And so the days and nights passed. When we weren't patrolling through Zielitz, we were at the Order, in boarding school. Unfortunately, the instructors wouldn't let us out unless we were on duty.
And here I am, practicing with my sword in the training field. There are several other students training individually out here, including Layla, who dances elegantly with her two swords.
But I'm not here just to improve my close-combat skills. I need to remember how I managed to make my Aura flow. That black mist I released during the incident with Merino was definitely Aura. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't manifest it again.
"Ah!" I cried. "What agony!" Some students looked at me with puzzled expressions.
How could I forget that feeling? Come on, think of Merino, his sadistic smile, the squashed bread. Remember!
But no matter how vividly I recalled it, nothing happened.
"Damn it!"
I was tired, dirty, and defeated. I had been so focused I didn't even notice the time passing. Before I knew it, it was dinner time.
"That's enough for today," I whispered to myself. "Tomorrow is our patrol day."
I returned to the dormitory and took a cold, rushed shower—only an hour left before the cafeteria closed.
Everything went fine. In fact, this semester was going much better than the last. No more shaving our heads or spending hours in a white room, listening to the monotone voices of the instructors.
I lay in bed after dinner, frustrated at once again failing to achieve what I sought. With my eyes closed, my body gradually relaxed...
And suddenly, I found myself floating in a cold, dark, empty space.
In front of me—a Hydra. Quadrupedal, with shimmering blue scales that glowed like the only source of light in that void.
It stared at me with three serpentine heads:
The one on the left had eyes as blue as ice.
The one on the right, green as a whirlwind of leaves.
And the center one, golden like the heart of a lit bonfire.
I was calmer than the creeks of Veles. I felt no fear being there.
The side heads muttered words I couldn't understand, while the central one gazed at me with its eyes covered.
"You..." said the central head. "Can you hear me?"
I knew the voice that came from it. It was... my own.
I stayed silent... I saw the Hydra withdraw, seeming disappointed.
"Another... failed attempt..." it said, turning away into the eternal gloom.
It seems its goal is me—or at least my honest response.
"I hear you..." I said to it, but maybe it was already too late?
Before it vanished into the thick black mist, the golden eyes looked at me, surprised.
And as the blue scales disappeared, everything faded.
The sun hit my face hard as I woke up, slowly opening my eyes.
"What the hell is this?" I muttered, confused, wondering why I was on the roof of the dorms.
My feet were filthy, as if I had marched endlessly.
"Am I sleepwalking now?"
The sun was rising, and with it, the night's veil faded.
I rushed through the Order's corridors, the sound of my boots echoing like constant knocks against the walls.
"I'm late, shit."
I reached the main hall, and there were my companions, watching as I approached.
"Sorry, everyone, I'm late," I said, embarrassed.
"No worries, we just got here too," replied Oliver.
Everyone smiled and waved as I arrived. Except for Merino, who remained silent, eyes lowered.
Even though he avoided looking at me, I noticed—the dark circles under his eyes were deeper, like lingering shadows.
"All right, what's today's patrol?" I asked.
The answer came immediately. Merino spoke while avoiding eye contact.
"District 01... That will be our location."
I was glad to hear that—it was at the city's entrance. The perfect chance to retrieve my things from the inn.
If they were still there, of course—it had been six months since I forgot them.
Merino turned and began walking. "Let's go," he said as he moved away.
The route was familiar: follow Rutz Avenue, always heading south.
Just like before, the street was busy, with merchants calling out to customers and children darting between stalls.
Locals smiled, exchanging greetings like old friends.
Zielitz felt too alive to be just a city.
I had never explored its heart, but I'd heard of a gigantic lake in its center—Rilyeh. An imposing name.
The city really is too big to be fully known by a single man.
We reached the city entrance, and from there I could see the dark wooden façade of the Duboir Inn.
"Let's split up. Unlike District 13, this place is much calmer. Agreed?"
I was surprised to hear those words from Merino's mouth.
Everyone was silent. They seemed to agree.
"Felicia and Oliver, with me," he continued.
Wow. He remembered names. That was new.
I approached Oliver before he followed Merino and whispered in his ear:
"If he does anything to you guys, let me know, okay?"
Oliver gave me a thumbs-up and went with Felicia and Merino.
So now it was just me, Kan, and Silas.
I took the lead, heading toward the inn. They followed—Kan yawning as always, and Silas nearly jogging to keep up with our long strides.
"Wait here a moment," I told them as I entered the pine-scented wooden door.
The inn was empty, as expected for the morning.
And behind the counter, it wasn't Erik Duboir—it was one of the waitresses, maybe new around here.
"Excuse me..." I said, approaching the counter.
"Yes? How may I help you?" — she answered with a voice sweet as freshly harvested honey.
She wore a broad apron, and her tied-up hair revealed the gentle face of a dark-skinned girl with hypnotizing beauty.
Her eyes had something sharply enchanting about them, like they hid the spirit of a fox from an ancient tale.
I stared at her longer than I should have.
"Sir?" she said, pulling me back to reality. I must have spaced out.
"Yes, sorry. I came looking for something I left a while ago—a bundle of clothes," I got straight to the point.
"A bundle of clothes?" she repeated, thinking aloud. "Oh yes, Mr. Duboir did say a young man might come looking for it. But he mentioned long, crimson hair. You don't match the description."
That hit me like an arrow to the knee. I really missed my gleaming hair. Now I just had a freshly planted field on my head.
Fortunately, the short strands still held a reddish tint.
I lowered my head, showing her the red strands.
"See... I had to cut it. But the color's still there, see? It's still the same red."
She seemed genuinely suspicious. Her fox-like eyes looked like they were reading me inside out.
"I'm sorry, sir... This seems a bit suspicious. I can't help you without confirmation from Mr. Duboir."
And there I was, stepping back out through the pine-scented door, defeated.
My fault for not having any identification for the bundle.
Sigh. I sighed.
We returned to the patrol.
The sun still shone... but the day felt a little grayer.