"So. You are Moon Outlaw."

Moon met Alaric’s eyes without flinching.

"I am. And you must be Alaric Sky. Selene’s brother."

Moon extended his hand first.

Alaric looked at the offered hand for a long moment. Beside Moon, Selene’s breath caught in her throat.

Her hand tightened around the back of his sleeve almost imperceptibly. Feeling incredibly uneasy by the pause, Selene’s mouth opened to say something, before she could, Alaric took Moon’s hand.

Seeing that, Selene sighed audibly, the tension in her shoulders leaving.

"I’ve heard about you." Alaric said, releasing the grip after a second.

His eyes drifted to Selene briefly before returning to Moon.

"You’ve made quite the impression in a short period."

"Its difficult to remain off the spotlight. Sometimes, you are just forced into it. Whether you like it or not." Moon replied evenly.

A small smile tugged at Emma’s lips behind Alaric. She had clearly been watching the exchange, feeling amused. Selene’s eyes flicked to hers, and a silent communication passed between the two women.

Alaric studied Moon for another moment. "You are not wrong."

"I saw your fights today, you are quite the competitor. I think you have a real chance at achieving the championship. Very impressive, considering that you have evolved around the same time as Selene did."

Moon nodded his head, "This means a lot, coming from you. I can only try my best."

"You don’t show your full strength until you’re forced to. And even then, only enough to end the situation. That’s a useful instinct. Most people your age either reveal everything to look strong, or hide everything to look mysterious. You revealed what was necessary and nothing more." Alaric stated his thoughts, without a prompt.

Moon held his gaze. "You are not wrong."

Emma stepped forward gently, breaking the tension with a warm smile.

"Alaric, you’re going to scare him."

"He doesn’t look scared." Alaric said dryly.

"That’s worse." Emma extended her hand to Moon. "Emma. I’m Alaric’s partner. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name. Selene talks about you to me."

Beside Moon, Selene’s cheeks turned a sharp shade of pink. "Emma!"

Moon shook Emma’s hand with a polite smile, giving Selene a quick glance that made her turn red, "All good things, I hope."

"Mostly." Emma’s smile widened mischievously. "There were a few moments where she was clearly trying not to talk about you and failed."

"Emma." Selene’s voice rose an octave.

Alaric’s lips twitched. Just barely. It was the closest thing to a smile Moon had seen from him.

The Light Sword Saint turned his attention back to Moon.

"We should talk. Properly. There are things I’d like to ask you. And I suspect there are things you’d like to ask me as well."

Moon nodded. "I’d appreciate that."

Alaric studied him one more time, then nodded slowly. "Give me your number, I will contact you later."

"Sure." Moon nodded, giving Alaric his number. Alaric didn’t bother taking out his phone to save the contact, memorising the number after hearing it once.

Alaric turned to Selene, his expression softening for the first time.

"Don’t push yourself too hard tomorrow. Rest tonight."

"I will." Selene smiled.

Alaric glanced back at Moon. "Take care of her."

"I do." Moon said simply.

Something passed behind Alaric’s eyes. He didn’t comment on it. He simply turned and began to walk away, Emma falling into step beside him.

As they left, Emma glanced over her shoulder and gave Selene a quick, encouraging wink.

Selene exhaled slowly, her shoulders dropping at least three inches.

"He didn’t try to kill you." She whispered.

"Was that a real possibility?"

"You have no idea."

♢♢♢♢

Inside their private orbital, Alaric and Emma sat across from each other. The cabin was quiet.

Emma waited until they were several kilometers away from the tournament grounds before speaking.

"So." She tilted her head, studying him. "Care to explain why you just left your cute little sister, the one you protect from the entire world, in the hands of a complete stranger?"

Alaric turned his head toward her. His expression was as composed as ever.

"Who said he was a complete stranger?"

Emma’s eyebrow rose. "What do you mean?"

"I know where he lives." Alaric continued evenly. "I know who he works with. I know who he met in the First Sanctuary. I know about his dead teammates from the secret realm. I know about his parents. I know his net worth estimates, and the names of every person he interacts with."

He paused.

"I know him better than he knows me. He didn’t even know I was her brother till today."

Emma’s lips curled into a slow, delighted smile.

"So protective." She leaned back in her seat, her eyes shining with approval. "I love it. That’s how older brothers should be."

"..."

"No, really." She crossed her legs and tucked her hands behind her head. "Most older brothers just sulk and threaten the boy. You did your homework. You ran background checks. You probably have a folder on him somewhere."

"Three folders."

Emma laughed openly, her soft voice filling the cabin.

After a moment, her smile softened. She lowered her hands and looked at him more seriously.

"Alright, jokes aside." She tilted her head. "What do you think of him?"

Alaric was quiet for a long moment.

He stared out the orbital’s window, watching the city lights blur past below. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his seat.

"He’s calm." Alaric said finally. "Most people, when they meet me for the first time, get nervous. They posture or try to overcompensate. They either try to impress me or pretend they don’t care. He did neither. He just stood there and stared at me. He wasn’t afraid."

He paused.

"He’s also dangerous. The way he carries himself, the way he answered my questions, the way he didn’t try to fill the silence when I let it stretch. That’s a person who has been in real situations. Life or death situations. Multiple times."

Emma listened without interrupting.