A somber silence settled between them, the fleeting amusement fading as reality crept back in. Patrick exhaled slowly, resting his arms on his knees.
"...Back in that fifth level," he started, his voice quieter now, "when we thought we were going to die... you said you were lonely."
Grace's expression tightened. She looked away, staring at the flickering light in the room. "Yeah... and so did you."
Patrick ran a hand through his yellow hair, staring at the ceiling. "I never really admitted it to anyone before that. But... yeah, I was lonely. Even before Yumeria was destroyed."
Grace turned to him. "Before?"
Patrick nodded. "I spent my whole life chasing approvalâthrough my cooking, through impressing people. But the truth is... none of it ever made me feel seen." His grip tightened on his sleeve. "I'd make a perfect dish, and people would love it, praise it. But that's all they sawâthe food. Not me. Just my skills."
Grace frowned, realizing how much weight he had been carrying.
Patrick continued. "And when Yumeria was destroyed... I lost everything. The people, the places, the kitchens I used to work in. It was like my entire world vanished overnight, and suddenly, I had nothing. No home, no future, no purpose. I kept cooking in my mind, thinking, 'If I get out of the prison, I'll cook again. That's what I do.' But then I thought... what's the point? Who am I even cooking for anymore?"
Grace felt a lump in her throat. Patrick wasn't just talking about foodâhe was talking about his entire existence.
Patrick let out a shaky breath. "I told myself I didn't care anymore. That I'd given up on chasing people's approval. But that was a lie. Deep down... I was just afraid. Afraid of being forgotten. Afraid that no matter what I did, I'd always be alone."
Grace clenched her fists. "I get that," she admitted, her voice unsteady. "Back on Mystra, I was always someoneâthe girl with the charms, the prodigy magician, the one people wanted to be around. I acted like I had everything under control, like I was untouchable." She gritted her teeth. "But the truth is... none of those people really knew me. They only liked the image of me. The moment I stopped being perfect, they would have turned away."
Patrick remained silent, listening.
Grace's hands trembled slightly. "And then... when I was in Raven's prison... I really was alone." Her voice wavered. "No admirers, no friends, nothing. Just me and my broken mind." She swallowed hard. "I kept thinking, 'So this is what happens when you stop being useful. When you stop being perfect. You just get thrown away.'"
Patrick's jaw clenched.
Grace blinked rapidly, forcing herself to breathe. "And the worst part? I started believing that. That I deserved it. That maybe... I was never worth anything to begin with."
Silence.
Then, Patrick spoke, his voice firm. "That's nonsense."
Grace looked at him, surprised.
Patrick turned to face her fully. "You were worth something. You still are. You didn't deserve what happened to you, and neither did I." His voice grew rough with emotion. "Raven wanted to make us believe we were nothing. That our lives didn't matter. But we're here. We survived."
Grace inhaled shakily, her throat tightening. "...Yeah."
Patrick nodded. "And we're not alone anymore."
Grace hesitated, then smiledâjust a little. "No. We're not."
Patrick sat there, staring at the floor, his fists clenched tightly against his knees. He had just admitted everythingâhis loneliness, his fears, his doubts. But even after saying it out loud, the emptiness inside him didn't fade.
It never did.
No matter how much he laughed, no matter how many meals he cooked, no matter how many people surrounded himâhe never truly felt like he belonged.
He had been betrayed before. He had seen people change the moment they no longer needed him. Trusting others... it was a fool's gamble.
And yetâ
He felt a sudden warmth as a pair of arms wrapped around him.
Patrick tensed. He wasn't used to this. Affection wasn't something he received often, especially not like this.
Grace was hugging him.
Even in her own pain, she was the one who reached out.
"It's fine," she murmured, her voice softer than he had ever heard it. "Even if you don't believe in anyone else... I'll remember you."
Patrick's breath hitched.
She wasn't saying empty words. She wasn't trying to fix him.
She was just... there.
Just like he had been there for her in that final moment, when they thought they were going to die.
Slowly, hesitantly, he lifted his arms and wrapped them around her in return. He wasn't sure why he was doing it. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was desperation.
Or maybeâjust maybeâhe didn't want to feel alone anymore.
"...I'll remember you too," he admitted, his voice cracking. "For who you are."
Grace tightened her grip.
They sat there, holding onto each other as if the world outside didn't exist.
They had lost their planets. Their homes. Their people.
They were surrounded by allies, and yet, in their hearts, they still felt isolated.
Because trust? That was dangerous. People could betray you. People could leave.
And so, in that moment, they made a silent decision.
They wouldn't open themselves to anyone else.
They wouldn't let themselves be vulnerable again.
But each other?
That, at least, was something they could hold onto.
For now... that was enough.
The silence between them lingered, neither wanting to break the fragile moment they had found.
