A Growing Suspicion – Unease in the Guild
The setting sun cast long shadows across Rivermouth as the quiet of evening settled over the small town. The guildhall, now dimly lit by flickering lanterns, had thinned out as adventurers either left for the night or gathered in small groups to swap stories. It seemed peaceful, almost too peaceful, and that only made Mellali's mind race faster.
He stood near a wall, observing everything with the careful eye of someone who couldn't afford to relax. His gut had been telling him something was wrong ever since they entered the town. Hadjer, standing next to him, seemed more at ease, her expression softening for the first time since their arrival in this world.
But Mellali couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, observed from every angle, and not in the way that made him feel safe.
Hadjer turned to him, her voice quiet. "You okay? You seem tense."
Mellali forced a small smile, though his eyes were still scanning the room. "I'm fine. Just... thinking."
It wasn't a lie. He'd been thinking since they arrived—about the way Eryndra, the guildmaster, had looked at them earlier. The way she spoke, the subtle pauses when she mentioned helping them navigate this world. That phrase stuck with him. It had been repeated too often. Not this town, not even this region—but this world.
Something wasn't right.
---
The Eavesdrop – Hidden Conversations
The evening wore on, and Mellali's unease only grew. Then, something caught his attention: movement near a side room at the back of the guildhall. A few guild members—people Mellali had noticed earlier—slipped inside, the door closing quietly behind them.
He didn't miss the tension in their steps, or the way they exchanged quick, hushed words before disappearing inside. It was a private meeting, but it felt more than just routine business.
Mellali glanced at Hadjer, his voice low. "There's something going on back there."
Hadjer followed his gaze, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"They're meeting in secret," Mellali said, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. "And I have a feeling it's about us."
Hadjer's eyes widened slightly, but she remained quiet. Mellali motioned for her to follow him as he moved closer to the room, careful to stay out of sight. They found a shadowed corner, close enough to hear the muffled voices inside.
---
Inside the Meeting – Growing Distrust
The voices inside were low but clear enough for Mellali to pick up on.
"I don't trust them," came the unmistakable voice of Eryndra, the guildmaster. Her tone was hard, edged with suspicion. "Especially the man. His class... Aberrant Mind. That's a dangerous combination. He's unpredictable."
A second voice, softer and more measured, responded. "Guildmaster, you're being too harsh. We don't have any solid reason to distrust them yet. They're clearly otherworldly, yes, but we've all had to deal with that. You can't judge them so quickly."
Mellali felt his heart quicken. Otherworldly. They knew. They'd suspected from the start, but now it was confirmed. His grip on the doorframe tightened as he strained to hear more.
Eryndra's voice returned, sharper this time. "Exactly. They're otherworldly, which makes them dangerous. Especially him. You know what Aberrant Mind Sorcerers are capable of, don't you? Mind manipulation, illusions, bending reality. We can't ignore that. He's a threat, whether we like it or not."
---
Mellali's Growing Frustration
Hadjer's face had gone pale beside him, her eyes wide with disbelief. Mellali could see the doubt and fear creeping in, but for him, this only solidified what he had been feeling all day. They were in danger—serious danger—and they needed to act fast.
"They know," Mellali muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Hadjer. "They've been watching us the whole time."
Hadjer shifted nervously, her voice a whisper. "Maybe they're just being cautious. I mean... we are different, and they've probably seen a lot of strange things. It's not unreasonable to be suspicious."
Mellali shook his head, his frustration rising. "This isn't just suspicion, Hadjer. Listen to how they're talking about us—about me. They think I'm dangerous. They're just waiting for an excuse to do something about it."
---
Eryndra's Judgment – No Trust for Outsiders
Inside the room, the conversation continued.
"They're too much of a risk," Eryndra pressed. "I know the girl—Hadjer—seems harmless enough. But the man... he's different. His class, his demeanor—it doesn't add up. People with classes like his are wild cards. They can't be trusted."
A third voice chimed in, calmer but no less wary. "But we checked his alignment. He's Good. There's no sign that he's leaning toward anything dark."
Eryndra scoffed. "Alignment means nothing when you're dealing with someone like him. It's easy to mask your true nature, especially for someone with the power to manipulate minds. He hasn't given us any reason to trust him, and until I'm convinced otherwise, I won't."
