**Chapter 46. Dust of the roads and shadows of the past**
I was walking. Hour after hour, step by step, under the scorching sun that burned even through the thick cloak. I've left the North behind—Resay, the Crimson Manor, everything I've left in ruins. A few hours ago, I crossed the border of their lands, and now only the dusty road and the wind were my companions. The wind blew my long black hair in my face, and my brown eyes stared straight ahead. The snow-white sword strapped on his back swayed slightly to the beat of his steps, which was more convenient than carrying it on his belt.
* Ringing.*
The system came to life again, flashing a golden window in front of my eyes. I winced, but I didn't stop. The aura. Damn aura. Controlling her is like keeping a wild animal in check. She was bursting out, boiling in her chest like a red-hot metal, and demanding an outlet. I almost killed Solomon back at the castle. One wrong impulse, one blurring, and I, like a stupid schoolboy, gave it free rein. He raged like an idiot until her energy blew up half the room. It's a good thing he dodged. It was a good thing he didn't ask any questions. But his gaze is... cold, calculating, as always. He knew I wasn't okay. And it was infuriating.
I exhaled, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Why did I destroy the Crimson Manor? This question stuck in my head like a splinter. I tried to remember, but my memory was muddy, like water in a swamp. Rage? Revenge? Or has the system pulled the strings again? Spit. Done is done. Now my path lay to the west, to the Academy. The exam will start there soon. If you believe the rumors, this is my chance to get lost among the crowd, to become a shadow in their games. Or maybe find the answers. But the Academy is weeks away. Damn, it's been a long time. My head was pounding like a hammer hitting my temples.
I stopped to take a sip of water from my canteen. It's warm and nasty, but it's better than nothing. My body ached with fatigue, and my muscles were buzzing, but I was used to it. It's not the kind of fatigue that breaks you down. It's just... background. My shadow, my companion. I adjusted the sword on my back and moved forward again. The road meandered through scorched fields where the grass barely made its way through the dry earth. In the distance loomed the dark silhouettes of mountains, and above them — the sky, heavy, leaden, ready to give birth to a thunderstorm.
* Ringing.*
The system is back. I gritted my teeth, but I called up the window anyway.
> **Name**: Azrael
> **Age**: 18 (**)
> **Vitality**: 190 / 200
> **Skills**:
> • Sword Skill: 100%
> • Killer Skill: [ACTIVATED]
> • Skill: Young Body: [ACTIVATED]
> • Skill: Aura: [ACTIVATED, 12% control]
Twelve percent. Huh. Ridiculous. I could feel her, that damned aura, bubbling inside like a red-hot cauldron. She was both a gift and a curse. With her, I could see more, feel more—like back in the castle, when I felt Yuki, Ragnar, Queen. But she also made me vulnerable. Too visible. Too... alive.
And this thread. Silver, trembling like a spider's web in the wind. It was still heading south, even though I was heading west. I felt it like a slight tingling sensation in my chest. Someone or something was calling me. Or followed. I didn't know what was worse yet.
I quickened my pace. My head hurt, but I couldn't afford to stop. The academy was my goal. That's where I'll find the answers—or at least a temporary shelter. But deep down I knew that the shadows of the past would not let go so easily. The Crimson Ones, Solomon, that damn thread... it was all part of a puzzle that I hadn't put together yet.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. I looked up at the sky, feeling the first drops of rain fall on my face. It's time to find shelter. But even in the rain, I won't stop. Never.