The shockwave still echoed in my bones, a distant reminder of the power that had been unleashed somewhere beyond the horizon.
Cinder panicked. "Then we must run toward the house. If any attac—"
"CALM DOWN!" I shot back. "There is no need for that!"
"What?" he exclaimed. "Are you saying we should slowly walk until someone attacks us?"
"The war is already over." I stated it as a fact.
The words hung in the air between us, heavy with implication.
Cinder stared at me like I had lost my mind, utterly confused. "You just said the war started! How could it end now?"
"Did you see the intensity of that shockwave? It was definitely my father, and he has been preparing for this war."
That bastard would not start wars he could not finish in minutes.
Cinder questioned, "How can you say that with absolute certainty? What if you're wrong? What if the Church is tracking us and preparing for an attack?"
"That will not happen. No one will attack or track. Because there's no one left to attack. That strike and the shockwaves from it likely destroyed every major Church member. Every guard here was killed, the strong one murdered. There's no one left to threaten us." I paused and met his eyes. "And… I am always right. No matter what."
It wasn't arrogance. It was fact. Every plan I had made, every decision I had taken since the moment I woke in this world, had been correct. The training. The library. The cipher. The prison break. I had been right about everything. I would be right about this.
Cinder pressed, "And if your decision is wrong? Then what?"
"There is no way my decisions are wrong. You have seen it with your own eyes. A leader never doubts his decision." I met his eyes with unprecedented confidence, the attitude of never backing down.
It was the truth I had learned in three years of isolation. Doubt was death. Hesitation was defeat. A leader who second-guessed himself was a leader who led his people to slaughter.
Cinder studied me. "Those eyes… seems like you don't want to back down."
"Let's proceed at the same pace. Tell this to the others."
After that, the situation went quiet.
The line of prisoners continued its slow march through the forest, the shockwave already fading into memory. But my mind remained fixed on that distant explosion of power.
I looked at the direction where the shockwave came.
That… power is almost godlike. To be able to create such shockwaves… Then what must be the condition of the site where he released his power? I once dreamed of reaching this level. The power to destroy landscapes in a single second, each blow causing shockwaves.
Of course, that was before I found out I had no Aether. All in the memories of my past.
That dream is the same as my hand trying to touch the moon. Unachievable. I hope that I reach even ten percent… or even one percent of that power. If only I had Aether, this would all be easy. But my Unwoven Fate decides what must be done to me.
The bitterness of that thought lingered, but I pushed it aside.
—
An hour later.
The line trudged on. The prisoners moved slowly, their bodies weak from years of confinement, but they moved. The forest gradually thinned, replaced by open fields and the distant glow of civilization, the outskirts of the first city on our path to House Theodore.
The red-haired girl slowly retreated to the rear where I was walking. At first, I dismissed it as coincidence, but now she had reached just seven positions ahead of me.
She moved with purpose, her eyes fixed on me despite the distance.
"Cinder, you will deal with her."
Cinder sighed. "I don't really know how to deal with nobles…"
I must not avoid her. Avoiding her creates more problems. She will grow more and more curious about me, eventually trying to discover who I am. But Cinder is here, and he will deal with her.
"Hello, I'm Cinder," he said.
She completely ignored him and came straight to me.
He failed.
Of course he did. The universe had a sick sense of humor.
"Hey," she said. "I couldn't detect your presence until I saw you and heard your footsteps. Is there any reason for that?"
There is no way I will tell her I'm Aetherless.
"It's my unique ability."
The lie came easily. Practice made perfect.
Cinder's eyes sharpened. He knew I was Aetherless. But since he respects my decisions, he will not say anything.
Good. At least someone understood the value of silence.
"Oh… a unique ability. How does it work?"
"Why would I tell you?"
She considered this. "Fair point."
A moment of silence. Then, "Are you the one who saved me?"
She probably already knows. This is confirmation from my own mouth. If I avoid it, there will be more problems. If I lie, she will grow suspicious.
