— The world of royals and nobles had always seemed so far, yet here their rag-tag group was staying in the Zofian castle itself. A nice bed was at their disposal for once, something he hadn't realized he would miss so much until he and his peers had set out from Ram, yet the male couldn't help but feel restless.
There was a sour irony in the fact that he didn't feel right just being stationed at the palace, taking a small reprieve, when he had held his own reservations about even setting out in the first place, but there was an undeniable choking feeling just staying here. Was the royal family murdered in their own castle? Was it possible that they were intruding on their spirits' home? The faster the fated red-haired girl arrived, the better he had reasoned.
As the days passed, he had taken note of how Alm would often escape up the stairs, and Cliff found himself following after his commander.
❝ Alm? May I accompany you? We... haven't talked in a while,
so... Just the two of us, I mean -- without Grey or Robin or
anybody else and... ❞
Cliff's voice faded out, his words trailing off. Worries embedded themselves into his mind as he asked and he shifted awkwardly. He thought to take his proposal back and withdraw, but his courage failed him there too.