Heavy panting filled the air as they fled into the night.
They rode farther and farther from New Angeles, heading toward Saisei.
Wilhelm was completely out of it. Alexander and Thomas pushed their horses hard, galloping across a deep ravine and clearing it with relative ease.
Wilhelm didn't pull up in time. His horse stumbled at the edge and failed the jump. An agonizing neigh brought Alexander and Thomas to a halt.
"Will!" Thomas shouted, eyes wide as Wilhelm and his horse plummeted down the ravine.
"Tsk. Carl, can you find us a way down?" Alexander asked softly, stroking Carl's mane. The horse neighed in reply.
With cautious, deliberate steps, Carl led the other two horses down the rocky slope.
Natalie rested her head on Alexander's back, soaking his shirt with tears. Her body had no more strength. She let her limbs dangle limply, leaving it to the horse to keep her steady.
Her horse followed behind, sniffing her gently as if trying to comfort her.
Thomas brought up the rear, more paranoid than ever, eyes scanning every shadow as they descended into the ravine.
**THUMP.**
Carl landed with a leap at the bottom.
Moonlight barely reached this depth. Alexander's first instinct was to gather wood scraps and build a makeshift torch.
Wilhelm sat there—physically fine, but distant. He hugged his knees, his face smeared with dirt and ashes from the house fire, his eyes hollow. His horse wandered nearby, pacing aimlessly.
"You alright?" Alexander asked, holding the torch above him.
Wilhelm looked up. The firelight flickered in his pupils.
"Oh fuck..." Thomas muttered as he caught up, passing by Natalie, who still hadn't lifted her head.
He hesitated, unsure of what to say to her, then quietly continued toward Wilhelm.
"Will!" Thomas knelt beside him. "Are you okay? Can you stand?"
"Tommy," Alexander called out softly.
"Huh?" Thomas turned—just in time to see Alexander holding an arrow that had come from nowhere.
"Wha—"
**WHOOSH**
Another arrow flew straight at Thomas's face. Alexander parried it with his sword in a blur.
"Shit, they caught up?!"
"No."
**WHOOSH.**
Another arrow sliced through the air—cut in half mid-flight by Alexander's blade. "Skeletons."
Two skeletal archers emerged from the shadows, drawing bows with emotionless, grinning skulls.
"Here?!" Thomas readied his axe.
Their aim was off—one arrow missed entirely, the other bounced harmlessly off a stone, Thomas had shielded himself with his axe but he didn't have to. Alexander stepped forward with composure, torch in one hand, sword in the other, cutting down every arrow in his path.
With a single, almost lazy swing, he shattered one of the skeletons. The second fell to Thomas's axe as he rushed in.
"HARRRHH!" Thomas shattered even the skull.
Thomas squinted into the dark.
"Wait… if they're here, that means—" He pointed toward a flickering flame ahead. "There's an entrance to the mines!"
Alexander tilted his head. "What does that mean?"
"Oh, right. You're like… the memory-loss guy." Thomas rubbed his temples. "The mines are like this underground dungeon with lots of loot. Metal, minerals, but most importantly—books."
"Books?"
"Yeah! Attribute books and ability books. Attribute books enhances your stats—like strength, speed and all that shit. Ability books are the real shit though. They give you new powers, new abilities, some better than the others, depends on it's aura." Thomas scratched his head. "Actually, I found one a few days ago but… still can't figure out how to use it."
"What kind of ability?"
"Something like…" Thomas snapped his fingers. "Seeing into the future, I think?"
Alexander blinked. "What happens in the next hour?"
Thomas sighed. "No idea."
He walked over to the fallen skeleton and poked at its ribs. "Parts of the mines have monsters—like these guys. These are low-tier stuff though, a random farmer could take like ten of them and still be completely fine."
"And that's the entrance?" Alexander asked.
"Yup. Also, the mines are all connected. Corridors, chambers—everything's like a big web. We could sneak back into Saisei or New Angeles through there."
"We're fugitives now. Any place with people—we should avoid," Alexander replied coolly.
"True. But this is still very good…" Thomas said, brightening. "If we spend a couple of days just mining shit and get real—like really lucky, we could get stupidly strong—enough to kill those stealing bastards."
"Overthrow the government," Alexander clarified.
"Yeah."
"Let's do it," Alexander said without hesitation despite the task being ridiculous.
Thomas then ranted, "Duuuuuuuude. What the hell was the non-existent Forger of Fire doing existing? And on their side?"
"You should take him," Thomas continued, "then me and Will will—"
"NO I WON'T!"
Wilhelm's scream tore through the silence. Everyone jolted. Even Natalie looked up.
"NO I FUCKIN' WON'T!" he repeated, voice guttural.
"You... You alright, Will?"
"I'M NOT FUCKIN' ALRIGHT! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"I'm—"
"NO! NONE OF US ARE! NOT YOU, NOT HER, NOT HIM EITHER, WE'RE NOT ALRIGHT!" Wilhelm shouted, voice trembling with rage. His hands flailed, his face twisted with fury.
"Will—"
"OOOOOOOH GOD, IT'S JUST A FUCKIN' METAL PLATE! AND NOW WE'RE FIGHTING THE GODDAMN FORGER OF FIRE OVER IT?! DYING FOR SCRAP?!" He paced in manic circles. "I TOLD YOU TO STOP THIS NONSENSE! AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL MY THROAT ALMOST GAVE OUT! DO I NOT EXIST?!"
"Whoa, what the fuck, Will?" Thomas snapped. "Scrap? That's my grandma's last message! YOU THINK THAT'S SCRAP?! IT'S ALL I HAVE LEFT! YOU THINK IT'S STUPID TO FIGHT FOR IT?! I HAVE NO ONE LEFT!"
"I HAVE SOMEONE!" Wilhelm roared. "I have a mother—waiting for me back home. Just because you have no one left, nothing left, no fuckin' purpose to keep living… doesn't mean I should die with your suicidal arse!"
Thomas's fists clenched. His eyes trembled with fury. "What the fuck did you just say…"
"I said exactly what I meant." Wilhelm turned to Natalie, gesturing. "Not just me—her too. IT'S HIS FAULT! IT'S HIS FAULT YOU'RE IN THIS MESS! IT'S HIS FAULT ALL YOUR PETS ARE SIX FEET FUCKIN' UNDER! HE KILLED THEM!"
Natalie slowly lifted her head, hollow-eyed. "It's fine… It's… my own fault too."
Wilhelm paused before letting out a bitter laugh, then gave an exaggerated bow. "MRS. POLITE! I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND!"
He turned back to Thomas, his expression dark. "I'm done. If you wanna die, ask your dog, Alexander back there, he's got one mighty fine sword. Tell him to cut your limbs off, dice that shit up and serve it to Ocean. Then you'll reunite with all your loved ones in it's stomach, hmm?"
After one last glare, Wilhelm got on his horse. He climbed back up the slope using the path Carl had taken.
Thomas stood there, frozen. His hands trembled with rage, but his face wavered—uncertain.
A hand landed on his shoulder. Alexander's.
"It's their fault," Alexander whispered.
Thomas's face softened. "…Tsk." But his fists remained clenched.