Chapter Twenty-Four

Soaring through the sky, I go over the conversation again.

Deniz had canceled his service that night… so the Amlovos killed Kavi… didn’t they? But… could Kavi have joined them and kept it a secret so I wouldn’t be killed too? Did the clover actually kill Kavi after learning he became a rebel?? Could I have been wrong??

Landing before the front door, I take a deep breath and knock. There’s no response. Knocking on the door again, a few seconds pass before I hear an annoyed groan.

Approaching the door from the other side, Eric yells, “I already told you yesterday Sam that I’m taking the whole week off! Nothing you say will bring me in–”

As Eric opens the door, he immediately drops a cup out of his hand, “To work…”

With water spilling everywhere, Eric stares at me, dumbfounded, “Mateo… is that really you? How… how are you here? You’ve gotten so… big.”

“Hi Eric. It’s a long story,” I reply, noticing how my brother's body has grown thinner and his eyes weary.

Eric throws his arms around me, and I reciprocate the embrace.

His voice quivering, Eric says, “I thought I’d never see you again…”

“Yeah, same here. How are you doing?”

“I’m tired, but I’m okay,” he pulls himself away. “But… I’m so sorry Mateo! I’ve tried! I really have! I’ve done everything I can, but mom only keeps getting worse!”

The time between my breaths grows uneven, “Then it’s a good thing I’m here now.”

He lets me inside, “You know where she is. Maybe seeing you will make her feel better. You go ahead, I’ll clean up this mess.”

Walking by Eric, I stop and put a hand on Eric’s shoulder.

“Thanks… for everything.”

Continuing toward my parents' room, I hear Eric break down behind me. Quietly opening the door, Mom is asleep, quietly breathing. Eric has left everything exactly how it was before I left. There’s still a chair on either side of her bed, and Mom’s favorite book is half-open beside her. Taking a seat, I move the book to the bedside table and grab Mom's hand.

It’s cold. Rubbing my fingers along her hand, her skin is thin and pale.

“Mateo… are you here?” asks my mom, her eyes still closed and her voice weak

“Yes, Mom, I’m right by your side,” I reply, surprised. “There’s no need to worry.”

Her eyes slowly open, and she says, “Mateo, it really is you!”

I nervously chuckle, “You really recognize me?”

“A mother will always recognize her child. Oh, I’m so happy to see you! Come closer, give me a hug!”

I very gently wrap my arms around her.

“Your brother has been taking great care of me. I know you two aren’t close like you used to be, but please give him another chance.”

“I will Mom..."

“I fought. I told you I would. Every day was a struggle, but I’d go through decades of pain if it meant I could see you again.”

“I’m– I’m sorry for leaving you and Eric behind. But now I’m back, and I’m going to make you well again! I promised, remember?”

Laying her head back against the pillow, Mom says, “I remember like it was yesterday, and I love you so much for that. But we both already know that my time is almost up.”

Engulfing my finger with heavenly flames, I quaver, “No, Mom, I can help you! See! I’ve gotten stronger! Maybe I can heal you now!”

Placing a few fingers against her chest, Mom begins, “Mateo, please–”

Trying to rid Mom of the poison, I channel iris into my hand. Nothing. Circulating more iris into my fingers, her physical state remains unchanged.

“Why?! Why isn’t this working?! These flames have worked wonders in the past! They reattached my limbs! So why not now?! Please work! Please! I’ll do anything! Please just work!”

Channeling even more iris into my fingertips, I press all my fingers down onto my mom's chest, causing her to cry out in pain. I immediately stop in horror.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Mom!”

Eric storms into the room, “Mateo! What are you doing?!”

Mom replies through labored breaths, “Don’t blame him, Eric. He was just trying to help me.”

“Mom…” Eric walks over to his seat on the other side of the bed. “Do you need more medicine?”

Mom weakly shakes her head, “No. Right now… I just want to talk with you two.”

Eric sharply inhales, “Okay, what do you want to talk about?”

Her breathing slowly returning to normal, she asks, “Mateo, what do you want to tell me?”

My brows knit together, “What?”

“I could see it on your face that you were hiding something earlier.”

Glancing at Eric, I say, “It’s about dad. I think I learned how he died.”

Eric meets my gaze, and Mom says, “Please, tell me.”

“He stuck his nose in a place it didn’t belong… he joined the Amlovos rebels, and the Mako killed him once they found out.”

