Rain washed East Cloud until morning.
The city looked quieter afterward.
Cleaner on the surface.
But Dhruv had already learned something important about this continent:
East Cloud only looked calm from far away.
Underneath?
Everything carried tension.
Hunter routes.
Police patrols.
Underground deals.
Secrets hidden beneath old buildings.
And now… the Red Threads had officially blown up a library.
Deep called it:
«”a historically memorable evening.”»
Deepika called it:
«”a disaster.”»
Dhruv called it:
«”Tuesday.”»
The four currently sat inside an abandoned warehouse near the edge of the lower docks while early sunlight filtered through broken ceiling panels overhead.
Deep worked on repairing damaged gadgets near a toolbox pile.
Deepika cleaned her knives silently beside the window.
Robin sat slightly apart from everyone near stacked crates with a closed book resting on her knees.
Quiet.
Watching.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… careful.
Like somebody entering warmth after years of cold weather and still not believing it’s real.
Dhruv noticed immediately.
He always noticed things like that.
Deep suddenly pointed toward Robin dramatically.
“So.”
Robin slowly looked up.
“You joining or what?”
Straight to the point.
Robin blinked once.
“…What?”
Deep looked confused.
“You already survived explosions with us.”
“That’s basically friendship.”
Deepika sighed.
“Your standards are concerning.”
Dhruv laughed quietly.
Robin looked between all three of them silently.
The atmosphere felt strange now.
Because this moment mattered more than battles.
More than police.
This was belonging.
And for people like them… belonging wasn’t simple.
Robin lowered her gaze slightly toward the floor.
“You don’t know much about me.”
Deep immediately answered:
“You like books.”
Deepika added:
“You’re observant.”
Dhruv smiled softly.
“And you came back to warn me.”
Robin looked toward him slowly.
Still unreadable.
Still guarded.
But softer than before.
Deep suddenly stood up dramatically on a wooden crate.
“OFFICIAL SQUAD MEETING.”
“No,” Deepika answered instantly.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Dhruv ignored both of them and looked toward Robin calmly.
“You don’t have to decide immediately.”
Robin’s fingers lightly touched the purple pendant around her neck.
Tiny habit.
Protective habit.
Dhruv remembered the old woman’s stall in East Verdan.
The pendant.
The feeling of being watched.
Maybe this had been connected much longer than he realized.
Robin quietly spoke after a long silence.
“…Why?”
Dhruv tilted his head slightly.
“Why what?” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Why help me?”
Simple question.
Heavy question.
Because people usually expected payment.
Usefulness.
Conditions.
Not kindness.
Dhruv leaned back against a crate casually.
“You looked alone.”
Robin froze slightly.
Not visibly.
Emotionally.
Deep and Deepika both went quiet too.
Because somehow… that answer hit harder than anything dramatic.
Dhruv smiled faintly.
“And honestly?”
He shrugged lightly.
“You fit us.”
Silence filled the warehouse softly.
Then unexpectedly…
Robin laughed.
Small laugh.
Quiet.
But real.
Deep looked genuinely shocked.
“SHE SMILES.”
“I regret that immediately,” Robin answered calmly.
Deep pointed emotionally.
“She has humor too.”
Deepika smirked slightly near the window.
Very slightly.
Robin slowly stood afterward.
The sunlight filtering through the broken warehouse ceiling reflected softly against her purple pendant.
Then she looked directly at Dhruv.
“…Alright.”
Deep gasped dramatically.
“WAIT REALLY?”
Robin nodded once.
“Yes.”
Deep immediately sprinted around the warehouse screaming:
“WE HAVE A RESEARCHER.”
Deepika rubbed her forehead.
“He’s impossible.”
Dhruv smiled quietly while watching Robin.
Then reached inside his coat carefully.
Robin’s eyes followed the movement instantly.
Dhruv pulled out the old book from the East Verdan market which he was carrying all the way long.
THE LOST HUNTERS OF EAST LEROS
Robin’s expression changed immediately.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
Careful recognition.
“You…”
Her voice softened slightly.
“…Where did you get this?”
Dhruv tossed the book gently toward her.
“Old woman in East Verdan.”
Robin caught it carefully.
Almost reverently.
Her fingers brushed across the worn cover slowly.
“She gave this to you?”
“Apparently someone connected to me would need it.”
Robin opened the first page carefully.
Then froze completely.
Inside the cover existed a faded symbol drawn in purple ink.
A pendant.
Her pendant.
Deep noticed immediately.
“…Okay that’s creepy.”
Robin stared silently at the symbol for several seconds.
Then quietly whispered:
“This belonged to my mother.”
The room became still.
Dhruv’s expression softened slightly.
Robin looked downward at the book again.
“Before disappearing… she used to research lost hunter civilizations.”
Her fingers tightened lightly around the pages.
“I thought all her records were destroyed.”
Deepika finally stepped closer now.
Meaning she was interested.
Very interested.
Robin slowly looked back toward Dhruv. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
And for the first time since meeting him… her guarded expression cracked completely.
Not weakness.
Trust.
Tiny.
Fragile.
Real.
Dhruv smiled softly.
“You keep it.”
Robin blinked.
“…You’re giving this away?”
“Nah.”
Dhruv pointed toward the book casually.
“I’m lending it to the squad researcher.”
Robin stared at him quietly.
Then finally nodded once.
“…Thank you.”
Deep suddenly threw both arms upward dramatically.
“ALRIGHT.”
He pointed around the warehouse proudly.
“Official introduction ceremony.”
“There is no ceremony,” Deepika said.
“There IS NOW.”
Deep jumped onto another crate.
“Attention everyone.”
“There are four people here.”
“Exactly.”
He pointed toward Dhruv proudly.
“Leader.”
Toward Deepika.
“Navigator.”
Toward himself.
“Scientifically attractive genius.”
“No,” Deepika answered instantly.
Then finally… toward Robin.
“Our terrifying book witch.”
Robin slowly raised one eyebrow.
“…Book witch?”
Deep thought carefully.
“…I can improve the title later.”
Dhruv laughed quietly.
Then looked toward Robin again.
Or rather…
Nico.
Because somehow the name fit her differently.
And without really thinking about it…
Dhruv spoke naturally:
“You ready, Nico?”
The warehouse became silent for half a second.
Robin looked toward him slowly.
Not offended.
Not surprised.
Just curious.
Because nobody called her that anymore.
Deep blinked.
“…Who’s Nico?”
Dhruv looked confused.
“Robin.”
Deepika crossed her arms.
“how did you know that name?”
Dhruv smirked
“My messanger bird”
My?
That looked confusing.
Then Dhruv spoke again.
“It’s not hurting you, right?”
Robin stared at Dhruv for a quiet second.
Then unexpectedly… she smiled faintly again.
“…It’s fine.”
Dhruv grinned.
“Cool.”
Outside the warehouse, East Cloud’s endless city continued breathing beneath hanging bridges and storm clouds.
And somewhere beyond that enormous continent… the next step of their journey quietly waited.
But now?
The Red Threads finally felt complete enough to face it.
END OF CHAPTER 14