"Yes."
She didn't say anything, but she smiled.
That smile was dangerous. It spoke of gratitude, of connection, of debts that needed repaying. I wanted none of it.
I need to leave this situation as soon as possible. I don't want to go to House Theodore ever again. I will evacuate to a nearby city and live there until I get the chance to escape.
She walked beside me.
The proximity was uncomfortable. She was too close, too interested.
"Why do you hide your face and ha—"
"Because I'm bald," I interrupted. "Don't want anyone to see that." I glanced at her. "And also, is this a Q&A? I didn't sign up for this."
"QNA? What does that mean?"
Ah, slip of the tongue. Didn't mean to use that language.
"Question and answer. Are you an interrogator? Why are you asking so many questions?"
She smiled. "You are asking questions too."
"Very funny. Nice try."
She laughed. But I didn't. The laugh was the kind from someone whose family cared about them. Carefree laughter. Knowing you're finally free.
I'm not. I have to run from the bastard who will hunt me. This is my destiny. My Unwoven Fate.
I don't want to make a striking appearance that she could potentially remember.
But she was relentless. "We haven't shared our names. My name is Lysandra Zex."
Zex family… never heard of them. Nobles always have a surname while common people don't.
I don't need to tell her my real name. I'll give her my earth name.
"My name's Kaito."
"Kai–to?" She tested the syllables. "That's a rare name!"
Of course it would be.
She chatted. And chatted. And chatted. About nothing. About everything. About her family, her imprisonment, her hopes for the future. I listened with half an ear, responding in monosyllables, waiting for an escape.
Until I voluntarily went to Cinder.
"We need to talk. Privately."
Cinder nodded. "Okay."
Cinder and I moved further back from the line.
The others continued ahead, their forms growing smaller in the distance. The red-haired girl looked back once, then faced forward again.
"I cannot go into House Theodore. The reasons are personal. I will go to a nearby city. Do you have any money?"
"Yes, I took some from that elite guard I defeated." Cinder handed me the money. All coins.
I weighed the pouch in my hand. Enough for food, lodging, travel. A start.
"Don't mention me in anything. Tell this to the others. From this moment, you don't know me. Say that the barrier malfunctioned, creating a hole that allowed you to escape. You, Roran, and Mirabel did everything."
Cinder was quite shocked at my decision.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "You should reconsider. Coming with us to House Theodore would be safer."
Safe…huh? I know how safe it is.
"No," I said firmly. "My mind is made up."
He started to protest again, but I denied him.
There was no room for argument. I had made my choice.
—
When we reached a nearby city, I stopped walking.
The city sprawled before us, modest walls, simple buildings, the smoke of evening fires rising into the twilight sky. A place of common people, of anonymity, of hiding in plain sight.
"This is where I leave you."
Cinder's eyes widened. "What? Now? After everything—"
"Meet me at the local inn after you finish the rehabilitation," I said.
It wasn't a lie. I would be there. It gave him something to hold onto, a reason to accept my departure.
I turned to the rest of the team. One by one, I gave my goodbyes. A nod to Roran. A clasp of hands with Mirabel.
They understood. Or they didn't. Either way, they accepted.
Then Lysandra stepped forward.
Her eyes searched my face, looking for something beneath the guard's cloth that covered my features.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"This city," I answered. "It's my hometown. I'm going to live there again." A smooth lie.
She looked at me for a long moment.
"I want to see you again," she said quietly. "After the rehabilitation. When I'm finished."
I met her eyes.
I said "I would." With a nod.
That wouldn't happen.
Because I'm gonna escape this place.
I turned away before she could see the truth in my eyes. Before anyone could ask more questions, demand more answers, force more connections.
I walked toward the city gates.
Behind me, the line of prisoners resumed its slow march toward House Theodore. Toward safety.
Ahead of me lay the unknown. A city of strangers. A life of hiding.
It was the end of being a pawn. And the start of my journey.
The gates swallowed me, and I didn't look back.