“Alex!” Penelope raised her voice, alarmed by the maid’s actions. Her clenched fist tightened, and her gaze dropped while processing what I’d told. “You. . . you have to tell Father.”

It was understandable why she was so horrified by the maid’s actions, seeing as she wasn’t the one to experience such things throughout life. However, Penelope’s suggestion didn’t change my mind, as I had already justified my decision to keep my mouth shut during our stay.

“It’s not that simple. If it were just me–” my lip tightened as I struggled to voice my thoughts. Even telling them about it was a risk I shouldn’t have taken, but my piled up frustration finally got the better of me. “Penelope, promise you won’t do anything without my permission.”

“Alex. . .” Penelope’s jaw clenched as her gaze swept over me before hesitantly nodding. “But tell me why.”

Penelope caught me sitting on her bed with Rose in the room when it should’ve been empty. At first, I thought she would think something weird, but our gloomy atmosphere raised lots of questions. It wasn’t exactly how I imagined telling my story, but having someone hear me out felt refreshing. My only regret was making it so tear-jerking as I went over the first six years of my life that I only vaguely remembered.

“You already know this, but as the illegitimate child, I had little to no love among my family, apart from my mother. However, you may or may not know that our mother had it worse.”

“They wouldn’t. . .” Penelope wanted to refute my claim as even the thought of having a noble lady born a Welton being mistreated by house servants was unthinkable. But if they were ready to torment a child, she couldn’t put it past them.

It wasn’t mistrust that had her questioning my words but utter disbelief. The passing of time made it more apparent how much our parents sheltered Penelope from the real world, and she was slowly becoming aware. Even having a choice as to whom you’d marry one day was a privilege reserved for a select few.

“Grandfather shunned her to the side, and while the servants likely didn’t cause her hardship, Aunt and Uncle certainly did. When I was a kid and got threatened that my mother and I were going to get kicked out, it felt like they were telling the truth. However, things are different now.” I paused, awed by Penelope’s ability to simply listen without interrupting, a talent I much lacked. Rose too, but she hardly spoke as is. “Grandfather reconciled with Mother, and they actually get along now. Elena also received love even from Mother’s siblings, and if she can have a normal relationship with the Weltons, it’d be a huge advantage for her one day.”

“Does Mother know about this?” Penelope’s sharp voice and tight lips told me more than her words ever could as she awaited an answer.

“No.” Her frustration was endearing, making me crack a smile much to their confusion. “Had she known, there wouldn’t be a house to sleep in right now.”

“Right. . .” Penelope sighed, losing some of the built-up tension.

While my words were believable, even I questioned if Mother knew, but it was one of those things I’d never find out unless she told me, as I had no intention of asking. I won’t deny that my mother married Penelope’s father out of love, but the way Weltons treated her, it pretty much shoved her into his arms. Despite the feud with Eliot, getting me away from Raveryn was just about the best thing she could’ve done for me.

“Look. It’s fine–”

“It’s not!” Penelope cut me off, grabbing my arm with both hands. “You shouldn’t have to suffer for our sake. If you tell Father, then–”

“Penelope. I’m grown up now. I can’t let others fight my battles, and this is definitely my battle to fight.” Putting on a smile, I cupped her hand and lowered my gaze. “Sometimes we have to endure things we don’t like for the sake of those we love. Don’t worry so much. I’ll be fine.”

“That’s not–” She wanted to protest but stopped halfway. It took her a second to collect her thoughts, exhaling deeply at the end. “You’re right.”

“Thank you.” It was unfortunate that I could see guilt eating away at her as she had to keep quiet about what was happening, but it was for the best. It was for Ellie.

“However. . .” she mumbled, gazing back with tears hiding in the corner of her eyes. “Promise me you’ll at least share your burden with me. Talk to me if things get hard.”

“I– I’ll try. . .” Her request caught me off guard.

It was hard to believe how emotional Penelope turned out to be, but realistically, she was just like me, bottling up until she reached a breaking point. However, the secrets I kept weren’t going to do them any good.

