Maria's Perspective:

When the morning came again, I felt like I had a large stone on my chest. I didn't want to get up, convinced that anything I did would be worthless. Whatever action I took seemed doomed to end in failure, and the thought of another day filled me with dread.

"Rise and shine!" Art shouted, throwing open the window and letting sunlight pour in, banishing the darkness of the room.

He was full of energy, as always, ready to face the day. How? How could he be like that after everything? After the failure we'd just experienced? What had he been through that allowed him to carry on so easily?

"Alright, alright!" I muttered, dragging myself out of bed. I reluctantly changed into the clothes Art had gotten for me. He had insisted.

"You should wear this," he had said. "Human maids wear these. If you wear something with the elvish royal crest, everyone will know we’re here."

I looked at myself in the mirror, wondering if I had the strength to keep pretending everything was fine. But for now, all I could do was follow Art, hoping some small piece of normalcy could pull me out of this weight on my chest.

I stepped out of the inn and saw him standing on the other side of the street, waving enthusiastically. I was sure my eyes were still red from crying all night, but there he was, looking carefree, full of life and excitement. How could he be like that after everything? But he was. He looked happy, even though everything was falling apart.

"Come, I have a surprise for you!" he said, beaming, and without waiting for a response, he grabbed my hand and led me down the street.

I couldn’t help but blush at the way he so casually took my hand, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He didn't seem to notice—or care—if I reacted. His mind was already elsewhere, probably focused on whatever surprise he had in store.

We came to a small shop, tucked between two taller buildings. A small sign hanging above the door indicated that it was a tea shop, but I had never seen anything quite like it. The air around it smelled... different. The people inside were seated at small tables, sipping from cups of steaming liquid. They looked so content, as though they were escaping their own worlds, just like I had been trying to do all night.

We stepped inside, and immediately, the various smells bombarded my senses. They were unfamiliar, yet comforting, each fragrance somehow familiar but different. While I had grown up in Zoel, surrounded by teas that only noble humans could dream of drinking, these were... something else. I had always thought of myself as a tea expert, but now, I wasn’t so sure.

"Two of the red ones," Art told the bartender.

"Coming right up," the bartender responded with a smile, bustling around to prepare our order.

Curious, I turned to Art. "What are the red ones?"

"Just try it," he said with that playful glint in his eyes.

A moment later, the bartender placed two cups before us, both filled with a clear, red liquid. The aroma was unfamiliar, spicy but enticing. I took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment before I lifted the cup to my lips.

I took a sip.

It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. The initial wave of spice hit my tongue, sharp and bold. It was more intense than I expected, as though it were meant to wake me up, force me to pay attention. But then... the aftertaste. It was sweet. Sweet in a way that was almost surprising. It lingered like vanilla, soft and soothing, in stark contrast to the fiery kick I had just experienced.

My eyes widened, and I set the cup down carefully. "How... how is it possible?" I muttered to myself. "Spicy, but sweet... at the same time?" It was such a strange combination that it almost didn’t make sense, but it worked.

"Good, right?" Art smiled at me, clearly pleased with my reaction.

I nodded, still trying to wrap my mind around the flavor. "This... this is unlike anything I’ve ever had before. I thought I knew tea, but I guess I was wrong."

Art chuckled, his eyes warm with a playful spark. "You’re never too old to learn something new, Maria."

The way he said my name, the way he looked at me with that easy, comforting smile, made me feel... lighter, if only for a moment. For once, I could forget about the weight pressing down on me, about Artemis and the danger ahead, and simply focus on this strange and delightful surprise.

---

Arterios's perspective (Inner thoughts):

As I watched Maria sip the tea, I couldn’t help but smile. She had been so quiet, so lost in herself ever since we set out. I knew she was struggling, even if she didn’t admit it. But this... this was good. Watching her react to the tea, seeing her eyes light up with that genuine surprise, felt like a small victory. It wasn’t much, but I could tell it was pulling her out of her head for just a moment.

I didn’t want to tell her everything. Not yet. There was no need to burden her more than she already was. The mission, the danger—she didn’t need to think about it. Not right now.

But there was another reason I had brought her here. I needed to do something—anything—to give her a little peace, if only for a few hours. I couldn’t carry the weight of the world on my own, but I could try to help her with hers. She was stronger than she realized, but even the strongest need moments to breathe.

And if I could help her find those moments, if I could make her smile even once in the midst of all this chaos, maybe—just maybe—I could give her the strength she needed to keep going.