My mom slowly smiles, “That man… I knew Sergio got into trouble. I just wish he had told me.”

“And I know about you, too,” I say, not looking away from Eric. “You’re no longer alone. I’m going to help you.”

Nodding, Eric sniffles as Mom says, “Sergio and I both feared the world we would leave you two behind in. We wanted to make a difference, to make your lives better.”

“We– we know that,” stammers Eric. “With Mateo back, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

Holding her hand, I reply, “Mom… I only partially kept my promise. The reason I’m able to see you today is not because I was proven innocent. A civil war is coming, and I got recruited to fight on behalf of the Clover Trine. But right now, after learning all these things… I have no idea what I’m going to do. Mom… the Clovers… they were the ones who poisoned you! That’s why you’re sick! And that’s why you’re not getting any better!”

“Yes, I’m sick and won’t last much longer. I accepted that a long time ago.”

“But Mom! How could I fight for the people who are killing you? Who killed Dad! Who tortured Eric! They call us grounders scum! I hate the rebels just as much, I think they killed Kavi… but the Clovers are the reason we had to live like this!”

“But fighting for them will improve your lives, won’t it?”

“Well… it might. If we defeat the Amlovos rebels, we’ll be heroes to this country. But the Amlovos might have the right idea. Why shouldn’t I join them and take out the Clover Trine?”

“Because the rebels are also in the wrong. Listen, Mateo, you told me once that you didn’t kill Kavi, and I believe you. I’ve had a lot of time to think, and the Amlovos have been targeting anything related to Nevism for years. It’s simple: wouldn’t they be the ones who killed Kavi and framed you?”

Recalling how Deniz reacted to my mentioning of Kavi, I voice, “Yeah… you’re right.”

“Kavi wasn’t the only one. The rebels have killed many people, and many innocent civilians have suffered because of them. They might see what they’re doing as justice, but they’re just as guilty as the Clovers. Trust your gut, Mateo, and fight for the people you believe will create a better world.”

She starts coughing up blood, and I quickly squeeze her hand harder.

“Save your breath, Mom, don’t push yourself,” says Eric.

“Eric’s right, just get some rest.”

Closing her eyes, she says with a deep breath, “Okay… I’ll try. I love you both.”

I expected to cry when I saw Mom again, but I never did. She is now asleep again and very weakly breathing. Eric and I decide it is best not to move her for now.

Laying down on my childhood bed, I stare at my desk. On it is my token and mom’s favorite book, 'The Emerging Paramount', which I brought with me just now. Exhaustion hitting me, I sleepily recall something Mom told me before I went to Soulbell.

‘Percival was willing to do anything for his friends, and his friends felt the same way about him. I hope one day you have a group of friends like that.’

***

Abruptly waking up to Eric screaming, I jump out of bed and sprint straight into Mom’s bedroom.

She is as white as a ghost, dead. A flattened pillow is beside her stomach, and rummaged bed covers advertise a struggle.

Was she suffocated?! How?!

“I was asleep in the kitchen,” quickly says a frenzied Eric. “I thought I heard the door closing, and when I ran over to look out the window, I saw a man leaving. When I ran back in here…”

“Eric. What was the man wearing?! Do you know where he went?!” I urge, shaking his shoulders.

“I think… a dark grey jacket? I don’t know, it happened so fast...”

Sprinting out of the room and onto the front yard, I simultaneously activate heavenly flames and velocity pulse, bursting through the air to nearby Groundlands to find this man. As soon as my first velocity pulse wears off, I activate it again.

Soon spotting a man with a dark grey jacket hopping from island to island close to the Midlands, I burst toward him, blazing with a ferocious wrath. Activating orasi, I recognize he’s an iris wielder, but his iris core is underdeveloped, only at the awakening stage.

Good, he’s a wielder. This won’t kill him then.

Pinning him out of the air and slamming into the ground, dirt erupts around us as we come to a stark halt. Burrowed a few feet lower than ground level, the tone of my words twists with fury.

“Who are you?! Why did you kill her?!” I demand, grabbing onto his wrist with my scorching hand.

He screams in agony as I give him a violent burn.

“Who the f*ck are you?! I’ll burn off your f*cking hand if you don’t start talking!!”

“It was… an order. I didn’t think–” he trails off, coughing up blood.

“Whose order?!”

“The Mako… got an order… from the Clovers.”

Giving into rage, an eruption of flames engulfs the man, killing him in a wrathful blaze.