Whenever I closed my eyes, they were there. The lifeless eyes of tortured souls forced to work in the mines, staring at me, waiting for the day I’d come to save them. Then there was Daniel, the boy to whom I made a promise, whose corpse probably got used for feeding their hounds. Hunger. Thirst. Fear. Loneliness. You’d expect nothing less from a dreadful place like Tartarus. Fane’s voice still haunted me at night whenever I felt weak, and the words Draining Touch echoed in the back of my mind.

Even Alice, who pushed me for months to tell her all about it, only heard a bit more than anyone else. Telling her certainly wasn’t a mistake. It gave me a weird sense of relief knowing someone had heard me, but even then, I hesitated to tell her everything as I couldn’t bare the thought of seeing her horrified expression. Despite how close we were, I still felt uncomfortable crying in front of others. The only tears I’d let anyone see from me were that of joy. In the future, if the time was right and I felt comfortable, I knew I’d tell Alice the truth.

Penelope sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get anything more. “Fine. I’ll take it.”

“Good. Now let’s change the subject.” I chuckled, glancing at Rose, who silently sat in her chair. “Rose. I know this is sudden, but could you do me a favor?”

“Sure?” She tilted her head as if awaiting an order.

“It’s getting late, and with our uncle running around, I’m worried for the twins. Could you perhaps. . .”

“Say no more.” Rose got up and left the room without a complaint, knowing the two were troublemakers when kept unchecked.

Thankfully, that meant Penelope and I were left alone.

“You didn’t have to kick her out,” Penelope called me out on my charade.

“I. . .” It was hard telling the truth.

“Don’t worry. I get it.” Penelope slowly pulled away, taking a deep breath. “With time, I’m sure you’ll trust her.”

“Honestly? I don’t even know if I trust myself when it comes to this.” I admitted, scratching my head. “So? What did Father say?”

Penelope crossed her arms as her gaze wandered around the room.

“He said he’d look into it.” Penelope exhaled, staring blankly at the unlit fireplace.

“I’m guessing he wasn’t happy about it. . .”

“Happy?” Penelope helplessly chuckled, slowly turning back toward me. “Alex. He warned us never to speak of this again.”

“That bad, huh?” I asked, having already anticipated such a reaction. “We’ll do as he says.”

“We will?” She blinked twice, her lips slightly parted as her gaze dropped again. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“Penelope. . .” I gently reached for her shoulder, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of her weary eyes. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Promise?” She never bothered looking up.

“Yeah. . .” My quick response masked my uncertainty as I let go of her shoulder and stood up. “It’s getting late. You should catch some sleep.”

Lying to her wasn’t something I wanted to do, but telling her I didn’t know what was going to happen when she clearly asked for affirmation wasn’t going to do either any good. Though It wasn’t as if I didn’t believe in what I said, it’s just that our definition of fine probably differed. To me, as long as they were safe, nothing else mattered.

“What about Uncle?” Penelope raised a good question.

“Ah. . .” His importance dwindled from my mind as the topic changed. “I’m sure he’s left my room by now. If I’m lucky, I might not see him again.”

“Okay. . . but if your room turns out to be haunted, come back here, okay?” Penelope’s faint smile finally made an appearance.

“Eliot would kill me. . .” My words remained incoherent as I mumbled while facing the door. “Thanks. Sleep tight.”

“Good night.”

Closing the door behind me, I sighed deeply, hoping tomorrow could go without trouble; however, it seemed my wish wasn’t granted as the next day, while walking down the street, I noticed someone following me.

Luckily, there was no mention of what happened last night when I walked past my father around noon. Coincidentally I slept through family breakfast, pinning the blame on exhaustion from days of travel and an eventful exploration later in the evening. However, that left me feeling a bit hungry as I refused to eat the meals brought to my room. While searching for a place to grab a bite in the city, a hooded individual whose face I couldn’t see started following me.

