Tears of Serene
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was my luggage, already neatly packed. I blinked in a daze for a moment. Even the bag strap I'd tossed aside carelessly last night had been straightened out. What the...?
Raising my gaze, I spotted Leona standing a short distance away, looking down at me.
"If you're awake, get ready quick."
The morning air was still chilly. I rubbed my messy hair and sat up.
"I just woke up."
"That's why I waited."
Waited? As I stared at her blankly, Leona immediately scowled.
"What."
"Nothing." I quickly averted my eyes. I didn't want to pry. She was sure to brush it off with a denial anyway.
I splashed some water on my face, packed my things, and followed her. Leona strode ahead with her usual long steps. But after a few paces, I noticed something odd.
She was fast, but not so much that I couldn't keep up. If I slowed a bit, her stride subtly matched mine. When I caught up again, she'd quicken just a step.
I bit the inside of my lip hard.
...What is this. It almost made me laugh. She probably had no idea. I pretended not to notice and just trailed behind. Saying anything might shatter that delicate balance.
The mountain path was rougher than expected. We reached the rocky crevice from yesterday quickly enough, but that was where the trouble started. Auntie Marie had only glimpsed it briefly—no landmarks to pinpoint the exact spot. All the rocks looked the same.
In the end, all we could do was comb through every inch. At first, Leona just grumbled beside me, but eventually, she started silently checking wherever I pointed.
Her muttering continued, but oddly, it never felt like I was searching alone.
As the sun began to set, we finally stopped in the shadow of a boulder. No luck today. I rummaged through my bag for the remaining ingredients and started a soup. A few potatoes, vegetable scraps, a hunk of dry bread. Bits of jerky.
As I ladled some into my bowl, I felt eyes on me.
"What."
Leona paused. "Mine."
My hand froze. "Pardon?"
"Didn't hear me?"
The words were so unexpected, I nearly burst out laughing. "It was tasty, right?"
"Shut up."
I chuckled softly and stirred the pot again. A moment later, I divided the soup into two bowls. Leona took hers wordlessly when I offered it.
She frowned after the first spoonful. "Tastes bad."
Yet she scooped up another. Watching her, I blinked. The faintest smile tugged at her lips.
A face I'd never seen. So that's what she looks like smiling. My chest tickled oddly. I said nothing more. It would've just made me laugh.
Her profile in the firelight looked the same as always, yet today it seemed gentler somehow.
We spent the next few days scouring the mountains. Plenty of dead ends, sore legs, and Leona's irritated grumbles wore on me. Still, strangely, it never felt suffocating like before.
Her sharp barbs were the same, but now and then, I'd catch that faint smile on her lips.
That day, we were scanning another crevice when my steps halted.
...Huh?
Something was off about the rocks ahead. They looked no different from the rest, but as I approached, the air around them shimmered faintly.
"Leona."
She turned immediately from where she'd been scouting ahead. "What."
I pointed. "Here. It's weird."
Leona hurried over and scanned the area. After a beat of silence, she muttered low, "...Barrier residue."
Only then did I notice: scratches on the rocks below, disturbed soil, claw marks like from a beast. One side must've been broken.
A barrier meant to blur the edges and hide it. If a mountain animal had shattered it, that explained why we hadn't spotted it sooner.
I turned to Leona without thinking. "We found it, right?"
No one sets a barrier over nothing. She kept her eyes fixed ahead. "...Yeah."
We slipped cautiously into the crevice. It went deeper than expected. Tripwires on the floor, pressure plates that'd drop if stepped on wrong, arrows hidden in wall cracks. Traps everywhere—but Leona disarmed them casually, one by one.
I followed a few steps behind.
...She's really something.
The passage widened a bit. The end felt near. Maybe that's why I finally voiced the question I'd been holding back.
"Hey."
"What." Her reply was curt.
"Why do you want Tears of Serene so badly?"
No answer. I pressed. "We're almost there. Don't you think it's time to tell me?"
A long pause, then she clipped, "Why tell you?"
Figured. I shut my mouth briefly, then cleared my throat dramatically. "If you're shy about sharing, I'll go first with my secret."
Leona finally glanced back. "Not interested."
"Hear me out anyway." I shrugged casually. "I was an experiment, right?"
"Not just any— a human bomb, modded to toss into enemy lines when needed."
Her brow twitched faintly.
"So I worked hard not to die. Reading moods, sucking up."
I leaned on the wall, feigning nonchalance. "Threw fits if soup cooled, or if it was too hot."
I chuckled. "Yelled at slow steps, ragged breaths."
"Killed me over every little thing."
Leona stayed silent. I wrapped it lightly. "Hey, at least I'm better at sucking up now."
Brief quiet. Then she tossed out, "Family ordered it."
I blinked. "Your family?"
A beat. "I'm a bastard."
"Bring this back... they'll accept me as one of them."
The tunnel fell silent. I slowed my steps. "That important?"
"Yes." Too quick. She stared ahead. "To climb higher."
Memories from the original story flashed: The Belkairn family—famed in name only for swordsmanship, but long declining. Leona was the only one who stood out. The rest? All posers. The family leaned on her.
"...Kinda lame."
Leona stopped. "What?"
"For that?" Her glare stung as I spoke. "You know nothing."
She spat it almost. "How long I've wanted it."
"How I grew up fixated on it." Her breath roughened. "Since I was a kid."
"Just get in there."
"Live like them." Her words cut short. "That's what got me here."
