Yuiha and Silver walked down the cobblestone streets, leaving Miwa and HappyGoose behind at her request. The cathedral was only a few blocks away, but the distance felt longer than usual.

  —What's the relationship between those two? —Yuiha asked curiously.

  —I don't know —he answered honestly—. But Goose is always worried about her. Honestly, I think all of us in the party look out for her. But Goose and Ryuho are the ones who never take their eyes off her.

  —Not surprising. She's a great girl.

  —That's not it. Veget cares about everyone. After losing Lank in the first floor boss battle, he's obsessed with not letting anyone else die. I guess... I feel the same way.

  When they were a block away from the cathedral, Yuiha stopped. Silver took two more steps before noticing. He turned back to find her standing still, her face heavy with emotion.

  —In that battle against Illfang, you jumped in with your shield without thinking to protect me —she began, her voice tight—. You put yourself in danger for me. And today...

  Her voice broke before she could continue. Silver stood silent, unsure what to say or do. Finally, she forced herself onward.

  —...And today, you protected me again. And almost died. You have no idea how terrified I was when the potions didn't work.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks. Silver stepped closer and, with clumsy fingers, wiped them away.

  —I'm not trying to be a hero. But when I saw you in danger, my body moved before my mind could even think. I won't lie—today I thought I was going to die, and I was scared. But... there was also this strange calm, thinking it was better for me to die than for you.

  Yuiha's heart raced painfully in her chest. His words stirred her, hurt her, and warmed her all at once.

  —Don't say things like that so lightly. They can be... confusing.

  Silver blinked, not fully grasping what she meant. He had spoken without thinking, letting slip what lay buried inside. But now, he had no idea how to continue. Silence stretched thick between them, until Yuiha moved.

  —Let's go to the orphanage. Kain and the others must be worried, just like Sasha.

  She started walking toward the cathedral without waiting, and Silver followed a few steps behind.

  Inside, they found the children praying with Sasha. The heavy door echoed as it opened, and when the kids saw Yuiha, they leapt to their feet.

  —Yuiha-san! You're safe! —Kain was the first to reach her, tears spilling at last—. I'm sorry. It was all my fault.

  —It's over now. I'm fine, thanks to my friends —she hugged him warmly and stroked his hair.

  —Yuiha-nee! —Mina threw her arms around her from behind.

  Ginn stood back, hesitant. Of the three, he was always the most reserved. Yuiha gave him a smile and held out her hand. He hesitated, then stepped forward. She pulled him into the embrace too. Silver watched with a quiet smile. This was Yuiha at her purest: ready to offer kindness to anyone who needed it.

  December 24, 2022. 20:11 – Town of Beginnings, Floor 1

  Yuiha, Sasha, and Silver sat in the cathedral's kitchen. The women held steaming cups of herbal tea from the garden out back, fragrant and gentle. Silver nursed a black coffee, its faint steam curling upward.

  —So... you're Silver. Yuiha tells me a lot about you —Sasha said calmly, though with a mischievous lilt.

  —Hey! —Yuiha squeaked, her protest closer to a shriek.

  Silver blinked, startled both by Sasha's comment and Yuiha's immediate reaction. He could only smile nervously.

  —Yeah... that's me. I hope you haven't heard too many bad things.

  Sasha grinned from ear to ear, leaning on one elbow with her chin in her hand, as though she had been waiting for this moment. Yuiha shrank into her seat instinctively.

  —On the contrary. I've heard only good things. You're about as close to a prince charming as this place has.

  —Sasha! —Yuiha leapt up, indignant.

  Sasha raised both hands in mock surrender, clearly satisfied with the reaction she had provoked. Silver stayed silent, unsure whether to feel flattered or tricked.

  Then, the air shifted. Sasha straightened, her tone suddenly solemn.

  —Kain told me what happened in the forest. How you faced the event boss to save him. We're very grateful.

  —I just did what anyone would have done.

  —That's not true. Not everyone would risk their life for a stranger. Even a child.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Silver had no reply. Doubt struck hard—if Yuiha hadn't asked him, would he have chased that cry into the forest? Would he really have risked himself? He didn't like the answer forming inside.

  Sasha's gaze softened, as if she could see the shadow in his thoughts. She reached across the table and gently held his hands.

  —You saved him, Silver. That's what matters.

  At last, he smiled. Slowly, the doubts gave way to a fragile peace.

  The conversation stretched for over an hour. The children joined them, their laughter easing the weight of Aincrad's nightmare. Eventually, Silver stood and asked Kain to follow him into the nave. The boy hesitated but obeyed.

  By the altar, Silver crouched to meet his eyes.

  —Why did you risk yourself like that?

  —I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause trouble —Kain said nervously.

  —I'm not angry. I just want to understand.

  The boy stared at him, then wiped his tears.

