Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 51.2: SleepSong

Rine's Bar,

Meilfour, Merriheim.

10:40 p.m. 18th Banem 1092.

Kashi walked out of Rine's bar with his hood drawn up to cover his face. Other regions were still fine, but his popularity in Merriheim was high to the point of being severely detrimental to traveling. The daeben made sure his hood was securely fastened, and then jumped onto and dashed across the rooftops to avoid the busy, jampacked streets.

Sentries on the rooftops glanced at Kashi as he burst past, but luckily they recognized him and made no efforts to stop him. The daeben thus continued unimpeded until he reached the Emporium. As always, there was a long queue to the entrance, but Kashi snuck in through the VIP entrance after verifying his identity with the guards.

Kashi confirmed Lunette's location with a staff, and then made his way to her changing room. Luckily, this time, the guards recognized him and quickly knocked on the door to announce the daeben's presence.

No sooner had the guard mentioned the word, 'Kashi,' did the doors burst open, revealing an excited Lunette. The songstress' blue eyes sparkled with delight when they landed on the awkwardly smiling daeben.

Kashi pulled down his hood and raised his right hand, unsure of how to react to the excitement, "...Yo."

"Yo," replied Lunette as she burst out in sweet laughter.

Kashi scratched the back of his head, a genuine smile on his face. He did not know why, but simply listening to Lunette's laughter cleansed all the stress he'd piled up over the past few days. Not only was he no longer thirsting for battle, but he even wanted to take a few days off and just rest. It was something he only felt when he was around Lunette. True Peace.

"Come on," Lunette beckoned as she grabbed Kashi's hand and pulled him into her room. "Tell me what you've been up to. I bet it's been exciting."

Kashi let himself get pulled into her room, and then looked around. It seemed blue was Lunette's favorite color. The walls of her room were painted to resemble a backdrop of a daytime sky, with a few exotic birds flying through the clouds. Her dresser and mirror were sky-blue, creating a beautiful contrast against the white sofa beside the door.

Lunette pulled Kashi onto the sofa and then sat down beside him, repeatedly pressing him for the details of his latest trip.

Kashi smiled, let himself relax, and began to narrate the events of his trip without leaving out a single detail, from the eggs in Suvron Gate, to Kira's state, to the growth of his inner world.

Lunette hung on every word, her emotions fluctuating as Kashi narrated. She cried when Kira's state was brought up, panicked when Kashi talked about the Marilith, and frowned when she heard about the Chaos Order's atrocities. By the time Kashi was done, his hand had gone through the seven stages of grief, being twisted this way and that by the anxious Lunette.

Lunette's tears caused something to rise within Kashi's heart, and before he knew it, he instinctively reached out and gently wiped her tears. "Hey, don't worry. Nothing happened. I'm pretty strong, you know?"

"I know you're strong," Lunette muttered, bowing her head. "But that's why I'm scared. Because you're strong, you'll keep looking for stronger people to fight. I'm scared you'll one day meet someone you can't beat."

"Don't worry," Kashi consoled Lunette as he reached out and patted her head. "If I can't win, then I'll run away. I won't do something stupid and throw away my life. I have too many things to live for."

Lunette raise her head, puffy red eyes gazing at the daeben with hope. "You promise?"

Kashi grinned as he ruffled her hair. "I promise."