They didn’t drag it further. They understood.

Some things only made sense after they became important.

Ryn turned slightly. "I’ll report this."

Arthur didn’t argue. "Go ahead."

"It’s too big to keep quiet."

"I know."

There was no resistance in his voice.

If anything, he expected it.

Selene glanced at him. "You’re okay with that?"

Arthur shrugged. "It’s not just mine anymore."

That answer stuck with them.

Even Torren didn’t joke after that.

Nox smiled a little. "Look at you being responsible."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Don’t start."

Ryn gave a small nod. "Alright. We’re done here."

They began to move out together, but the energy was calmer now.

Mission done.

Rewards collected.

Something new discovered.

It felt like progress.

Outside the exchange, they slowed down.

"Same time tomorrow?" Torren asked.

Ryn nodded. "Rest first. Then we train."

Selene added, "And now we have the Arthur’s pet to deal with."

She nodded at the cub.

The cub blinked slowly, still quiet on Arthur’s shoulder.

Nox smiled at it. "We’ll take care of you."

Arthur glanced at her. "Don’t scare it."

"I’m not."

"You are."

They bickered lightly.

Then Ryn spoke again. "We split here."

Everyone nodded.

Short goodbyes followed.

Nothing dramatic.

They’d see each other again soon anyway.

Arthur raised his hand slightly. "Later."

"Later," Nox replied.

Torren gave a lazy wave. Selene just turned and walked.

Ryn lingered for a second. "Take care of it."

Arthur nodded once. "I will."

Then he left too.

Just like that, he was alone.

Well... not really.

He adjusted the cub slightly on his shoulder.

"Guess it’s just us now."

The cub didn’t respond, but it didn’t pull away either.

That was enough.

Arthur started walking toward the dorms.

People noticed.

Of course they did.

A monster cub sitting comfortably on someone’s shoulder wasn’t something you ignored.

Whispers started almost immediately.

"Is that... a wolf?"

"Why does he have that?"

"Isn’t that dangerous?"

"And that’s... him, right?"

Arthur heard some of it.

Ignored all of it.

He had already dealt with attention before.

This wasn’t new.

If anything, he expected worse.

He sighed lightly. "You’re already causing trouble."

The cub shifted, pressing slightly against his neck.

Arthur smirked. "Yeah, I know. Not your fault."

He kept walking.

Some explorers moved aside.

Some just stared.

A few looked like they wanted to ask questions, but didn’t.

Rumors would spread anyway.

They always did.

But Arthur didn’t care.

He reached the dorm building and walked in without slowing.

The noise faded behind him.

Finally.

Quiet.

He stopped in front of his door, then pushed it open.

The room felt the same as usual.

Simple.

Familiar.

He stepped in and closed the door behind him.

For the first time since the mission ended, he let out a longer breath.

"...Home."

The cub shifted again.

Arthur glanced at it, then walked further inside.

"Let’s see how this goes."

Arthur closed the door behind him and stood there for a second.

Quiet.

No noise from the halls, no eyes on him, no whispers.

Just him... and the cub.

He let out a small breath, then walked in and shrugged off his outer layer. The cub was still on his shoulder, light but present.

"Alright," he muttered, glancing at it. "Let’s start simple."

He crouched and gently lowered it to the floor.

"There," he said, straightening a bit. "This is my room... your room now."

His voice wasn’t stiff. It wasn’t overly soft either.

Just normal.

Like he was talking to someone who could understand him.

The cub didn’t move much at first.

It looked around once, slow and quiet, then circled in place before settling down on the spot. It curled into itself, tail wrapping close, head resting low.

And that was it.

No pacing.

No tension.

Just... stillness.

Arthur watched it for a while.

"...You’re calmer than I thought."

He expected some resistance. Maybe distance. Maybe even a bit of hostility.

But this?

It didn’t feel like acceptance.

More like... waiting.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Makes sense."

He didn’t push it or try to touch it again.

He didn’t say anything else after that. As he grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom.

Warm water poured over him, steady and constant, washing away the dirt and blood, but it didn’t quiet his mind. If anything, it made everything clearer. His thoughts drifted right back to the dungeon. To the cub. To that moment.

He leaned his head back slightly, eyes half-closed as the water ran over his face.

That scene replayed again.

The guardian.

The way it stood.

The way it looked at the cub before everything ended.

Arthur frowned faintly.

"...You didn’t just follow because you had to."

His voice was low, almost lost under the sound of the water. Not really speaking out loud, just letting the thought settle.

That wasn’t panic.

It wasn’t desperation.

It had been a choice.

His eyes opened slowly.

"...It gave you to me."

That part didn’t sit wrong. It made sense the more he thought about it. The guardian could have done something else in that moment. Could have held on. Could have used the cub differently.

But it didn’t.

"And you came."

That mattered more.

The cub wasn’t dragged. It wasn’t forced. It moved on its own.

Arthur ran a hand through his wet hair, water dripping down his arm.

That didn’t mean trust. Not yet.

He exhaled quietly.

"You’re holding back."

He could still feel it, even now. That strange calm from the cub. It wasn’t comfort. It wasn’t peace.

It felt restrained.

Like something inside it hadn’t settled yet.

His gaze lowered slightly as he stood there under the water. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"...You want strength."

The thought came without effort, and he didn’t push it away. From the moment he saw the cub in the dungeon, there had been something in its eyes.

Not fear.

Not confusion.

Something sharper.

Focused.

Even now, remembering it, he could feel that same intent.

A need.

"...Revenge?"