Matthew was sitting on a bench in the little food court outside the dungeon they were in before. His eye was red from crying and he was drinking water from a plastic bottle with the elbow of his other arm on the table holding his head as if it weighted a thousand pounds.

Faralynn came to him after an ambulance took Robert and Erin away to a hospital. She was checking on her friend's well being while Matthew calmed himself down.

"You should've went with her." Matthew said to Faralynn when she sat near him on the bench.

"Helen and Tina went with her." The elf said. "You also need some company, don't you?" She smiled at him.

"Sorry about that." Matthew blushed. "I was… Overwhelmed."

"I know. It happens to me sometimes too." Faralynn empathized. They both shared the same trauma.

Matthew forced a smile at her.

"Have you talked to someone about what we saw?" She asked him taking his hand.

"No." Matthew sighed.

"You should." Faralynn squeezed his hand in hers.

"I should." Matthew agreed. "How was Erin?" He asked changing subjects.

"She had mana depletion. I think she used a mana shield spell to protect herself using the last of her mana." Faralynn explained deciding not to insist on him seeking professional help for his trauma.

"Thank god. I hope she's well." Matthew said drinking the remaining water in his bottle.

Orpheu found both of them after sending the other students home.

"You two are heroes." He said with a smile before noticing Faralynn holding Matthew's hand. "Sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"N-no! You didn't." Faralynn squealed nervously throwing Matthew's hand back at him.

The three of them were silent for a moment before Faralynn cleared her throat and said acting like nothing happened:

"You wanted something, professor?"

"Just to make sure you're both ok." Orpheu answered.

"We're fine." Matthew said with a sad smile. "Just a bit scared about Erin's state."

"I see. Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine." The professor tried to calm them down, but it was obvious it was just platitude. "You two get home safe." He said tapping both of them on the shoulder and turning away to leave.

Safe.

Matthew looked at Faralynn who watched silently Orpheu walking away towards the parking lot. He remembered she was being hunted, yet there she was with only himself as protection. If another elven party came to get her, or another pair of kidnappers, he had no idea if he could protect her. He couldn't even protect Erin from a Yeti.

"What is it?" Faralynn asked finally turning her attention to him and noticing how he was staring at her.

"You're ok going back home alone?" Matthew asked.

"I'm not alone." She giggled pointing to a formless shadow close to them.

Matthew studied that shadow for while before realizing there was nothing casting it. It was as if the shadow just existed on its own.

"Faynn." Faralynn called. "Show yourself."

As if that shadow was a puddle of black water, it rippled and gained form growing from the floor. Dressed in all black leathers and wearing a black mask that covered her mouth and a black veil that covered her head, Farzan's secretary appeared from the shadow.

"My lady." Faynn greeted Faralynn with a bow.

"How long she has been there?" Matthew asked surprised.

"All the time." Faralynn said. "She's like a cough I can't get rid off." The elf rolled her eyes dramatically.

"And why didn't you help us?" Matthew growled to Faynn.

"Lord Farzan told me not to interfere with the lady's adventuring unless her life was in danger." Faynn explained.

Matthew pointed to Faralynn's bandaged arm:

"And what is that?" He barked.

"A wound." Faynn said sarcastically.

"This is not a joke." Matthew got up from his seat and stared her down.

"If she was in any danger, I'd had interfered, boy." Faynn's voice was resolute.

"What about Erin?" He asked still angry. "She almost died."

"Lady Erin…" Faynn started to speak, but had no argument. She clearly should've helped Erin then. "It was an oversight of my part." She recognized averting her eyes from Matthew's accusing gaze.

Matthew sighed sitting down.

"I'm sorry, my lady." Faynn said turning to Faralynn. "I should've interfered back then when things got difficult, but it didn't seem like none of you were in danger until the very end."

"It's alright, Faynn." Faralynn excused her taking her hand and patting gently. "Battles are often unpredictable."

Matthew breathed deeply and let it go. He blamed himself about what happened to Erin more than he blamed Faynn for not helping.

"As you can see, Matt." Faralynn changed subjects. "Dad has put Faynn on my back. I'm never alone anymore."

