The Omnistore System

"Okay, take care," Maria said with a soft smile as the holographic screen blinked off.

After chatting for almost an hour with his mom, Kevin finally wrapped up the call. It was tough breaking the news that he wouldn't be able to call for months. When he told her, she got all teary, which made it even tougher. Somehow, he managed to talk her through it before hanging up.

He had intended to introduce Keith to his mom, but with the serious conversation, he decided against it. Now, walking towards Keith—who was still munching on chips and engrossed in something on her watch—he heard her jest, "I didn't know you were a mama's boy. Who talks with their mother for hours on a call?" 

Kevin thought of saying 'the ones who have them?' but it might have been too much, so he just shook his head and replied, "She wanted to chat more when I mentioned that today would be the last call for the next two months."

"Mothers are like that," Zaria remarked, gazing at the fire with a smile.

Kevin nodded, settling down beside Keith and reaching for some chips from her bag. "Miss Zaria, or can I just call you Zaria?"

"I don't mind," Zaria replied, looking at him with her yellow eyes.

Kevin, munching on the chips, leaned back. "So, Zaria, what brings you on this trip?"

Zaria adjusted her position, eyes still fixed on the fire's dance. "Oh, the usual—a quest for rare artifacts and uncovering forgotten lore."

"Don't bullshit. This dark forest might seem all adventurous, but it's more danger than a thrill. Keith's her because her niece, I'm in for some profit, and others have debts or promises to settle with the Demitia family or their folks. What's your reason? Got some debts hanging over your head too?" Kevin's question surprised both women.

"What debts and promises are you talking about?" Keith asked, surprise painting her face.

Kevin glanced at her, contemplating whether to share what Ken had disclosed. Seeing Zaria's knowing smile, he realized others likely knew too. He didn't want Keith to be the only one left in the dark, so he relayed Ken's information.

"What? How could they? No, Aunt Yelena wouldn't do this," Keith reacted, shocked by the revelation. She stood up abruptly. "I'm going to ask her," she declared, ready to stride toward her tent, but Kevin intercepted her.

"Stop," he urged, guiding her back to her seat. "What are you going to ask her? If she's really leaving? Why she's leaving? I can answer those questions for you. Or better yet, you can answer your own questions."

The blonde girl appeared shocked and saddened by his words, though she knew deep down that she already held the answers she sought.

She didn't care much about others leaving; they could be replaced or she herself can grow stronger to fill their place. But Yelena was different. After her parents passed away, Yelena became like a mother figure to her. Accepting her departure just like that was a notion she couldn't come to terms with.

Zaria, sensing the emotional tension, interjected softly, "Maybe it's better she hear it directly from her directly."

Kevin shot her an angry glance, but noticing Keith's saddened expression, he relented. "Yeah, direct talks can clear things up better sometimes, but let's hold off for now. Maybe it's better to have that conversation in the morning when you get a chance to talk to her." Saying this, he felt a hypocrite, as he was the one who started in the first place.

Keith's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I just don't understand why she'd leave without saying anything. She's like family to me."

"Maybe there's more to her decision than we know," Zaria offered, attempting to console Keith.

Kevin leaned in, his voice gentle. "People don't always leave because they want to. Sometimes they leave because they have to."

Tears welled up in Keith's eyes as she struggled to contain her emotions. "But why without letting me know?"

"Well, she hasn't left yet, so you can't say she's going without telling you," Kevin corrected her.

In response, he received a nasty glare from her. Kevin raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I'm just saying. Maybe she has her reasons."

Keith shook her head, a mix of frustration and sadness in her eyes. "But she's like family. She should've talked to me."

Zaria leaned forward, her voice gentle. "Sometimes, things don't happen the way we expect. Maybe there's a reason she hasn't said anything yet."

Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe she's trying to figure things out herself."

Amidst the intense conversation about Yelena, Keith, and Kevin inadvertently forgot to inquire about Zaria's reasons for being there. If they had, they would have been shocked and filled with fear, and the way she was looking at Kevin, if he happened to glance into her eyes at this moment, he would find out why.

The solitary sound dominating the space was Kevin's blades slicing through the air, his labored breaths and beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, mingling with the crackling embers bursting from the charred wood.

The tranquility shattered as Keyara emerged from her tent. "You three can rest now."

Zaria silently nodded, heading back to the tent she had emerged from. Kevin fetched his shirt, while Keith stared at Keyara for a moment. Sensing the gaze, Keyara questioned, "What?"

This made her shake her head sadly before entering the tent. "Nothing."

"Weird," Keyara remarked, watching her go. Turning to Kevin, she inquired, "What happened to her?"

Taking a sip of water, Kevin looked at her and explained, "I told her about Yelena and others leaving the Demitia family after we return from the den."

The warrior woman's eyes blazed with fury as she roughly grabbed Kevin's shoulder, peering into his eyes. "How do you know this? No... Why did you tell her?"

Kevin met her gaze, gently freeing his shoulder from her grip. "She deserves to know. She's not a child... And you always seem to treat her like one," he retorted before following suit and heading inside the tent. Keyara stood alone in the warmth of the fire's glow, though in that moment, it seemed cold and distant.

"well, not last night...." he muttered, remembering last night's scene.