Silence again. I watched her face, then spoke slowly. "So how great is that family anyway?"
Her brow twitched. "What?"
"I've heard around."
"Anyone in it better than you?"
No quick reply. I continued. "Skill-wise."
"Rep-wise."
I caught my breath. "If the name's so grand, shouldn't there be someone else shining brighter?"
"Your name's already bigger than the family's, no?"
Short silence. "You really need it?"
"That name?"
Leona clamped her mouth shut. Long quiet. Had I overstepped? Sweat prickled my back. I looked away.
Then, something caught my eye in the tunnel's end—darkness amid piled stones, a glint of metal peeking from dust.
"Uh... wait." I pointed brighter-voiced. "Leona, there. That."
She approached without a word. Her shaken expression gone, back to the usual impassive face.
She prodded with her blade tip, checked beneath, then opened the box.
Blue light bloomed inside. I held my breath. My fingers trembled.
"...Found it."
Her voice cracked slightly. Only then did it sink in. Real. Tears of Serene. The treasure we'd torn the mountains apart for.
All the hardship hit at once—my eyes heated unexpectedly. I'd expected laughter, but tears welled first.
Ah, damn.
"We found it."
I mumbled again. Leona said nothing. I wiped my eyes quick and glanced over.
She stood before the open box, staring at the Tears of Serene. Expression unchanged. Joy or not? Hard to tell.
I asked anyway. "Not happy?"
She blinked faintly, then reached out after a beat, lifting the Tears of Serene. Blue light swayed gently in her palm.
"I am."
Short answer. I couldn't press more.
We barely spoke exiting the cave. Coming in, her grumbles had been nonstop; leaving, an eerie quiet.
Leona held the Tears of Serene out front; I followed.
Outside, the sun hung low. "Finally over..." My murmur half-lost to wind.
Leona didn't respond, if she heard. Her steps didn't falter.
Ah, it's really ending.
We left the cave wordlessly. Down the mountain, Leona stayed silent, clutching the Tears of Serene.
In that odd quiet, we reached her place.
Inside, unfamiliar air hit me. Barely smelled of people. So Leona.
I glanced around awkwardly, forcing a smile. "Really over now."
Leona set the Tears of Serene on the table without reply. I continued slowly. "You got Tears of Serene."
"Me? Just claim the bounty and done..."
Saying it made it real. Memories flooded: blade at my throat, arm twisted till it popped, brain in overdrive thinking I'd die.
Thinking back, I chuckled. "Start was the worst."
Leona finally looked at me. I forced a grin. "But."
"Kinda fun."
Brief silence. Then.
"Liar."
Her cold words made me blink. "Huh?"
Leona's face unchanged. Her voice sharper than expected. "Fun?"
"Yeah."
"Don't lie."
I shut up. She pressed on, eyes unwavering. "I know what I am."
"My temper, how others see me."
Words clipped. "No way you enjoyed that."
Ah. I stared, then chuckled. "You know."
Her brow twitched. "Know what."
I opened my mouth instead. A thin blue glow shimmered on my tongue—the mark of the still-active master-servant contract.
I stuck it out briefly, then grinned. "Can't lie right now."
Short silence in the room. I sobered a bit. "For real."
"I enjoyed it."
Leona didn't reply right away. I fidgeted with my bag strap, looking away. More words might weird it out.
So I mumbled a pivot. "...So it's really over."
After a pause, I extended my hand cautiously. "The orb, please."
"Need to end the contract."
Leona didn't move for a while. Just stared. Then slowly reached in, pulling out the orb.
I stretched my arm casually.
That instant—right before contact—her hand yanked back.
"Huh?"
A stupid sound escaped. Arm still out, I blinked. "Leona...?"
She pressed her lips briefly, looking briefly startled herself, then composed. "Not yet."
"Huh?"
"Haven't confirmed if Tears of Serene's real."
"W... well, true."
She seized it. "Not over till confirmed."
I lowered my hand slowly. Leona fell quiet, then picked up the Tears of Serene again.
"Wait here."
Quietly added, "I'll be back."
"Uh... okay."
Leona said no more. Door opened, she left. The click echoed louder than expected.
I stood frozen a while. Then sighed, plopping into a nearby chair.
Quiet. The room felt emptier without her.
Leona stepped out clutching Tears of Serene. Rain stopped, but damp earth scent lingered.
I really enjoyed it.
The words echoed. Bullshit. She'd snapped it, yet the blue glow on Ria's tongue lingered in her mind. Undeniable truth.
Leona exhaled sharply. Just end it. Got the tears, return the orb, dissolve contract, done.
Tears of Serene was genuine. She'd known from the first touch—mana reacted clearly. Unlike fakes.
The "confirmation" was an excuse. She knew it was forced, absurd.
Yet.
Why? Seeing Ria's outstretched hand, she couldn't let it end.
Leona halted. The icy touch of Tears of Serene bit annoyingly.
Damn it. Pisses me off.
Night had fully fallen outside. Leona'd been gone longer than expected. Room silent, damp night air seeped through the open window. Earth scent clung.
...Why so late.
A knock then. Knock knock.
I jumped up reflexively. "Finally back."
"Took forever."
No suspicion, I headed to the door. Gripped the knob, swung it open.
Cold air rushed in with a stranger's shadow filling my view.
Huh...?
A long scar raking one side of his face. Gleam in eyes under wet hair. Slowly twisting lips.
"Hello, little miss."