Mellali clenched his fists, anger flaring inside him. Mask his true nature? He wasn't masking anything. He had done nothing to warrant this level of suspicion, and yet here they were, treating him like some kind of ticking time bomb.
---
A Quiet Argument – Mellali's Doubts
Pulling away from the door, Mellali turned to Hadjer, his voice tense but controlled. "Do you see now? This is exactly what I was talking about. They don't trust us. They're just waiting for a reason to turn on us."
Hadjer's expression was conflicted, her brow furrowed as she processed his words. "But... we haven't done anything wrong, Mellali. They're being cautious, sure, but they haven't acted against us. Maybe we can still reason with them."
Mellali shook his head, his tone bitter. "That's not how this works, Hadjer. People don't need a reason to turn on you. They just need fear. They're afraid of what they don't understand, and right now, we're the biggest unknown they've got."
Hadjer's gaze dropped, the weight of his words settling in. "But... we've only just met them. Maybe if we prove ourselves, they'll see we're not a threat."
Mellali exhaled sharply. "Or they'll find something they can use to justify their fears. That's how it works. I've seen it before. It doesn't matter if we're good or if we haven't done anything wrong. They already see me as a threat because of my class. And that's enough."
---
Cthulhu's Warning – The Bitter Truth
Mellali's mind flashed back to Cthulhu's warning from earlier.
"They don't like outsiders, mortal. People like you are never truly welcomed. You'll always be a danger to them. A threat."
He hadn't wanted to believe it at the time, but hearing Eryndra's words now, it felt all too real. Cthulhu's mocking whispers had a core of truth—people fear what they don't understand, and here, in this world, they were the ultimate outsiders.
Mellali's voice softened, taking on a bitter edge. "Look, I know you want to believe people are better than this. But the truth is, they're not. You've seen it. People don't need much of a reason to turn against you. They'll find one, eventually."
Hadjer's face fell, the weight of Mellali's words pressing down on her. She didn't want to believe it, but part of her knew he was right.
"So... what do we do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
---
Mellali's Plan – Trust No One
Mellali's eyes hardened, his voice quiet but resolute. "We play along. Learn what we can, take what we need, and then we get out. We can't trust them, Hadjer. Not fully. And we can't let them know the truth—not about where we're really from."
Hadjer looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes. "But what if we're wrong? What if we can trust them?"
Mellali's expression didn't change. "Maybe we can. But right now, we can't afford to take that risk. We need to protect ourselves."
After a long, tense silence, Hadjer nodded, though her eyes were filled with a quiet sadness. "I trust you, Mellali. Just... be careful."
Mellali gave her a small nod, though the bitter truth still weighed heavily in his chest. They were walking a thin line, and one misstep could bring everything crashing down.
---
The Confrontation – Trust and Doubt
Later that night, the atmosphere between Mellali and Hadjer had grown heavy, the tension between them thick and almost tangible. The dim light of the small room they had been given in the guildhall did little to ease the growing discomfort. Mellali was pacing, his mind still racing from the overheard conversation and the suspicion that clung to every interaction they'd had since arriving in this world.
Hadjer sat on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed, watching him with a furrowed brow. The silence stretched between them, but it wasn't the kind of comfortable silence they were used to. It was the kind that pressed down, demanding to be filled.
Finally, Hadjer spoke, her voice quiet but steady. "Why do you always do this?"
Mellali stopped mid-step, turning to face her. "Do what?"
Hadjer's expression was a mixture of frustration and sadness. "This. You always assume the worst. You don't trust anyone. Not here, and if I'm being honest, not even back in the real world."
Mellali's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond right away. He knew where this was going.
Hadjer sighed, her voice rising slightly. "You've always been like this. Even back home, you were always waiting for the other shoe to drop, like everyone around you was hiding something. I get that things were tough, but not everyone's a liar, Mellali. Not everyone is out to get you."
Mellali let out a sharp breath, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't like back home, Hadjer. We're in a different world now. We don't know these people. You heard what they were saying—they don't trust me. They think I'm dangerous."
"They don't know you," Hadjer countered, standing up now. "Of course they're cautious. But you're acting like they've already decided to betray us."
