Klarion adjusted his grip, his arms tightening around the lithe body of J-65 as she hung limply in his arms. They made their way through the hallways of Blacksword Manor, Hatsune opening doors as they went, searching for a room with a bed. Though the former Sentinel’s body was lighter than he expected, delicate even, she still possessed a surprising solidity to her — muscles honed from years of rigorous training, tempered strength hidden beneath her graceful exterior. The weight of her in his arms aside, Klarion was beginning to grow frustrated with the unfurnished nature of his home at the Imperial Academy. He could still feel the lingering tension in J-65’s body, the unconscious flinches with every step, the echo of pain she likely still felt from both her wounds and losing her class.

  Her head shifted from where it rested against him as Hatsune opened the latest door to no luck. Strands of her white hair brushed his neck, soft as silk. The contrast was stark — her hair, white and almost luminous in the right light, stood out sharply against her dark skin, even with the pinpricks of light still dancing across her skin. Without meaning to, he noted that, even in this state, bruised, battered, and bleeding, her beauty was breathtaking.

  His grip tightened instinctively as Hatsune lead them to the next room, a fierce surge of protectiveness flooding through him. The Lord Sentinel had left her with him as his responsibility and his to protect now. His warning, to prove worthy of her loyalty, was already something Klarion worried about.

  He wanted, needed, to find out why she had done what she had to protect him. His mind already spun with questions, despite how tired he remained from the late night of reading and the abrupt events of the last half hour. Why had she gotten involved? Why had she risked everything to uncover the truth behind the attempt on his life? She was — had been — a Sentinel. Wasn’t she supposed to have been neutral? Uninvolved? Yet, she had defied her own code, her own organization, and suffered for it. She had fought for him. Bled for him. Why?

  “There has to be another room around here that has a bed,” Klarion muttered after they left yet another empty chamber, his voice rougher than he intended. “Or at least a couch… somewhere she can rest.” His eyes flicked down to J-65’s bloodied face, her breathing shallow but steady, each exhale a fragile whisper.

  “There’s one place that we know has a bed,” Hatsune whispered after the next three rooms were found to be empty, her ears twitching as she looked up at him, eyes wide with concern. “Your room.”

  Klarion hesitated. His room. The room he shared with Hatsune, his first bodyguard. It felt strange, the idea of bringing J-65 there. An unspoken intimacy to it. But there was no other choice. She needed rest. A safe place to heal.

  His eyes traced the faint shimmer beneath her skin, the stars that seemed to dance with each breath. Unbidden, likely from his exhaustion, he thought about how he wanted to ask her about them. About who she was beneath the mask she had worn. But he wondered if it would be rude to ask about her appearance. Perhaps he shouldn’t. Perhaps...

  He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. There would be time for questions later. For now, she needed to rest. To recover.

  “Come on,” Klarion said as he made his decision.

  Together, they made their way back to his bedroom, the one room in the entire manor that they knew was furnished and livable. The room where he and Hatsune had been staying since their arrival at Blacksword Manor.

  Hatsune pushed open the door with her shoulder, leading them inside. The room was barely lit with the remaining glowing embers in the fireplace. Klarion carried J-65 over to his bed. The covers were as he had left them, slightly rumpled from where he had thrown them off when they woke to the banging on the front door.

  Klarion moved to the side of the bed, kneeling as he carefully lowered Jezeri onto the mattress. Her head lolled to the side, hair spilling across the pillow in a shimmering cascade. Her face softened at the comforting embrace of the soft mattress, the lines of pain easing, heightening her delicate, almost otherworldly beauty. Her long lashes rested against her cheeks, her lips parted slightly as she murmured something incoherent. Klarion worked to control a snort of relief when he realized it had sounded like she was asking for five more minutes.

  A soft hand touched his arm, and he looked up to see Hatsune watching him, concern in her wide eyes. “She’ll be alright,” she murmured, her voice gentle. “She’s strong.”

  Klarion nodded, his shoulders relaxing. Strong. Yes, she was that. Even broken and scarred, she was strong. Otherwise, she would not have been able to escape Chadwick and make it here in her state.

