Chapter 95: What Comes After
Three days passed.
Yggdrasil changed.
Not visibly.
Not immediately.
But the atmosphere had become heavier.
The laughter felt quieter.
The smiles felt forced.
The news of Oheyo had not been announced publicly.
Not yet.
But rumors spread faster than official statements.
They always did.
And rumors had begun arriving alongside refugees.
Every day—
More people arrived from the east.
Merchants.
Travelers.
Families.
Farmers.
Entire caravans.
Some had seen the aftermath.
Some had only heard stories.
Some simply followed everyone else.
Fear moved people better than orders ever could.
The city gates remained open.
Akshay refused to close them.
Even when advisors suggested it.
Even when supplies started becoming strained.
Even when food prices began rising.
"They're running."
Akshay had said.
"So we help them."
That was the end of the discussion.
Unfortunately—
Compassion did not create food.
Nor housing.
Nor supplies.
Within a week—
Yggdrasil's food reserves were being carefully monitored.
Additional farms were being prepared.
Storehouses were opened.
Emergency rations distributed.
And Akshay personally reviewed every report.
Every night.
Without fail.
Alice found him one evening.
Still working.
Still reading.
Still sitting behind a desk.
The sun had already disappeared.
The moon had risen.
Yet he remained there.
Alone.
"You should sleep."
Akshay didn't look up.
"You should too."
Alice rolled her eyes.
"Don't copy me."
"I'm older than you."
"By three months."
"It still counts."
For a brief moment—
The conversation almost felt normal.
Then Akshay reached for another report.
And Alice noticed his hands stop.
Just for a second.
The report contained a single name.
Oheyo.
Akshay folded the paper.
Placed it aside.
And continued working.
Alice didn't mention it.
Neither did he.
Because they both knew.
He was grieving.
The only difference was that Akshay buried his grief beneath work.
Meanwhile—
Raj spent most of her time helping refugees.
Cooking.
Organizing supplies.
Managing records.
Doing what she always did.
Helping people.
Though recently—
She yelled at more people than usual.
"NO!"
Raj slammed paperwork onto a table.
"You cannot write your name as 'The Great Dragon Slayer'!"
The refugee looked offended.
"But I killed a dr—"
"No."
The next person stepped forward.
Raj immediately pointed.
"If your name is something stupid too, leave."
Alice watched from a distance.
Raj was definitely coping.
Just not gracefully.
Taai meanwhile—
Had become a walking construction crew.
Every time Yggdrasil needed something moved—
Taai moved it.
Every time walls needed repairs—
Taai helped.
Every time laborers complained—
Taai carried twice as much just to make them feel bad.
Nobody understood how he still had energy.
Not even Taai.
Then—
On the fourth day—
Someone arrived.
A familiar face.
The guards immediately recognized him.
The citizens recognized him.
Even the merchants recognized him.
Tchoco.
The man who chose to remain behind.
The man who dedicated himself to helping future drifters.
The man who always somehow knew where everyone was.
When he entered the city—
The first thing he asked was:
"Where are they?"
Nobody needed clarification.
That evening—
The original batch gathered again.
Or at least—
What remained of it.
Akshay.
Alice.
Raj.
Taai.
Tchoco.
Five.
The number felt wrong.
Tchoco listened quietly.
As they explained everything.
Even though he'd already heard parts of it through letters.
Hearing it directly was different.
Especially Brennan.
When they finished—
Nobody spoke.
Then Tchoco sighed.
"...That idiot."
Alice almost laughed.
Almost.
Because somehow—
That was exactly what Brennan would have wanted people to say.
"Remember when he tried cooking?"
Tchoco suddenly asked.
Raj immediately groaned.
"No."
"Remember when he almost burned down the village kitchen?"
Taai started laughing.
Akshay covered his face.
Alice stared at the ceiling.
Because she remembered.
Brennan had somehow managed to burn soup.
Soup.
Nobody knew how.
"Akari laughed for an hour."
Tchoco added.
That earned a few smiles.
Small ones.
Painful ones.
But smiles nonetheless.
"And Chocomint."
Tchoco continued.
"Spent three days researching how soup could catch fire."
That one finally broke Taai.
He laughed loudly.
For the first time since Oheyo—
The room didn't feel suffocating.
Not because the pain disappeared.
Because they remembered.
The good parts.
The stupid parts.
The parts worth keeping.
A few days later—
The situation in Yggdrasil stabilized slightly.
Not enough.
But enough.
Food production increased.
Refugees were organized.
Patrols expanded.
Trade routes adjusted.
Life continued.
And eventually—
The question everyone avoided finally surfaced.
What now?
The meeting took place atop Yggdrasil's walls.
The same place Akshay had fallen in love with centuries ago.
The same place Brennan used to mock him for visiting constantly.
The five stood together.
Looking over the kingdom.
Alice broke the silence.
"I'm leaving."
Nobody looked surprised.
Because everyone already knew.
Akshay nodded.
"You found somewhere?"
Alice looked toward the distant horizon.
"A trading hub."
"Inhayle?"
Alice nodded.
"I can build something there."
Raj immediately pointed at herself.
"No."
Alice grabbed Raj's tail.
"Yes."
"NO."
"YES."
"NO!"
Akshay laughed.
Tchoco laughed.
Even Taai laughed.
Some things never changed.
Eventually—
The laughter faded.
And Tchoco stepped forward.
"If Brennan were here."
He said quietly.
"He'd tell you to stop staring at the ruins."
Silence.
"He'd tell you to build something."
Nobody spoke.
Because that sounded exactly like Brennan.
Then Tchoco smiled.
"And Akari would probably call all of us idiots."
A few chuckles appeared.
"And Chocomint would spend six months researching city names."
Taai nodded immediately.
"That sounds accurate."
Tchoco looked at each of them.
One by one.
"We survived."
His voice remained calm.
"So live."
The words lingered.
Akshay stepped forward next.
The king.
The friend.
The survivor.
"Brennan trusted all of you."
He said.
"He trusted Alice."
Alice lowered her gaze.
"He trusted Raj."
Raj became quiet.
"He trusted Taai."
Taai folded his arms.
"And he trusted me."
Akshay looked toward the horizon.
"So let's make sure his trust wasn't wasted."
Nobody replied.
They didn't need to.
Because for the first time since Oheyo fell—
The future felt visible again.
Not easy.
Not safe.
Not certain.
But visible.
And sometimes—
That was enough.