“You did what you had to do,” Sloan said, placing his hand on his sister’s shoulder.

  “Try not to comfort me. I have already made my peace with killing that child. His sins are unforgivable,” Sierra responded.

  Sloan smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I was worried for nothing. You seem to get it, so let us head back to Sir Inston. You killed him, right?” He asked.

  Sierra nodded. “Yes, I pierced straight through his heart. It is impossible for such a low-ranking hunter like him to survive that. He most likely died moments after falling off the cliff.”

  “Good,” Sloan approved. “It is a shame that we will not be able to bring the body to Sir Inston, but it is fine. He should be capable of knowing we are telling the truth since he is of such high rank.”

  “That will not do. We need to bring him solid evidence. Thankfully, I managed to get some of his blood in this container when we found him."

  "I wonder if this will be enough?” Sierra asked, taking a vial with crimson blood out of her jacket.

  “It should be. With that, he will be able to discern whether Alhen is truly alive or not,” Sloan replied.

  Sierra fell silent, looking at the vial with a silent look of shame.

  “The only thing I regret is not killing him sooner. As soon as I saw that mark on his chest, I reacted instinctively."

  "The sign of being a follower of Lord Oros, the sign of the ones who killed our parents.”

  “In a way, this is a small revenge on our part. Our parents would be proud," Sloan commented.

  “They would not. Had they seen how I hesitated and doubted you, they would shun me. I truly believe that they would not be at peace," Sierra replied.

  “You are too harsh on yourself,” Sloan said before shaking his head. “Remember that they loved you more than anything in the world. It is normal to make mistakes, but at least you proved you could fix them.”

  Sierra smiled and looked at the cliff, her gaze lingering on the edge for a few seconds before she said, “Yeah.”

  “Splash!” As soon as Alhen hit the cold water below the cliff, he sank a few meters and felt his body entering a state of cold shock.

  That wasn’t all, however, he hit the back of his head against something hard and was violently dragged along by the water current.

  For a moment, he lost consciousness, and when he returned to his sense of self, he desperately swam up despite his body quickly losing strength.

  The wound on his chest was rapidly leaking his blood and being carried by the water.

  ‘T-This isn’t good. I will die in a few seconds if I don’t do something,’ he thought.

  A second later, he managed to get his head above water and breathed greedily. He couldn’t stop his body from shivering uncontrollably, and he felt dizzy from the lack of blood.

  Alhen searched desperately for salvation, something or someone who would be able to help him.

  His vision blurred heavily, not being able to distinguish shapes or anything other than darkness.

  He was at his limit; a few more moments like this and he would certainly die.

  At the corner of his vision, contrasting with the darkness, he saw something white that seemed to be reaching out to him.

  Without thinking twice, he extended his arm at it and felt a hand gripping his arm.

  He couldn’t even be shocked, as the next second, he was pulled out of the water with relative ease and landed on the hard ground, but he didn’t mind the pain; he couldn’t feel it.

  He was paler than snow, and the world was fading fast. The last thing he saw was the white figure nearing him and touching his body.

  Then, he opened his eyes again. A strong sense of deja vu invaded his senses. He had this same situation repeat itself in just one cycle, and he was starting to grow tired of it.

  ‘So, I’m alive,’ Alhen thought.

  A massive headache was threatening to split his head, but he didn’t let that deter him from examining his bodily state.

  He noticed how his chest and forehead were bandaged, and his jacket and thuls were missing, and that included his artifact.

  His jacket, glove, pants, and glasses were gone as well, leaving him only in his underwear, covered by a thin blanket.

  ‘At this point, I don’t know if I should be happy that I’m alive, or sad that I get to live another cycle in this cursed world,' he thought.

  Taking in his surroundings, he seemed to be in a room in a wooden hut.

  The room had a skin rug of a huge white bear, and he lay on a hard bed close to the wall.

  The smell of kerosene filled his nose, coming off from the small oil lamp beside him that stood perched in a drawer, and its light gave him a pleasant warmth that he appreciated.

  Despite the comfortable feeling spreading through his body, he couldn’t fully enjoy it due to his splitting headache, and when he remembered what happened with the siblings, he sighed.

  “I knew that I shouldn’t have trusted them."

  "I felt something was off from the start of the contract, but time and time again, I’m not following my instincts…” Alhen berated himself softly, his words being carried away like a gentle breeze.

  ‘I almost died, and it was for such a stupid reason. This is the world I’m living in, you can never trust anyone other than yourself.’

  He closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again and looking at the door that led out of the room.

  It was locked with various metal locks, and the door was made out of solid steel.

  ‘And here I thought that the person who helped me had done it out of kindness, stupid of me to think that. Well, they could also be cautious of me, they don’t know me after all.’

  With nothing else to do, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep trance, a meditative state, if you would call it that.

  He was fully present in the moment, and he didn’t know whether it was because of the head injury or he had simply stopped caring.