  Turning away from the bed, he moved to the couch along the wall, his body finally succumbing to exhaustion. Hatsune followed, only pausing to pull her armor off, then settled beside him. When he did not move, she hesitated, then lightly laid her head against his shoulder. He was too tired to do much more than shift, so she was more comfortable. It was… nice.

  Hatsune wrapped her arms around herself as they stared across the room at the sleeping star elf.

  “A Star Elf...” Hatsune repeated from earlier as she sat next to him, her voice tinged with awe as she stared down at Jezeri. “I never thought I’d see one.”

  Klarion looked over at his bodyguard, her wide eyes fixed on the sleeping star elf. “What do you know about them?” he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Are they... really that rare?”

  Hatsune nodded slowly, her ears twitching. “They’re more than rare. They’re practically myths. It is probably simply gossip, but it is said that they are born under falling stars, with magic that flows through their veins. Their skin glows because of it—starlight trapped beneath the surface.” Her eyes lingered on the shimmering glow beneath Jezeri’s bruises. “Even without the benefit of classes or levels, they’re supposed to be immortal... or close to it.”

  Immortal. Klarion’s gaze flicked back to J-65’s sleeping face, his chest tightening. He had thought she had been younger, if stern and stoic when he had first met her. But what if she wasn’t? Centuries of life. Centuries of pain. How much had she seen? How much had she suffered?

  “Their magic is said to be powerful, too,” Hatsune continued, pulling Klarion’s attention back to her. “Supposedly, it’s innate to them, tied to them as a result of their race. Not like the magic we learn or acquire through abilities or classes. It’s a part of them, of who they are.” Her voice dropped lower, reverent as Klarion curiously listened to her. “They say Star Elves can bend light and shadow, perhaps even manipulate space itself. The oldest of them perhaps even see the world differently... move through it differently. As if they walk between the stars.”

  “But... if they’re so powerful, why have I never heard of them before?” he asked, confusion knitting his brow. “Granted, I’ve not been in the Empire long, but certainly I should have heard something. Right?”

  “Not necessarily.” Hatsune’s ears drooped slightly, her gaze shifting to the floor. “What everything I’ve heard about them from my family and teachers agrees on is that they’re secretive. Reclusive. They don’t live like other races. They stay in small groups, far away from other races, hidden in places no one else can reach.” Her shoulders hunched, her voice trembling. “They’re practically myths because they never let themselves be seen. They don’t get involved with others... ever.” Her eyes lifted, meeting Klarion’s. “Which makes this even more unbelievable. She’s here. With us. A Star Elf... in the middle of all of this.”

  They both turned their eyes back to Jezeri, lying fragile and broken on the bed. Her white hair spilled across the pillow, her dark skin shimmering faintly even in sleep, the starlight beneath her flesh still flickering softly. A piece of legend brought to life. And she was his to protect now. Bound to him by the Mark of Bonds.

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  What a strange life he was living.

  Hatsune’s voice, small and uncertain, came from his shoulder, pulling him from his musing. “She said she was trying to help you, didn’t she? That’s why she got hurt? Why she’s here now?”

  “Yes…?” It was a statement that turned into a question halfway through. What was Hatsune getting at?

  Hatsune shifted, looking up at him, her expression hardening with resolve. “Then… she’s our responsibility now.”

  Klarion glanced down at her, his eyes widening in surprise. “What?”

  Hatsune’s gaze was unwavering, her ears standing tall. “You made a Bond with her. You claimed her as your own, as another bodyguard. She’s yours to protect now. But I’m your bodyguard too,” she said firmly, her ears shifting to face the sleeping star elf then back to him.“That means she’s our responsibility. Her safety... her future... it’s in our hands now. We can’t abandon her.”

  Still caught off guard, it took him a moment to respond. “I won’t let her down,” he promised, his own determination hardening. “I don’t know why she did this... but no matter the reason, I agree with you. She is with us now.”

