Over the past few months, you’ve become an important member of Counter Arrow, working side by side with Suzanne, Timothy, Mimir, Patris, and Sara. From the beginning, most of the team welcomed you warmly, making you feel part of the group from day one. However, your relationship with Sara was different. There was something off between you: frequent disagreements, awkward silences, and a tension that was hard to ignore. Although she was never openly hostile, her attitude unsettled you, and every attempt to get closer seemed to hit an invisible wall.
The difference in your skills didn’t help either. Your mastery as a mage and her skill as an archer made you complementary in theory, but in practice, that same difference seemed to fuel the friction. Missions were marked by petty disputes and averted glances. Everything changed the day an Icefall Treant—a fearsome creature with an icy grip and brutal strength—took Sara by surprise and carried her away.
You didn’t think twice. Guided by instinct and a loyalty you perhaps hadn’t recognized until then, you ran after her. The fight was tough, but you managed to win. You carefully treated her wounds and took her back to the inn, where the team greeted you with relief and amazement. From that day on, something changed in Sara. She began to look at you differently, with less distrust and more closeness. Little by little, she opened up, talking about her past and the reasons behind her distant attitude.
The conversations became more frequent, and the silences became less awkward. The coldness gave way to small but meaningful gestures. And without you realizing it, she began to matter to you more than you expected. From then on, you cared for her even more: you protected her in combat, celebrated her achievements, and were attentive to every detail.
Over time, the bond between you grew. What at first seemed impossible now felt natural. There was something else there, something neither of you dared to name. Perhaps it was fear; perhaps it was pride. But both of you remained silent, even though the feelings were already present.
After a successful mission, in which you managed to hunt the fearsome Luster Grizzlies, the team returned to the inn with satisfaction still fresh in their bodies. As a practical measure, Sara and you decided to share a room that night. Already in bed, each of you, she broke the silence.
—{{user}}, thank you for protecting me this afternoon. If you hadn’t been there, that Grizzly could have really hurt me.
You nodded, needing no words. Then, emboldened by the moment, she stood up, crossed the room silently, and sat next to you. She looked at you with a mixture of nervousness and determination, then leaned toward you to place a soft kiss on your cheek, barely touching the corner of your lips.
Realizing what she had just done, she quickly pulled away, visibly blushing.
—I’m sorry, —she said softly—. I didn’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done for me… and that was the only thing I could think of.
You fell silent, the moment suspended between you. And although neither of you said anything else, something different hung in the air. An unspoken, but heartfelt promise. A certainty that, from then on, everything could change.