Extra To Protagonist

The gates of the capital rose before them before long, banners fluttering high in the breeze. Passing through, the world widened all at once, cobblestone streets lined with stalls, bright fabrics waving overhead, voices rising in a thousand directions at once.

The smell of roasted meat, baked bread, spiced wine. The clatter of carts and the distant ringing of a smith's hammer. The laughter of children darting between vendors.

Merlin slowed without meaning to, his golden eyes tracing everything. Compared to the quiet order of the academy, the city was chaos, and yet, it pulsed with life.

Nathan spun dramatically, arms wide. "Behold! Civilization!"

Liliana groaned. "You act like you built it yourself."

"I could have!" Nathan declared. "In another life, I was definitely a king."

"More like a jester," Ethan muttered.

Merlin couldn't help it, he laughed. A real laugh, sharp and sudden, breaking free before he could stop it. The others blinked, surprised at first, then smiled faintly as if they'd been waiting for that sound.

Elara looked at him, her violet eyes softened.

They drifted through the streets, drawn to the nearest market square. Colorful fabrics stretched overhead, shading rows of stalls where merchants shouted about their wares.

Liliana was the first to stop, pulled by trays of polished gemstones that glimmered under the sun. "Oh, they're beautiful!" she exclaimed, leaning closer.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Rocks."

"They're not just rocks!" she shot back, swatting his arm.

Dorian lingered nearby, arms crossed, but Merlin noticed his gaze flicking once toward a display of silver daggers. His hand twitched slightly before he caught himself and looked away.

Ethan stood at a stall where a vendor sold strange trinkets, pendants, charms, little carvings. He picked one up, turned it over, then put it down with the same look he gave most things: vague disinterest.

Meanwhile, Nathan had somehow found his way to a food stall, grinning as he bit into something on a stick. "You guys have to try this!" he said around a mouthful.

Liliana wrinkled her nose. "We don't even know what it is."

"It's delicious, that's what it is."

Merlin smirked, shaking his head. The noise, the smells, the sheer weight of it all, it pressed against him, but not in a suffocating way. It was loud, vibrant, alive.

And he was here.

As the group fanned out to explore, Elara lingered with Merlin near the edge of the stalls.

"You're quiet," she said softly.

Merlin glanced at her. "Just… taking it in."

Her gaze followed his, across the colors, the crowds, the laughter. "…It is overwhelming at first."

He chuckled under his breath. "Understatement."

For a moment, neither spoke. The sounds of the market filled the gap, the chatter, the calls, the clink of coin.

Then Merlin said, almost to himself, "Feels real."

Elara's violet eyes softened as they flicked toward him. "…It is real."

He swallowed, a knot tightening in his chest. "…Yeah. I know."

Her hand brushed against his for the briefest instant before she pulled it back, as if she hadn't meant to. His heart stumbled all the same.

"Oi, Everhart!" Nathan's voice boomed from across the square. "Stop brooding and help me carry food!"

Merlin blinked. "…Food?"

He turned, and froze. Nathan stood with both arms full of skewers, pastries, and what looked suspiciously like a whole loaf of bread.

Liliana pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're insufferable."

Nathan grinned proudly. "Hungry."

Merlin laughed again, shaking his head as he stepped forward to help. The weight of the food barely registered in his arms, though Nathan patted his back as if he'd saved him from certain doom.

Ethan muttered something about idiots under his breath, but even his lips twitched faintly upward.

The group found a quiet corner to sit, the food spread between them in messy piles. They ate, talked, argued, laughed, loud, messy, human.

Merlin sat in the middle of it all, and for the first time in too long, he didn't feel like an intruder in someone else's story.

He felt like he belonged.

The courtyard grass was still pressed flat where they had sparred, blades bent under the weight of laughter and scuffed boots.

The morning air was fresher now, carrying hints of bread from the academy kitchens, the soft chatter of other students passing by, and the occasional clash of steel from distant training rings.

Merlin lay on his back, arms folded behind his head, golden eyes staring up at the sky. Clouds drifted lazily across the blue canvas, slow and unhurried. After weeks of recovery, exams, and the weight of things he couldn't tell them, lying here almost felt… unreal.

