The sunlight streamed through the small cracks in the wooden shutters, casting dappled golden patterns onto the modest inn room. Serafine stirred, groaning softly as the weight of the previous night's chaos tried to creep back into her groggy mind. She shifted slightly and froze. Something warm and heavy was wrapped around her.
Her violet eyes cracked open to find Mariella clinging to her side like a particularly affectionate koala. The older woman's face was nestled against Serafine's shoulder, her soft breaths tickling the younger woman's neck. For a moment, Serafine simply stared at the scene, her mind doing acrobatics to process the situation.
Ding!
Her Ruination System popped up in her mind's eye, cheerfully flashing a message:
[Worship Boost Alert!]
Devotion Level: Mariella
Worship Rating: +15%
Notes: Worshipper is deeply smitten. Congratulations, oh Ruiner of Hearts!
The sound of footsteps in the hall pulled her attention, and before she could react, the door creaked open. Calix stepped inside, balancing a tray of what looked like questionable inn food. His bright blue eyes took in the scene before him, Mariella's head on Serafine's shoulder, the tangled sheets, and Serafine's very guilty expression.
"Good morning," Calix said, his voice slow and deliberate, as if he were trying to process a riddle. His cheeks turned a soft pink, and he glanced away, focusing intently on the tray. "I brought breakfast."
"Ah, thanks, Calix," Serafine said, sitting up and gently untangling herself from Mariella's grasp. The older woman stirred, her brown eyes fluttering open. Realizing the position she was in, Mariella's face turned a deep shade of crimson, and she immediately sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest.
"I-I didn't mean to… I mean, I must have…"
Calix, bless his innocent heart, cleared his throat and set the tray on the small table. "Um, I'll just… step outside. Eat quickly; we need to leave soon." He practically bolted from the room, leaving Serafine and Mariella in an awkward silence.
"Well, that's one way to start the morning." She glanced at Mariella, who was still trying to compose herself. "You okay?"
"Y-Yes. Sorry about that. I must have… gotten too comfortable." Her hands fidgeted with the edge of the blanket, and she avoided Serafine's gaze.
"No need to apologize. I don't mind being a pillow. Apparently, I'm quite comfortable."
Mariella's cheeks burned even redder, and she quickly turned her attention to the tray of food. "We should eat. Calix is right; we need to leave soon."
As they ate, Calix returned, looking marginally less flustered. He handed Serafine a rolled-up piece of parchment. "You'll want to see this."
Serafine unrolled the parchment, her eyes scanning the bold text and crude drawings. It was a wanted poster. Two masked figures were depicted, one tall and one shorter, along with a hefty bounty for their capture. The words "Tavern Incident Suspects" were scrawled in large, ominous letters.
"Well, isn't that charming," Serafine muttered, tossing the poster onto the table. "It's not even a good likeness. My nose is way more elegant than that."
Calix frowned. "This is serious. If people recognize us, we're in trouble."
"Then we won't let them recognize us," Serafine said, leaning back in her chair. "I have a skill for that, remember? I'll just—"
"That skill has a time limit, doesn't it?" Calix reminded her. "We can't rely on it forever."
Mariella was quietly listening. All of her life, she'd forsaken this village despite the praises that came for her, but it was only because of all the desperation to please. Now, there was something within their grasp that one mustn't simply let go. A chance to be free. "There's a way out of the town that most people don't know about. An old smuggler's route. I can take you there."
Serafine raised an eyebrow. "Smuggler's route? Mariella, you're full of surprises."
"Running a tavern teaches you things. People talk. And I listen."
It was impressive, even for the both of them. Afterall, how could someone so shy and endearing be capable of cunning? But that was the answer. Appearances were deceiving. "Alright, lead the way. Let's get out of here before someone decides to cash in on that bounty."
The smuggler's route turned out to be a series of narrow alleyways and hidden passages that wound through the underbelly of the town. Mariella led the way, her movements surprisingly stealthy for someone who had spent most of her life behind a bar.
Serafine and Calix followed closely, with Serafine occasionally using her skill to disguise her appearance whenever they passed a particularly nosy-looking guard. The cramped alleys reeked of damp wood and stale beer, but they offered enough cover to keep them out of sight.
"This is oddly exciting," Serafine whispered to Calix as they crept through a tunnel. "Like we're in some kind of heist movie."
Calix didn't respond, his focus entirely on their surroundings. His Ethos, Lumen Sensus, allowed him to sense faint emotional traces, and he was using it to detect any nearby threats.
"No one's nearby," he finally said, his voice low. "We should keep moving."
They emerged into a small courtyard, where a rickety cart loaded with barrels was waiting. Mariella gestured for them to climb in.
"This cart belongs to a friend of mine," she explained. "He'll take us to the outskirts of the town. From there, you're on your own."
"You're not coming with us?"
Mariella shook her head. "I can't. My life is here. But…" She hesitated, her expression softening. "I'll miss you. You've shown me more kindness in a few days than I've had in years."
For once, Serafine didn't have a snarky response and felt suppressed anger. "No, you're mine and you will come with me."
"W-What? But I'll only be a burden. I mean, I'm just a widow, really. There's not much I can do," she stammered, glancing away as if she could just disappear into the air.
"No, no, no! I told you already, didn't I? You're so much more than just... well, that." She waved a hand dismissively, her smile growing wider. "Come with me, and you'll see everything. I'll pull you along, like I said. You're not getting out of this that easily."
Truthfully, Serafine had a few selfish reasons.
Power wasn't something she could afford to pass up, and every single follower mattered, especially one as easy to sway as this. A little lie here, a little truth there, and voila, it was all part of the plan. After all, what was hers was hers, and anything she claimed was already a done deal. Even if it took some convincing, she'd make sure they all knew it.