It has been several days since Karthzion's arrival, and Raka can say that life has been good. It turns out she had decided to stay for around three days before going back to Dravareth.
He remembered seeing her talking with some people in the park and showing kids some magic. A part of him wanted to see it up close too, but he was still worried that she would be offended by his gift.
Although the fact that she hadn't said anything might mean she liked it, there was no way he was going to ask her that.
She might smite him like Zeus if he did.
Okay, that was an over-exaggeration because, in the little time she was here, the embassy had never felt so alive. She was just naturally charismatic, which brought everyone together behind her.
'Looks like I might have been overthinking how a god would act.'
Shaking his head, he focused back on the walkway. He had just finished gathering supplies for the week again. Sadly, he overslept and had to wait in line for hours, but what's done is done.
Turning a corner, he saw a worker using a rune-powered leaf blower to clean up the confetti.
'Even after seeing runes so many times, it's still so cool!'
The confetti was leftover from Karthzion's departure. Some people had gone out of their way to make a farewell party for her.
Seeing a goddess's surprised face is something he will remember for a long time.
'She even teared up over it. Maybe she's a lot more "human" than I gave her credit.'
After a final turn, he saw his house ahead and sighed in relief. He was ready to be lazy for the rest of the day after being in line for hours.
But before he reached his house, he walked past Thalya's home.
'Now that I think of it, I don't think I saw her at Karthzion's arrival ceremony. Or even when she departed.'
He stopped walking and stared at her house. Looking back, he realized that he hadn't seen her at all in almost a week! She didn't come out that often, but he usually saw her on her balcony at least once a day.
'I'm gonna check up on her.'
Walking through her lawn and up her steps, he gave her door three quick knocks.
"Thalya, are you inside?! I just wanna check up on you since I haven't seen you in a while!"
Even after knocking again, there was no response, and he didn't hear even the slightest sound from inside the house.
He didn't like this. Looking around her porch, he saw that one of her windows was slightly open.
He contemplated whether or not he should peek inside—she might get the wrong idea if he did. But what if she's in trouble? That singular thought was enough to make him decide.
Peeking through, he saw the same thing that he had always seen. Absolutely nothing, just pitch black.
'How is her house always so dark when it's day?!'
"Thalya! Hello?!"
…
…
…
"Hello—!"
"What are you doing?"
"Holy shit!"
He jumped back, heart pounding. Thalya had appeared behind him, wearing an amused expression.
She looked him up and down and then glanced at her window. "I didn't take you for the type to peep into a girl's house, Raka. I wonder what your mother would think of this?"
"I wasn't peeking! I was just checking up on you!"
"Sure kid, I've heard that excuse many times before."
"You! Ugh."
His eyes twitched in annoyance. He could tell she was teasing him. The smug grin on her face confirmed it as she placed her hands on her hips.
After grinning at him for a moment, she burst out laughing, wiping a few tears from her eyes.
"Goodness, Raka, you are just too easy!"
"Very funny."
With the situation calming down, Raka noticed something concerning. Thalya had noticeable bags under her eyes, and her fingers were twitching slightly.
She quickly noticed his gaze and placed her hands behind her back. "I've just been busy taking care of the house, decided to add some… renovations, you could say."
…
'She's lying.'
Raka could tell immediately. She avoided looking into his eyes, and hiding her hands was also a dead giveaway. She was definitely up to something, and whatever it was, it was obviously tiring her out.
He considered calling her out but decided against it. What she did was none of his business. If she didn't want to tell him, then that's that.
"Alright then. Hope your renovations go well..." She visibly relaxed at his words, clearly relieved that he 'bought' her excuse. Still, a part of him had to make sure she was okay.
"But if you need some help, you can always just ask, you know. We are neighbors after all, helping you out wouldn't be a hassle."
That wasn't the answer she expected, as she flinched slightly. Then her expression turned noticeably sad, and Raka wondered if he had said something wrong.
"Thanks Raka… I appreciate it, I really do." She quickly walked past him and unlocked her door. She hesitated at the threshold, turning to look back at him.
"Raka… you… Ugh." She paused, her voice trembling just slightly. "Just promise me you'll keep your family close... alright?" Without another word, she swiftly stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind her.
…
"Ok?"
He stood there, confused by her choice of words. The ominous undertone briefly unsettled him, but his concern distracted him from it.
Deciding to let it go, he finally turned around and returned to his house.
Inside Thalya's home, the atmosphere felt suffocating. The walls, covered in glowing runes shimmered faintly, casting a perpetual darkness over the interior.
Various bags and strange trinkets were scattered across the floor. Resting near the corner was a beautiful blue bow, glowing gently in the dim light.
In the middle of this chaos stood Thalya, her hair disheveled, eyes frantic. She was frantically sorting through her belongings, tossing items aside with increasing frustration.
Finally, with a growl of desperation, she hurled the grimoire she held against the wall. It slammed with a loud thud before landing on the floor.
"Damn it, Karthzion! You two faced deceitful little shit! Why did it have to come to this?!"
Her breathing was erratic, and her anger was boiling over. Her eyes darted around her belongings, and her mind raced as her frustration grew.
Then, her thoughts turned unwillingly to Raka and his family. Although she had only interacted with them a handful of times, each encounter had been filled with warmth and sincerity. They had welcomed her without question.
A wave of guilt crashed into her as she buried her face in her hands, slumping heavily against the cold, rune-covered wall.
'I could tell them. Warn the embassy about what Karthzion is planning. I could save them.'
But just as quickly as the thought arose, it was crushed by the stark reminder of her own mission, her reason for being there.
She was a rogue soldier, on the run and desperate. Her nation was spiraling into chaos, torn apart by a brutal civil war.
The opposing faction, traitors who had aligned themselves with The Origin, a fearsome group of ancient dragons, had plunged everything into darkness. Her nation's god, the deity they trusted, had betrayed them utterly, siding with those monstrous beings.
Thalya had initially planned to stay hidden at the embassy for only two or three months, sneaking out to gather information and supplies with other spies near the embassy grounds.
The location was safe, concealed, and secure, a perfect hideout. Who would suspect an elven spy amidst Earth's refugees?
But now, Karthzion had complicated everything. Thalya clenched her fists, recalling vividly the presence she felt emanating from beneath the embassy grounds.
Karthzion had placed something there, a powerful relic whose mana residue Thalya could still sense.
She didn't need long to figure out Karthzion's intent. Dravareth had been the primary target for "The Sinners," suffering tragedy after tragedy.
It seemed that the embassy was now a pawn, a tempting piece of bait for Karthzion to lure out the godless nation without risking her own citizens.
Yet, the Earth people had done nothing to deserve this.
They never asked for magic, for gods, for their homes to be destroyed and their lives uprooted. Anger and sorrow intertwined within her, a painful knot forming in her chest.
Worse still was the knowledge that she was powerless to act.
Who knew what protections, what traps Karthzion had laid? She wasn't even at the level of an Archmage. There was no way she should've been able to sense the relic's mana. This could only mean Karthzion had deliberately made it possible for others with some skill to detect it.
It was the perfect bait.
She couldn't risk exposing herself, not after her own god had forsaken Dravareth, leaving them defenseless and vulnerable to the sinners. Who knows how Karthzion would react?
She couldn't risk failing her mission. Everyone back home, her friends and family were counting on her.
Slowly, Thalya slid down the wall, knees pulling up to her chest as tears spilled down her face.
"I can't do anything," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."