The room was too full.

Tears, voices, the weight of eyes pressed against Merlin's skin until he could barely breathe. The relief of reunion should have steadied him, but instead it gnawed at his chest like hunger. Too much all at once. Too many feelings that didn't know where to go.

His golden eyes drifted past Nathan's trembling smile, past Adrian's laughter, past Elara's hand still resting against his arm. Past them all, toward the pale rectangle of the window.

The world outside stretched endless. Blue sky. Green courtyards. The hum of life untouched by war or illusion.

He needed air.

He needed sky.

"…The roof," Merlin said suddenly.

The voices stilled.

Reinhardt raised an eyebrow. "The roof?"

Merlin nodded, forcing strength into his legs as he pushed off the bed. His balance wavered, Nathan caught his elbow instantly, worry flashing in his eyes.

"I need to see the world," Merlin muttered, gaze fixed beyond the walls. "Not through glass. Not through illusions. With my own eyes."

For a heartbeat, no one spoke. Then Reinhardt gave a small grunt, turning on his heel. "Very well. Move."

The group shifted, falling into step without question. Nathan stayed close at Merlin's side, practically hovering, while Adrian picked up the books he had dropped, muttering under his breath.

Liliana fussed, trying to insist Merlin should rest, while Ethan smirked but didn't stray far. Seraphina walked straight-backed, as if she were guarding him. Dorian moved like a shadow, silent and watchful.

Elara was last, her steps quiet, steady. Always there, just close enough.

—

The hospital halls were sterile and humming with mana, but the sound of boots against tile and scattered whispers of students reminded Merlin that this place was alive. Not empty. Not false.

Every turn of the corridor, every glimpse of sunlight through the narrow windows, made his chest tighten. The simulation had stolen the rhythm of life from him. Now, each mundane detail felt like a miracle.

Finally, they reached the stairs. Reinhardt pushed open the heavy metal door, and the sudden rush of outside air swept over them.

Cool. Fresh. Real.

Merlin stepped out first.

The roof stretched wide, bordered by stone railing. The academy grounds sprawled below, the courtyards, the training fields, the sprawling towers of dormitories. Beyond, the city glittered in the afternoon sun, rooftops stacked like waves, smoke curling lazily from chimneys. The horizon stretched into rolling hills and a sky so wide it hurt to look at.

Merlin stopped. His throat clenched.

"…It's beautiful."

Nathan followed his gaze, his grin soft, quieter now. "Yeah. You've been missing a lot, you know."

Merlin's hands curled on the railing, the stone cool under his palms. "Too much."

For a long time, silence stretched between them, not the suffocating silence of the simulation, but a gentle one. A silence filled with the wind, with birdsong, with the far-off chatter of students below.

Adrian broke it first, leaning against the railing with a lopsided smile. "So. Do we talk about how you scared the life out of us? Or do we just pretend you took a very long nap?"

Liliana swatted his arm. "Adrian!"

He laughed, rubbing the spot. "What? I'm just saying what we're all thinking. Look at him, skinny as a twig, pale as death. If this is what 'resting' looks like, I'll pass."

Merlin let out a breath that might've been a laugh. "…Still talking too much."

Adrian's grin widened. "See? That's the Merlin I remember."

Nathan leaned forward on the railing, eyes narrowing at the sky. "You don't get it, Adrian. He wasn't just sleeping." His voice was low, serious. "He was gone. We didn't know if we'd ever see him again."

The words cut through the air. The joking eased.

Ethan exhaled smoke from the small ember flickering in his hand. "Well. He's here now. That's what matters." He tilted his head, green eyes glinting. "And he looks like hell. So we're gonna have to fix that."

"Fix me?" Merlin muttered.

"Yeah." Ethan smirked. "What good's a rival if you can't keep up?"

Merlin shook his head, but something in his chest eased at the banter.

Seraphina stepped forward, folding her hands behind her back. Her silver eyes met his. "We trained every day. We pushed harder than ever. Not because Reinhardt told us to. Because we knew that when, if, you came back, you'd expect us to have grown."

Her voice was steady, but Merlin heard the tremor beneath it. He swallowed hard. "…I did."

Her lips curved faintly, almost a smile.

Dorian remained silent, leaning against the wall, his daggers hidden but presence sharp. His red eyes flicked toward Merlin once, then away. Nothing more. But Merlin understood. Dorian's silence was its own kind of vow.

And Elara…

She stood apart, violet eyes fixed on the horizon, her hair shifting with the wind. She hadn't spoken since the room. Hadn't moved closer. But Merlin felt her presence like a tether, grounding him more than anyone else.

He turned slightly, his voice low. "…Elara."

Her gaze slid to him. Quiet. Sharp.

"Thank you," Merlin said simply.

For staying. For being the one real thread in the maze of lies. For not letting him vanish.