  Hatsune smiled softly, her eyes warm with approval and something else. “Good, then we’ll protect her together.” The Leporine’s voice lowered to a whisper, tinged with vulnerability as she stared into his face. “But… what does that mean for us?”

  Klarion shifted to look more directly at her, his head tilting in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  Hatsune looked down, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. “You have another bodyguard now. A Star Elf, no less. I...” Her voice wavered, breaking as she forced herself to continue. “I don’t want to be replaced.”

  The words hung in the air, heavy and raw. Klarion’s eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t even considered how she might be affected by J-65 joining them. “Hatsune—”

  “I know it’s silly,” she said quickly, her ears flattening as her shoulders tensed. “I know I’m just a Leporine. That I’m not as strong or... or as powerful as she might possibly be once she gets a new class.” Her voice dropped, barely audible. “I’m just worried you won’t need me anymore.”

  Klarion felt a pang of guilt at the pain in her voice, at the way she shrank in on herself, trying to hide the hurt she felt. She had been more cheerful, so full of life and energy, even opening up more about her past and her family. Seeing her like this, so vulnerable and afraid, made him feel more than a bit guilty. Well, he would need to fix that.

  “Hatsune, that’s not true,” he said firmly, his voice gentle as he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. “You’re irreplaceable.”

  Hatsune looked at his hand, then up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “But... she’s a star elf,” she said, her lips trembling. “She’s beautiful and strong and... special. How can I compare to that?”

  Klarion’s gaze softened, his hand tightening on her shoulder as he pulled her closer. “You’re special too,” he said, his voice unwavering. “You’re clever and brave. In the short time you’ve been with me, you’ve helped me adjust to the Academy, protected my back in the Dungeon, and, most importantly, been a friend I can rely on. You make me laugh when everything feels hopeless. And I can always rely on you.” He shook his head, his eyes locking onto hers. “In fact, I bet I wouldn’t still be here without you.”

  A small gasp escaped Hatsune’s lips, her ears twitching as her cheeks flushed a soft pink. “You... you really mean that?”

  Klarion smiled, warm and earnest. “Of course I do. You’ve never once let me down. You’re not just my bodyguard, Hatsune. It’s like I said, you’re my friend. My partner. I need you now more than ever.” He glanced over at where J-65 slept on the bed. “Everything’s changing. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I need you by my side to face it all.”

  Hatsune’s eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. The fear and doubt that had weighed on her shoulders seemed to melt away, replaced by a spark of hope. “Promise?” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

  Klarion’s lips curled into a gentle smile, his hand giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he released it. “Promise.”

  Relief flooded her eyes, and she sniffed, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. Her fear passing, she spoke, inner thoughts laid bare. “You big dummy,” she muttered, her voice cracking as she fought to hold back tears. “You can’t just say stuff like that... making me cry...”

  Klarion chuckled softly, his own chest tightening with emotion. “Guess I’m just full of surprises.”

  Hatsune’s ears flicked as she looked back at J-65, trying to direct attention away from how emotional she was being. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

  Klarion followed her gaze to the star elf lying in his bed.

  “Yes...” Klarion admitted, his voice low. “She is.” But, beauty was only a part of it. There was strength there, too—a fierce, unyielding courage that had driven her to defy everything she knew to protect him. She had sacrificed her status, her power, even her identity as a Sentinel.

  For him.

  Hatsune watched his face carefully, her eyes narrowing. “You’re not falling for her, are you?”

  Klarion’s eyes snapped back to hers, his face heating. “W-What? No! It’s not like that!” He looked back at Jezeri, his jaw tightening. “I just... I respect her. And I might owe her my life if she was able to find out who is after us. Remember, I don’t even understand why she did it. Why she risked everything to help me.”

  Hatsune’s expression softened, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Well, I guess you’ll have to ask her when she wakes up.” Her ears flicked playfully, her earlier fears now replaced with a spark of mischief. “Just remember... You promised you still need me.”

  Klarion met her gaze, his heart warming at the light returning to her eyes. “And I meant it. No one could ever replace you, Hatsune.”

