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[Ren\'s Point of View:]

As we entered the city of Eldoria, our tired group dispersed to find the supplies we needed for the journey ahead. Henry, our leader, instructed everyone to gather their necessary items. It was an opportunity for us to stock up and prepare ourselves for what lay beyond. We also booked the hotel ahead of time.

"I think it\'s the perfect time for the thing I told you." I said this to Anabelle, who\'s standing beside me.

"Who?" Anabelle asked nervously.

"Um...Henry, he\'s not too tough to talk to; you\'ll be fine." I reassured her that,as far as I\'ve observed these guys, Henry does seem to be the most mature one in this group.

"Ana! "Do you want to come with me? I am going to buy some food since I don\'t think I\'d be able to eat the mush Henry makes anymore." Barbara walked up to us.

"I am sorry, but I have something that I want to do." Anabelle apologised.

"Oh, is that so? Well, we can get something to eat after you are done." Barbara said it cheerfully and left with Zark and Ali.

"Wow, now that\'s some progress there; I didn\'t expect that you\'d already sorted things out with Barbara." I was genuinely impressed by that exchange.

"Last night,I talked to her in the tent. She said she wasn\'t angry about my decision but just didn\'t know how to strike up a conversation after my declaration, and she also thought that I hated all of them, but I denied all of them. Anabelle explained while omitting a lot of details, because I know it must have been more awkward than what she is saying.

"I think you should get going, or you\'ll miss that guy." I pointed in the direction where Henry left. He is alone; perfect timing.

"Then wish me luck." Anabelle began to follow Henry. I decided to accompany them from a distance, hoping that this encounter would lead to some resolution.

\'That\'s stalking, princess.\' Blaze addressed it that way, but from what I understand, it\'s a measure taken for my friends happiness.

I watched as Anabelle caught up to Henry, tapping him on the shoulder. I heightened my senses so I could hear them.

"Henry,do you mind if I come along?" Anabelle asked with an awkward smile.

"Oh!" Henry got startled when he saw Anabelle walking beside him.

"Can I come with you?" Anabelle repeated herself. ,

"Ah,sure....why not? I was going to get some potions real quick." Henry came out of his stupor.

"That\'s great." Anabelle smiled brightly.

\'I think that\'s all I have to do.\' I turned and left them both alone. There is no need to burn more energy on useless things.

\'useless? What about the thing you said before, like friends happiness?\' Blaze asked.

Well, her happiness is in her hands now; all I can do is give her a little push. If she can\'t grab it by herself, then it\'s her fault.

"Well, let\'s pass time somewhere." I left the spot, hoping that everything would be alright.

...

As you explore the city, you\'ll find a lacklustre marketplace with vendors selling mundane wares. The aroma of mediocrity fills the air as the unremarkable food options fail to excite the taste buds. The city\'s inhabitants, lacking in diversity and passion, go about their daily routines without much enthusiasm.

I am at Eldoria\'s centrepiece, the Citadel, which is a rather unimpressive fortress with plain walls and a mundane interior. The lack of grandeur extends to the surrounding parks and gardens, which offer little respite from the city\'s overall dullness.

Sigh.

"Well, it\'s only for today," I sighed, contemplating the fleeting nature of our stay in the city. According to Henry\'s instructions, we would depart at the break of dawn tomorrow. That meant our time here was limited to a single night.

Once morning arrives, we embark on a journey that will take approximately seven days, leading us straight to the capital. Our purpose there was an assignment to guard a merchant who carried valuable cargo.

It was said that the merchant possessed precious goods and sought our protection during his travels. just some typical merchant work.

"Huh?" My eyes were drawn to the enticing display of bottles in the corner store, a beacon of temptation.

\'It\'s been a while since I\'ve had a drink.\' I thought that back in my world, I loved to drink because it gave me a way to drown my sorrows and numb my troubled thoughts.

"But aren\'t you a minor princess? It\'s not good for you.\' Blaze grumbled. Doesn\'t he know that you have to be just sixteen years old to be able to buy alcohol in this world?

"Well,fuck it, what\'s going to happen at worst."I couldn\'t resist the urge any longer. Stepping inside, I made my way to the counter and purchased a bottle of alcohol for a few silver coins. It\'s not the best one, but it\'ll do just fine.

The person on the counter asked me for my ID proof, and I just showed them my guild ID. I turned sixteen a few days ago.

I walked back to the hotel we were staying at; my room is on the second floor. I entered the room.

"Haa." I let out an exaggerated sigh when the one room appeared worn and neglected, with peeling wallpaper revealing faded floral patterns. The single bed was lumpy and covered in threadbare sheets. A dimly lit bulb hung from the ceiling, casting a dull glow on the tired furniture and cracked mirror.

\'I forgot to ask,can you handle alcohol?\' Blaze asked.

"Well,she used to say that I should not drink when she\'s not around, but I think now I can since she\'s no longer with me." I responded as I remembered the words that person said to me, giving me more reason to drink.

Crackle

I opened the bottle and began chugging the contents down my throat. As the wine trickled down my throat, a warm sensation enveloped me. The world around me blurred, and my worries faded away. Each sip brought a sense of liberation, numbing the pain within. In that moment, I felt a fleeting escape, a temporary solace from the chaos of reality.

 

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[At the market.]

