Finnick didn't have a goal anymore. After all the wounds he had received from fighting with James had healed, he didn't know what to do anymore. Finnick was losing his reason for life.

He didn't feel like chasing after his father anymore, to become a knight Captain. Just thinking about that made him sad and angry. That position's name became synonymous with nothing but pain for him.

Meanwhile, his revenge didn't go well either. At the beginning, he was determined to repay anyone connected with his father's death with death itself. All the rebel group members, people connected with it like Nova, James, or the second prince, Damian. But after he defeated James, he didn't have the guts to actually kill him off.

From that, he realized the same thing would happen when he confronted the others. No matter how angry he was, he wouldn't be able to take that next step. It was a good thing; killing wasn't exactly something that someone could be proud of, but that meant his quest for revenge was basically meaningless.

That's assuming he could even confront them now. Because things became more problematic when he found out that Nova was unconscious for who knows how long and the second prince was running away.

Would he pointlessly wait until Nova woke up? Or would he try to chase the second prince?

He figured he had no motivation to do any of that.

His dad was gone, and no matter what he did, nothing would change that.

He couldn't take it anymore, so he just ran until he reached a quiet spot in the woods around the academy. Then he started screaming at the top of his lungs while crying. He felt frustrated and empty.

After that, a few days passed with his mind lost in a fog. He couldn't really remember what he did. All he knew was that he was wet from the rain, his body was dirty, and he was starving.

He suddenly decided he wanted to meet Nova. Even if she was unconscious, he might find something if he did that.

When he asked around, it seemed like Nova was being kept in Prince Casper's room.

So, he still cares about her despite what happened? Finnick thought. That kind of made him jealous because he himself didn't really know what he actually felt about Nova anymore.

When he tried to go to Prince Casper's room, he was stopped by some of Prince Casper's knights.

"I'm sorry, but Prince Casper told us not to let anyone come close to his room," the knight said, "especially when he was not around?"

"Where is he right now?" Finnick asked.

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"He was dealing with a visitor from the Elven Kingdom. If you have any business with him, you should wait until he's back."

"No," Finnick said. "I have no business with him. I just want to see Nova. Move."

The knight didn't budge. "I respect your late father," he said. "But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."

"Don't bring my father into this and just move," Finnick said.

"No, you should have the prince's permission to do so," the knight said.

"Then bring him here right now, or I will force my way in!" Finnick said.

The knights glanced at each other. The older one said, "Go, bring Prince Casper here. Tell him it's urgent."

The younger knight nodded and ran.

Not long after, the knight returned with Prince Casper.

"I was handling an important matter my father gave me," Casper said to Finnick. "You better have a good excuse to make me come here."

"Let me meet Nova," Finnick demanded.

Prince Casper gave him a sharp look. "What are you planning to do with her?" he asked.

"I just want to see her," Finnick said.

"And then what?" Casper asked. "I won't allow you to hurt her."

"I... don't know yet, but I must see her!" Finnick said. "She was a traitor, why are you even protecting her?"

"With such an unclear answer, I won't let you see her," Casper said. "Even if she was wrong, I won't give her punishment while she's still unconscious. Just give up and go."

"When she's still unconscious? Really?" Finnick said. "So you will give her fitting punishment when she wakes up?"

Prince Casper didn't answer. Finnick understood. He would stand beside Nova no matter what. He wouldn't let anyone meet her either.

"Fine," Finnick said. "Forget it."

He walked away, feeling more unsure about what he had to do. He could feel a gaze following him, even after he had gone farther. He even noticed some knights following him.

He's willing to go this far? Finnick thought to himself.

He kept walking, planning to just leave the academy completely. While on the way, he saw Aurora, Ruby, and a lady knight he recognized as Rita. Seeing them, he felt more and more disconnected with anything there.

He kept walking until the knights that had followed him stopped.

He didn't look back. He then decided to leave that kingdom completely and keep going aimlessly. Perhaps he would find something. Maybe he would find a new meaning for his life.

Finnick kept going until he reached the Beastman kingdom. He started to notice that the people around him had animal properties on their bodies, such as cat ears or fur.

They were buzzing, hyped up about something.

Finnick entered one of the taverns and ordered a drink.

When the tavern owner gave him his drink, he said, "Your body is well-developed for a human," he said. "Are you here to enter the tournament?"

"Tournament?" Finnick said, absentmindedly.

"Yes, soon our yearly martial arts tournament will begin," he said. "That's why everyone is hyped."

"Hahaha, there's no way he will enter the tournament," a Beastman who sat near Finnick said. "Don't joke around. There's no way a human's physical body can match ours."

"Eh, I think he is strong enough," the tavern owner said. "I can tell you're training a lot. Even if you lose, it's still a good idea to at least try."

Finnick stared at his own hand. He wasn't sure why, but the idea kind of interested him.

"Hey now, you shouldn't give him unrealistic expectations," the Beastman from before said. "Our tournament was for the strong only! What will you do if he is beaten in his first fight and ends up crying?"

Finnick didn't pay attention to him and just started to drink.

A few days later, at the same tavern, the beastmen were getting even more hyped. The tournament had already started, and they began to pick their favorites to win.

"This year's tournament is going to be fun!" one of them said. "There are three newcomers that are worth watching!"

"Oh, do you mean that human kid?" the other said. "He was surprisingly strong, wasn't he?"

"I knew that he had potential when he was drinking here the other day," the tavern owner said, reminiscing about what had happened.

"Yes, he was definitely an interesting addition," the other replied. "But I'm betting on the other two. These two girls were something else! Who would have thought that with such a cute appearance, they too could be so strong!"

"Well, I'm not surprised," the tavern owner said. "One of them was the daughter of the winner from last year, right? The other one, though, is kind of mysterious."

"Ah, I heard a rumor," someone said. "She was actually the daughter of a tournament participant who got killed last year. Kind of tragic, huh? Makes me want to support her."

"Hey, that might be tragic, but this tournament is all about strength!" a drunk Beastman said. "Don't get swayed by a sad backstory!"

"What kind of heartless bastard are you?" the other snorted.

"Why, you!" And then they started to fight.

Instead of stopping them, the tavern owner just laughed it off.

***