The trio reached the end of the garden, their footsteps halting where the land gave way to a rocky path that stretched all the way to the cliff's edge. Over the past weeks, Bruno had noticed Javohir's frequent gazes towards the distant sea, barely visible on the horizon from their vantage point. Now, he decided to capitalize on this observation.

As Mamadou turned around, preparing to resume their run back, the young alchemist forged ahead, venturing onto the pathway.

"Where are you going?" the trainer called out.

The question compelled Bruno to pivot and face them. "We come here every day, yet we never go further. I want to check the cliff," he explained. "Javohir always stares in that direction when we arrive... Maybe it's time to finally take a look?" He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly before turning away, determined to press onward.

The two remaining figures exchanged a glance. The younger one took the first step to follow, while the former assassin reluctantly trailed behind, appearing as if he had no other choice but to accompany his students.

With each stride, the crashing of the sea grew louder, and the winds seemed to intensify. When Bruno reached the precipice, he had an unobstructed view of the water below, its waves lapping at the base of the cliff with relentless fervor.

To avoid being blinded by the sun's brilliant reflection upon the ocean's surface, he angled his gaze just right. The radiance was so potent that looking directly at it proved impossible.

"It's beautiful and yet intimidating," he remarked, eventually shielding his eyes with a hand to mitigate the light.

Javohir, who had halted beside him, nodded silently. Mamadou found his own spot a few steps behind, observing quietly.

"It is..." the other boy agreed. "Sometimes, I wonder what lies beyond."

"Geographically speaking, there is more water, but slightly to the north-east, there is a chain of islands that leads to a massive one," Bruno explained. "And if you were to trace the coast northward, you would eventually reach my hometown, Blackrock. Beyond that lie northern lands shrouded in snow, where dwarves reside in the mountainous terrain. And beyond even that... we do not know, as the sea freezes, making it impossible to travel further. It becomes far too cold."

Suddenly, the young alchemist turned to Mamadou. "Have you ever been there?" he inquired.

The former assassin shook his head slowly, maintaining his silence. His response cast an awkward pall over the group, leaving them in a lingering silence, fixated on the distant horizon.

For Bruno, the situation grew frustrating. He desired the conversation to progress, yet he did not wish to appear pushy or manipulative. It was meant to flow naturally, but unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

"When I was younger," the young alchemist began, carefully selecting his words to break the stifling tranquility, "I used to dream of venturing beyond the chain of islands on a ship. I imagined discovering another continent, where I would build my own kingdom."

The statement hung in the air. It was Bruno’s attempt to fix the direction where things were heading on their own.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"That sounds scary," Javohir interjected, his tone tinged with apprehension.

The young alchemist was taken aback by the response. "Why?" he inquired.

"Weren't you afraid of monsters? Or pirates?" Javohir questioned.

Bruno simply shrugged his shoulders. "It was just a dream, a fabricated history. There were no monsters, and as for pirates... I knew a few of them at that point. They actually helped me."

"Helped you?" Mamadou interjected, finally joining the conversation.

"Yes," Bruno confirmed. "I used to work for one of them. I was creating a product called 'Fix,' which gained quite a bit of popularity."

"Fix?" Javohir repeated in astonishment. "Isn't that what they're serving in The Hole these days?"

"So they even stole my formula..." Bruno sighed, shaking his head slowly while chuckling. "Fucking assholes."

"You really made it?" Javohir exclaimed, a broad smile spreading across his face. "I can't believe it. You truly are brilliant."

"Thank you," the young alchemist replied, reciprocating the smile.

Mamadou, his expression devoid of emotion, interjected with a question. "What was the name of the pirate you worked for?"

"It was Billy 'The Razor' Fisher. The captain of the 'Blue Whale,'" Bruno revealed. "Why are you asking? Do you know him, perhaps?"

"I've only heard of the man," Mamadou replied, evading the question.

A momentary silence settled upon the trio. The young alchemist pondered his next move, while the former assassin redirected his gaze toward the vast expanse of the sea, lost in contemplation.

"Couldn't the pirates help you?" Javohir broke the stalemate for him. "Couldn't they take you out to sea?"

Bruno clutched at the collar around his neck. "I still have this," he replied, his tone tinged with resignation. "I'm not going anywhere. Even if I were to somehow contact them, they would come here... And even if they took me, I would die due to this cursed collar. There is no escape for me."

A somber expression draped across his face as he averted his eyes to the ground. Without waiting for a response, he abruptly turned and sprinted back toward the estate. Javohir, taken aback by the sudden reaction, glanced at their trainer before hastily chasing after his sparring partner. Mamadou, unperturbed, remained motionless, displaying no emotion and uttering not a word.

"W-ait! What about us?" Javohir asked, causing Bruno to halt his sprint abruptly and face him.

"Weren't you scared?" the boy inquired in response.

"I am scared," Javohir admitted, emphasizing the present tense. "But I also want to escape this place. I don't want to return underground, engaging in pointless fights with others like me just to survive another day. I understand that you owe us nothing, but... I just want to break free."

He spoke, then abruptly turned around, realizing Mamadou was behind him, unsure of the silent man's thoughts on the matter. But there was no reaction from Mamadou. He passed them by, maintaining his steady pace.

The former assassin in a blink of an eye became a potential obstacle. The young alchemist desired clarity in the situation but managed to maintain control over his emotions, even despite the possible danger of their trainer ruining everything.

"I'll... I'll think about it," he eventually responded to Javohir, who remained somewhat apprehensive.

Resuming his run, Bruno's sparring partner followed suit a moment later, positioning himself at the very end of their formation until they returned.

As they made their way back, Bruno noticed a maid peering from one of the windows—an unusual occurrence that alarmed him. The feeling of being watched intensified with his time spent in the estate, though it had never been so overt.

Nonetheless, training persisted, more or less adhering to its usual format. At one point, Mamadou seized a brief opportunity, slipping behind the young alchemist's back.

"Javohir may be blind, but I see through your intentions," he whispered, denying the boy the chance to respond. He moved naturally, positioning himself closer to the young alchemist, and before he was able to react, the man added: "That will be all for today. Let's continue tomorrow."

Despite the disappointing news, Bruno maintained his facade and returned to the estate, heading straight back underground. As he walked, he couldn't help but notice the increased interest the maids displayed toward him. Subtle, yet perceptible, their eyes veered away from their tasks to carefully observe him.

Accustomed to such occurrences, particularly during banquets for the wealthy and noble, the young alchemist easily detected their curiosity. The experiences from his past life once again proved useful.