  Her cheeks flushed again, and she looked away, her ears twitching with embarrassment. “Good. I’m not letting some shiny star elf steal my place,” she muttered, crossing her arms stubbornly.

  Klarion couldn’t help but laugh, the tension in his chest easing. Exhaling the rest of his tension away slowly, his shoulders sagged under the weight of everything that had happened. “Alright, watching her isn’t going to make her recover faster. We should get some rest too,” he said, his voice firm despite the pressing need for sleep rising in him again. “When she wakes up, we find out why she did this.”

  He made to stand, before abruptly realizing that, given how tired he was now, he hadn’t thought where he would be sleeping for the rest of the night if J-65 was in his bed. He turned his attention to the couch he was sitting on. It looked even smaller now that he was considering sleeping on it… with Hatsune.

  Hatsune’s ears twitched as she followed his gaze. “Well,” she said, her voice light but her cheeks tinged pink, “I guess it’s the couch for us.”

  Klarion cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah... looks like it.” He hesitated, his eyes flicking back to J-65’s still form. “She needs the bed more than we do.”

  Hatsune nodded, her face softening as she watched the rise and fall of J-65’s chest. “Yeah... she’s been through enough.” She moved over to the far side of the couch, motioning for Klarion to take the other. “Go on, lay down. I promise I won’t bite.”

  Klarion’s face flushed. “I wasn’t... I didn’t think you would.” He shuffled over on the couch, awkwardly leaning his side against the armrest on the other end. Shifting, he looked back to the Leporine, only to see she wasn’t that far away, really. The couch was even smaller than it looked.

  Hatsune’s lips twitched with amusement, her ears flicking as she hugged a pillow to her chest. “Relax, Klarion. It’s not like we haven’t been closer before.”

  Klarion choked, his face heating. He shouldn’t have risen to the bait, but with how late it was, and how tired he was increasingly feeling, he couldn’t help it. “Th-That was different! I was trying to save you from the Dungeon!”

  She grinned, her ears now flicking mischievously. “True. But you were still holding me pretty tightly.”

  His jaw dropped, his cheeks blazing. “I was... Just making sure I wasn’t going to drop you!”

  Hatsune laughed, a light, melodic sound that made his chest tighten. She was surprised how much her words were getting to him, and she enjoyed his reactions. “Sure you were.” She nestled deeper into the pillow, her blue eyes sparkling. “Goodnight, hero.”

  Klarion grumbled under his breath, his face still burning. He folded his arms across his chest, pointedly looking at the far wall. But as the minutes passed and the room grew quiet, his eyes grew heavy, his head lolling to the side.

  Hatsune’s voice cut through the silence, soft and teasing. “You know, if you’re going to stare at me, you could at least say something.”

  Klarion jerked, his eyes snapping back open to see that Hatsune had leaned closer, looking into his face. “W-What? I wasn’t... I wasn’t staring!”

  Her lips curved into a playful smirk. “Oh really? Because you were looking right at me for a good minute.” She hugged the pillow tighter, her ears twitching furiously now. “Were you wishing I was holding you instead?”

  Klarion’s face went scarlet, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. He wanted to deny it, to come up with some clever retort, but the truth bubbling in his sleep-addled mind slipped out before he could stop it. “Of course I do... you look like you’re great at cuddling.”

  Hatsune’s eyes widened, her face turning bright red, her ears flattening against her head, and she realized she had pressed her game too far. “I-I... wh-what did you just say?”

  But Klarion didn’t answer. Not even thinking about the words he said, he had already shifted against the armrest, his eyes fluttering shut, his breathing evening out as sleep claimed him.

  Hatsune stared at him, her face still burning as his words echoed in her mind. She hugged the pillow even tighter, her heart racing. She, too, turned away to her side of the couch, ears twitching one last time, though she did steal a final glance at his peaceful face. A soft smile played on her lips. “You’re hopeless, Klarion.”

  She nestled against the pillow, closing her eyes as sleep began to tug at her. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the smile that lingered on her lips.

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