Rising to my feet and stumbling a step back, my brain ripples with agonizing, searing pains.

Why would the Clovers… she was already going to die! Was this because of what I said to them earlier?! Eric… I left Eric alone back home!

Luckily, the initial velocity pulse I used has been restored. Taking off into the skies again, I activate velocity pulse to rush home as fast as possible.

Appearing in Mom’s bedroom in a flash, Eric is still there, just silently gazing at her. As a strong breeze hits him, he glances over at me in shock from how I had just returned in a flash, embers still flaring off my body. Seeing he is alright, an initial wave of relief hits me, but then sorrow and dread flood in. Given the opportunity and time to process that Mom is dead now, I once again am not able to shed tears for her.

After a few minutes of complete silence, I say, “Come on, we’re going to bury her next to Dad.”

“Wha– how? Shouldn’t we call–” begins Eric, but he stops talking as I lift Mom out of bed and hand her to him.

Walking through the house, I stop by my room to grab something as question after question spills from my brother’s mouth. Once outside, I turn back to him, transforming into my Halos Avian form.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I’ll carry you both. It won’t take long.”

***

With the sun setting behind us, I kneel down in front of our parent’s graves and place the mitered square my mom once made for me against the headstone. Eric then did the same with his own identical token. After hours of being there, I couldn’t bear the silence anymore.

My eyes sullen and tone flat, I say, “They’ll pay for this…”

“What are you going to do?

“I don’t know yet,” I reply, carving my mother’s death year into the headstone with my flames. “First priority is securing your safety. I’m taking you to Ray’s. It will be the safest place for you when the uprising starts.”

***

Walking up to Ray’s door, Eric tries to cheer me up after I told him a few things that happened at Soulbell on the flight here. Maybe he was just trying to cheer himself up, though.

“It sure sounds like you’ve been through a lot together. I’m shocked you’re a legacy, and your friends sound cool…”

Appreciative of his efforts, I still dully reply to him while knocking, “Yeah, they are. You’ll like ‘em.”

Swinging the door open a few seconds later, Ray shouts, “About time you got back! You’ve been gone all day! What were you doing?!”

Worn out from everything, I reply, “It’s complicated. Please let Eric stay here with us.”

Watching me as I walk past him, Ray grows concerned, and his gaze shifts to Eric.

Snapping out of his brief daze, Ray says, “Eric, it’s been a long time. How are you? Please come in.”

“I’ve been… uh… better. But I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“I’m doing the best I can,” answers Ray. “Mateo is making life pretty stressful right now.”

“Heh, yeah,” notes Eric.

Looking at me, Ray asks Eric, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Our mom… she just died,” softly says Eric, Ray whipping back to look at him. “He’s… well, he’s doing better than I was when dad died.”

Ray’s eyes widen as he watches me enter the living room, “Mateo…”

Hastily following me into the living room where the rest of the Scouts are playing a game of cards, Makani looks over her shoulder and notices me, “Oh, Mateo! How’d it go?”

I stop walking, and Ray’s body cringes from head to toe, freezing in place. The rest of the Scouts go quiet as I avoid eye contact. A few seconds later, I continue walking out of the room.

Joey whispers something to Ayden, and Ayden nods. Makani realizes her mistake, but it’s too late. As Makani gets up to try and follow me, Tori grabs her arm.

“Give him some space. He’ll talk to us when he’s ready.”

As Ray watches me walk out of sight up the stairs, he’s finally able to release the long breath he was holding. Closing and reopening his eyes with a deep breath, Ray slightly judders his head back and forth while Makani feverishly apologizes to everyone.

“It’s not your fault. I only just found out, too, and if I knew earlier, I would’ve warned you.”

“Don’t blame yourself either, Ray. Mateo’s tough, he’ll be fine." Joey’s gaze shifts to Eric, “But who are you?”

Shaking his head again, Ray answers, “Right. Sorry. This is Eric, Mateo’s older brother. He showed up here with Mateo, and the only thing Mateo said to me just now was to let Eric stay here, too. It’s not even a question… of course, I’m letting you stay, Eric.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“And how are you feeling?” asks Joey. “You seem to be doing alright.”

“I was much closer with our father than Mateo was, so when he died, Mateo didn’t get as emotional as I did. I guess the reverse is probably the case here with Mom… she was always Mateo’s support beam from the beginning.”

“Dealing with loss is a part of life. Everybody has their own way of coping with it.”