Mellali's voice dropped, low and bitter. "Because they probably have."
---
Trust Issues – Old Wounds
Hadjer's eyes flashed with frustration, her hands gripping the edge of the bed as she stared at him. "You're doing it again. You're shutting everyone out before you've even given them a chance."
Mellali turned away, his back to her. "You don't get it."
"Don't I?" Hadjer shot back, her voice rising. "You've been like this for as long as I've known you. It's like you're always waiting for the worst to happen. Like you can't let anyone in. You never trusted people back in the real world, and now you're doing the same thing here."
Mellali whipped around, his expression tight. "You think I don't trust anyone? Of course I don't. Look at what's happening around us! These people are already planning what they'll do if they think we're a threat. They're just waiting for an excuse."
Hadjer shook her head, her voice breaking slightly. "It's not just here. Even back home, you were like this. You didn't trust your co-workers. You didn't trust anyone outside of our small circle. Sometimes, it felt like you didn't even trust me."
---
The Argument – Trust and Loyalty
Mellali's eyes darkened, and for a moment, there was only silence between them. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter but filled with a raw edge. "I don't trust anyone, Hadjer. But I trust you. And sometimes... sometimes it feels like you trust everyone but me."
Hadjer's eyes widened, her breath catching slightly at his words. "What? That's not true."
"Isn't it?" Mellali's voice was pained now, his frustration and exhaustion bleeding through. "Every time I'm cautious, every time I tell you we need to be careful, you look at me like I'm the problem. Like I'm the one making things worse. How come I'm the only one you doubt, Hadjer? I'm supposed to be on your side. Everyone else—they're on their own side."
Hadjer's lips parted, but she didn't respond immediately. She looked at him, really looked at him, and saw the weariness in his eyes. The weight he carried, the constant vigilance that seemed to tear him apart. And she realized how deep his distrust ran—not just toward others, but how that distrust had shaped him, made him believe that he was always one wrong step away from being abandoned or betrayed.
"I don't doubt you," Hadjer said quietly, her voice softening. "I just... I want to believe that people can be good. That not everyone is trying to hurt us. But that doesn't mean I don't trust you."
Mellali's shoulders sagged, the tension in his body slowly unwinding, though his voice still held a bitter edge. "It feels like it sometimes. Like you think I'm paranoid or making things harder. But I'm trying to protect us. I'm trying to keep us safe. That's why I don't trust them. It's not about seeing the worst in everyone—it's about knowing what people are capable of."
---
The Emotional Core – Fear and Loyalty
Hadjer stepped closer to him, her frustration melting into something more vulnerable. "I'm not saying you're wrong to be cautious. I'm scared too, Mellali. But... you can't push everyone away. Not here. We need allies. We can't do this alone."
Mellali looked at her, his eyes softening. "I'm not pushing everyone away. I just... I don't want us to get blindsided. People have their own agendas, and we're not part of their plans. We're outsiders, and I don't know how to make you see that."
"I know we're different," Hadjer whispered. "But I also know you. I know you're just trying to keep us safe. I trust you, Mellali. But you have to let me be scared too. You have to let me believe there's good here, even if it's hard to find."
Mellali's expression softened as he took a deep breath. The fight left him, and in its place, all that remained was the bone-deep exhaustion he had been carrying for days. He ran a hand through his hair, his voice barely a whisper now. "I just don't want to lose you. Not to this world. Not to anyone."
Hadjer's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she reached out, taking his hand. "You won't. I'm here, Mellali. I'm always here. But we can't survive if we don't trust each other. And I do trust you. More than anyone."
Mellali squeezed her hand gently, a small, tired smile pulling at his lips. "Good. Because at the end of the day, you're all I've got."
Hadjer smiled back, though it was sad, weighed down by everything they had been through. "And you're all I need."
---
A Quiet Understanding – Moving Forward
The room grew quiet again, but this time it was a softer silence—one of understanding rather than tension. The weight of the argument still lingered in the air, but it had shifted, no longer pulling them apart but instead drawing them closer together.
Mellali and Hadjer sat together, their hands intertwined, neither needing to say anything more. The world outside was harsh, unforgiving, but in that moment, they had each other. And for now, that was enough.