' expectant stares was too much. He sat down and began to pick at the food, his movements mechanical.

They stayed with him as he ate, Aelric chattering about the latest academy gossip in an attempt to fill the oppressive silence. Theron didn't respond, but he ate enough to satisfy them. When he was done, Bronn and Lirien practically dragged him to his bed.

"You're sleeping," Bronn said firmly, pushing him onto the mattress.

"I can't," Theron murmured, his voice barely audible. "I still need to..."

"Yes, you can," Lirien countered, pulling the blanket over him. "We'll be right here. Just close your eyes."

To their relief, Theron didn't argue further. Within minutes, his exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted off into a restless sleep.

In the common area just outside Theron's room, the three friends gathered to talk.

"So," Aelric began, his wings fluttering anxiously. "What do we do? He's a mess, and he won't tell us why."

Bronn leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "Whatever it is, it's eating him alive. Did you see the way he looked at us? Like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders."

Lirien nodded, her expression troubled. "I've never seen him like this. Theron's always been the one keeping us grounded. To see him like this…" She trailed off, her voice thick with worry.

Aelric hovered closer, his small face unusually serious. "We should call Kael. They've been spending a lot of time together lately. Maybe they had a fight or something?"

Bronn frowned. "Maybe. But if that's the case, we'll need Kael to help fix it."

"Agreed," Lirien said. She pulled out her communication device and tapped on Kael's name. "He needs to know what's going on."

The call connected after a few rings, and Kael's voice came through, sharp and concerned. "Lirien? What's wrong?"

"It's Theron," she said without preamble. "He's… not okay. We don't know what's going on, but you need to come. Now."

There was a pause on the other end, and when Kael spoke again, his tone was low and urgent. "I'm on my way."

As the call ended, Lirien exhaled, a mixture of relief and unease settling over her. "Let's hope Kael can get through to him," she said softly.

Bronn nodded, his gaze flicking toward Theron's closed door. "For all our sakes."