Nathan plopped down beside him, out of breath but still grinning wide. His blond hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. "Okay, okay, I'll admit it. You win. Again. But only because you fight like some kind of demon."

Merlin tilted his head, smirk tugging at his lips. "That's a strange excuse coming from the one who charged me first."

Adrian laughed, flopping onto the grass near them. "Charged him? Nathan, you basically threw yourself at him like a sack of potatoes. What did you think was gonna happen?"

"Shut it, Adrian," Nathan shot back, tossing a pebble at him. It bounced off harmlessly, and Adrian stuck his tongue out in triumph.

Elara, who had been watching the bickering from a short distance, finally approached. Her silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, catching every glint like strands of molten light.

She sat gracefully near Merlin's side, posture straight even as she lowered herself to the grass. The faintest curve of her lips betrayed amusement.

"You all lack discipline," she said plainly.

"Discipline?" Ethan groaned from where he lay sprawled on his back, green eyes half-lidded. "What I lack is the will to keep fighting after getting tossed around like a rag doll."

Liliana giggled softly, brushing strands of her long brown hair behind her ear. "At least you made it entertaining, Ethan. I thought you were about to give up before the match even started."

Seraphina crossed her arms, her silver eyes sharp. "He nearly did."

"Oi," Ethan muttered, rolling over to bury his face in the grass. "Leave me to die in peace."

Dorian, who had been unusually silent during the sparring, stood nearby with his hands in his pockets. His crimson eyes flicked toward Merlin, unreadable, before shifting away again.

Merlin caught it. For all his cold demeanor, Dorian had been watching him closely since the exams ended. Not distrustful, just… measuring. As though trying to fit Merlin into some hidden scale.

Vivienne, their instructor, had long since walked off after making sure no one was seriously injured, leaving them free to laze about. Without her strict presence looming, the group finally let their guard down.

Merlin let the chatter wash over him, the teasing, the laughter, the petty arguments. It was messy, alive, imperfect. And for once, it didn't feel heavy.

"…This," Merlin muttered under his breath, almost without realizing.

Elara's sharp ears caught it. She turned slightly, her violet gaze landing on him. "This?"

Merlin blinked, then shrugged. "Being here. With all of you. It's… good."

Silence followed for a beat, and he almost regretted saying it out loud. But then Nathan laughed, sitting up and nudging Merlin with his elbow. "Damn right it's good! Finally, you're not just sulking in some infirmary bed. You're alive, Everhart, and you're stuck with us now."

The others chuckled. Even Dorian's lips twitched, though he quickly masked it.

Elara didn't laugh. But her gaze lingered on Merlin a moment longer, softer than usual, before she turned back to the sky.

Liliana clapped her hands suddenly, her voice bright. "We should do something fun! Exams are over, and it feels wrong just sitting around after sparring." Read full story at NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Adrian perked up. "Food?"

"You just ate."

"Food again?"

Everyone groaned, laughter breaking out again.

Eventually, they settled into smaller conversations, Adrian and Nathan bickering about who landed the best hit during sparring, Liliana braiding a strand of Seraphina's hair while she pretended not to care, Ethan half-dozing in the grass, and Dorian lurking nearby like a shadow that refused to leave.

Merlin stayed quiet, just listening. The warmth of the sun, the sound of their voices, even the tickle of the grass beneath his fingers, it all grounded him in a way that battles and gods and tests never could.

Elara shifted closer, her shoulder brushing his as she leaned slightly toward him. Her voice was low, meant only for him. "You're quieter than usual."

Merlin smirked faintly. "That's a strange thing to say, coming from you."

Her lips curved, not quite a smile, but close. "Fair."

For a moment, they stayed like that, the chatter of their friends fading into the background. Just two people sitting under the sun, sharing silence that didn't feel heavy.

And though Merlin didn't say it out loud, he thought it all the same: 'This is what I never had before. This is what makes the fight worth it.'

By the time the sun had risen higher, the group had agreed, sitting around in the courtyard wasn't enough. Adrian, unsurprisingly, was the loudest voice insisting on a trip to the city.

"Come on," he said, practically bouncing on his heels. "We've been cooped up in that academy for months. Exams are over. We deserve food that isn't bland cafeteria slop, and maybe some shopping."