filler

Chapter 15: A Day in Rin's Shoes

Rin stretched her arms as the morning sun peeked through the wooden shutters of their rented inn room. The faint smell of bread and roasted meat wafted from the marketplace outside, and for once, there wasn't the tension of battle or danger hanging over her head.

A rest day.

She sat up, her auburn hair falling into her eyes, and glanced around the room. Mike was sprawled across one of the beds, his red scarf tangled around his arm. Kenji snored loudly, half-buried under a pile of blankets, while Akari was neatly arranging her belongings at the foot of her bed.

Rin couldn't help but smirk at the chaos.

"Breakfast?" she asked, pulling on her boots.

Akari looked up and nodded. "Might as well. You coming, Mike?"

Mike mumbled something incoherent and rolled over, clearly not ready to start the day.

"Suit yourself." Rin grabbed her bow, slung it over her shoulder, and gestured for Akari to follow.

The streets of Lumis were alive with activity. Merchants shouted about their wares, children ran through the crowds, and performers juggled flaming torches to the delight of onlookers. Rin's green eyes darted from stall to stall, taking in the vibrant colors and tantalizing smells.

"This place is amazing," she said, biting into a freshly baked pastry she'd bought.

Akari smiled faintly, her eyes scanning the crowd. "It's lively, but don't let your guard down. The Abyss can reach even places like this."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Relax, Akari. Not every day has to be a battle."

They wandered from stall to stall, picking up supplies for their journey. Rin bought a set of wind charms to replace the ones that had been damaged during their last fight, while Akari browsed for herbs to restock their medicinal supplies.

Rin's attention was caught by a small stall selling handmade jewelry. A silver bracelet with a feather design reminded her of home. She hesitated, her fingers brushing the cool metal.

"Something wrong?" Akari asked.

Rin shook her head. "No, just... it reminded me of my family." She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Let's keep moving."

By the time they returned, the boys were finally awake. Torin was at the bar downstairs, laughing boisterously with the innkeeper, while Mike and Kenji were in the courtyard behind the inn.

Kenji was trying to teach Mike some new combat techniques, though it looked more like the two were just trying to one-up each other.

"You call that a strike?" Kenji taunted, twirling his spear effortlessly. "Even a rookie could dodge that!"

Mike scowled, flames flickering along his daggers. "Let's see you dodge this!"

He lunged forward, his movements quick but sloppy. Kenji sidestepped easily and tapped Mike on the shoulder with the blunt end of his spear.

"Too slow," Kenji said with a smirk.

Rin and Akari leaned against the fence, watching the sparring match.

"They're like kids," Rin muttered.

Akari chuckled. "It's their way of letting off steam."

Rin's eyes wandered to Kaien, who was sitting on a bench nearby, sharpening his sword. His expression was distant, as if he were somewhere else entirely. She wondered what kind of memories haunted him.

Later that evening, as the group gathered around a table in the inn's dining hall, Rin found herself watching them with a mixture of fondness and unease.

Mike was laughing at one of Torin's jokes, the tension from their journey momentarily lifted. Kenji was devouring his food as if he hadn't eaten in days, while Akari sipped her tea quietly, a small smile on her face.

Rin realized how much she cared about these people. They weren't just her teammates—they were her family now. But that thought also scared her.

The Abyss wasn't going to stop coming for them, and she knew their rest days would only grow fewer and farther between.

As the laughter and conversation swirled around her, Rin silently vowed to protect them. No matter what.

Just as the group was finishing their meal, the door to the inn burst open. A messenger stumbled in, his face pale and his breathing ragged.

"An Abyssal force... it's heading this way!"

The room fell silent. Kaien stood, his expression grim.

"How far?" he asked.

The messenger swallowed hard. "Half a day's march. Maybe less."

Mike's flames flickered to life, his daggers glowing faintly. "Looks like the rest day's over."