For a moment, her eyes softened. Barely. Then she turned back to the sky. "…Don't thank me yet. You still have to prove you won't fall again."

Merlin huffed a laugh, his chest aching. "…Fair."

—

They stayed like that for a long time. Talking. Not about gods, or trials, or illusions. Just… talking.

Nathan told a story about dropping a training dummy on Adrian's foot. Adrian swore it was a lie, but Liliana confirmed it between giggles.

Ethan complained about Reinhardt's brutal dawn drills, earning a scoff from Seraphina, who recited exact timings just to prove him wrong. Even Dorian, silent as he was, rolled his eyes when Adrian tried to claim he'd beaten him in sparring once.

The sun dipped slowly, painting the academy in gold. Shadows stretched across the roof. The wind cooled.

Merlin listened. He spoke little, only when pressed. But every word, every laugh, every argument carved itself into him. Proof. Anchor. Life.

The simulation had been too perfect. Too empty. Too staged.

This, this mess of voices, this clash of personalities, this warmth tangled with sharp edges, this was real.

Merlin leaned back against the railing, eyes on the endless horizon. His chest rose and fell, steady.

For the first time in too long, he felt… human.

—

By the time the bells rang across the academy grounds, calling evening classes, the group began to disperse. Reinhardt reminded them of curfew with his usual iron voice, though even he seemed reluctant to end the moment.

One by one, they drifted away, Nathan with a last clap on Merlin's shoulder, Liliana with a lingering smile, Adrian tossing another joke, Ethan muttering about food, Seraphina offering a clipped nod, Dorian melting into shadow.

Until only Elara remained.

The sky was streaked with orange and purple now.

Merlin glanced at her. "…You're not leaving?"

She shook her head. Her voice was quiet. "Not yet."

The silence stretched, but it was not uncomfortable. Just the two of them, standing on the roof as the world breathed below.

Finally, Merlin whispered, almost to himself. "…It's peaceful."

Elara's eyes narrowed at the horizon. "…For now."

Her words lingered in the cooling air.

And Merlin, for once, didn't argue.

—

The sky had slipped into violet. The last fingers of sun bled across the horizon, gilding the clouds in fire before surrendering to dusk. The bells had quieted, the students had long since scattered.

But Merlin and Elara still stood there.

The wind was cooler now. It tangled through Elara's silver hair, carrying the faint scent of the city below, smoke, baked bread, a thousand little lives in motion.

She hadn't moved from her place at the railing, her eyes trained outward as if watching the whole world breathe.

Merlin leaned against the stone beside her, his body heavy with exhaustion, but his heart strangely lighter than it had been in years. He let the silence stretch. For once, silence didn't frighten him.

Finally, he spoke, voice quiet. "You stayed."

Her gaze slid to him, violet eyes sharp even in the fading light. "…I said I would."

Merlin's lips twisted faintly. "Even when it felt like I was never coming back?"

Her silence was answer enough.

He turned his face toward the horizon, his golden eyes catching the last glimmer of sun. "When I was inside… I thought I'd lost you. All of you. Sometimes I thought you weren't real. That you were just—" He broke off, his throat tightening. "—that you were just another piece of the stage."

Elara's expression didn't soften. But something in her gaze shifted, like the quiet ripple of water after a stone sinks.

"You're a fool," she said simply.

Merlin blinked, a breath caught between disbelief and a laugh. "…What?"

"A fool." Her voice was steady, sharp as ever, but lower now. "To doubt us. To doubt me. If I say I'll stay, I stay. That is what it means to be bound by choice."

Merlin's chest clenched. The words cut deeper than kindness ever could.

"…I don't deserve that."

Elara studied him. For a long time, she said nothing. The wind pressed at her cloak, tugging her hair across her cheek.

Then, before he could retreat further into his own thoughts, she moved.

A single step closer.

Her hand rose, not hesitant, not trembling, resting lightly against his shoulder. He froze.

Her eyes met his. Clear. Firm. Unflinching.

And she leaned in.

The kiss was not long. Not deep. Just the brush of her lips against his cheek, feather-light, warm against skin still chilled by the rooftop wind.

But it rooted him to the spot like no chain ever could.

Merlin's breath caught. His golden eyes widened, his hand twitching against the railing as if reaching for something he couldn't name.

When she drew back, her face remained calm, her voice unchanged. "You are here. That is enough."

Merlin swallowed, his throat dry. "…Elara."

She turned away, looking back toward the darkening horizon. "Do not mistake this for softness. You still have much to prove."

Merlin almost laughed, shaky, breathless, but real. "…Yeah. I figured."

The sky deepened into indigo. Stars began to prick through, one by one, scattered like forgotten embers.

For a long time, they stood together in silence. Not the silence of absence. Not the silence of chains. But the silence of two people who did not need words.