[Nightmare]

"Well, well. If it isn't the great Helix Margrave." A man announced.

He clapped his hands slowly as soon as Helix entered the man's trailer.

The man had dark, curly brown hair neatly groomed on the sides.

His eyes were olive green, and his face was handsome, clean-cut, and had a leathery appearance.

He looked like a battle veteran around sixty who aged well.

It was a room on wheels that a horse-pulled similar to his.

However, it was large and far more elaborate.

The sight was shocking compared to the living conditions of the other travelers.

There were magic circles of varying degrees of depth on every wall in the room.

Every section of the room filled his mind with interest.

Helix flashed the man an awkward smile.

"Helix Margrave. It's great to meet you, Grandmaster Tilo." He replied with a head nod.

"What a clever answer." The man replied while narrowing his eyes.

"As you've already been told, my name is Grandmaster Tilo Salazar.

Elsa, Helix, please take a seat." Tilo requested with a motion to a leather sofa.

The two complied and sat down.

"Tell me, Helix. What circle of hell did you grow up in that taught you to create the Mirror of Helioquie?" Tilo asked with narrowed eyes.

Helix gave Tilo a slight smile.

"The place is called Earth. It's quite round, but some of my people are certain it's flat." He replied casually.

"I'm sure you're already aware that many cultured yet horrifying beings live there."

Tilo burst into laughter after hearing Helix's sassy reply.

"What a place! If a cat dragged me there like Kylon dragged you to Myriad, I'd doubtlessly be bitter too!" He roared.

"Your personality is quite forward." Helix replied with a wry smile.

"So I guess we'll get along fine." He sighed.

"Hoh? You're speaking as though you've already chosen me for your apprenticeship." Tilo remarked.

"Have you heard about the other grandmasters yet?" He asked.

Helix shook his head.

"No, I haven't. However, the magic circle you helped blend uses runes and techniques used for battle circles.

The Kingdom clearly hired you to complete the task hurriedly, and you jail-rigged the knowledge you have to complete the task.

Apprenticing with someone like you is the best way I can provide value to the women in my life since they're powerful.

If you let me live with my partners, I'll accept your apprenticeship." He reasoned.

Tilo narrowed his eyes.

"Can that Myriad Library of yours see what you're looking at?" He asked with a serious tone.

Helix gave Tilo a slight smile.

"No. I began studying magic circles because they were the only option I had to protect myself from the cultivator wannabes in the Knight core." He chuckled bitterly.

"Until recently, my spirit particle reserve was so low that they were my only option.

So I naturally know about battle circles.

It's also clear that you're the real deal."

Tilo gazed upon the boy with fascination and excitement burning in his eyes.

"I see. I refuse to accept you as an apprentice till you hear your other options.

However, at the very least, I want you to guarantee you'll negotiate a deal to give me some of your time as compensation for temporarily refusing." He replied.

Helix chuckled with a mocking expression.

"You have a deal. If you promise not to use the words [compensation] or [offense] around me." He replied with a slight smile.

While he was joking, his eyes weren't joking.

"Hoh? Oh, yes. I'll use those terms as punishment from now on.

In case you're wondering, I am not joking.

So if you join me, follow the rules." Tilo replied with genuine eyes.

Helix scoffed lightly and turned his head.

After gazing around the room, he sighed.

"Fair. It will remind me of what I lost because I wasn't powerful enough.

This place isn't like Earth. While mass-murdering Sensitive Sallies aren't the norm, monsters and fighting are.

I need to accept that."

Tilo gave Helix a complicated expression.

After a moment of contemplation, he clapped his hands.

"Okay, out you go. We're moving to the training grounds." Tilo announced.

Elsa's eyes widened with bewilderment, but Helix's eyes chuckled bitterly.

"Is this your way of telling me that it's important to get started?" He asked.

"Is there a problem with that?" Tilo asked with a mocking smile.

Helix gave the man a wry smile.

"No. Just don't beat me so bad that my wounds open up.

I don't want to lose a master after I get one." He replied.

"Hoh? You have a lot of grit if you're threatening me." Tilo replied with a sharp gaze.

Helix sighed.

"I'm not threatening you. You should be more attentive to your surroundings, Master."

Tilo's eyes widened in bewilderment.

He turned his head to Elsa slowly.

The motion was similar to a rusty cog that hadn't been oiled in years.

"Uh…." Tilo eked out nervously.

Elsa was glaring daggers so sharp that Tilo thought he might get murdered by her gaze.

Seeing the stand-off, Helix stood up.

"Okay. Please lead the way." He said.

Tilo gave the boy a wry smile.

While Tilo believed Helix was innocent, he couldn't help but believe he had somehow beguiled him.

"... Yes. Elsa, I promise I won't kill my new apprentice." He said awkwardly.

"Ahem!"

"I… promise he won't be bedridden for a week."

"Ahem!"

"I… light scratches and bruises." Tilo sighed.

Elsa sighed and caved in.

"Saving that boy's life has been my full-time job for the last two months.

At least give me a weekend off." She huffed indignantly.

Helix and Tilo laughed but stopped when Elsa struck fear into their hearts with a brutal gaze.

"Ahem. Okay. We'll save the real fun for later…. Come now.

Let's show you your home."

Helix followed behind the man with dry satisfaction.

"Helix. Wait up a minute." Elsa called out.

Tilo stopped respectfully and let the young man turn his attention to her.

"If you're not ready to get on your feet, that's fine.

While I think it's healthy to keep your mind preoccupied, it's equally unhealthy to block out everything else." Elsa reasoned with worried eyes.

Helix gave her a gentle smile.

There was a glint of genuine sadness in his pitch-black eyes.

"Thank you, Elsa. I assure you that there hasn't been a single moment since waking that I haven't thought about Emelia." He confessed.

"I'm using my feelings of love for her as fuel to protect others.

Rather, I'm honoring her life by making more of mine."

Elsa stared at the young man with amazement.

"I've neither experienced loss nor love in my life until recently.

So I don't know how to cope or mourn yet." Helix continued.

"However, there are three women in my life that I also love, and I know that I don't want to experience this again.

So I'll show my love and gratitude by learning how to protect and share in their burdens."

Elsa was left stunned.

"I…. I see. Well, in that case, hurry off.

But you best not wake up to see my worried face anytime soon.

You hear?" She asked.

Helix chuckled and gave her a gentle smile.

"Yeah, I hear you. Do I get to see you again tonight?" He asked.

Elsa didn't know how to respond to the tone he was using.

"Yes…. I'll be staying with you for the next week." She replied.

"I'd… appreciate that." Helix sighed.

After a moment of silence, he turned around and walked away.

Elsa looked at Helix with a worried expression.

However, she had warmth in her eyes.

She never had children, but she felt a certain paternal instinct in her to watch over the young man who was both deceptively strong and weak.

"I'll be there." Elsa whispered with tender eyes as she watched him walking away with Tilo.

"I'll stay with you as long as you need."