The plaza still bore the scars of the battle, though it looked less like a warzone now. The worst of the wreckage had been cleared, leaving only half-collapsed buildings and charred cobblestone. It was progress, slow but steady.

  I sat on a piece of broken stone, rolling my shoulders as I watched Sacer and Edric argue over the best way to repair a damaged wall. Marei sat next to me, leaning against my shoulder, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she watched them go back and forth.

  "You have no idea what you're talking about," Sacer huffed, pushing his white hair out of his face. "You just want to hit things with a hammer."

  "Because that's how you fix things!" Edric shot back, waving a plank of wood for emphasis.

  "You brute-force everything. No wonder your sword’s always chipped."

  Edric placed a hand over his chest like Sacer had personally wounded him. "First of all, that’s rude. Second of all, I’ll have you know my sword only gets chipped because I actually use it. Unlike some people."

  "Oh?" Sacer raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Would you like a demonstration?"

  "Boys," Marei cut in, exasperated. "Are we fixing the city, or are we bickering like children?"

  "Why not both?" I muttered under my breath, picking at the edge of my glove.

  Edric shot me a look. "You’ve been suspiciously quiet, Luca."

  I blinked at him. "I’m just enjoying the show."

  "No," he said, shaking his head. "I don’t trust it. You’re plotting something dastardly."

  "When have I ever plotted anything?"

  Marei scoffed. "Unlike you, he’s actually useful."

  Edric grinned, eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, I see what this is. Marei’s got a soft spot for her dear Farmhand."

  Before I could react, Marei got in his face so fast he nearly tripped over himself backing away. "Say that again, Edric. I dare you."

  Edric’s face paled. "I was just joking! Please don’t kill me."

  Sacer shook his head, sighing. "Pathetic."

  "I value my life, alright?" Edric muttered, straightening his shirt.

  "Valuing your life doesn't stop you from being a pest," I chimed in, tossing a small pebble at Edric's boot. "It just means you're a pest with a healthy sense of self-preservation. Like a roach"

  Edric glared at me. "You're all ganging up on me! It's a conspiracy!"

  "Oh, please," Marei rolled her eyes, pushing herself off my shoulder. "If we were ganging up on you, you'd be tied to that wall, and we'd be using you as a target for rock-throwing practice."

  "That's... oddly specific," Sacer observed, his brow furrowed.

  Marei shrugged, a sly grin spreading across her face. "A girl's gotta have hobbies."

  Edric took a cautious step back, eyeing Marei with suspicion. "You're terrifying, you know that?"

  "And you're slow on the uptake," I said, leaning back and stretching my arms.

  "Exactly!" Marei said, snapping her fingers. "Someone gets it. Now, about this wall... Sacer, you want to get all fancy and technical with your rebuilding process, right? If it falls, Edric will not let you live it down.”

  "And if Edric's 'brute force' method collapses," Sacer countered, "I'll be sure to document it for the historical archives of utter incompetence."

  "Oh, you're on!" Edric said, grabbing a hammer and a stack of wood planks. "I'll have this wall standing stronger than ever before you can say 'Edric is the best'!"

  "Edric is the best," Sacer deadpanned.

  I chuckled, watching the show. "You guys are ridiculous. But entertaining."

  "Speak for yourself," Marei said, grabbing a nearby stone and examining it. "I’m just here to see if anyone messes up spectacularly."

  "And to ensure no one gets too hurt," I added, winking at her. "Someone’s gotta keep the peace."

  "Don’t pretend you’re some kind of saint, Luca," Edric grunted, hammering a plank into place with a resounding thwack. "You’re just enjoying the chaos."

  "I prefer to think of it as 'observing my best friends'," I said, feigning a thoughtful expression. "But chaos works too."

  Sacer, meanwhile, had finished his portion of the damaged wall. "There," he said, dusting off his hands. "It'll survive a siege now."

  Edric scoffed. "A siege? We're fixing a wall, not building a fortress!"

  "What’s wrong with being prepared," Sacer replied, crossing his arms. "Especially with you around."

  "Alright, alright," Marei interrupted, clapping her hands. "Enough with the ego measuring. I'm gonna go find some more rubble to clear. Luca, wanna help me move some of those bigger pieces?"

  "Sure," I said, standing up and stretching. "Anything to get away from dumb and dumber."

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  As we walked towards the pile of debris, I glanced back at Edric and Sacer, still arguing about the structural integrity of the wall. "They're never going to change, are they?"

  Marei grinned. "Nope. And that's why we love them."

  "Love them?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow as we approached a particularly large chunk of shattered archway. "More like ‘tolerate them.’"

  Marei shrugged, her grin widening. "They're just passionate." She crouched, testing the weight of the stone. "Okay, this one's a two-person job. You take that end, I'll take this one. On three, heave-ho?"

  "Heave-ho," I agreed, grabbing the rough edge of the stone. "One... two... three!" We strained, lifting the heavy piece and shuffling it towards a growing pile of rubble.

  "So," Marei said, as we rested for a moment, catching our breath. "Anything on your mind?"

  "Just... thinking," I replied, avoiding her gaze. "About everything that's happened. Draemoor, the fight, the... future."

  "Future's a big word," she said, nodding slowly. "Especially with everything still so uncertain. But we're here, we're fixing things. We’re together. That's something, right?"

  "I know," I said, meeting her eyes. "It's just... sometimes it feels like we're putting bandages on a wound that keeps reopening."

  Marei sighed, her expression softening. "I get it. But even bandages help, right? They keep the infection from spreading. And maybe, just maybe, if we keep patching things up, eventually the wound will heal."

  "Maybe," I said, looking out over the ruined plaza. "I hope you're right."

