From Moving Crates to Killing Gods-Chapter 50: Nervous

Finding a way out proved easier than getting in. There was actually a door, a little hidden from the outside but perfectly functional from within. As I stepped back onto the street, I oriented myself, finally recognizing this as one of the abandoned storage sectors, a place where damaged buildings awaited repairs that never came.

Now I just needed to find someone who could fix a roof. Someone with practical skills beyond moving crates or playing with yo-yos.

Finn.

If anyone would know how to fix something, it would be the former miner. The problem was, I hadn’t seen him outside his room since training began. Each of us had fallen into our own routines, our paths crossing only occasionally in the common areas of the spire.

I made my way back, my mind making plans. I would bring them meat for the trouble, the kitchens provided whatever food we wanted now that we were Ones. But the roof would require actual skill.

When I reached the spire, I headed straight for Finn’s room. I knocked twice, then again more forcefully when there was no answer.

"Finn? It’s Allaran. I need your help with something." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

A muffled groan came from beyond the door. "Can’t. Backlash."

"Backlash? From what?"

"Training. Damian had me sensing silver deposits all around Argent yesterday. My head feels like it’s been crushed."

I leaned against the door, weighing my options. "It’s important. There’s four girls living in an abandoned building with a hole in their silver roof."

Silence.

"Four girls?" Finn’s voice sounded marginally more interested.

"Yes. Four beautiful girls all alone in that building, and they need our help. I thought you might know how to fix a silver roof, being used to silver and tools."

The door swung open with surprising speed to reveal Finn fully dressed, his previous exhaustion seemingly evaporated. "Lead the way."

I blinked at his sudden transformation. "That was... quick."

"I’m a gentleman." Finn declared, straightening his collar. "I can’t leave beautiful girls in distress."

I chose not to comment on his miraculous recovery as we headed out of the spire. As we walked, I explained the situation, that I’d ended up on their roof while practicing parkour, the makeshift home they’d created, and Mia’s impending exile.

"That’s rough." Finn said, his earlier enthusiasm tempered by the reality of the situation. "So they’re all orphans who escaped the dormitory?"

I nodded. "Seems like they’ve been living there for a while. They’ve got it set up pretty nicely, all things considered. But now they have a hole in their ceiling because of me."

We reached the building faster than I expected. I must have wandered farther than I realized after finding myself on the roof. I led Finn to the concealed door I’d exited through earlier, and knocked.

The door opened just barely, and Cami’s suspicious eye peered out at us.

"You came back." she said, sounding surprised despite her earlier threats.

"I promised I would. This is Finn. He’s going to fix your roof."

The door opened wider, and we stepped into the now familiar space. The room looked different in full light, more organized than I’d initially realized, with small personal touches that made it feel like a real home. Drawings on the walls. A collection of smooth stones arranged on a shelf.

Finn looked around eagerly, his eyes scanning the room. I watched his expression shift as he took in the three children, Bubble peeking from behind a chair, Jazy sitting cross legged on the floor, and Cami standing protectively in front of them both. His shoulders dropped.

"Oh." he said quietly, disappointment flickering across his features before he masked it. "It’s just... I mean, hello. I’m Finn."

The sadness in his voice was subtle but unmistakable. He’d come expecting beautiful ladies and found children instead. Three children who looked at him with the wary eyes of those who’d learned not to trust people.

Before I could say anything, a curtain at the back of the room rustled, and Mia emerged.

"So you’re back. Is this the person that’s going to fix the roof?" Mia asked.

Before I could answer, Finn stepped forward. "I’m Finn." he said, and his voice had changed entirely. The disappointment was gone, replaced by something I’d never heard from him before, a kind of breathless wonder. "I fix things. Roofs. Silver. Anything, really. I can fix your roof. It’ll be perfect. Better than before. I promise."

Mia blinked at the sudden outpouring, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "That’s very kind of you."

"Kindness has nothing to do with it." Finn declared, then seemed to realize how that sounded. "I mean, it does, but also, I like to work. I’ll do a great job. The greatest job. You won’t even know there was ever a hole."

Bubble giggled from behind the chair, and even Cami’s suspicious expression softened slightly.

Mia studied Finn for a long moment, her dark eyes thoughtful. "So you’re Ones, both of you?" It wasn’t quite a question.

I nodded. "We survived the exile together."

"That must have been hard." Her voice held no pity, only acknowledgment. "I’m sorry you went through that."

The simple sincerity in her words caught me off guard. Most people in Argent either feared us or resented us. No one had ever just... acknowledged the difficulty with such quiet compassion.

"It’s a free day." Jazy announced from her bed. "We don’t need to go to the bakery. It’s closed for maintenance."

"Oh." Finn’s face lit up. "That’s wonderful. I mean, not that the bakery needs maintenance, but that you’re here. That we get to... I mean, that you get to rest." He was stumbling over his words now, a faint flush creeping up his neck.

Mia’s smile widened, just slightly. "Would you like some bread? I brought some home yesterday. It’s not fresh, but it’s still good."

"We’d love some." Finn said immediately, before I could respond.

As Mia moved to a small wooden box that served as their pantry, Finn caught my eye. The look on his face was unmistakable, the same dazed expression I’d seen on people who’d taken one too many hits to the head.

"The roof." I reminded him quietly.

"Right. The roof." He shook himself. "I should look at it. Assess the damage. But first—" He accepted a piece of bread from Mia, their fingers brushing in the exchange, and I swear he forgot to breathe for a full three seconds.

I climbed the ladder to give him a moment to recover, leaving him standing there holding bread like it was the most precious thing in Argent. When I reached the last floor, I crouched below the hole I’d made and waited.

It took longer than expected for Finn to join me. When he finally appeared, his expression was dreamy in a way that worried me.

"Finn." I said, waving a hand in front of his face. "The roof. Remember?"

He blinked, shook himself, and nodded. "Right. The roof." He started examining the room and realised. "Allaran, there’s nothing to climb onto."

"So how do we get up there?" I asked.

Finn studied the gap, then looked at me, then back at the gap. A slow grin spread across his face. "You’re going to carry me."

"I’m going to what?"