“I’m not proud about how I acted after Dad died… Mateo had to step up because I ran away from my feelings. I loved Mom. I took care of her for years… but I don’t want Mateo to see me like that again… this time, I want to be there for him if he needs me.”

Joey softly smiles, and Ayden says, “You’re a good guy, Eric, but things are different this time around. Mateo’s stuck with us, and since your family, we got your back, too.”

“Damn... I didn’t want your guy's first impression of me to be... this. It’s just… I mean, I only just learned about you guys, but you’re all badasses," chuckles Eric, tears welling in his eyes. “I bet this is exactly how Mateo described me to you guys in prison...”

“What do you mean?” asks Makani.

“I’m sure he told you that I’m just some junkie who just… runs away from everything… shit.”

Quickly reaching into his pocket, Eric pulls out a container of pills. Before he can unscrew the lid, the container is knocked out of Eric’s hand by a sudden gust of wind. Staggered, Eric watches as the container bounces away.

“You don’t really want to do that, do you?” asks Makani, her eyes radiating a mint hue.

Realizing what he had just tried to do, Eric’s mouth trembles. Transferring his gaze from Makani to the pills and then back to Makani, Eric mutters, “Damn it… what the hell is wrong with me? I was able to restrain myself earlier when my mom died, but I try to take one now?!”

Eric suddenly punches himself in the face, alarming everybody else. The scouts all rise as Ray grabs Eric’s arm, “Eric! That’s enough!”

Eric shoves Ray away, “You hate me too, and you know it! There’s a reason you avoided us for years, and it’s because of me! Don’t try to lie either!”

Eric tries to punch himself again, but Ayden throws a coated gem hand at Eric, catching Eric’s fist before it can make contact. Controlling his ability, Ayden keeps Eric’s hand frozen where it is.

As the Scouts walk over, Joey tells Ayden, “Thought you didn’t know how to hold back.”

“I’ve been getting better.”

The shock from the sudden sequence of events wearing off, Eric’s shoulder starts aching in pain.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault, I’ll–”

Ray takes a knee beside him, “You’re good, don’t worry about it, man. Are you okay?”

Eric winces a little, “My shoulder hurts, but I think... I'm fine.”

Ray softly smiles as Ayden releases his ability, “Good, I’m glad.”

“You know Eric,” starts Joey. “If there was anybody in the world that doesn’t have a right to judge you, it’s us.”

Eric tenses up, “Surely you hate me already. There’s no going back after that.”

“Why would I hate you?” asks Joey. “So, you have an addiction, big deal. This isn’t exactly a competition, but you do know you’re looking at four criminals, right?”

“When you put it that way…” Eric eases up a tad. “Yeah, I– I guess I am.”

“Let’s see here,” says Joey, looking at his friends. “Anyone wanna go first for why they suck the most?”

“Sure, my whole thing kinda relates to your deal, Eric,” voices Ayden. “Along with a few family members, we sold illegal Herisin ‘til we got caught. Was forced to leave my two kids behind when I got convicted. Didn’t help that I was an addict too… took me a long time to get clean.”

Eric sits up, and Ayden places a hand on Joey’s shoulder, “Luckily, I had a friend willing to help. It wasn’t easy, but I’m going on eight years clean now.”

Eric nods a few times, and Makani says, “I– so… my father didn’t want a girl, so he raised me like a boy. He was wasted a lot, and I had to take care of myself since I was twelve. Nobody ever offered me a helping hand, so I had to commit crimes to get by. Growing up, I was always around tobacco, alcohol, Herisin, all that stuff.”

Makani nudges Ayden and jokes, “I think I might’ve even bought some Herisin off you for my father.”

Ayden chuckles, “Maybe.”

“My friends were killed… poisoned, actually,” says Joey. “And I got revenge on the woman who killed them. I killed her like she killed my friends. I’m a murderer, and I always will be.”

Not needing to say anything else, Joey gestures that he’s done, and everybody looks at Tori.

“What?” asks Tori.

“Well, we’re just kind of sharing our–” starts Ayden.

“Don’t want to.”

Ayden clicks his tongue, “Alright, no Tori trauma today.”

“The point is…” Joey quickly steps in. “Eric, there’s always somebody you can talk to. Always. I don’t care how messed up you think you are, you’re a friend and–”

“You actually consider me… a friend?”

“Yeah, I mean… Mateo’s our friend, and you’re his brother,” answers Ayden. “You're kind of a package deal, man.”

