On the way back, none of you—neither you, Discord, nor Ksori—walk with the same lightness as when you set out.
You push aside the tangle of thoughts in your mind and quicken your pace toward the dorm.
The moment the leash is loosened, Ksori slips away to the same corner where she first showed signs of stress, curling herself tightly.
The name tag she fought so hard to protect is still clamped firmly in her jaws.
Ksori—
Even though she's still worried about the dog's condition, Discord obediently sits down.
The bite on her arm isn't deep, and you know your first aid skills are enough to handle it. You don't let the Construct girl—accustomed to patching up her own wounds—tend to it herself.
While your hands work, your mind threads together the facts, connecting motive, events, and outcome. Now all that's left is to confirm your theory.
The nano-material just needs a moment to stabilize. Thank you, Commandant.
It's nothing. I did what I had to do to protect our companion.
Her gaze drifts toward the trembling ball of fur in the corner, guilt flickering in her expression.
Kaiji has bribed staff before. I should have insisted on going into the exam room.
Maybe then they wouldn't have had a chance to frame Ksori.
Yeah... you're right. You have to follow a broken thread back to where it's knotted, then pull it free and sew it up properly.
That strange scent—I've never smelled anything like it. That's our lead. It must have triggered something in Ksori, dragged up an old memory.
Yeah. This time, I'm not letting the shadows pull me under.
So tired... so hungry... so much pain... so cold... so dark... my, my, my—
Did I do wrong? I did wrong.
Don't go, don't go.
Did I do wrong? I did wrong.
Don't leave me. Don't throw me away.
I will never abandon you. I will never leave you behind.
<i>So <color=#ff4e4eff>cold</color>, so <color=#ff4e4eff>dark</color>. That smell... <color=#ff4e4eff>he's</color> here.</i>
Three whole crates of Western Breeze! And those damn monsters had to...
Tch! Now I have to give up some of my own stash... did hardly any work and still wants a ridiculous cut... And shut up! Barking won't bring my goods back!
You... you ungrateful mutt! I have to grovel at the dinner table and you dare bare your teeth at me?! Someone, get over here and give this beast a beating!
It hurts... can't die... have to fight back—
Even though I was prepared for it, actually seeing these scumbags is still...
Orphan or stray, when your life's in someone else's hands, every second is a fight to survive.
Alcoholism and violence... they have a way of becoming habits.
That must be the source of the scent on Kaiji's training dog. It was deliberate.
Sold out, betrayed...
Discord clenches her fists as she rises, but when she starts toward Ksori, her steps hesitate.
She glances down at the repaired marks on her arm, then looks to you, her eyes quietly asking for help.
Ksori knows she hurt me and is afraid she'll get abandoned again. But she was framed... Right now, she needs comfort the most.
These marks on my arm... I'm afraid they'll just make her feel guiltier.
Would hiding them behind my back help?
Hm? I used to. Not anymore.
If something's wrong, we tell each other; no matter how many times, you'll always come for me... Companions tend each other's wounds.
Seeing the Construct girl start to understand, you pause at just the right moment, letting her finish the thought herself.
As long as the desire to protect each other hasn't changed, anything can be mended.
I see now, Commandant. I was letting my worry get the better of me.
Just like many days ago, the two of you approach the corner of the wall carefully.
Ksori's ears twitch. But this time, she doesn't run away. She shifts her tail from her face, revealing a pair of wet, gem-like brown eyes.
Discord sits down in front of her.
Don't be afraid, Ksori. It's us, your companions.
The blue-haired Construct reaches out with her injured arm and gently rubs the training dog's head.
Ksori stares at Discord's wound, a low whimper rumbling from her throat.
Whimper...
It's okay. [player name] has already treated my wound.
I know you were just trying too hard to protect your name tag and lost control. I don't blame you.
Long ago, I had nothing but a name tag and a little stuffed dog. Like you, I was used and thrown away by many people.
I was scared of losing what little I had left. That fear made me shut everyone out, using violence as my only shield.
Those days when blood was met with blood...
Those desperate moments of struggling alone...
Her gaze sweeps over her mechanical legs before she tilts her face upward, as if searching for a sliver of light from within a swamp of blood and darkness.
Those who reached out to me with unwavering hands.
The one who walks beside me now.
But now, we both have companions who won't abandon us.
The girl smiles faintly at you. Meeting the look in her eyes, you kneel and rest your hand on Ksori's soft, warm fur.
Slowly, hesitantly, her slender but strong fingertips move along the fur until they rest gently over the back of your hand.
We'll be with you, supporting you, until all of us learn better ways to protect each other.
You're not some unwanted stray—you're our dear little dog.
Cupping the dog's face in her hands, the Construct girl squeezes gently at the corners of her mouth, then leans in to touch her nose to Ksori's damp snout.
"My little dog is so cute. With her ears cut short and her tail cut long."
Whimper... whimper...
With a metallic clink, the name tag drops from the dog's jaws. Ksori then buries her head in Discord's chest, whimpering as she licked her face in an affectionate frenzy.
Big tears spill from her bright eyes, wetting the fur around her muzzle.
I still don't fully understand what "better ways" means.
But maybe having the hope to search for them is more important than finding them.
That's what you taught me.
You sit down beside Discord and pick up the name tag.
Yeah.
A warm weight suddenly leans against your shoulder.
Her cobalt-blue hair brushes your arm, unusually soft and fluffy in the touch of the setting sun—a stark contrast to her usual composure.
Maybe this is who she was all along. Her long suffering cut her old life to pieces, but now she's taken back the threads and scissors, ready to weave a new story alongside those she treasures.
[player name], I'm so glad my past self didn't give up.
If I hadn't kept going, I wouldn't be leaning on you now.
