The sound of footsteps grew quieter, returning the situation to temporary silence and false peace. However, this was enough to make Meyara let out the breath she was holding while releasing her hand which had been covering Adriel's mouth for almost a quarter of an hour.

Adriel took a deep breath while holding his chest. “I think I could almost feel my heart rising to my throat! They really came here because of us?”

Meyara rubbed her own temple which was throbbing violently. At first, she had decided to go home because she was worried about her mother's safety, but she never thought that the problem was much bigger. Warren was seriously injured after being hit by the Oxcross men and other residents were nowhere to be found. They might have been hiding just like her mother.

“I can’t understand! Why would selfish people like them, who only care about their own survival, bother coming to Deterville?” she asked exasperatedly. But Adriel only shrugged in response.

From their position some distance from Warren's yard, they couldn't hear the entire conversation. The only sound that could reach their ears was the voice of Oxcross’ Chieftain who often spoke loudly, and the tidbits of information they got was enough to make them understand the reason for Oxcross' anger.

“Did you really take anything from them?” Meyara asked in an accusatory tone. Her eyes flashed angrily, ready to force whatever truth out of Adriel who might be hiding something behind his scaredy cat demeanor.

The young man was shocked and stepped back slightly. Something akin to betrayal appeared on his face. “I didn't! Why should I? They almost killed me! I could barely even stand straight among those overly toxic masculine and scary men!”

“Then who were they referring to as the thief boy? It can't be me because, you know, I'm not a boy and I don't need to steal anything from anyone!”

"What do you mean? That I’m a boy who likes to steal?”

“Interpret my words however you like. I just want to know the truth.”

“I can’t believe you just—” Adriel snorted bitterly, “never mind! There's no time for this! We have to think about what we’re gonna do from now on. Warren was there, unconscious and extremely hurt.”

As he said that, Meyara's eyes widened as if she had just remembered what they were here for. Hastily, she turned around and ran towards the Chief with Adriel in tow.

Meyara barely stopped running in time when her arms and front body collided with several bars of the cage Warren was trapped in. She ignored the pain and started shouting the Chief's name desperately.

"Wake up, Warren! Please!” At this point, she was practically screaming at the top of her lungs, making Adriel jump and silencing her in panic. “Warren, you’re better than this! This stupid, worn-out cage means nothing to you!”

“Meyara, calm down!” Adriel whispered-shouted beside her. He kept glancing here and there, making sure there was no one else around them. It was quite empty, except for a few blood splatters on the ground and pieces of wood that scattered after being used for whatever purpose. “We’re not really sure if the Oxcross men are really gone. They might still be around here!”

"I don't care! It's better for them to come and explain themselves!”

“They definitely don't want to talk. You just witnessed what they did to Warren! They almost beat him to death!”

"I know!" With unnecessary force, Meyara pushed herself away from the iron cage she had been trying to force open. Warren's body was still slumped weakly in a standing position, tied to a large pillar in the middle. Meyara looked up to see the tip of the pillar attached to the roof of Warren's terrace, wondering if she could do something about it. “It's a shame considering I only saw everything in cover. I should have shown myself proudly!”

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If earlier Adriel's heart was rising to his throat out of fear, now his heart sank into his stomach hearing the despair in Meyara's voice. “You … you couldn't help it. Neither did I," he muttered softly. Hoping that his words could lighten Meyara's heart a little, even though he knew he was not a person who was good at comforting someone, especially if that someone was the girl he had never understood for years.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Neither of them said a word. They just stood there, watching Warren's chest rise and fall steadily. Finding comfort in knowing that their wise chief was still alive despite the scars and bruises that spread almost all over the surface of his uncovered skin. The blood seeping through the man's clothes began to dry and turn dark, indicating that quite a long time had passed since he received those wounds.

Adriel took a deep breath and tried to touch one of the bars of the cage himself. His touch was hesitant at first, but once he realized that there was nothing to be wary of, he gathered all his strength to hit the bar again and again. The sound it made rang in his ears, as if it would collapse any moment. Even so, the cage was still intact. Stood tall and proud with its strength.

The young man only stopped hitting when Meyara touched his hand. “Use your magic,” the girl said softly. Her eyes continued to look down, refusing to meet Adriel's eyes. “The Oxcross people's items are known to be strong, but they still shouldn't be able to defeat destructive magic. They restrained Warren's hands and feet and made sure he could not see or speak properly for the same reason.”

Adriel was a little doubtful about that. There was no way the cage wasn't designed in such a way that it could withstand even a storm. After all, Oxcross men must have long planned to capture Warren, a powerful mage. They would definitely make a lot of preparations before daring to set foot in Deterville.

However, he didn't say anything and immediately recited a spell. Both hands reached for one of the vials in his pocket without thinking much. This time, the concoction was cloudy yellow. He rubbed the concoction onto the surfaces of one bar which immediately absorbed it. After finishing the last word of the spell, Adriel opened his eyes and waited.

He frowned when he realized nothing changed. The corrosion effect he was waiting for never happened.

“Could they have used strengthening magic on the iron?” Meyara asked after seeing how confused Adriel was. “They must have made a lot of exceptions just to catch Warren.”

"Impossible. Their self-esteem is too high to do that.”

Adriel tried once more, but to his dismay, none of his magical attempts yielded results. No matter how many potions he used, or how long the spell he cast, the cage remained motionless. In fact, he almost injured Warren who was inside because a small splash of his corrosive potion managed to get inside.

Get inside?

"I did it!" he exclaimed. He pranced in place and tried to hug Meyara who raised one of her hands to stop him. “Uh, sorry. I just … well, I guess I just need to find the right spells and potions!”

"You're just wasting your time and energy," Meyara replied grimly. “I know what they did with this cage. These iron bars would only be destroyed by themselves or by the immense rare magic energy of an experienced mage. I think Warren is the only one who can crush this.”

"But he's the one trapped there?"

“Exactly. So we have no other choice, except ….”

“Except what?” Adriel gulped, feeling nervous because he had a feeling about what Meyara was about to say.

“I think I can do that. I mean once I get my magical energy back, I'll just … I just need a little practice,” she stuttered, clearly hesitant to convey such an overly proud plan.

This made Adriel blink rapidly. “You mean … no. Please tell me that I drew the wrong conclusion from your words.”

"No, you didn't."

“Meyara, I thought it’s over? We're back here! Why bother taking the long way again?”

“We're just here to see my mom, remember? We are bound to continue our journey. Moreover, now there is another reason for me to fight to regain my magic." Meyara glanced at Warren's unconscious body once more before bowing slightly in respect. With renewed determination, she looked at Adriel. "We have nothing more to discuss. Leave something to eat and drink for Warren through the gap you managed to create earlier. We should at least keep him alive until we get back.”

A strange feeling of déjà vu immediately hit Adriel as Meyara walked past him indifferently. For the umpteenth time, he could only look at the girl's back with complicated feelings in his heart. Torn between following her or leading her to somewhere else, somewhere safer.

***