“The Shadow Rogue”

Evelyn's smile was killer. 

Leo wasn't used to being around someone so confident and good-looking, and he felt a little awkward, fidgeting under her gaze.

He'd bumped into her again totally by chance, or at least that's what he thought. A nagging feeling told him otherwise, but he pushed it aside.

"So… eh… what are you doing here, Miss Evelyn?" Leo asked.

"I don't think I have to answer that." She said, crossing her arms, a playful smirk on her face.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked... uhmm... it's not my business." Leo said, feeling a little bummed.

She raised a brow, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. "You got me all wrong, Leonard."

"Just Leo is fine." He offered, a bit shyly.

"Look, Leo. What else would I be doing here?"

"Are you, like, err, a Neumond?" Leo asked, looking around, confused.

"Jeeeez, I thought the son of the great Leah would be a little smarter." She sighed, a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Wait… I don't know if you're making fun of my mom or me, but please stop." Leo frowned, his voice hardening slightly.

"Oh, my bad if I was rude, but come on, you see a young girl like me here in the Guild House wearing battle gear. I'm obviously not here to clean the floors," she said, gesturing to her outfit with a wry grin.

"Okay..." Leo gave up. He felt kind of dumb and didn't want to argue with her.

They walked together through the Guild House hall looking for a place to sit. It was kind of awkward. Leo could feel Evelyn's eyes on him, appraising him, and he shifted uncomfortably. Despite his attempts to remain calm, he couldn't resist stealing a few glances at her. She really was captivating.

Finally, they found an empty table in a quiet corner and took a seat. It was a relief to get away from the bustle of the main hall.

"Girls your age tend to be cute and charming," Leo commented, then immediately regretted his words, realizing how they might sound. "But you sound like a war machine." He shrugged, trying to play it off as a joke.

"Well, it's part of the job," Evelyn replied, retrieving her Stats ID and presenting it to him.

___________________________________________________

Profile Stats/Guild House Membership Card

Name: Evelyn

Surname: Clark

Rank: Gold

Strength: 38

Agility: 44

Cognition: 32

Constitution: 24

Mentality: 11

Characteristic: psychological Neumond.

Battle Traces: Agility Type

-Affinity: Battle Aura, Subterfuge, -ERROR-

Class: Shadow Rogue

___________________________________________________

"Shadow Rogue?" Leo asked, his interest piqued.

"Did you expect me to be a cheerleader?" she asked, that playful smile turning into a full-blown grin, a dimple flashing in her cheek.

"My goodness, you don't let anything slide, do you?" Leo chuckled, shaking his head.

"Life's tough... innit?" She said, her voice taking on a slightly darker tone, a hint of mischief still in her eyes.

Leo sighed, then surprised himself by admitting, "I actually thought you were pretty."

"Oh? And now you don't?" She asked, feigning confusion, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Depends. Do you act like a cheerleader?" Leo shot back, feeling a surge of confidence he hadn't expected. He even managed a small, teasing smile of his own.

"Hands up, you got me!" Evelyn joked, raising her hands in mock surrender, her laughter bright and infectious.

They laughed. The sound was surprisingly light and carefree. It felt good to share a moment of genuine connection, even amidst the weight of everything he carried.

"By the way," Leo inquired, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, "I was thinking, how did you know my name before?"

"Oh, come on, use that big brain of yours. Try to figure it out." She smiled, tapping her temple playfully.

Leo shrugged, defeated. "How can I know? There's no way you could know my name! Nor who my mother was."

"Which Neumond in Gothia hasn't heard of the lovely Leonard the Dummy Fairy?" she asked, unable to completely suppress a giggle.

"Ah, so that's how..." Leo said, a blush creeping up his neck.

"Don't worry about it," she reassured him, her eyes softening with a hint of understanding."So, were you about to go on a mission?" She nodded towards the contract peeking out of Leo's pocket, deftly changing the subject.

"Yes," Leo replied sarcastically, "but the mighty fairy here will just go to collect some flowers."

"Don't be silly," Evelyn said, her voice laced with amusement. "Your posture has significantly improved since the last time I watched your training. I can see you've made progress."

"I have a terrible stat card, but..." He hesitated, then admitted, "I wish I could spar with you," Leo replied, ignoring her compliment. "But it is really bad, so let us leave it for another time," he added quickly, feeling a sudden pang of self-doubt.

"Okay, fair enough," Evelyn agreed. "But I did show you mine, and that's not something I do every day." She winked playfully, a hint of challenge in her eyes.

"Ahem..." Leo coughed, feeling his cheeks heat up again. He wasn't used to this kind of playful banter.

A brief silence followed.

"And what about that 'error' written there?" Leo asked, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground.

"Well, I need to go," she said, her smile fading slightly. "Maybe we can talk about it next time." She gave a playful wink. "I liked chatting with you, Leo. Good luck on your mission."

Evelyn stood up, and as she passed by him, she playfully ruffled his hair. "Stay out of trouble," she said, her voice softer now. And with a laugh, she departed.

"Another weirdo one..." Leo muttered, absently smoothing down his hair, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

The encounter with Evelyn, her easy smile, her playful teasing—it all stirred something within Leo, a faint echo of a feeling he thought he'd buried long ago. It reminded him of Mia. Their childhoods were linked, and he harbored a secret crush on her.

Thinking about the last days, he remembered a letter. The letter he tucked away somewhere safe. The letter he had poured his heart into. A confession he had never been brave enough to voice. He had intended to give it to Mia, but fate had intervened in its cruelty. 

A pang of regret pierced him, a familiar ache. So many unspoken words, so many unfulfilled dreams, all buried beneath the weight of what had happened.

He found himself imagining a return to Besen, a pilgrimage to a ghost town. Maybe he would even find that letter, a tangible relic of a past that now seemed impossibly distant, a lifetime ago.

"Don't wait," he murmured to himself, a new resolve hardening within him. "Don't wait for tomorrow."

After a brief period of reflection, fueled by a renewed sense of purpose, Leo stood up.

"Now or never." He thought.