He kept out of my sight but lacked critical information. Mana Sense had turned out to be an invaluable ability that caught someone shady more than once, and while I had all sorts of questions for him, there was a moment I tried losing him, but he was relentless.

Realizing I wouldn’t have peace of mind, I turned the corner, entering what seemed to be an abandoned dark alley. To my surprise, the man followed, and as it turned out, it was a huge blunder on his part as I teleported next to him.

Driving my fist into his stomach left him breathless as spit flew everywhere, and before he could even react, I threw him against the wall. His knees gave out as soon as his face touched the cold stone, allowing me to grab him by the throat with one hand, pinning him while he faced me. My eyes wandered, searching for a weapon strapped to his belt or hidden under the cloak, but as it turned out, there were none.

“Who are you? Why are you following me?” My voice turned deep as my grip tightened around his neck, forcing incoherent noises. “Answer me.”

“S–stop. . . ch– choking. . . me!” He grabbed my arm with both hands, tears gathering as his consciousness wavered.

Realizing how weak he was, I allowed him to grovel at my feet as I let him go.

“Make a wrong move, and you’ll wish you were dead.” It was supposed to be my final warning as I looked down at the hooded individual. “Now. Let’s see what you look like.”

Pulling his hood back, I got caught off guard by his youthful appearance, which failed to match my expectations.

“What’s wrong with you?!” He threw a tantrum while catching his breath, gazing at me with his dark brown eyes filled with tears from having his guts punched in. His first order of business wasn’t even to get up on his feet but to push back his shoulder-long fiery hair hiding his freckled face. “Do you–” He suddenly grabbed his throat after another wave of coughs caught up to him. It took him a minute to recompose himself again. “Do you normally choke people?”

“Do you normally stalk strangers?” Raising an eyebrow, I crossed my arms and waited patiently for his explanation.

“Stalk? I’d never–” Planning to defend himself, he stopped after noticing my gaze turn cold as the reality of our situation finally hit him. “Okay, maybe I followed you, but I’m not a stalker. Look!”

He reached for his pocket, but before he could pull anything out, the sole of my boot pinned him to the wall again. Even if he had proof to show, I wasn’t taking any chances with someone shady.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Who told you to reach for your pocket?” My low voice sent a visible chill down his spine, and his rebellious eyes swiftly turned to submission.

“It’s hard to breathe!” He squealed, desperately gasping for air while slapping my leg in a state of panic.

Letting out a sigh, I moved my foot from his frail body. The more I looked at him, the more I just wanted to send him home. There was no way someone like him was hired by my uncle to keep a close eye on me, nor was he a spy sent by the Second Prince or whoever was behind the ambush.

“Explain.” I kept it simple, pained by what to do.

If he were a threat to my family, killing him would be easiest as we were deprived of curious eyes. However, I had my doubts.

“Okay, okay. . . Just, please. No more kicking, punching, throwing, choking, or anything alike.” He sighed, slouching his shoulders before daring to look at me again, going as far as extending his hand for me to help him up. Whoever he was, he had no sense of urgency. “Do you mind?”

“Sure. . .” I mumbled, grabbing his hand and pulling him back to his feet.

He was around my height but lanky with big hands and a long nose. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think of him as his entire existence appeared abnormal.

“Thanks.” He dusted his clothes that looked befitting of a noble, except they didn’t fit him properly and were resewed, making me think he stole them. “Let’s try this again. . . Name’s Ronald Arden, a name that’ll be one day recognizable wherever you are. Should be honored, you know. . . Not everyone gets a chance to meet me before I become famous.”

“You–. . . You can’t be serious?” I asked, not remembering a time stupidity left me utterly awed. “Why were you following me?”

“Oh, but I am!” He laughed, pretending as if nothing ever happened until his composure broke by a held-back cough. “Fuck. . . That hurt.” He tapped his chest a few times and cleared his throat. “Anyway. . . The reason I was following you was because I saw you.”

“Pardon?” Every word spewing out of his mouth left me more confused.

