Chapter 36 Cleared to Leave

Chapter 36 Cleared to Leave
“So,” Mira said, sitting on the edge of the bed, “when are we going back out?”

Jax looked up at her, brow pulling together. Morning light came in crooked through the shutters, catching on the washbasin in the corner and the blanket tangled near Mira’s legs. “You were just telling me not to use my mana,” he said. “Like every five minutes.”

“That was a week ago.”

“That was yesterday,” he shot back. He shifted in his seat, then stilled when his hand brushed his chest. The mark didn’t react, same as before, but he pulled his hand away anyway, like he’d touched something he wasn’t supposed to.

Mira watched him for a moment before looking off toward the window. “You’re fine,” she said, quieter this time. “That’s what they’ve been saying.”

“They also said they don’t know what it is,” Jax replied. He leaned back slightly, the chair giving a small creak under him, and tried to ignore the way everything in him felt… settled in a way it shouldn’t. “That’s not exactly comforting.”

The first couple days had been constant. Clouse barely left the room, and Alexander wasn’t far behind him, checking, asking, watching. It eased after that, but never stopped completely. Even now, it still felt like they were waiting for something to slip.

“You’re stable,” Alexander said from the doorway, like he’d been standing there longer than either of them noticed.

Jax turned. Clouse stepped in behind him a second later, broad shoulders nearly filling the frame. “That hasn’t changed.”

“That doesn’t mean normal,” Clouse added, his arms already crossed, eyes moving straight to Jax like he was measuring something he couldn’t see. “Your mana isn’t acting like it should. Something’s holding it together. We just don’t know what.”

“You’ve said that already,” Jax muttered.

“Because it hasn’t changed.” Alexander let out a quiet breath as he stepped further into the room. “We’ve passed everything along to the guild. They’re digging into the dungeon too, but that takes time.” He paused, then added, “You’re not staying here for that.”

Mira straightened a little at that. “So we’re cleared?” 

“With restrictions,” Alexander said. “No deep dives. No pushing your limits. If anything feels off, you report it immediately.”

Jax let out a short breath through his nose. “Yeah. I figured as much.” He shifted slightly, eyes flicking between them. “So what, I just pretend nothing happened? Walk it off and hope it doesn’t happen again?”

Clouse didn’t move, still watching him. “This isn’t over,” he said. “Whatever happened down there didn’t just disappear.”

Alexander gave a small nod in agreement. “Get your things together. You’re free to move.” 

It didn’t take them long. Most of what they had brought into the room had ended up scattered in corners over the last week, moved around by checkups, interrupted sleep, and too many hours spent sitting still. 

Mira gathered things quickly, muttering under her breath whenever she found something where it shouldn’t be. Jax moved slower, not because anything hurt, but because he kept waiting for it to.

That was the problem. He kept waiting for any kind of backlash.

After everything that had happened, something should have been off. Pain or weakness, a tear somewhere he could point to. Instead he felt steady. Whole in a way that didn’t belong to him fully.

Night had fallen over Ravelin when they left. Nights were quieter than the day, the market roads dimmed to scattered lanternlight and the crowds thinned to late workers, tired adventurers, and the occasional drunk dragging their feet home. 

The city hadn’t stopped, but it had lowered its voice. After a week shut inside one room, even that felt strange.

Cool, crisp air brushed against Jax’s face as he stepped onto the inn’s front path and looked out over the street. After so much time stuck inside during recovery, it all felt new again.

Mira came up beside him without saying anything at first, her shoulder nearly brushing his. They stood there for a moment, like neither of them quite knew what to do with the fact that they had been let go.

“You want to get something to eat?” she asked.

“I hope Sherley didn’t rent out our room already,” she added, glancing back at him with a small wink.

Jax nodded, then reached out and took her hand, pulling her along as they started back toward the inn. Her grip tightened slightly around his.

He didn’t let go until they reached the doors. “Well, guess we’ll find out. I’m assuming you still want one room—”

A blur cut him off mid sentence. 

“Of course, Jax!” Mira said, suddenly between him and the door. She had closed the distance in an instant. “Why would you even ask that?” 

Mira pushed the door open and warmth spilled over them at once. The inn was quieter than usual, but not empty. Conversation drifted in low pockets, silverware clicked against plates, and the hearth gave off a steady crackle from the far wall. After a week shut away under watch, even familiar noise felt strange.

Sherley looked up from behind the counter the moment they stepped in. Her face shifted before she could hide it—surprise first, then relief, then something sharper when her eyes settled on Jax. “Well,” she said, setting the rag in her hand aside, “look who finally decided to rejoin the world.”

Mira smiled easily. “Miss us?”

“Not enough to admit it,” Sherley shot back, though there was warmth under it. She came around the counter, her attention settling more fully on Jax, giving him a quick once-over that lingered just a second too long. 

She glanced between them and  let out a small breath. “Place has been calmer without you,” she said, nodding toward Mira. “Didn’t realize how much noise you brought in until it was gone.”

Mira put a hand to her chest in mock offense. “That hurts.”

Her gaze flicked back to Jax. “Room’s still yours. I figured if I rented it out, you’d come back just in time to make my life harder.” She jerked her chin toward the stairs. “Haven’t touched it.”

“See?” Mira said, already turning. “Everything worked out.”

Jax lingered a moment longer.

“Are you sure you’re actually fine?” she asked, quieter this time. “You both seem… off.”

Jax hesitated, just for a second. “Yeah,” he said.

It sounded right. That didn’t mean that it was true.

Sherley studied him like she didn’t quite buy it, then shook her head and stepped back. “Get upstairs,” she said. “Both of you look like you need real sleep.”

Mira didn’t argue. She was already moving.

Jax followed a second later, slower, his hand brushing his chest without thinking before dropping again.

The inn felt the same.

He didn’t.