“And we got your back,” says Joey, and Eric’s lips tremble into a smile.

“Th– thanks,” voices Eric, and the room suddenly becomes a lot quieter.

“Alright, this is getting awkward,” says Makani, returning to the table and picking up some cards. “Eric, Ray, you two want to join us for a round? The more the merrier!”

Eric and Ray glance at one another, and both interested, they nod back and forth until they verbally accept.

***

After sleeping for another few hours, I wake up in one of the guest rooms I had stumbled into.

I need… to clear my head. Talk to somebody else. Somebody who can be objective about all this.

Putting on some clothes I found in the closet, I sneak out a window and head to Soulbell in the early morning hours. The sun hasn't begun to rise yet, so my flames and the moonlight show me the way. Gliding past Brickworks and the dormant railway, I land in the same barren room I had once arrived in a few years ago.

Not really caring if I’m seen, I fly down the halls and enter the warden’s office unannounced. He is sleeping in the lounge area, and when I shake him awake, he is not particularly happy to see me.

***

“Well, considering all of that, Mateo thinks she was murdered,” says Eric, the group taking a break from playing cards.

“Did he tell you who he thought did it?” asks Joey.

“He disappeared right after I told him that I saw a man, and he came back after a few minutes smelling like smoke. When we were flying here, he said that the Clover Trine ordered that man to kill her.”

“The Clovers?” voices Ray, his eyebrows raising. “Are you sure that’s what he said?”

“Positive. He said the man told him that the Mako got an order from the Clovers.”

Looking around, Makani says, “It doesn’t make any sense. Why would they kill his mom if they’re trying to get him on their side?”

“He did piss off that one guy earlier,” says Ayden.

“Which guy?!” asks Ray.

“The younger guy with blonde hair. I think his name was John,” says Ayden.

“Ah shhh…” Ray chuckles in disbelief. “John, as in... the John directly in charge of the Mako who brainwashes, imprisons, or kills anybody he desires? The John that controls the ins and outs of Opuree from the shadows with an iron grip? That John?!”

Scratching the back of his head, Ayden replies, “Yeah…”

“Damn it. I leave y’all for two minutes…” says Ray, heading up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” asks Makani.

“To learn exactly what he said that got his mom killed!”

***

“What the hell are you doing here?” asks Conall, eyeing the two cups of coffee on the table. “Do you know how angry Sorel will be if he figures out you’re here?”

“What do you know about Deniz?" I ask, kindling Conall’s curiosity.

“The tepran?”

I nod.

“That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. I don’t know Deniz well, but I did know his father. Is there a reason you want to know about him?”

“He told me the Mako killed my dad, poisoned my mom, and tortured my brother.”

Conall whistles, “Hell of a day you had, damn. I guess I’ll just start from the beginning, then. Deniz’s father used to be part of the Mako. His name was Walt, and we worked together a few times. He was as good as any officer and got the job done, but his personal life was a mystery. As was his disappearance.”

“Disappearance?”

“Yeah, like I said, mystery. But when he got drunk, he was talkative. I think out of everybody in the Mako, only I know about some of this stuff now. Honestly, I wish I never heard most of it.”

“Like what?”

“Walt once had a wife and daughter, but… I don't even know how to put this. Basically, they disappeared after he thought his wife cheated on him. He then met somebody else, the woman who would soon become Deniz’s mother, and they were together for almost a year before she found out the truth. She confronted Walt… asking him about what happened and that she deserved to know. Then she disappeared as well. It was sickening how he laughed about it, but since we were both Mako, it was policy not to meddle with other members' lives.”

“So, what happened to them?”

“Deniz was eventually born… so who knows.”

Disgusted and wanting to switch the topic, I ask, “How does this relate to Deniz?”

“When Deniz was born, Walt raised him somewhat normally because he knew Deniz was his son. Deniz was raised without knowing the truth about his family, and I even spoke with him a few times when he was a boy. He loved his father, and together they had a good relationship. Nonetheless, Walt never shied away from showing Deniz the darker side of Opuree through the Mako. Ironically, he never revealed the truth about himself. Regardless, from an early age, Deniz was forced to attend school, and because of his father, he eventually joined the Mako at only sixteen years old, one of the youngest inducted members ever.”

“So you were part of the Mako too..."

“Nearly thirty years ago, yeah. I started working at Soulbell before Deniz joined, though. I still have ways to gain information, but the story gets fuzzy here. I’ll tell you what I know, but there’s a lot of guessing when connecting the dots.”

