WEEOO—WEEOO—WEEOO—
A... siren...? blared—it was loud, buzzing, and fricking annoying!
Velren groaned, instinctively swatting his arm at... the sound? What the hell... His head pounded. Slowly, he pried his eyes open.
Hovering above him—his Codex.
[Warning: User inactiv1ty exce3ding safety thresh0ld. Failsaf3 protoc0l act1vated. Syst3m audit0ry alert engag3d unt1l user ackn0wledgment.]
Failsafe...? Is it talking about that obnoxious noise? Grimacing, Velren reached up and tapped the Codex. Instantly, the blaring siren cut off, a blessed silence at last.
His gaze shifted to the familiar surroundings. Wooden walls, a battered desk cluttered with notes, and a half-open wardrobe stuffed with worn clothes. His room. The scent of aged timber and faint incense lingered in the air.
Glancing toward the entrance, he spotted a dark figure.
Fenrir lay in the doorway, seemingly keeping watch.
Velren swallowed.
"...Fenrir?"
The wolf's ear perked at the sound of his name. Slowly, Fenrir turned his head, locking his single golden eye onto Velren. Noticing the boy awake and sitting up on his bed, he pushed himself up with a stretch and padded toward him.
"How are you feeling?" Fenrir asked, his deep voice was rumbling in Velren's mind.
Velren rubbed at his temple, grimacing.
"I'm... fine? I guess?"
His gaze wandered the room, confusion can be seen in his eyes.
"What the hell happened...?"
Fenrir exhaled—a long, tired sigh.
"You've been out for three days."
"Three days?" Velren repeated, rising his voice in disbelief.
What the hell happened for him to be gone that long—
He stopped mid-thought as his brain finally caught up. Memories slammed into him like a crashing wave—the ambush, the mercenaries, Solenne's capture...
His eyes suddenly widened. Panic flared.
"Wait—Solenne! What about her? Is she—?"
"She's fine," Fenrir cut in, calming his nerves.
Velren slumped back against the headboard, relief washing over him.
"Thank god..."
But that reprieve didn't last. Fenrir's gaze sharpened, he then shifted his posture.
"Now," he began, dropping his tone into something heavier.
"What were you thinking back there?"
Uh oh.
Velren winced. Here comes the Great Wolf Lecture...
But this wasn't like the usual scolding over dumb antics or harmless trouble. No—this was different. He lowered his gaze, feeling the sense of guilt. What he did back then wasn't just another act of mischief. It was reckless—stupid even. Something that could've cost him his life.
He managed a small and crooked smile.
"...It just felt like the right thing to do," he admitted.
Fenrir narrowed his eye.
"And do you ever think about the consequences? You could've gotten yourself—"
"I know that!" Velren snapped, cutting him off.
The room fell silent for a moment. Velren ran a hand through his messy hair, taking a breath before continuing.
"Look... when I saw her getting kidnapped, I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Not when I had the chance to change how it ended."
The wolf's stare didn't waver.
"You keep throwing yourself into danger like that, and one day, you won't be lucky enough to walk away. Think about what you're risking. Think about the people who—"
"What about you...?" Velren's voice was low at first, barely above a whisper.
Fenrir tilted his head.
"What?"
Velren's fists clenched the bedsheets.
"I said—what about you?!"
He shot back, louder this time. Emotion cracked through his words.
"You saved me when I was just a baby! Left alone in that damn forest—risked everything for me! How is that any different?"
Fenrir's eye widened. The room seemed to still. There was something in that look—a flicker of shock, maybe even... confusion?
'Shit.'
Velren's heart skipped. That was a blunder...
He quickly looked away.
"I... heard it from Gramps," he muttered.
A lie.
Because the truth? He remembered—vividly—the day he was found. But how could he ever explain that to Fenrir? That he wasn't from this world? That he was someone else entirely before this life? No. Some truths were better left buried.
For now... at least.
An awkward silence stretched between them. Neither of the two spoke. The room, once filled with tension, was now filled with unspoken words and glances that averted as soon as they met. Velren fiddled with the blanket, and Fenrir... simply sat there.
Then—
"Velren!" a familiar voice called.
The door creaked open, revealing Sköll on the other side. His white fur practically gleamed under the soft light. Without wasting a beat, he leapt onto the bed, causing the mattress to bounce. His cold snout nudged into Velren's face, wagging his tail in full force.
"H-Hey—! Sköll—!"
Velren protested, but the wolf was relentless. A big, wet tongue licked across his cheek.
"Ahahaha—! That tickles! Quit it!" he laughed, trying to shield himself with his arms. Sköll's warmth and energy filled the room, washing away the lingering awkwardness.
Fenrir, watching the scene unfold, let out a small huff. Without a word, he turned and padded out of the room.
Sköll, noticing the departure, paused mid-lick.
"...Did something happen between you two?" he asked, flicking his gaze toward the door.
Velren wiped his face, still catching his breath.
"It's nothing," he mumbled.
"Uh-huh."
Sköll clearly wasn't convinced. Jumping off the bed, he stretched before turning back to Velren.
"You do realize that you should be thankful to Fenrir and the Grandmaster, right?"
Velren blinked.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Fenrir had to stray from his usual hunts—left 'em all to me," Sköll quickly explained.
"All so he could keep an eye on you. Do you know how many animals I've had to chase down for the past three days? My paws still ache!"
He gave an exaggerated sigh.
"I was worried too, of course—but Fenrir asked me to hold down the fort. Couldn't just ignore that."
Velren glanced toward the door, feeling a little sense of guilt.
"And the Grandmaster," Sköll added,
"...he's been watching you like a hawk. He barely left your side. Even cut down on his drinking these past three days—focused entirely on your condition. Pretty sure his bottle collection's gathering dust."
Velren's eyes widened.
"Really? The old man actually did that...?"
Sköll nodded.
Velren leaned back against the headboard, absorbing it all.
"I see..."