NOVPUB"…Who are you?"
Like earlier, there was no warmth in that question.
It was plain and cold, a pin dropped in a quiet room.
Unlike Faqir, this man didn't look hurt or surprised; if anything, his grin softened into something gentler.
He gestured at a wider spot of sand near the fire and sank down cross-legged, patting the spot next to him.
Malik hesitated, then sat, folding himself down in one smooth motion.
"You know."
He poked a stick into the fire.
"My last promise to you was… really selfish."
A short, self-mocking laugh left his lips.
"I knew how dependent you were on your Return By Death. I wanted to help you. I wanted to ease the weight. But… looks like I just dumped more on you. Made you feel like a hypocrite."
Malik's eyes flickered.
A faint widening—barely there, but noticeable.
"…Did I…?"
The man shot him a sideways grin.
"No, you didn't tell me. I figured it out myself. It was kind of obvious at that point."
"I see."
"For the record…"
The man stretched his arms behind his head, gaze flicking to the stars.
"I'm not taking that request back. I still want you to stop throwing yourself into the fire every time things go south. You should treasure yourself a little more. Love yourself a little more. Dunno why you keep thinking you're worthless when you've accomplished so much. You might even be comparable to me~."
Malik's head lowered slightly.
"I've accomplished nothing."
The words fell out of his mouth like stones.
"If someone like you died beside me… I've accomplished absolutely nothing."
The man laughed.
"Oh, really? My business acumen and years of experience tell me otherwise!"
He leaned in.
"You, my son, pulled off the impossible. Saving that Duban kid? That entire village? With barely any deaths? Against that many bandits? That was one Hell of a challenge. Impossible, I'd say. But you did it... And not just once, I'm sure."
Thump.
Malik's chest tightened.
His heart moved. But his mind… still foggy.
He couldn't exactly remember. But he could feel.
That warmth in his chest. That ache in his ribs. That familiar weight on his hands.
"…How did I lose you?"
The man's grin finally faltered.
He looked away, the lines at the corners of his eyes deepening.
It seemed that he didn't want to answer.
"How did I lose you?"
Malik repeated, insisting.
The man sat still.
For a long moment, all one could hear was the pop of the fire.
What was he supposed to say? That he'd asked Malik to kill him? To hide his body before little Night saw? To cover up the blood, the mess, the shame? Be selfish once more by asking him to take care of her when everything pointed to Malik being his killer?
"Houfffff..."
The man took a deep breath, landing on a decision.
"I'm Rehan... Ali Baba, leader of the One Thousand Nights caravan. I hired you to guard us on our way to deliver goods."
His voice thinned.
"You watched over us. Protected us..."
Thump.
"And in the end… You were the first of those who stayed."
Malik sat, frozen. Silent. Processing.
Slowly—painfully slowly—a single tear traced its way down his cheek.
Just one, but it was as heavy as a mountain.
Rehan watched it fall, a bittersweet smile pulling at his lips.
"Welcome back."
"I…"
Malik's voice cracked a second time.
"I'm sorry… I…"
Rehan reached over, resting a firm, warm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be. I'm the one who should be sorry… Really. I never imagined my words would weigh on you so much. You'd be better off forgetting me."
Malik shook his head. His fingers curled into fists.
"You know I won't."
"I do."
For a long moment, they sat there.
Just two men in the firelight.
Not a soldier and a ghost.
Not a failure and a memory.
Not a son and a father.
Just two men.
Rehan chuckled, squeezing Malik's shoulder.
"I bet my daughter lashed out at you bad, huh?"
Malik gave a tiny shrug, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
"I wouldn't know."
"Ah… forgot about that bit."
Rehan smirked, shaking his head.
"Still… I thought you two would make up. Judging by how you look, guess you didn't... Maybe I spoiled her too much. Mhm. She lost quite the catch, eh, son?"
A broken laugh slipped from Malik's lips.
"…Thanks."
"Well…"
Rehan patted Malik's shoulder twice, then pushed himself to his feet.
"It's time for me to go. Ready yourself, kid. Your second complacency's coming. And I'm sure…"
His eyes softened further.
"You loved her even more than you loved me."
Malik exhaled slowly, lifting his gaze.
"Don't be jealous."
Rehan's grin went wide, and he clapped his hands once.
"I won't."
Blink.
And just like that, the fire was gone.
The ground fell away.
The night dissolved.
Malik sat alone.
The third complacency was over.
The world fell, and Malik found himself in a forest, his boots half-sunk into the dirt.
Before him stretched a quiet lake, silver ripples flickering under the Twelve Moons.
Trees bowed toward the water, their leaves falling upon its surface.
And right there, just at the edge of the water...
She waited—his second complacency.
A little girl, small and delicate, dressed in clothes two sizes too big.
Her dark hair fell like a silk curtain down her back, a jasmine tucked behind one ear.
With eyes sparkling like a thousand stars, she looked up at him with the brightest, sunniest smile, one so pure it nearly hurt to look at.
Malik just… stared.
Long.
His mind drifted in that slow, cold way it did, thoughts rolling across his consciousness.
How long ago was their relationship? Was she someone he knew back when he was a kid? Or was it some kid whom he met on his travels to reach the south? Some southern village? Caravan girl?
He could not say.
No clear answer could come.
But there was no need for an answer.
Without a hint of restraint, the girl launched herself forward.
"Biiiiig broooother!!"
