Beyond

Chapter 21

Pierre Callysta walked towards the entrance of the camp early in the morning. The guards greeted him and saluted as he passed by them. He entered the meeting room and took a seat, appreciating the silence for a bit before the others came.

He heard footsteps approaching the room. Pierre's gaze was glued to the door, waiting for the person to enter.

His green eyes met Dawn's red ones. "Sun," Dawn said in a sad tone.

"As expected from Sr. Dawn!" Sun said, clapping his hands. "You're always early!" He let out a teasing grin. "Are you sad that you won't be able to meet Jesse in almost half a month?"

"Of course, who wouldn't?" he said before taking the seat next to Sun. "Is this how it feels to miss your lover? I just came here, and I'm already drained. This never happened before... Maybe I should've taken him with me..."

"That's all right," Sun said, letting out a small smile. "You'll get used to it..."

"Callista..."

"Don't be sorry."

The door of the meeting room opened. "Good morning, Sr. Dawn, Sr. Sun," Rook greeted the both of them and saluted.

"You act like we're not friends," Pierre said. Oliver chuckled.

"Good morning," Payne said.

"I'm excited for this mission! It's pretty rare for the four of us to be given the same mission."

"Indeed!" Pierre said.

"Right..." Payne said.

"You don't seem excited, Payne," Oliver said.

The door opened, revealing Hen. "This is a rare sight to see!" Gerard said as he entered the room. "Good morning, everyone! It's been a while!"

"Good morning," the three of them said in unison.

They have been friends ever since they were at the academy. And after graduating, the four of them enlisted. The three joined the Onyx Knights, the ones who fight the monsters outside the walls during spring, while Gerard joined the Blanche Knights, the ones who clean up the small horde of Vainseekers after the Onyx Knights are done clearing up the large wave of monsters.

It has been a while since the four of them got together, as their schedules and missions that were given to them don't match. They also have their own lives. However, even though they hadn't met each other or communicated for quite some time, their bond remained unshattered.

"...I actually found him," Payne said with a smile on his face.

"Really? Congratulations!" Gerard said.

"What is he like?"

"He's beautiful. Being with him is like a clear blue sky where you would think that it's a good day to be alive. His beauty is so unmatched that even if he's far away, his beauty will stand out from the rest.

"He's a kind man, but he wouldn't hesitate to fight those who deserved it, judging by the stories he told me. He's also quite stubborn sometimes, but he's adorable when he tries to earn my attention.

"And when he smiles... His smile is like a sun that lights up the whole world—a fire that could warm your heart during winter." Payne smiled. "He's everything."

"I'm happy for you," Gerard said. Pierre and Oliver smiled and seconded Gerard's statement.

"If ever our free schedules align, I hope that you could meet him in person."

"We're looking forward to that day. Maybe next year or something, because at this point, the four of us could only get together during missions, which is something that rarely happens," Oliver said.