  This didn’t last long, however, as in a few moments, he heard the locks being opened and falling to the ground.

  Alhen sighed and shook his head. ‘I never get a second to rest.’

  The heavy metal door opened, and he saw a girl, looking to be about fourteen years of age peek her head inside.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  When Alhen locked eyes with her, she blushed and closed the door with a bang.

  “Slam!” Alhen was flabbergasted.

  ‘What happened? Out of every scenario running through my mind, I didn’t expect the situation to develop like this.’

  He then heard the door opening again, albeit slowly.

  The girl peeked half of her head and stared at him, this time without doing anything. She just stood behind the door, watching him with curious eyes.

  Alhen then noticed that her hair was snow white, and her eyes were a deep blue shade.

  Her skin was somehow paler than his, so much so that he wondered whether she was an albino, considering that her eyelashes were also white.

  ‘So she was the one who saved me? I have to figure out what she wants from me, and then I can make plans to return to the Kingdom of Yhia.’

  ‘I didn’t think I would say this, but now I’m starting to regret going with the siblings instead of the father; at least he makes it clear what he wants.’

  Two minutes passed in the same position. The girl didn’t make any attempts to talk to him, only observing him from a distance.

  Alhen was starting to grow uncomfortable, considering he was almost naked and could barely move his muscles.

  Bearing the silence no longer, he spoke.

  “Hello, were you the one to get me out of that river? Thank you. What do you need in return? I will do anything in my power to repay you,” Alhen said, trying the diplomatic approach.

  It didn’t seem to work, however, as the girl flinched and closed the door again.

  ‘That girl is very weird, and now that I think about it, is she living alone in the woods? I don’t see how that’s possible, she must be part of a village then,’ he thought.

  Unpleasant memories of a certain girl called Vivi resurfaced in his mind, but he buried them in a flash.

  It wasn’t the time nor the place to be reminiscing about those dark times.

  Just as he expected, the door opened a few minutes later, and this time, the girl came inside the room.

  She looked nervous, but also somewhat excited, and he couldn’t tell why.

  Now that her whole body was in view, he noticed that she was wearing a humble white dress that reached her ankles, her shoulders being uncovered.

  She had come in dragging a chair behind her, which screeched along the wooden floor, and placed it just beside Alhen.

  Sitting down, they were only a handful of feet away, and as usual, she didn’t say a word, only staring at him straight in the eyes.

  Alhen wanted to avoid another situation like before if he could, so he wasn’t slow in asking a question.

  “What’s your name? I wanted to thank you personally for saving my life,” he said.

  Up until now, she hadn’t displayed any signs of aggression, looking like a shy kitten. If it weren’t for that, his attitude would be completely different.

  She blushed again and hid her face with her hands, making herself a ball on the chair. Alhen was at a loss for words; no matter what he said, this girl was just too shy.

  ‘Could it be that she can’t speak? She seems to understand me just fine. Either way, she shouldn’t be a threat for now, and I really can’t do anything to defend myself, so I’ll just rest.’

  With that being said, Alhen stared at the ceiling and closed his eyes.

  Whether she attacked him or not, by that point, he didn’t care. A lot of things had happened in his life that if he died, he would consider himself lucky.

  A few minutes passed like that.

  He hadn’t heard the door closing or the girls standing from the chair, so she should still be beside him, staring at him.

  Alhen had abandoned all hopes that she would talk, but was proven wrong when he heard her say her first words to him.

  “Who are you?” She asked.

  Her voice was soft, way too soft. She sounded a couple of years younger than she was, and she also spoke in a low voice, barely audible to his ears.

  He opened his eyes and stared at her with soft eyes.

  “My name is Alhen,” he simply said.

  Silence spread across the room, and he noticed that she wasn’t really in a hurry to speak again.

  “You still haven’t answered my question. What’s your name?” Alhen asked.

  The girl blushed again and said, “My name is Catherine.”

  Alhen raised his eyebrow, clearly not expecting that to be her name; it was too much of a coincidence.

  Catherine noticed his stare and his confused expression, tilting her head sideways.

  ‘Why couldn’t her name be anything else? It reminds me of the princess, and I can’t say that I’m glad to hear that.’

  “Do you not like my name?” She asked, with a downcast expression.

  “Oh, it’s not that. Your name simply surprised me. I know someone who has almost the same name as you.”

  “You know more people!” Catherine asked, sounding excited by the revelation.

  “Yes, why wouldn’t I know more people?” Alhen asked, baffled by her question.

  “Are you from the kingdom!? How is it? I want to go,” she commented.

  “Why do you want to go? Trust me, if you have never been there, then it’s almost for the better. That place is terrible.”

  Catherine pouted, clearly disappointed in his answer.

  “You sound just like my mother, always saying that the city is full of danger and that everyone there has ulterior motives. She despises that place and the people as well.”

  Alhen smiled and laughed quietly to himself in the presence of a very annoyed girl.

  “Your mother must be very wise. You should listen to her. Going to the city isn’t something that you want to do, trust me.”

