Chapter 6 - Chapter 6

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 6: "𝕿𝖗𝖚𝖙𝖍 𝖎𝖓 𝕹𝖎𝖐'𝖘 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘—𝕹𝖎𝖐"

I can see... see through them. 'Eva', her shadow—she's back. She's back—

She's back?!

"Ahhh!"

I snapped my eyes open and gasped, staring blankly at the ceiling. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I dragged both hands down my face, trying to ground myself.

"Nightmares happen—yours had it coming more than anyone's."

I lifted my head toward the voice. A figure leaned against the wooden bureau, arms crossed.

"Are you better now?"

He stepped forward, pulled a chair to the edge of the bed, and sat down.

"Kade! I—I, I don't know. I just… I went to the bridge. It... it was—there was Gryphon. It—"

The panic climbed my throat, tripping over my words.

"Shh. Shh. Calm."

His voice lowered. "I'm aware of what happened. We finally cracked the chaos."

His lips were pressed tight as he spoke.

My shoulders sagged.

"You know what that means, right?" I asked softly, almost pouting.

He nodded. "War."

"I should never have lied. I lie—I always do. To hide. To hide my actual actions. I'm a coward, I—"

I buried my face in my hands.

"It's not just about your lie—about Lee being a Forcan,"Kade said. "Eva Daichi and the other Ivorians? Their ears perked up the second the investigation into Abel's murder reopened. They absolutely do not want that."

He paused, then added, "And… she's here. Maple and Clementine are dealing with her."

My breath caught.

She's really here.

My eyes widened as her name echoed in my head. I looked up at him, tears welling.

"Clementine! Yes—I saw her. I knew it was her!" I gasped.

Kade leaned forward, brushing his thumb over my cheek, wiping away the last of the tears.

"What is that? I don't want to see these dripping from your face again. You've got a problem? We solve it. Stressed? I'm here. Scared? I'll protect you. What else?"

His voice was steady. Firm, but warm.

"And forget about Lee. From what I've seen, she's thoughtful—reasonable. She already talked things out with Ethan, remember? Look at me—I'm not a Forcan either, but I still fight in the arena."

I hesitated before speaking, my voice barely above a whisper.

"But… you're still a hybrid. That's what makes your skills exceptional—"

"So does she."

His tone sharpened—not scolding, but certain. "She's no less than any prodigy. The point is, she can fight. No law applies to this one—she's eligible for the arena, even if she's mundane. End of discussion."

He let that settle, then added more gently,

"Ethan's rational enough. He won't doubt you again. You did the right thing—gave shelter to someone with nowhere else to go. You won this month's trial, too, for our people... I'm proud of you."

Kade smiled.

Without another word, I wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you—"

"Nuh uh. Not that."

He chuckled, rubbing my back.

"But Ethan still owes me answers... Why did he banish Clementine from Orlendar? And why was she forced to live near that bridge—alongside the Ivorians?"

My voice was steady but slightly shaken as I backed away from him.

His expression shifted, mirroring something in mine.

"You do know Gryphons are the symbol of war—especially when they're spotted near the bridge connecting to Ivor?"

"I... I don't understand. What? What's the point of this?" I mumbled, confused.

"Explain?"Kade prompted, leaning back in the chair, arms crossed.

I frowned at the challenge but answered anyway.

"Gryphons are the guardians of Ivor—"

"And you questioned their presence?" he interrupted.

The realization struck like a jolt.

"The Ivorians... they've bonded with the Gryphons."

"Right on track,"Kade nodded.

"That's why it's seen as a war omen for Orlendar—when Gryphons appear near the bridge. It's a message from Ivor."

"Eva came here to knock some sense into the so-called young souls disobeying Ivor's agreements—which means us." He sighed. "Now we're labeled rebels. Ready for the Reckoning."

"It's either we do—or we die."

I exhaled through gritted teeth, then threw off the blanket and stood up from the bed.

"Where?" he asked, clearly surprised by my sudden energy.

"To the pit."

"Ohhh, that's the spirit, sunshine—oof!"

I tossed his quiver at him. He caught it with a smirk, slinging it over his shoulder while grabbing his bow.

I sprinted to the far side of the house and pulled a key from under a loose plank near the floor's creaky edge—hidden just behind my cactus pot.

"There."

I dropped to my knees and crawled over to the divan, pushing against it with all the strength I had, my tongue sticking out as sweat trickled down my face. Just as I began to struggle, the weight suddenly lightened.

I looked up—and bumped into his chin. He was holding the frame, lifting it to help.

His face hovered upside down over mine. I grinned. He backed off.

I ran my fingers along the clean floor that had been hidden beneath the furniture—until I felt it. A hollow spot.

"This is it!"

I pulled out the key and focused, activating my ability to bend its shape—creating a hovering illusion of a duplicate.

The illusion-key floated into the hole, clicked, and twisted. A satisfying click followed.

I dug my nails into the edge and dragged out a small box, dusting it off before blowing the rest of the dirt away.

I coughed as the dust clouded up.

"What's this?"Kade asked, kneeling beside me, still holding the lifted divan to keep it from crashing down.

"You'll see." 

I opened the box, revealing a rolled parchment sealed with two royal stamps—one from the Kingdom of Orlendar, the other from Ivor. I could practically feel Kade's frown deepen behind me.

"Is that... an agreement or something?" he asked, voice low and unsure.

"Yes. The agreement of Orlendar submitting to Ivor. To serve under Ivor..."

He nearly choked. "You have what?!"

"...Not until today did I realize why the Ivorians have always been so dominant, so strong. And why Orlendar is only in fourth place. One step below them—we always have been," I said, voice stern, even.

"Orlendar could never have made it into Mount Huangshan's strongest kingdoms," he admitted with a nod. "That's true, but..."

"That's why he gave me this."

I ran my thumb over the scarlet wax of Orlendar's seal.

"Ethan gave you this?"Kade asked, clearly stunned.

"Yes. He stole it from his mother's room. As the Royal Advisor, she keeps and manages all official parchments after the king. He told me everything."

"Holy sh—!" 

Kade nearly dropped the divan. "I—I wasn't expecting such a bold move from him!" he coughed out.

I smiled faintly. "I was."

He paused, jaw tight. "So he didn't want the separation to begin with. He was forced—because of his parents' ties to the royalty."

That hit something raw in both of us. He stood, letting the divan fall back to the floor with a heavy thud.

"You know what I'm thinking?" I asked.

He shook his head. "When do I ever?"

I walked over to the side chest, took my coat off the hook, and carefully rolled the parchment before slipping it inside. "Alright." I exhaled, checking my gear.

"Dagger. Boot knife. Rose water. Everything's set."

As I shrugged on my coat, I felt slender fingers combing gently through my hair.

"And... what about this disheveled mess?"Kade teased, chuckling softly.

"Oh—"

I quickly shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, smoothing it down before fitting my beret snugly in place. A red flash of silk, a nod of readiness.

"Let's go," I said.

We ran for the doorway—but I stopped right at the threshold.

"We picked a war instead of a fight. Well then..."

I turned, voice steady.

"But I'm not just caught in the middle—I am the reckoning. I want peace. So I'll bring justice. It starts with us—and it ends with us."

I paused.

"It began with Lee... passes through me... and ends with her."

Kade's brow furrowed. "Who?"

"Nao," I said quietly, then with steel in my voice:

"Nao Daichi."