Anabelle managed to talk things out with Barbara last night; both girls cried in each other\'s embrace for hours after they reconciled, but it\'s different with other members.

Ali straight up insults and berates Anabelle; Zark treats her like she is air, non-existent; and Henry never mentioned anything, like nothing happened.

"Anabelle." Henry called out for her. "What do you think about this Ren Hilton boy?" He asked as he kept walking ahead.

"Ren? If you ask me, then I\'d say that he is kind and honest; he is also caring." Anabelle said, and a smile made its own way onto the corner of her lips.

"Is he? That\'s different from what I speculated." Henry remembered the small talk he had with Ren last night at the camp.

"What do you mean?" Anabelle was confused but kept the conversation going. Ren told her that to be able to understand what Henry is thinking, you just have to keep talking to him; he\'ll eventually drop a hint. Anabelle doesn\'t get it but still decides to believe Ren.

"It\'s nothing," Henry shrugged it off and changed the topic, "anyways, it\'s quite surprising for you to approach me." He expressed his thoughts.

"Is it? Well, I remember us being best friends." Anabelle said.

"Yeah, that\'s true, but it was all in the past." Henry\'s eyes cast a bit of sadness, and Anabelle went silent.

"Henry." Anabelle stepped in front of him, making the sturdy guy halt and tilt his head in confusion.

"I wanted to apologise for everything that happened between us. The feud, the decision to leave the group—I know it caused a rift among all of us, and I\'m truly sorry for the pain and confusion I caused." Anabelle\'s voice trembled slightly as she spoke. It\'s not the way Ren told her to deal with the situation, but Anabelle cannot wait anymore,not after hearing Henry say that their friendship was in the past.

There was a long, disturbing pause before Henry grasped the situation.

"Don\'t you hate us?" Henry uttered these surprising words, and Anabelle looked at him with a shocked expression.

"For what?" she asked.

"I thought that you hated us for what happened in the forest that night and always saw us as some sort of murderer, isn\'t that right?" Henry said casually that he knew all along that the cause of Anabelle\'s decision was the things that happened that night.

"What are you saying? "It\'s not like that." Anabelle then explained why she decided to leave the group on her own accord,like the fact that she didn\'t want to kill again and that she blames herself and does not find others guilty at all.

"Huh!!!!" Henry was baffled. He always thought that Anabelle saw all of them as criminals in her eyes. "So you don\'t hate us?"

"Nope,why would I hate my only friends?" Anabelle stated the obvious. It took a few moments, but Henry let the words sink in and collected his composure.

"Anabelle, I should apologise too." Henry deeply bows. "As the leader, I should have taken more initiative to mend things with you. I let my pride get in the way, and it hurt our group dynamic." Henry\'s expression softened, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Don\'t sweat it; it\'s a matter best left in the past now." Anabelle said, and Henry looked her in the face for a second and chuckled a little.

"Why are you laughing?" Anabelle narrowed her eyes.

"No,it\'s nothing; just tell me one thing." Henry held for a bit and said, "It was that Ren, right? Who told you to talk to me?"

"How do you know?" Anabelle got flustered. What if Henry thinks that what she said was not honest just because it was Ren who forced her to talk things out and clear up the misunderstanding?

"Guessed it; well, let\'s go; we have to get back before dinner." Henry changed the subject and started walking ahead while Anabelle followed, nagging him about how he knew that it was Ren.

It certainly felt like the atmosphere between them was no longer awkward; it was more friendly.

An hour later, they returned to the hotel they were staying at; everyone was waiting for them at the dinner except Ren.

"Where is he?\' Anabelle was impatient; her heart felt like it was about to blow.

"Why don\'t you call him downstairs and also

Express my gratitude for his help." Henry nudged Anabelle a little.

"Okay, I\'ll go. Why don\'t you start? It\'s not good for you to wait for us." Anabelle agreed; there are a lot of things she wants to tell Ren, and she can\'t wait anymore.

Anabelle climbed the creaky stairs, anticipating the bubbling within her. As the door swung open, she eagerly stepped inside, only to be taken aback by Ren\'s dishevelled appearance and the faint scent of alcohol that filled the room. His dishevelled hair added a touch of rugged charm, while his golden eyes, though glazed, still held a mesmerising glimmer. There was a magnetic quality to his presence—a blend of confidence and vulnerability that drew others in.

"It looks like you did it." Ren said as he stepped back and rested his back against the wall.

"Yeah! I did it." Unaware of his intoxication, she couldn\'t contain her excitement any longer and lunged into his arms, enveloping him in a tight hug.

"Wha!" Ren let out a surprised squeal and looked down at Anabelle, who was hugging him, her soft body pressed against him.

Ren hugged her back, startling Anabelle when she understood what she had done on impulse. She tried to back away, but Ren\'s grip increased around her slender waist.

"Ren?" Anabelle called for him while looking at him, and Ren looked down at her; his cheeks flushed a rosy colour.

Thud.

 "!?" Anabelle\'s eyes widened as Ren switched their positions; now she has her back to the wall while he stands tall in front of her, towering over her with his intoxicated gaze.

Badump.

Anabelle\'s heart thumped loudly, enough to make her doubt if Ren heard it. She gulped the saliva down her throat when she saw Ren looking at her passionately.