Patrick closed his eyes, his grip around Grace tightening just slightly before he let out a shaky breath and pulled back. Grace did the same, wiping her eyes quickly as if refusing to acknowledge the tears that had slipped out.
"...That's enough of that," she muttered, crossing her arms as she turned away. "Any more, and people might think we actually like each other."
Patrick snorted. "Like hell I'd let that happen."
Grace smirked, but the usual teasing glint in her eyes was softer now.
They understood each other in a way no one else did.
Even surrounded by allies, they had been drowning in isolation. But now... at least one person in the universe truly understood them.
Patrick leaned against the wall, arms crossed, staring up at the ceiling. "So... we just keep moving forward, huh?"
Grace nodded. "We do. But on our own terms."
Patrick smirked. "Fine by me."
For now, that was all they needed.
But unknown to them, Ian was still recording.
Hidden just outside the room, he and the othersâJen, Olive, Zack, Fuga, Clara, Gorin, and a few curious prisonersâhad witnessed everything.
The rare sight of Patrick and Grace, the two who never seemed to get along, finding solace in each other.
Ian slowly lowered his camera, his usual grin absent.
"...Guess they really are two of a kind," he murmured.
Jen, eyes still watery from the scene, nodded. "They're holding on the only way they know how."
Zack clenched his fists. "I never realized how lonely they were..."
Olive exhaled, shaking her head. "And we can't force them to open up. But at least... they have each other."
Ian sighed, wiping his face before forcing a smirk. "Well, this is definitely going in the documentary. 'Two idiots finding comfort in their shared misery.'"
Jen elbowed him. "Idiot! Don't you dare show this to anyone!"
Ian laughed, but even he knew this wasn't something to be mocked.
This was something real.
For once, he wasn't filming for the world to see.
He was filming... just to remember.
As the group slowly crept away, leaving Patrick and Grace to their moment, they all carried the same thoughtâ
Even the strongest people could be broken.
But sometimes, even in brokenness... you could still find someone who understood.
Back in the battle...
Safari hurled his Devil Hammer Throw with immense force, the weapon whirling through the air like a meteor. At the same moment, Angeleva channeled her energy into her Fairy Wand, unleashing Fairy Lance, a piercing beam of light aimed directly at Raven's chest.
The two attacks raced toward their target.
Raven, however, did not move.
Instead, a dark grin spread across his face.
With a mere tilt of his head, he dodged the Devil Hammer Throw, letting it slam into the ground behind him, shattering the earth. The Fairy Lance struck his chest, but rather than causing damage, it simply dispersed into flickering sparks.
Angeleva's eyes widened. "What!?"
Safari gritted his teeth. "He's playing with us!"
Raven's expression darkened. "Playing? No. I simply haven't found a reason to take you seriously."
Then, he moved.
A dark blurâand suddenly, he was right in front of Safari.
Safari barely had time to react before Raven's fist crashed into his stomach, sending him flying back.
"Safari!" Angeleva gasped.
She swung her wand, casting Fairy Shield around herself just as Raven's leg shot out, attempting to kick her away. The barrier cracked but held firm, pushing her back instead of shattering completely.
She quickly countered, unleashing Fairy Storm, sending a torrent of glowing daggers toward Raven.
But Raven simply walked through them.
The energy slashes struck his body, but instead of cutting him, they dissolved on contact, their light vanishing into the darkness of his aura.
Angeleva's heart pounded. "Nothing's working!"
Safari slammed his hammer into the ground, using the impact to launch himself back at Raven.
"THEN WE HIT HARDER!" he roared, his hammer glowing red-hot.
Raven smirkedâand vanished.
A moment later, a heavy blow landed against Safari's back.
He was sent flying once more, crashing through a ruined pillar.
Angeleva spun around, swinging her wand. "Fairy Beam!"
A radiant beam of pure energy erupted from the tip of her wand, aimed at the spot where Raven had just struck Safari.
But he wasn't there anymore.
"Behind you," Raven's voice whispered.
Angeleva spun aroundâbut she was too slow.
A shadowy hand grabbed her throat and lifted her off the ground.
Her eyes widened as Raven's face hovered inches from hers, his dark eyes brimming with amusement.
"You two are persistent," he murmured. "I'll give you that."
His grip tightened, and she gasped, struggling to free herself.
Safari, still recovering from the impact, saw this and his rage ignited.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" he roared.
With a surge of power, he rushed forward, swinging his hammer with everything he hadâ
Raven threw Angeleva aside and caught the hammer with one hand.
Safari's eyes widened in shock.
Raven smirked. "You're still too slow."
Then, with brutal force, he punched Safari in the chest.
A shockwave erupted from the impact, sending Safari skidding back, gasping for air.
Angeleva pushed herself up, wiping blood from her mouth. "This... this is insane..."
Raven cracked his knuckles. "Enough warming up."
His aura expanded, filling the battlefield with crushing pressure.
Safari and Angeleva, despite their exhaustion, stood their ground.