“You’re the cursed child, Alexander Kallis! The Duke’s son that got taken in an ambush, a tragedy every Eleron noble heard. Did you think I wouldn’t know about you?” He emphasized the I while messing with his shirt to fit him better and puffing his chest as if proud that he knew who I was. “But when I heard the news you had returned. . . I was exhilarated! Oh, I knew I had to meet you. That was– until you punched me out of nowhere.”

The Arden family name didn’t ring any bells, but his story was so outlandish that it was hard not to believe. He was either a masterful liar with no regard for his safety or a moron. Not enough for me to justify killing or raising questions when Father warned us against it.

Taking a deep breath, I turned my back toward him and started walking away, only confident in doing so because I could sense him. “Go home, kid.”

“Kid?!” My words left him with a gaping mouth and a hand pressing on his chest. “I’ll have you know we’re the same age!”

Of course, he came running after me, following me out of the alleyway.

“Same age, you say?” I paused, sweeping a glance at him before turning away again. “Tough chance.”

“Oh, oh! Don’t you dare walk away from me just like that. I have the proof right here in my pocket!” He pulled out a piece of paper, disregarding the fact we were on a public street again, surrounded by potentially prying eyes. “Look.”

Turning around, I took the paper out of his hand, amusing the idea of checking his so-called proof, which turned out to be a letter.

“An invitation to the Grand Academy of Nuia?” The seal on the letter looked identical to mine, left with traces of mana that kept it sealed.

“You have one too, don’t you?” He smirked, trying to take it back, but I pulled away. “Okay. . . Now be cool and give it back.”

“I’m thinking.” I scratched my chin, thinking if I should use the opportunity to rip it open and see what it said, knowing I was told not to open mine.

“Don’t even think about it. . .” His calm voice wasn’t fooling everyone as I noticed his left foot jittering. “Give it back.”

“Fine.” I sighed, tossing it to him. It slipped through his fingers, but he clumsily caught it before it hit the ground. “We done now?”

“Done? But you just found out we’re the same age,” he argued with his arms out, still holding the letter while taking a step closer.

“So?” Furrowing my brows, I couldn’t even guess what he wanted. “Look. . . I’m sure you’re a nice guy, so I’ll leave you with a piece of advice, okay? Don’t. Follow. Strangers.”

“But you’re no stranger?” He genuinely looked like an abandoned puppy. “Sure. You turned out to be rough around the edges, but I feel we could get along.”

“Get along?” He itched me closer to being speechless by the second.

“What’s wrong with that?” He stood shoulder to shoulder, gesturing for me to walk aimlessly, yet for some reason, I did. “We’re the same age, attending the same Academy, and are both striving for more. I’m telling you, this is fate.”

Absorbed by his fantasy, he closed his eyes and kept walking forward.

“You stalked me. That’s not fate,” I argued, baffled by his approach. “But let’s say you do know me. How careless do you have to be to tail someone potentially traumatized by his experiences and expect not to get hit, or worse?”

“When life gives you a chance, there’s no time to think of the risks, now is there?” Ronald laughed, probably believing he was being wise. “Besides, it all worked out in the end, right?” The eerie silence made him pause. ”Alexander?” He opened his eyes only to see I wasn’t next to him. It took him a moment to realize I was a few steps behind, staring at a strange pawn shop. “Alexander. . .”

Ronald’s voice reached me, but I wasn’t responding as my interest was piqued by a place I felt I’d seen before. It was enough for me to enter without a second thought, welcomed by the small bell hanging above the door. The tightly packed pawn shop was filled with various items that ranged anywhere from armor scraps to antique vases, making me overly cautious while walking toward the counter.

“Why’d we stop? Do you know this place?” Ronald kept asking after following me inside, nearly knocking over a stack of books hanging around the center of the messy shop. “What a strange place. . .”

Surprisingly, he was right. There were even items I never expected to see, such as a mummified hand submerged in a strange transparent gel within a glass tube.

