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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The sun hung low over the horizon, casting a light hue over the marshland as Alexandri rose from the pond. Water cascaded down his golden mane-like hair, sparkling as it caught the last rays of light. He stood tall, a figure of authority, his posture unwavering as the boys emerged and their heads surfacing out of the cool water behind him.
“Come out,” Alexandri called, his voice firm and steady, though his expression remained unreadable.
Shin and Al reluctantly clambered out of the clear waters that had petals floating on them, dripping with a mix of ease and exhaustion from the run leaving their body. The thick marshland air clung to them, fresh and calm it felt refreshing. As they made their way to dry ground, Alexandri continued, his gaze scanning the surroundings with practiced precision.
“Your routine remains the same,” he instructed, his tone no-nonsense. “Physical training in the morning, aura attributes training in the afternoon, and defense training at night.”
Shin’s face contorted slightly at the thought, but he kept his mouth shut.
“You will eat the plants found in the marsh,” Alexandri added, his voice colder now. “Only the plants. No exceptions, until I say otherwise.”
Al, ever the skeptic, raised an eyebrow, pushing his damp hair out of his face. “How do we know which ones are edible and which are poisonous?”
Alexandri’s lips twitched slightly, but there was no humor in his answer. “You’ll find out when you eat them.”
Shin groaned, his hand instinctively rubbing at his neck as if to soothe away an invisible tension. His eyes narrowed as he muttered under his breath, “Great. That sounds... reassuring.”
“And remember,” Alexandri’s voice sharpened. “You are not to eat meat at any given time. Is that understood?”
The boys nodded, though Shin’s reluctant expression spoke volumes. They had come to understand Alexandri’s orders were not up for debate.
With a grunt, Alexandri turned and slid into his sleeping sack, his lithe figure disappearing into the shadows of the marsh. “Get some sleep,” he called over his shoulder. “Tomorrow will be intense.”
Al, accustomed to sleeping outdoors from his previous life—and even more so during their various dungeon raids—stretched out on the cold ground. The dampness of the air, and the occasional crack of branches in the distance, all felt like home to him. In some strange way, he found comfort in it. His body had learned to adapt to such conditions.
Shin, however, found it far more difficult. His eyes darted nervously around the darkening landscape, ears straining for the ominous sounds of creatures in the marsh. The wild noises—the rustle of wings, the distant growls, the hiss of unseen things lurking in the dark—sent an unsettling chill down his spine. He lay rigidly, trying to will himself to sleep, but the sounds seemed to grow louder, and closer, as if something were waiting for them to fall asleep before pouncing.
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Shin shifted uneasily, his eyes flicking to his friend, Al who was deep in thought, took notice of Shin nudging and sat upright, deep in thought. The silhouette of his face was faintly illuminated by the pale moonlight, but Al seemed unfazed by the surrounding wilderness. Shin couldn’t help himself.
“What do you think it would feel like to be free?” Shin whispered, his voice low but filled with a yearning that surprised even him. “We’ve spent most of our lives in the quarters, in bondage, working our asses off day in and night out. We’ve never really left until now. And since we left, there’s been one form of danger or another—Traekmire Forest, fighting the Maestri, surviving his hellish training…” He let out a long breath, shifting again.
“But even with all that, I don’t know. There’s nothing I would change. I don’t want to go back to the quarters.”
Al’s gaze softened, and his lips parted as if to speak, but Shin’s words hung in the air, swirling with uncertainty. Shin continued, “I don’t know what other dangers lie ahead, but I wouldn’t trade this feeling. Freedom… it’s better than any life we had before.”
Al sat up, his posture straightening as he looked over at Shin, his expression unreadable at first. Then, something flickered in his eyes—something bright, full of a warmth that seemed out of place in the darkened marsh.
“Trust me, Shin,” Al said softly, his voice carrying a depth that went beyond his years. “There’s a whole world out there. A world full of danger, yes, but also full of beautiful things—things worth living for. Things worth fighting for.”
Shin’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean? You talk sometimes like you’ve lived more than one life… Like you’ve already lost something precious.”
Al’s face tightened for a split second, in a flash he had an expression of how did he know, how did he figure it out? He chuckled to cover it up, but there was a hint of sadness in his laugh. “Maybe I think too much,” he replied lightly, though it did little to hide the weight of his words.
Shin sat up, studying his friend closely, sensing the unease that lingered just beneath the surface. “You’re not just talking about the future, are you?” Shin pressed. “You mean the past. You’ve lost something before.”
Al’s gaze turned distant as he looked into the clear waters of the marsh, the ripples faintly glimmering under the pale moonlight. “Sometimes I wonder about my parents,” he confessed, the words almost lost in the night air. But whether it was his past life or now, "I don’t know who they were. There are no records. I don’t know what happened to them.” He never could find anything about them, he only knew he was left in the field behind the orphanage at least that's what he was told. Even the elders who had knowledge about everything in the quarter and their race had no clue where he came from. He was named after the rare flower 'Aldain' that was found in the basket he was left in.
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with an unspoken understanding between them. Shin had always known there was something about Al’s past that he never shared, something that haunted him.
Al had grown up alongside Shin in the orphanage of the quarters. And out of all the other kids, Al was the only one who spoke to him, the only one who defended him when others were too afraid or too cruel to stand up for Shin. It was why Shin had always felt a deep sense of loyalty to him, even though Al never truly explained himself. Al was like a brother to him that he never had but he got.
Al shifted, turning his attention back to Shin. “But that doesn’t matter right now. We’re going to pass through the arena. We’re going to gain our freedom. That’s certain. I have things I need to do, wrongs that need to be made right.” His voice took on a quiet intensity, a determination that resonated in the stillness of the marsh. “And nothing’s going to stop us.”
Shin nodded, his heart lighter than before. "I believe you," he said quietly, his voice full of trust. "I’m with you."
Al gave him a small smile, though there was still something bittersweet about it. “Get some sleep, Shin. The sooner you sleep, the sooner you wake up. Tomorrow will be hard. But we’ll have each other, we will overcome and attain the strength we need to survive in this world.”
As Shin lay back down, the sounds of the marsh became a distant hum, no longer the ominous threat they once were. His mind quieted thoughts of freedom and the uncertain road ahead swirling in his head. Al was right. Tomorrow will be difficult. But it was better to stop worrying and get some rest.
Alexandri who was thought to be asleep grinned at the boy's determination and resolve. They would have to overcome their fears if they wanted to make it out of the marsh alive and sane, this place would make them or break them.
Suddenly a loud thud and crashing sound was heard not far from where they lay. Shin jumped up in confusion "Saying what the hell is that."