Matthew looked at Faynn who had positioned herself behind Faralynn. Her body posture shifted noticeably from the straight professional she was to a more relaxed and playful stance. Noticing his eyes on her, the secretary winked at him making him blush.

"What is it?" Faralynn asked after seeing Matthew shift and blush averting his eye to the floor.

"N-nothing." Matthew said getting up and distancing himself from both of them. He couldn't see Faynn's mouth, but he could swear she was grinning behind her mask.

"You need a ride home?" Faralynn asked getting up as well and not letting him go away.

"I could use a ride to the nearest bus station." Matthew said looking around. That dungeon was located far in the outskirts of the city and surrounded by farms.

"Nonsense." Faralynn said. "I'll take you home." She added and looked at Faynn who just nodded understanding her wishes without saying a word.

The secretary's clothes then shifted on her body like they were made of black water and took the shape of a black business suit, with a white blouse, pencil skirt, and a black tie. Faynn's golden hair was tied neatly in a bun.

"Come, Matt." Faralynn smiled at him gesturing to the parking lot.

Her car was a black sedan obviously modified to resist attacks from the exterior. Faynn sat on the driver seat and Faralynn entered the back seat gesturing for Matthew to sit beside her.

"You're really taking me all the way home?" Matthew asked a bit embarrassed. "You can just take me to a bus stop nearby."

"It's no trouble taking you home." Faralynn said while Faynn nodded and turned on the car.

"I live on…" Matthew tried to say his address only to hear Faynn saying it back to him with greater precision than himself.

"Faynn was a spy back in Nuilynn." Faralynn giggled. "She knows more about you than you do yourself."

Matthew looked at the secretary's face on the rear view mirror amazed and soon flushed again when she winked at him again. This time Faralynn saw Faynn's playful flirting and her face went dark.

The drive was nice, there wasn't a lot of traffic and the car was very comfortable. However, no one was saying a word. Faralynn feeling contradicted by her servant, Matthew feeling too self conscious under the gaze of the driver and Faynn just having fun messing with the kids in the back seat.

"So… Your father went to Nuilynn?" Matthew asked to break the tension.

"He did." Faralynn said. Matthew's words hit her like awaking from deep sleep. "Ufa… I mean. Dad went to… To deal with my uncle."

"Will everything be alright?" Matthew asked unsure what was the situation with Faralynn's family in the other world.

"I don't know. Never seen dad so angry like that. He never talked much about our house back in Nuilynn." Faralynn said rubbing her hands together to calm herself.

"Everything will be fine, my lady." Faynn said from the front seat. "Your father is very capable and he still has a lot of support inside the house. Don't worry about him."

When they arrived at Matthew's home, he thanked them for the ride and got out of the car.

"Matt." Faralynn called opening the window before he entered the house. "If you have no one to talk to… You know…" Her face was bright red as she picked the words and fought against her own bashfulness. "If you need to talk to someone when things get hard. When you hear the song again… Call me."

Matthew looked at Faralynn with newfound care. His eyes watered up. He nodded for a couple of seconds before saying:

"I will. Thank you, Lynn."

And then, breaking the beauty of that moment, Matthew's eye noticed Faynn in the front seat with a huge mischievous grin. When he darted his eyes to her for a split second, she sent him a kiss making him blush again.

Faralynn noticed his blushing and took his hand on hers to pull his attention back to her.

"Don't hesitate to call." She said.

She watched Matthew go inside his house after that and only then closed her window.

When Faynn started to drive again, Faralynn said with a serious tone:

"Faynn… You are like a big sister to me and I love you very much…" She paused making sure the woman in front was listening. "But if you keep messing with my Matt like that, I'll not forgive you."

Faynn laughed a little before teasing her:

"My Matt?"

"I know what I said." Faralynn was blunt and menacing in her remark.

Faynn then felt a cold travel through her spine. She looked at the rear view mirror and met Faralynn's eyes. They were sharp and menacing. It reminded Faynn of Farzan himself. How dangerous he was when he got serious like that.

"I-I-I'm sorry my lady." Faynn stuttered returning to her submissive tone she used when she knew the family was serious. "I won't tease him anymore."

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