I nod, and Conall continues, “Walt enrolled Deniz into university, setting him on the path to becoming a tepran. Walt always said that being a tepran opens up the most options for somebody’s future: money, women, recognition, claiming that’s all you really need here. Deniz became a tepran, just as his father wanted him to, but in his final year of study, he learned something unexpected. You see, Deniz was always told that his mother passed away from childbirth, so when a professor recognized Deniz’s last name and broke down in tears, Deniz was thrown for a loop. He asked the professor why she was so emotional, and the professor explained to him that her friend’s daughter once dated a man with the same last name, but she died from a heart attack nearly twenty years ago. The professor apologized for her unprofessionalism, adding that Deniz’s mother was like family at one point.”

“Why would Walt not tell him the truth?”

“I don’t know. I guess it’s not impossible to die from a heart attack during childbirth. Nonetheless, he slipped up, and Deniz knew something was amiss. Knowing how the Mako operated, he started watching his father much more closely. He secretly set up cameras and wiretaps everywhere in his father’s home and noticed an odd pattern over time. Every few nights, his father would leave the house after preparing three sandwiches.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know much?”

“I'm guessing, and rumors go around when you have a story as puzzling as this," answers Conall, taking a sip. "You see, Walt became lazy with his duties to the Mako, claiming that his years of service were over and that his son would assume his position to several other members. The Mako became suspicious and started keeping tabs on him. This is where the trail for Walt goes cold, though, because, after one random night, Walt vanished off the face of Thera. No one ever saw him again. He had a few friends in Taliarusa, the now anarchist continent south of us, and there was a phone recording of Walt expressing to a friend that he was heading down a couple months before he vanished. The call couldn’t be tracked, and there have never been any findings of his former wife, daughter, or mistress. As for Deniz, he continued on with his life as if... nothing happened. He had a reliable alibi that he was at university that night, and he always backed the Taliarusa bit. Apparently, the fact came to light that Deniz was also privately working for the Mako to watch his father, so any suspicions there also eroded away.”

“Sounds convenient.”

“Might be. Walt had multiple fake IDs, and just like any long-time Mako member, he knew how to get more. He could’ve easily used one to travel to Taliarusa, and nobody could ever track him," explains Conall, taking another sip. "Even after Walt’s disappearance, Deniz remained a member of the Mako, climbing toward a high officer status while also becoming a tepran. Over time, the belief emerged that Walt died in Taliarusa with his buddy, which wasn’t all that far-fetched considering the state of that lawless land. And that's really everything I know...”

The way he was speaking earlier… Deniz is definitely involved in his father’s disappearance. He has to be playing both sides, and there’s far more to his motivations than wanting a stronger military. “Something I’ve learned is that there’s nothing worse in this world than humanity.” He must know about what his father did, and since the Amlovos are out destroying tirikas and killing teprans, he obviously resents anything tied to Nevism too. But is it really that simple?

Sharpening my gaze, I say, “My mom was just murdered. I was able to track down the man who killed her before he could get away, and he said that it was an order the Mako got from the Clovers. I don’t know what to f*cking think anymore, Conall. The Clovers just got me out of prison to fight for them, and then they go and kill my mom, who they already poisoned.”

“But that’s only if that man was telling the truth. And you don’t think he was.”

“No... I don’t. Granted… I did piss John off, but after what you told me about Deniz… I don't know which side it was. I can only guess, and if those final words were a lie and I tried to torture a confession out of John… I don’t know. This could just be Deniz running circles around me, and I’d be wasting my time! The timing is so convenient… but that just might be what the Clovers are thinking if they somehow learned about Deniz… shit. I don’t f*cking know what to think.”

“Well. Don’t overthink it then.”

“How can I not overthink this?!”

“It’s simple. Which side do you believe did it?”

“Honestly, both at this point! They’re both responsible for all the shit that’s happening!”

“And that’s your answer. You don’t trust either side, so you fight on your terms.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you fought for yourself here, didn’t you? Your goal then was to get out of prison by winning ten duels, so what’s your goal now?”

Looking away, an inner conflict of motivations makes my chest churn. However, my mother’s words call out to me once again.

‘Percival was willing to do anything for his friends, and his friends felt the same way about him. I hope one day you have a group of friends like that.’

Meeting Conall’s gaze, I declare, “To fight for the side I want to protect.”