Stella didn't sleep more that night.

  How could she? With the incessant movement throughout the village - guards darting to meet in Hōkō's glade, their families poking their heads out of their homes in anticipation, a loud wave of chatter that brought terrible hypothesis which flooded her mind with crippling anxiety.

  Too many prying eyes. Too many footsteps. Too many words thrown around. Stella couldn't take this. She needed a safe, quiet place.

  ...

  That lookout Lien brought her weeks ago... Yes, that'd be perfect.

  So, Stella walked through the mass of Wolves and a few Crows toward her destination. After climbing flights of stairs, which would be Hell for an untrained Human, she reached the lookout, where a sizeable portion of Pantsti's landscape could be seen if not for the dim light of the moonless night sky. Still, a swarm of constellations put her mind at ease like the warm embrace of a dear family member.

  She could've knocked on Lien's door, sure that her mother joined the rest of the Dragon's Guard to discuss whatever Gentō found in that skinny wench's mind. However, she couldn't make her sweet pup lose sleep over her. Let her dreams be filled with... Actually, what do blind people dream of?

  Nevertheless, it was only Stella and the stars. Just like old-

  "Stella!"

  Her heart almost imploded for a split-second when Asra's cheesy, heroic voice suddenly chimed in.

  "Do you mind?! I came here to be left alone!" she groused, almost jumping at him with fists blazing. "I'm not dying if that's what you came here to ask."

  Asra dropped the Knight voice and approached her carefully. "Stella..." He sat beside her. "You were about to die. By Yuki-onna, no less." He took a deep breath, betraying his lack of control over all this predicament. "What was she thinking? She risked getting detected and her mind probed by Hōkō. Which... was what happened, only it was by the Baku."

  Stella nodded silently. "What am I supposed to do? I can lift a huge rock and kill a bear with my own hands. I can make energy shields. I can command the earth with fucking magic!" She stood up. "But then a lady comes out of nowhere and almost kills me from inside my mind!" She scoffed, grinning with sarcastic glee. "Argh! Why can't I throw myself at them and stop this bullshit once and for all!? Nothing I do will ever be enough!"

  "Stella!" His helmet produced a terrified emote with shaky circles for eyes. "I beg of you! Do not let your mind go to these dangerous thoughts. Your training is far from pointless. It's-"

  "FOR PEOPLE TO GET HURT WHILE I SIT MY ASS LIKE NOTHING'S HAPPENING!!!" Stella snapped. "LIEN'S MOM ALMOST DIED FOR THAT WHORE! MY GIRLFRIEND ALMOST LOST A PARENT BECAUSE OF ME!" Her entire body shook as maintaining eye contact with the Knight filled her with dread. "I-I..." Her voice was reduced to a hoarse whimper as tears fell from her eyes. "I can't handle this. I won't be able to live with myself if ANYONE here dies because of this Yuki-onna and her pals, especially Tash."

  Before Stella's legs failed her, Asra swiftly wrapped his arms around her. "I know, " his voice thickened with emotion. "I know what you're going through. This helplessness... it's the worst thing someone could feel." He tightened the embrace. "I won't be here for long. Until then, we can talk, share, or keep hugging if that's what you want."

  The girl's trembling arms have lost their strength, slowly returning the gesture by wrapping themselves around his waist. "I'd like that..." she admitted between sobs. "Don't go."

  "I won't." He gently tapped her back. "Let it all out."

  Twenty minutes later, Stella could talk without breaking into tears again. Stargazing with Asra felt... different than when she did with Lien. It wasn't necessarily worse, but a strange mix of emotions, nonetheless, missing her packmate while content about her roommate's presence.

  "Do you like the stars?" he asked as an obvious icebreaker. He has since deactivated his helmet's goofy emotes.

  "Yup." Her eyes never abandoned the constellations. "In Namadi, I only had them to comfort me while I slept. It made the sounds of gunshots less scary."

  The black screen of Asra's visor stared at her for a few seconds before looking at the sky. "Namadi's light... I knew the slums were treacherous, but preferring exploring Sayama to living there is..."

  "The truth no one there has the balls to admit." Her tone carried a quiet resolve. "I lived in Hell, Asra. Always needing to look above my shoulder, not knowing if the street I was about to turn would kill me..." She clenched her fists. "Children my age, if they're not lucky, they become errand boys for whatever drug lord pops in for the month. And if they try to contact the cops..." She huffed. "Well, those crooks are smarter than you think..."

  The hero spoke nothing.

  "I lived in an orphanage once. Some dumbass was caught hiding drug or money stashes in there, so the whole building went down. After that massacre, the King told folk he would respond by funding a rebuilding." She laughed bitterly. "What a fucking joke. They fed us this story so we could "wait" in some shitty-ass tents. The food and supplies the Crown sent us stopped coming after two fucking months. By that time, who the fuck cared if they were true to their word?"

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  Asra awkwardly fidgeted with his fingers. "I must admit, my family is quite wealthy, thanks to the Knights of Namadi benefits," he uttered, his words dripping with shame. "It pains me to realize how broken our society is, in and outside our city, so late. Monoke society isn't perfect, but it is paradise compared to what Humans achieved."

  Damn. So, the hero in shining armor came from a loaded family? Would he have looked down on her if they met a few years ago? No, it was a bizarre thought to imagine Asra as such a heartless individual, regardless of his income.

  She smiled at him warmly. "As far as those pompous sissies go, you're alright." She tapped his gloved hand reassuringly.

  He tapped his own chest and curtsied. "You honor me." She could practically glimpse a genuine smile through the black, reflective visor. "This is only an added motivator for my endless pursuit of justice."