“Well, well. . . If it isn’t the Young Lord himself.” The familiar voice came from my right as I turned to see Ralf, the middle-aged flamboyant purple-haired merchant I visited in Dellion before I left. It was certainly surprising to see him in Raveryn. “It seems you’ve made it to the Capital.”

“Woah. . . Just how many piercings does one need?” Ronald commented, staring shamelessly at Ralf. “Alexander, do you know this guy?”

“Ralf? What are you doing here?” Even Ralf being in Raveryn was bizarre as he often talked about hating crowded cities, much less me stumbling upon his shop at random. “Did you move?”

“It seems life brought us together, Young Lord.” He chuckled, waltzing through the mess with ease. “To think you’d be the last customer walking into my shop before I moved again.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?” I asked, but my line of questioning was getting me nowhere.

“Business awaits elsewhere, and if I don’t follow the tide, a poor merchant such as myself might starve.” His extravagant gestures were always fun to watch as he moved some things around on his way toward us. “But you, Young Lord, have a much more intriguing story. My heart ached when I heard the news.”

Cracking a smile, I teased, “News of my return?”

He guffawed, extending his hand for a shake. “Preposterous. What am I without my favorite customer?”

“Well. It’s good to see you in good spirits.” I shook his hand, throwing a glance around the shop.

“Your wandering eyes never knew to halt,” Ralf pointed out, making me think I was perhaps a shopaholic. “Were the figurines a hit? Could I perhaps interest you in something new?”

“They loved them.” I smiled while imagining Penelope, who carried hers everywhere, and Ellie’s winsome reaction to getting hers. “You mentioned you were leaving again. Where to?”

“That’s right, but–”

The loud banging of things being knocked off a table halfway through Ralf’s sentence echoed in the store as we both turned to Ronald, who awkwardly stood frozen in place after making an apparent mess.

“Sorry. . .” He apologized with a low voice and his head down.

Knowing I led him in, my soul wanted to part from this world; however, it seemed as if Ralf wasn’t too bothered by the mess made, watching Ronald clumsily attempt to pick it all up.

“Young Lord. There’s much uncertainty in the world, and who knows where our paths shall take us. If fate is real and wills it, we shall meet again in the future. But for now, let us merely enjoy our time together.”

“No way!” Ronald raised his voice with excitement as he picked up a warn-out-looking wooden flute decorated with silvered outlines between the holes. “Old man, is this price for real?”

“Ah. It’s been a while since last someone picked up that particular flute.” Ralf had a coy smirk as he excused himself past me and walked over to Ronald. “The old wood might fool you, but trust me when I say that four silver is a steal.”

“A steal?” Ronald mumbled, looking back at the flute with a softened gaze. There was something wrong with how he repeated Ralf’s words, sad even. He tucked his hand into his pocket, pulling out a dozen silver coins, more than enough to pay; however, he put the money back and sighed. “I can’t. . .”

“Do you recognize the flute?” Ralf asked.

“See this marking over here?” Ronald turned the flute upside down, showing an engraved teal swallow that I could’ve sworn I’d seen before. “There was a famous magician known for making items like these, and while nobody knew the mage’s name, the items were easily distinguished by animals engraved. Swallow was likely one of the mage’s favorites.”

“Is that so?” Ralf asked, taking a good look at it again and then back at Ronald. “What do you think it’s worth?”

“I’m not sure what it does, but an item enchanted by such a known figure would in itself be extremely valuable. However, that’s not all.” Ronald had one more look at it, checking the woodwork. “This piece. . . It belonged to a famous charlatan who traveled the world for decades, improving the lives of the common people while stealing from the corrupt. It was said that the company he traveled with often saved people like us, mages hunted by the Order of Whispers.”

Ronald brought up a dark period in human history that swept the southern continent of Kendor over six hundred years ago when lands ravaged by magic gave birth to powerful mana beasts that destroyed countless towns and villages. Believing magic would end the world if left unchecked, an order specializing in mage hunting formed with the support of the Church, capturing and killing all unregistered mages. Unless you served your country, you had no right to use magic. After all, humans threw the world off balance as no other race capable of magic numbered so many.

