Mella said, "Either way, we're far from home."
Qein, lounging on a sturdy tree branch above them, chuckled dryly. "Ironic, isn't it?"
Mella shot him a sharp look but said nothing. Her lips parted, a retort on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it and focused instead on the task at hand. "Let's just find the nearest city. On the way, we should meet someone who can help us figure out where exactly we are. Directions, a map, anything. If we can pinpoint Veilrend, we'll make our way there, and eventually back to Nerthudan."
Andrew nodded in agreement, his arms crossed as he leaned against the tree. "Simple and obvious, but solid. It's the only plan we've got."
He glanced up at Qein. "You coming down, or are you planning to camp up there?"
With a casual shrug, Qein leapt from the branch, landing gracefully beside them. He pointed toward the horizon, where faint silhouettes of structures broke the natural landscape. "That way. I saw the most buildings in that direction."
As they began walking, the atmosphere shifted. The air grew heavier, and the distant skyline became more defined, punctuated by thick columns of dark smoke curling into the sky. Mella furrowed her brow as she noticed it, but Qein was the first to comment.
"Why is there a massive dark cloud over it?" he asked, his tone skeptical.
Andrew squinted at the sight. "Yeah, I noticed that too. It's... strange."
Qein looked at him with an arched brow. "You've never seen anything like this before?"
Andrew shook his head. "Not quite like this. I mean, I know this nation's big on factories and industry, but this is my first time seeing it with my own eyes. It's... intense."
"Factories," Qein repeated slowly, his gaze flicking back to the horizon. "You're saying that kind of pollution is normal?"
Andrew shrugged, his hands slipping into his pockets. "I guess? Factories produce goods, energy, tools. Cities grow because of them."
Mella added, "It's not just the factories. Places like this tend to deal with rift activity too. Smoke like that could also mean the city's dealing with one—or recovering from one."
Qein frowned, his steps slowing as he processed her words. "Wait. So rifts happen here too? Even in a place like this?"
Andrew nodded. "Yeah, of course. It's not as rare as you think."
"Not really," Mella corrected. "Almost everywhere deals with rifts. It just happens at different frequencies. Veilrend is... well, it's on the unlucky side."
Qein's frown deepened. "If rifts are so dangerous, why even build a city in a place like Veilrend? Why do people stay there?"
Mella tilted her head thoughtfully, her tone almost reflective. "For one, it's a hub for system chosens. You'll find fighters, merchants, researchers—all sorts. And second, rifts are..." She hesitated, her eyes darting toward the distant horizon as she searched for the right words. "Rifts are... necessary."
Andrew's brow furrowed, and he gave her a puzzled look. "Necessary? How?"
She blinked, clearly surprised by the question. "Economy, industrialization, medicine, technology... Take your pick." She gestured vaguely.
Andrew raised a brow. "I'm certain it's my first time being told this."
"I probably dreamed I did," Mella muttered.
"Wow, you dream about me? Andrew smiled. ,"What other type of dreams?"
"One where you fell headfirst into a giant hole."
"Dope. What else?"
Qein abruptly stopped walking, his face darkening as a realization struck him.
"So your entire world relies on rifts existing," he said, his tone almost accusatory. His gaze flicked between them. "On monsters existing."
Andrew and Mella both turned to look at him, their expressions confused.
"That means you can never get rid of them!" Qein continued, his voice rising as he spoke. "If you do, your economy, your industry, your technology, your medicine—everything collapses. And what doesn't collapse just stagnates!"
Andrew blinked, caught off guard by the sudden intensity. "I mean... when you put it that way, I guess that's true."
"Yeah," Mella added, almost casually. "It's just how it is."
Qein stared at them, his face a mix of disbelief and frustration. "How can you two be so calm about this? Doesn't it bother you? Even a little?"
Mella's gaze softened, though there was a faint edge to her tone. "Why would it bother us? It's our reality, Qein. Rifts and monsters are just... part of life. They've always been there. Sure, sometimes I look at a rift and think, 'How is this real?' But the idea of them not existing? That feels... impossible. It's weird to even imagine."
"But why?" Qein demanded, his hands clenching into fists. "Why doesn't it bother you? If you accept it, aren't you also accepting that the world has to keep suffering? That people have to keep dying? Doesn't that make you complicit?"
Mella frowned, visibly taken aback. "Complicit? No, that's not fair. We fight rifts to protect people, not hurt them."
Andrew tilted his head slightly, his voice measured. "It's not about wanting rifts around. It's about understanding that they're part of the world. It's... complicated."
"It's not that complicated," Qein snapped. "You just don't want them gone."
Andrew paused, considering the accusation. "No. I don't think so."
Qein stared at him, disbelief etched into his features. "How? How can you say that so calmly?"
Andrew opened his mouth to respond but faltered, glancing at Mella. She stepped in, her tone sharpening.
"You don't get to judge us, Qein. When we're on Earth, rifts lead to realms filled with nothing but monsters. There's no one else in those spaces. It's not like we're playing with lives or something."
"Not playing with lives?" Qein repeated bitterly. "What about the lives tied to keeping the rifts open? You don't see that as a problem?"
"I do!" Mella shot back, her voice rising. "But what am I supposed to do? Rifts exist. Monsters exist. That's the reality we've been given."
Qein let out a hollow laugh. "And you're okay with that? You're okay with just going along with it because someone told you to?"
Mella's voice softened, but there was steel in her words. "I joined Andrew on this quest stuff because I wanted to help save other worlds. I wanted to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. I wasn't just 'going along' with anything."
She hesitated, her voice faltering slightly. "It's the same for Andrew. Right?"
Andrew exhaled sharply, his eyes dropping to the ground. "No, he's not wrong. Not entirely." He looked up, meeting Qein's intense gaze. "I do it because I was chosen for it. Because it makes me feel special."