  Stella chuckled. "Never change, dude."

  The guard joined in the laughter, resuming his heroic voice. "Change is paramount for life, but we should police ourselves on what changes occur within us!" He dramatically extended his arm to the sky as if he were about to invite it for a dance. "My drive to end injustice and wrongdoings shall fuel this warrior's flame until time forces this one's bones to snap and turn into powder!"

  Fuck this guy. How is he capable of putting a smile on her face so effortlessly?! She came here to feel bad about herself! That was not fair!

  "You're a sneaky guy, trying to better my mood!" She smirked further. "I wanted to cry and mope, but you had to ruin the moment for me, you big jerk."

  He crossed his arms. "If so, you can pout all you want after I go with the rest of the Dragon's Guard."

  Right. Asra told her he was on borrowed time.

  "Where are all you going?" she questioned with a tightening heart.

  The hero hesitated. "W-We..." He fidgeted with his glove. "We're evacuating... Chikukei."

  Her eyes widened. "WHAT?! What do you even mean by that?! You're talking about ALL of Chikukei?!" She gestured with both arms to emphasize the scale of his claim.

  He nodded. "Indeed."

  She became speechless, attempting to utter a "Why?!" but failing from sheer shock, opting to desperately gesture at him.

  He held up both his hands placatingly. "I know this sounds, and is, insane. In Yuki-onna's mind, Gentō has found a terrifying, large-scale rune grid."

  Stella narrowed her eyes.

  Asra elaborated. "A rune grid is a network of different runes, each directed to a different spell. In Yuki-onna's case, she has created one that spans the entire territory of Pantsti, with Saniya currents deep underground enough that no sensory member of the Gunka army could detect."

  Stella sighed with deep concern, laying her back on the ground. "What is the deal with rune magic? Why did Hōkō never bother teaching me that?"

  "No one truly understands rune magic. Its sigils came from so far ago that not even the most ancient of Monoke know their origin, only what they represent through trial and error," he explained. "I've read Queen Malka's copy of the Rune Magic Encyclopedia, and that book only mentions an ancient mural that the Fairies found, containing every symbol now known to Monokekind."

  The hero stuck out his index finger, glowing with a subtle golden aura. "For example..." Motioning his finger in the air, he carved a familiar symbol on stone, the same one that was engraved on Gryla's gooplings. "This is the symbol of creating Saniya-fueled golems. This branch of magic is special because it allows one to extend their magical versatility beyond what their bodies allow or even assemble impossible spells beyond the four paths or three components. Obviously, that means it's a highly complex and tough area for a novice to dip their toes into."

  She'd need him to re-explain all that later, but another pressing question arose. "Okay. So, what's Yuki-onna's deal with this grid? What does she want with it?"

  Yet again, Asra was fiddling with his glove. What now?

  "We believe Yuki-onna will use this grid as her last resort, using the entirety of Chikukei as a hostage, creating a powerful blizzard that could destabilize its ecosystem and the lives of thousands of Monoke until we deliver you to her."

  Ironically, a chill crept down her spine as he finished. What this pale lady was doing wasn't revenge anymore, just pure, straight-up terrorism. She thought Gryla was unreasonable, but Yuki-onna? The Giant Witch sounded like a sensible angel in comparison.

  "Now, we can stop her before her plans even start!" Asra quickly reassured. "Yuki-onna has restrained herself from pouring Saniya into the grid until all other options were exhausted. We can strike her long before five percent of the grid's energy reserves are even filled! We're still evacuating Chikukei to cover all our bases, however."

  That all sounded like a solid, reasonable plan. For the first time in Stella's life, she was willing to put her complete trust in the adults to pull it through, especially since the Yūrei seemed to have thoroughly shot herself in the foot by desperation.

  And when she thought about it, her near-death experience contributed to her plan being foiled! If her mind was a tad weaker, her brain would've become a block of ice! Her training WASN'T in vain, after all!

  Stella took a deep breath, her eyes regaining a spark of determination. "I trust you, Knight! But promise me one thing!" She pointed her knuckle at him. "Don't get yourself killed, okay? Now that I'm dating Lien, the 'best friend' spot is now filled by you."

  Asra gasped, barely audible. Then, he puffed his chest, took a few seconds to allow his golden cape to swerve in the wind, and proudly claimed. "The feeling is mutual, Stella!" The two Humans fist-bumped. "You can count on the Dragon's Guard and, by extension, The Silver Knight!"

  A loud song blared from his wristwatch, a chiptune version of his theme song. "Impeccable timing!" He pressed a button, muting the noise. "Duty calls, Stella!" He saluted. "Are you ready to protect this village in the meantime as your first official mission as my sidekick?!"

  Brimming with resolve, the girl returned the gesture. "On it, Knight! No evildoer shall escape these golden fists of righteousness!"

  (Un)Surprisingly, she started to hear a muffled sniffle coming from him. "Oh, holy light..." He straightened his posture. "You've come so far in just a month. I have no apprehension for the person you will become!"

  Those words hit deep in Stella's heart. Before she could stumble on her words, her guardian disappeared in a flash of light.

  Suddenly, a wave of warmth tickled the back of her neck. When she turned around, the first rays of sunshine greeted this piece of the globe.

  Stella's eyes sparkled as the sunlight reflected on them. As the night gives space to morning day, her somber nostalgia and anxiety are snuffed out by hope and resolution.

  Her reasons for exploring this forest might have been borderline suicidal, but no more. Lien, Asra, Padda, Kaku, Euraidd, Hufen, Locci, even Maro, and that trio of goofballs, to some extent...

  For them, she would persevere.