Legendary Shelter Survival Guide

Lucas looked at Sarah for a moment, his heart heavy with the weight of the question he hadn't expected.

"It's been a long time, Sarah. How have you been?" Lucas asked, forcing a smile as he side stepped her question.

"…It's going well. But why didn't you tell me or anyone that you were leaving? We were scared out of our minds!"

"I'm truly sorry, Sarah. I am. But I told Sean before I left."

"I know, but why only Sean?! Don't you think you could've included me in such a big decision?" Sarah's voice rose, her sadness flaring into anger in a heartbeat.

Lucas sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Sarah, if I'd talked to you or anyone else, leaving would've become impossible."

She crossed her arms, her voice trembling as she muttered, "And I would've stopped you, even if I had just a minute's warning, Lucas." Her eyes blazed with fury, her face tightening as she fought back the tears.

Before Lucas could respond, a high-pitched voice pierced through the tension. "Oh my god! Is he really back?"

Lucas turned, the moment with Sarah vanished for a second. He glanced back at her, catching the raw hurt in her eyes. "And I'm sorry," he said softly, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to it with a formality that seemed out of place.

Sarah yanked her hand away, her cheeks flushing. "W-What are you doing?!" She tried to hide her embarrassment, but Lucas could see through her, the flicker of shyness almost making him smile.

"You're cute" Lucas muttered and kept his hand on her cheek.

But as their eyes met, Sarah saw something else—pain, deep and raw, that he was trying to keep from her.

"Let's go and meet the others, Lucas," she said, taking his hand firmly and leading him up the stairs.

Lucas followed, his thoughts swirling as he looked around the shelter. The walls, once sturdy and comforting from what he knew, now seemed inadequate, a shadow of what they should be.

After looking at the quality he could make with simple materials, the shelter's makeup felt lacking at best.

He ran his hand along the stair railing, feeling the rough texture beneath his fingers, and shook his head.

"We'll need to upgrade the shelter soon. This isn't enough."

Sarah glanced at him, eyebrows raised. "What's not enough?"

"Everything."

Before they could reach the top, a blur of movement caught Lucas's eye. Someone was rushing down the stairs, too fast for comfort. His instincts kicked in, and he pulled Sarah aside just as Haley came barreling down.

"KYAAA!!" Haley's scream echoed through the stairwell as she tried to stop herself, her feet slipping out from under her.

Lucas reacted quickly, catching her by the arm and steadying her before she could fall. "That was close, Haley," he said, smiling at her as he helped her back onto solid footing.

Haley, still pale from the near fall, stared at the stairs in shock. But when she looked up at Lucas, her expression transformed into one of pure joy. She moved to hug him but froze, realizing that Sarah was right there between them.

"SHIT!" Haley backed off, with surprise, "Sarah?"
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"You suffocated me!"

"Oh, calm down. It was only for a second."

"Well, tell that to those enormous—" Sarah stopped, catching herself as she realized Lucas was right there, watching them.

Lucas chuckled at their banter and took a step forward. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Haley." He took her hand and kissed it with the same courteous gesture, a smile playing on his lips as he met her gaze.

Haley blinked, looking at her hand and then back at Lucas in confusion. "Uh… the pleasure is mine?" She repeated, her voice uncertain as she processed what had just happened.

"Wait, what was that?" She finally asked, the shock evident in her voice.

Lucas simply smiled, tilting his head slightly as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Haley glanced at Sarah, who just shook her head, both of them clearly puzzled by Lucas's behavior.

"Shall we go?" Lucas offered his hand to Sarah again, and she took it without hesitation. They started climbing the stairs, but Sarah's eyes were glued to Lucas, watching his every move.

"The way you walk… there's something off about it, Lucas," Haley observed, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Yeah," Sarah added, seizing the opportunity. "It's too… royal? I think."

"It's all in your heads," Lucas replied with a smile, continuing up the stairs. But as he walked, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was indeed different. He glanced down at himself, then back at the two women who were watching him so intently.

'So that's how it is…' Lucas thought, realization dawning on him. He'd become so accustomed to the formalities of noble life that he hadn't noticed he was still carrying those habits with him, even here in the shelter.

'No matter where I am, be it hell or heaven, I am still a noble. And I will always remember that. The leader must be noble,' he resolved, his expression hardening as they reached the top of the stairs.

As they entered the small room, Lucas's gaze swept over the familiar faces. A smile spread across his face as memories flooded back, each person a reminder of the life he'd left behind.

"It's good to see you all again. I hope you've been well," Lucas greeted them, his voice warm as he stepped forward.

"Oh, so that's what you meant, John," Ella murmured, her eyes fixed on Lucas. She didn't miss the change in his demeanor either.

"I knew you'd come back soon! Hahaha! Come here, boy!" Jimmy, as large as John, if not bigger, pulled Lucas into a bear hug, lifting him off the ground. The room filled with laughter at the sight.

"It's good that you're back, Lucas. Jimmy would've died from worry if you'd been any later," someone joked.

"Shut up! That's not true. But I'm glad you're back, boy. Sparring with you is always fun."

"It's good to see you, man. It's been a whole month without your nagging," Barney added as he approached Lucas for a hug.

Lucas embraced him, then pulled back, his eyes narrowing as they fell on Barney's hand. "I see you've been working hard. Level 8, huh? Pretty good," Lucas said, his tone serious, making Barney blink in surprise.