"But that brother of yours is really a pain in the ass," the interrogator said, scratching his head.

"Did you find anything?" I asked, hoping they hadn’t uncovered even a shred of evidence.

"No," he said flatly. "But you won’t be granted freedom just yet. You’ll stay here until tomorrow while we continue looking for more proof."

As I expected.

They’d eventually have to let me go. I figured holding a suspected criminal in a prison for hours without evidence had to violate some law, though I wasn’t entirely sure how things worked in this world.

"You’ll wait until early tomorrow before we decide to set you free," he added. "Until then, you’re stuck here." He settled himself on a barrel in front of my cell.

"Ha! What a busy morning," he said, yawning.

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to respond, so I stayed silent, sitting on my bed while he just lounged there. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

It was a cigar.

"What? You want one?" he asked, catching me looking at it.

I shook my head slowly. "No."

"Hah, like I’d give you one even if you wanted it," he said with a chuckle.

He was clearly bored. Maybe his coworkers were out investigating while he stayed behind, receiving reports and managing this small prison. All he seemed to be doing was passing the time.

"You know, I really hate your brother. He got so cocky after coming back from their so-called legendary expedition," the interrogator said. I had no idea why he was telling me this. Maybe he was just that bored, sharing random stories with someone he’d interrogated just yesterday.

"And?" I asked, still curious but confused. "Why are you suddenly telling me this?"

"I don’t know. Maybe I’m just trying to figure out if you’re as annoying as Cilian. Or maybe I’m just telling you because you suck," he said, but his tone was more teasing than serious.

"You probably know this yourself. Even though we know the Hale family, everyone stands out for something—except you. You’re the only one with a background that doesn’t fit for a noble," he said with a chuckle, putting the cigar to his mouth.

He wasn’t entirely wrong. It was true. I—well, this guy whose body I was now in—was disappointing. His talent was far from what was expected of the son of a respected duke. He wasn’t like his father or siblings, and yet he kept trying. He trained, practiced, and pushed himself past his limits. But in the end, he still ended up here, dead and forgotten.

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"And yet, isn’t it strange how something that doesn’t fit often turns out to be the most valuable piece of the puzzle?" I said, locking eyes with him, my tone steady.

He stared at me, his expression shifting to something more serious, as if he was trying to decide whether I was delusional or onto something. Then, he broke eye contact and let out a laugh.

"Hahahaha! What did you just say? A valuable piece? That’s one hell of a statement, kid," he said, shaking his head with amusement.

Then it got quiet for a moment—too quiet—before he burst out laughing again. "Hahaha! You know what? That actually got me thinking," he said, wiping tears from his eyes as he tried to calm down.

He shook his head, probably to clear whatever ridiculous thought was lingering. "You might be the worst at swordsmanship and magic, but hey, at least you’re good at talking. Hahaha!"

I smirked, leaning back slightly. "Great. If I can’t swing a sword or cast a spell, I’ll just sweet-talk my enemies to death," I said dryly.

He chuckled and shook his head again. "That’s an insult, by the way," he added, pointing at me.

I didn’t know if this conversation was supposed to happen, but it definitely caught me off guard.

"Hah," he said, standing up and stretching like he’d just finished a hard day’s work. "For the record, I don’t like you either," he added with a chuckle and a smirk before strolling toward the next room.

What a guy. Honestly, he had the vibe of someone who’d argue with a rock just to prove he’s smarter. I was half-convinced he’d go in that room and start interrogating the furniture.

"Just a few more hours and I’m out of this jail!" I said, stretching on the bed like I was getting ready for a vacation.

Puff!

"Sweet mother of—!" I yelled as Nix suddenly appeared out of thin air.

She stood there grinning like she’d just pulled off the best prank of her life, completely oblivious to the fact she nearly made me see the afterlife. I didn’t even know she could vanish and reappear whenever she felt like it.

Grabbing my chest, I glared at her. "Seriously, one of these days, you’re gonna send me straight to the grave." I sighed and tapped her head. "I didn’t even know you could hide like that."

She looked up at me with a grin, her sharp teeth on full display. "Whenever I sleep, I hide inside your body," she said casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

That threw me for a loop. She could hide inside my body? It did make sense, though—she was my soul bond, after all. But still, the thought of her coming and going like that without a hitch? It was insane—and honestly, kind of amazing.

"That’s seriously awesome!" I said, genuinely impressed. I picked her up gently and ran my hand from her head down her back.

She absolutely loved it. I could tell by how happy and excited she looked. Having her around felt... different, in a good way. Even in this short time, it gave me a sense of completeness and joy I didn’t think I could feel in a place like this.

Clink!

[Primary Quest]

[Warning: Required to Complete]

Huh? A glowing screen popped up in front of me out of nowhere. A quest? Nix could see it too.

"I love quests!" she said, practically bouncing with excitement.

I stared at the screen. "What am I supposed to do with this, Nix?" I asked, pointing at the floating text.

She tilted her head at me like I was an idiot. "You’re supposed to do the quest. Just wait for it to update!" she said, grinning.

I glanced back at the screen. It said "Primary Quest," which I guessed meant it was the main quest. Beneath that was a warning—failure apparently came with a punishment. Great.

[Primary Quest]

Quest Title: Make it out of prison... alive

Reward: XP

Punishment: Black Void (a pitch-black room filled with unseen creatures... that are hungry. For you.)

Quest Progress: 85% (almost complete)

Why? Why did I have to make it out of prison alive? Did that mean I just needed to sleep, wake up tomorrow, and walk out? No, not really. It’s a quest, which meant there had to be some kind of challenge or danger involved.

"What do you think?" I asked, turning to Nix.

She tilted her head, studying the screen for a moment. "Someone’s gonna try to kill you," she said matter-of-factly.

"And obviously, I have to survive it," I said, narrowing my eyes.

She nodded. That confirmed it—someone, maybe an assassin or some other individual, would try to end me. When? I had no clue. Tonight? Early tomorrow? I couldn’t tell. But one thing was certain: I’d have to be ready.