Outside, the night had already fallen. The stars were shining exceptionally bright in the sky, as if applauding the two young men for a job well done. Aestus looked up, imagining what his parents would think of him at this moment. His thoughts were interrupted by Orkan, who was already making plans for the next day.

"Okay, tomorrow we wake up early and head straight to a Blacksmith. They can surely fix our clothes, armor, and weapons in no time. Do they use the same type of magic as the Wizards? No, it must be different... But we also need to get some potions and food. The day could be long."

"Why all that?" Aestus asked, confused. "We don't even know if there will be new contracts. I don't know if you remember, but all the level one contracts were completed today."

Orkan had an inscrutable expression on his face. It was a mix of a mischievous boy who had pulled a prank, along with excitement and pride. He then pulled a paper from his pocket and extended it towards Aestus. It was the contract for the flame deer! Even in the dim streetlight, the large number three in red could be seen in the upper right corner of the page.

"Orkan!!!" Aestus tried to grab the contract, but Orkan kept it out of his reach, tucking it back into his pocket. "We can't do this! We could die or, even worse, be expelled from the Guild!"

Orkan burst into loud laughter at Aestus's inverted values, explaining himself afterward.

"Do you really think you can dangle such a treasure in front of a Rogue and not expect him to steal it? Sorry, friend, it's stronger than me." Orkan placed a hand over his chest, feigning distress.

"Orkan, this is wrong. I thought you were happy with the rewards from the contracts," Aestus replied.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I was extremely happy," Orkan said, grinning from ear to ear. "But wouldn't this be even better? We'll earn almost ten times what we made today alone. And I don't want to lose to some mediocre Knight and a greasy Wizard. Have you seen his oily hair?"

Aestus looked at his friend incredulously. The payment was indeed tempting, but rules were rules. Orkan was already walking towards his inn, leaving Aestus behind in a state of shock. The Knight quickly composed himself and ran after his friend. Despite walking, Orkan was quite fast, thanks to his long legs.

"Orkan, listen. Let's go back and return that contract. We can say you found it on the ground, that it came loose from the frame. We can't do this," Aestus pleaded.

"I already did it, Aestus. There's no turning back. And one more thing: I'm going on this hunt tomorrow, with or without you," Orkan said, emphasizing his last words.

"You're hopeless, you shameless Rogue," Aestus said, biting his lips and immediately regretting it.

Orkan froze on the spot. For a moment, the only sound was the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees. All the people who had mistreated Orkan in his life flashed through his mind in a matter of milliseconds. Now, he added the image of his best friend to that list, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions he couldn't even comprehend. Disappointment, sadness, anger, pain, exhaustion... But the worst of all was the feeling that this would happen sooner or later. The only person he trusted also saw him as a lost cause. Orkan stared at the ground, trembling, his right fist clenched tightly.

"You think you're so perfect, don't you? The paragon of truth, the pride of the city of Comanse," Orkan retorted, acidly, turning to face Aestus. "You couldn't resist the opportunity to 'fix' your broken friend, the family's shame."

Aestus began to try to explain himself but was abruptly interrupted.

"Give it up, Aestus. You can't help everyone, fix all the mistakes, be the hero all the time. You can't save the world. You, more than anyone, should know that," Orkan said.

Aestus had been looking at the ground, but he raised his head and stared intently at Orkan. He couldn't possibly mean that... A cold chill ran through Aestus's veins, and the pleasant breeze now felt chilling against his skin.

"I may have all the flaws that a Rogue has," Orkan continued, turning his back. "But at least I wasn't a useless selfish person who let his parents die."

Aestus clutched his chest as if he had been stabbed, releasing a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. All the guilt he had suppressed for so long resurfaced at once. He staggered for a moment, feeling his legs weaken and tears burn his eyes. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Was it just Orkan who thought that? In truth, no. Because Aestus himself knew it was his fault.

The Knight was about to say something to Orkan, but he was no longer there. Aestus didn't even hear his friend leave. Perhaps it was for the best; there wasn't much more to be said. Aestus rubbed his eyes with one hand, taking deep breaths. He returned to his home, feeling like a zombie. Some people were still on the streets, waving to Aestus. However, he didn't hear anything, didn't react to anything. His walk was automatic, robotic.

He entered through the front door, removing his dirty shoes and damaged armor. His house was impeccable, neat, and clean. Yet, it was a replica of Aestus's life: visually perfect but empty. After taking a shower, Aestus tried to watch something on television, but nothing seemed interesting. Only news of Creature attacks, Baruc's latest inventions, discoveries of new mines... In truth, Aestus couldn't focus. He decided to sleep, hoping that the next day would bring a solution to his problems and silence the voices in his head telling him that he was responsible for his parents' deaths.