  —Sasha-san and Yuiha-san always take care of us, without asking anything back. With Mina and Ginn, we sometimes feel like a burden. I thought if I could get something from the event, I could give them a gift. To thank them.

  Silver sighed.

  —They'd be heartbroken if they heard you say that. They don't expect you to repay them. They just want you safe.

  —I know... but I feel useless —the tears returned.

  Silver ruffled his hair, opened his inventory, and pulled out two small boxes. He held them out.

  —What's this? —Kain asked, wide-eyed.

  —The thing you went to the forest to find.

  The boy grabbed one and read the description.

  [Christmas Box. Open to receive a random event accessory.]

  Kain looked up in disbelief, but Silver spoke first.

  —What you did wasn't right... but I agree with you. They deserve a special gift.

  Kain's face lit up with pure joy.

  —Take the boxes. Talk to your friends, and tomorrow morning, give them the gifts. Deal?

  The boy nodded eagerly, overjoyed. He sprinted back to the kitchen shouting for Mina and Ginn. Silver followed at a calm pace.

  Yuiha and Sasha stared in surprise.

  —Have you ever seen him that happy? —Yuiha asked.

  —Never. And I see him every day —Sasha replied.

  —What did you tell him? —Yuiha pressed, crossing her arms.

  Silver leaned in like sharing a secret.

  —Man stuff. Sorry.

  Both women stared at him in disbelief until Sasha broke into laughter.

  —Fair enough. I won't ask.

  With the children gone, the air grew serious again.

  —Where are the others? —Yuiha asked Sasha.

  —Neru's asleep, though she still cries often. Kiku refuses to leave his room. Maybe you can coax him out tomorrow —she answered wearily.

  —And Rockguy and Sho?

  The shadow on Sasha's face made Yuiha's chest tighten.

  —Don't worry, they're safe for now.

  —For... now!? —Yuiha shot to her feet, hands trembling with anger and fear.

  Sasha sipped her tea slowly, weighing her words.

  —They decided to join the army.

  —Army? —Silver asked, surprised. He hadn't heard of one.

  —After the first floor boss fight, some high-level players stayed behind to help organize and raise the weaker ones. They ended up forming a guild called the Aincrad Liberation Army. Their leader is Thinker. He's kind and cares for everyone. Those two are smart boys—I trust they'll be all right.

  Yuiha sat down again, silent, thinking of them. They had often begged to hunt with her, eager to learn to survive on their own. Now, they had joined a fighting guild.

  The silence broke with the scrape of Sasha's chair. She rose gracefully and smiled.

  —It's late. Why don't you stay the night here?

  —What!? —Yuiha's eyes went wide, her cheeks flushed.

  —Here in the cathedral, of course. We have plenty of rooms. Or... were you thinking something else?

  The shame was so strong she could hardly breathe. Silver coughed exaggeratedly, reminding them he was still there.

  —I wouldn't want to intrude. I already have a room in Rovia.

  —It's no trouble. Tomorrow we'll make a special breakfast, and Kain will be thrilled to have you here. Yuiha, why don't you show him the rooms?

  Without waiting for an answer, Sasha left them alone.

  The silence that followed was awkward, until Yuiha finally spoke.

  —Thank you for looking out for Kain. I don't know what you told him, but I've never seen him like that.

  —It was nothing special. Just a talk.

  —What isn't special to you can still be special to him.

  Her gaze deepened as she continued.

  —I know you're a good person. And I've seen enough to know—you don't do kindness halfway. —She smiled faintly, then pressed on—. These kids are alone here. Even with Sasha, they feel abandoned by the world.

  —I know —Silver replied automatically.

  —No. You don't. —Her tone hardened suddenly—. Thinking you understand isn't the same as living it. You can't know unless you've been through it.

  Silver lowered his eyes, her words cutting into his pride. He felt stupid, exposed. And when that happened, he always reacted the same way—blurting the first thing to come.

  —And you do? —he asked quickly, his voice dry. No anger in it, just the clumsy shield of someone covering shame.

  Yuiha's face darkened, her eyes dimmed. It took Silver two seconds to realize what he'd done.

  She ignored him and went on.

  —Just don't get too close to these kids if you don't plan on coming back.

  She stood, led him to the hallway, and pointed out the rooms.

  —Use any of these. Good night.

  Her last glance carried a shadow that pierced him like a knife, before she shut the door.

  Silver entered the room at the hall's end. As soon as the door closed, his rage exploded.

  —IDIOT! YOU DAMN STUPID, THIAGO!

  He slammed the wall again and again, each strike flashing [IMMORTAL OBJECT] across his vision. No pain. Only emptiness. He hit until exhaustion forced him still.

  Sitting on the bed's edge, he buried his head in his hands and let out a broken sigh. No mistake had ever hurt as much as this one.

  —Now... how do I fix it?