It has been ages since last I heard that story.

“You seem well versed with magical knowledge. Do you happen to be an upcoming student at the Academy?” Ralf’s smile never faded as he listened with great interest to everything Ronald had to say.

“Yes, but. . . this. Six silver is a ridiculously low price for something so invaluable.” Ronald smiled, looking back at Ralf with gratitude showing on his face. “Thank you for letting me hold it.”

“It was four, but let me ask again. What would you sell it at?” Ralf was persistent.

“Honestly? You could probably earn up to five or six thousand, but I’d never sell it. A relic like this, I’d treasure it.”

“I see.” Ralf chuckled, tapping Ronald’s shoulder. “In that case, take it.”

Ronald shook his head in confusion. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Don’t be so surprised. If I can’t sell it to you for four silver, then I got no choice but to give it to you.”

“But there’ll be other buyers lining up, now that you know what it is,” Ronald explained, trying to hand it back to Ralf. “You could make a killing.”

“They wouldn’t appreciate it the same way you do,” Ralf argued while maintaining a soft-spoken tone, pushing Ronald’s hand away before turning around and walking back to me.

“That’s not true! Hundreds if not thousands would be willing to buy this flute knowing its history, and some are bound to know more and appreciate it for what it is.”

“Ronald, was it?” Ralf’s eyes flickered back to him. “If they treasured it the same way you do, they’d never buy it.”

“That’s–”

“You have a kind gaze, Ronald. Trust a merchant that says so.” Ralf turned to the side, picking up a small box he moved before, and began carrying it toward the counter. “If you’re so opposed to taking it, leave it behind, but I shall do the same as it’s no longer mine to take. The flute chose you. Don’t let its wishes go to waste.”

Ronald stood quietly for a second before bowing respectfully despite Ralf’s back being turned. “Thank you.”

“Not much of a merchant if you keep giving it all away.” My gaze fell on Ralf as it wasn’t the first time I’d seen him do something out of kindness.

“It’s a strange world we live in, Young Lord. Greed guides politics, farmers march to war, and people stop playing as they get older. Now. . . I promised you a gift for your birthday, but your visit was unexpected, so I need to–”

“Ralf.” I interrupted him, letting out a sigh while smiling. “You’ve given us more than enough already. It’d be wrong of me to take anything else. Let’s count seeing each other as a gift in itself.”

Ralf chuckled, shaking his head. “The crayfish sides with the crab.”

“Huh?” I mumbled, completely missing the point of what he told me.

“Nothing.” He chortled. “It seems you’ve made yourself a good friend. Please take care, Young Lord. May we meet again.”

“Likewise, Ralf.” I nodded respectfully, turning to Ronald, who obsessed over his gift. “Let’s go, Ron.”

“Oh, right.” Ron awkwardly chuckled, looking around as if he had forgotten where he was for a second. “Goodbye, old man.”

We left the store after that, but after realizing how much time had passed, I knew I had to head home before someone became worried. Truthfully, I hadn’t told anyone I was leaving in the first place.

“Hey, Alexander,” Ronald whispered while staring at the flute again. “Was it really alright for me to take this?”

“He wouldn’t have given it to you had he believed otherwise, so stop worrying and just enjoy it. Anyway, see you later, Ron.” I turned around and started walking away.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“Home.” I waved without looking.

“Will I see you at the Academy?”

“What are you talking about?” I slowly looked back, greeting him with a smile. “You’re coming to the party held in a few weeks, right?”

“Wait, does that mean–”

“We’ll see each other again, Ron.”

“Then could I perhaps call you Alex?”

His hopeful eyes made me sigh at his innocence.

“Do as you like,” I said, turning around and leaving before people mistook us for something more than friends from his voice alone.

Maybe I wasn’t able to grab a bite, but the day turned out more than eventful.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.