  "I usually am," she said, her grin returning. "Now, enough inner-turmoil. We have more rubble to move before those two destroy any more of the capital with their construction ‘techniques’."

  We went back to work, the rhythmic clang of hammer’s filling the air. As we moved the heavy stones, I felt a sense of purpose, a small flicker of hope amidst the destruction.

  "You know," Marei said, after we'd moved another particularly large piece, "I'm glad we're doing this. It feels... meaningful."

  "Me too," I said, wiping sweat from my brow. "It's like we're building something new out of the old."

  "Exactly," she said, her eyes sparkling. "And who knows? Maybe we'll build something even better than what was here before."

  "That's a nice thought," I said, a genuine smile spreading across my face.

  We worked in comfortable silence for a while, the weight of the stones a grounding presence in the midst of the chaos. The sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the plaza.

  "Alright," Marei said, straightening up and stretching. "I think that's enough for today. My arms are starting to feel like they're made of lead."

  "Mine too," I admitted, flexing my fingers. "Let's call it a day."

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the ruined plaza, we made our way towards the makeshift camp where the survivors had gathered. It was a cluster of tents and temporary shelters, a small haven amidst the devastation. The air was thick with the smell of woodsmoke and cooking food, a comforting contrast to the acrid scent of burnt rubble.

  Edric, ever the pragmatist, immediately began scouting for a suitable spot for our group. "Over here," he called, waving us towards a relatively clear patch of ground. "Plenty of room for us four."

  Marei, however, veered off in a different direction. "I'll find my own spot," she said, her voice slightly muffled as she disappeared into the maze of tents. "See you all in the morning."

  Edric watched her go, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Well, well, well," he said, turning to me with a raised eyebrow. "Look who's playing hard to get. Surprised you're not going with her, Luca. Especially since you two haven't seen each other in a while."

  My cheeks flushed a warm crimson. "Shut up, Edric," I muttered, shoving him playfully. "She just wants her own space."

  "Sure, sure," he chuckled, dodging my clumsy push. "And I'm just a humble, misunderstood boy. You two are as transparent as glass."

  Sacer, who had been quietly observing the exchange, sighed dramatically. "Can you two give it a rest? We're in a camp full of displaced people, and you're acting like children."

  "He started it," Edric protested, pointing at me.

  "I did not," I retorted, crossing my arms.

  "Boys, boys," Sacer said, shaking his head. "Let's just set up camp and get some rest. We've all had a long day."

  We found a relatively flat area and began to unpack our meager belongings. Edric, despite his teasing, was surprisingly efficient at setting up our makeshift shelter, while Sacer lit a small, flickering fire. We fell into a comfortable silence, the crackling fire our only companion. The weight of the day began to settle upon us, and a sense of exhaustion washed over me.

  "I think I'm going to turn in," I said, stifling a yawn. "Goodnight, you two."

  "Night, Luca," they replied in unison.

  I found a relatively comfortable spot on the ground and wrapped myself in my cloak. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but think about Marei, alone in her tent. I hoped she was alright.

  I stirred awake, the scent of damp earth filling my nostrils. My head throbbed slightly, a reminder of the week's exertions. As I sat up, I saw Marei standing over me, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  "Morning, sleepyhead," she said, her voice a soft whisper. "Wanna get some water with me?"

  I hesitated, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Sure, why not?"

  As we walked through the still-sleeping camp, I couldn't shake the feeling that Marei was watching me intently. I glanced at her, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks dusted with pink.

  "You know," she began, her voice barely a murmur, "I like your hair like this."

  I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You do?"

  "Yeah," she said, her gaze fixed on the ground. "It suits you. Just gives off ‘Luca’ vibes."

  I felt a warmth spread through me. "Thanks," I mumbled, feeling a little self-conscious. "I guess I never really thought about it before."

  Marei smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're welcome. And," she added, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I adore the fact that you're not hiding your face anymore."

  I blushed again, feeling a surge of warmth in my chest. It was true. For the longest time, I'd kept my hood pulled up, my face obscured by shadows. But lately, ever since Fatalis, I'd found myself pulling my hood back more often, letting the sunlight touch my face.

  "Thanks," I said, my voice barely audible. "It feels… good."

  We walked in comfortable silence for a while, the sound of our footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves the only sound breaking the stillness. As we neared the stream, Marei stopped abruptly, her eyes widening.

  "Wow," she breathed, her voice filled with a strange mixture of excitement and melancholy. "This takes me back."

  I looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

  "The first time I saw your eyes," she said, her gaze fixed on the sparkling water. "It was at a stream just like this."

  I blinked, completely taken aback. "You… you remember?"

  "Of course I remember," she said, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "Your eyes," she murmured, "they were like… like fireflies trapped in amber. I've never seen anything like them before."

  I felt a strange tingling sensation in my chest, a mix of embarrassment and… something else. Something I couldn't quite name.

  "I… I’m surprised. Honestly," I stammered, feeling my face burn.

  Marei laughed, a light, tinkling sound. She reached out and touched my arm, her fingers lingering for a moment. "I could never forget, Luca."

  The air between us crackled with a tension I couldn't quite understand.

  "We should probably fill our canteens," I said, my voice a little shaky. "Before someone else gets here."

  Marei nodded, her smile fading slightly. "Right. Water."

  We knelt beside the stream, scooping up the cool, clear water with our hands and filling our canteens. The sound of the rushing water was strangely soothing, a balm to the lingering anxieties of the past few days.As we walked back to camp, the sun had risen higher in the sky, casting a warm glow over the shattered landscape. I glanced at Marei, her face bathed in the golden light. And for the first time, I realized that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't just a simple water-fetching expedition.