  Catherine didn’t seem convinced and stood to leave the room, but when she was at the door, stopped and turned around, sitting back on the chair.

  “Something must have happened to you if you do not like the city. Why do you hate it?” She asked.

  Alhen sighed and thought about all the reasons why he hated the city.

  He was in his brain for a few seconds, thinking about his limited but intense life experiences so far.

  “The place is filled with many dangers, and a war is approaching. The people there always have a negative agenda and will stop at nothing to make your life miserable."

  "People live in depression and poverty, it's just a place where you don't want to live,” Alhen commented.

  Catherine looked let down, but jumped with energy the next second.

  “Even if there are many people like that, it doesn’t mean that everyone is. Also, the war will eventually pass, so it is better to focus on the good things.”

  “I guess you are right…” Alhen said, thinking about Henry. “Why do you even want to go to the city in the first place?” he asked, changing the topic.

  “Because I have never left the forest! My mom thinks I am not ready yet, and it is boring, and I have no one to talk to.”

  “When I found you, I was surprised because it was my first time seeing someone else apart from my mother," she responded.

  “Right, you mentioned that you have a mother, but I haven’t seen her. Where is she?” Alhen asked.

  “Well, she is out on one of her hunting trips. She will arrive sometime in a few cycles. Worry not, I will bring you back to top shape, and then we will go to the city together,” she said.

  Alhen had a bad feeling take place in his heart after her words. He started thinking about their conversation and picked up one crucial detail.

  “Catherine, you told me that your mother hates the city and the people, right?” He asked.

  “Yes? What about it?”

  That’s when she realized what he was trying to say and widened her eyes.

  “That’s right! How did I not think of that? If my mother sees you, she will most likely kill you in the most brutal way possible,” she said.

  Alhen got goosebumps, and a look of worry crossed his face.

  “Damn, I'd better get the hell out of here as soon as possible then,” he said.

  Catherine, however, wouldn’t allow her golden ticket to the city to escape so easily.

  “You will stay here and guide me to the city when you get better. All you have to do is keep quiet, and she will not find you.”

  Alhen shook his head fiercely. “What do you mean that all I have to do is keep quiet? Are you listening to yourself? She will definitely notice that I’m here!” Alhen exclaimed.

  “No, I will not let you leave. You promised to pay me back for saving you, right? Without me, you would have been dead right now, so you have to help me.”

  Alhen clicked his tongue, clearly in a bad mood. He fell silent, thinking about what she said.

  ‘Now, I’m starting to regret telling her anything about paying her back. What do I do? I doubt she will let me go if I ask nicely, after all, she knows city people.’

  All the thinking was starting to make him tired, and Catherine from the side kept silent, letting him sort out his thoughts. She looked quite nervous, but Alhen didn’t see that.

  ‘Wait a second, I don’t even know what rank her mother is.’

  ‘If I’m not mistaken, high-ranking people should be a rarity based on how hard it is to assimilate the energy and the natural talent that you need to possess,’ he thought.

  He turned to look at Catherine, who almost jumped at the sharpness of his gaze.

  “Catherine, be real with me, what rank is your mother?” Alhen asked.

  She pondered the question for far too long in his opinion, and he started to wonder whether she knew at all.

  This proved not to be the case, however, when she said, “I believe she said she is a Sol, whatever that means.”

  Alhen couldn’t believe his ears.

  “Did I hear wrong? What did you say your mother’s rank was again? My head injury is probably starting to make me have auditory hallucinations,” Alhen commented.

  “Oh, she is a Sol.”

  Alhen lay still before nodding his head slowly.

  “I see, she is a Sol. I thought that their presence was extremely rare, so I wonder why I'm going to meet two in my lifetime? It must be a mistake."

  “What are you murmuring about? Stop speaking so low, I cannot hear you,” Catherine said.

  He looked at her without any expression and said, “You said your mother would arrive in a few cycles, right? Thanks for saving me, but I really can’t do anything to help you,” he said before trying to stand up.

  His movements were slow, and every time he twitched a muscle, unbearable pain flooded his senses, but he didn’t care; this was a matter of survival.

  “Hey! You promised to help me!” Catherina screamed, but Alhen didn’t pay attention to her.

  “Yes, I did, but gaining the ire of a Sol is looking for trouble at my current rank. It's unfortunate, but I will have to leave,” he said.

  “You will not survive a minute in the forest!" Catherine exclaimed. "The wihts here are stronger than on the outer forest, and they could all tear you apart without trouble.”

  That made him stop for a second, but it wasn’t enough to change his mind.

  “It doesn’t matter, I will figure it out, he said before managing to sit on the edge of the bed.

  “No!” Catherine screamed. “You will not be leaving until you are well and guide me to the city!” she exclaimed before rushing out of the room and closing the steel door behind her.

  “Hey!” Alhen shouted.

  This time, she didn't open the door again, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

  “Crap! Now what do I do?” He wondered.