A knight was hanged with white threads.
Another fell from a cliff onto a rocky shore.
The third drowned in a deep well.
The next was found dead in a snowstorm.
The last was ambushed by a mimic after attacking Kin and wounding his leg and shoulder.
The white cat hummed and slowly wiggled its long tail as it concentrated on Kin's memories and feelings from those situations, reading his intentions. Kaia spied on his memories as all other eyes focused on Kin and the cat.
"Interesting… really interesting." The cat started circling around him.
"Your situation is complicated." The cat looked up at Kin. "It's no surprise Hayzin is chasing you. If I were in his place, I would believe you killed them too."
Kin didn't respond.
Kaia could hear the world through his sensitive ears: Lia's rapid heartbeat, people whispering from a safe distance, the friction of the necklace in Mia's hand, Lex's nervous breaths. For a moment, it felt like he could hear others' thoughts if he focused hard enough.
But there was another sound she could hear. Kin's spool of threads was spinning violently. She looked around, and for a fraction of a second, she saw a thin thread flowing through the air.
"You're free to go."
The spool stopped spinning.
"What?!" Lia exclaimed.
Mia's eyes lit up, and she collapsed to her knees.
"I could try to convince Hayzin, but I don't think I'll succeed. You're lucky you're not assigned to the kingdom's criminal lists for now."
"Such a waste of time," Kin replied.
"Be thankful. You can see tomorrow."
The knight turned to Kin and said, "Please deliver my greetings to Master Xallorph, and tell him that Azmord's promise will be fulfilled."
"He's dead," Kin answered.
Lia's eyes widened.
"Xallorph is dead?" The cat looked curious.
"It's not your business," Kin replied.
The knight sighed in disappointment and moved away.
Fay leaped down to Kin and landed on his shoulder. "Wasps—soon," she said.
Kin turned to his group. "Let's move. We should leave the kingdom by next morning."
Lex and Kaia stepped forward, but Mia didn't. Kin walked up to her and offered a hand. She gladly accepted.
The group started moving. Mia could now walk comfortably. Kaia looked back. Lia looked frustrated as she sheathed her sword, hopeless about her father's reaction when he learns what happened. The cat shook its head, irritated by the strange feeling of something pressing on its throat. It scratched its neck until its nails cut a thread wrapped around it. The cat lowered its head, inspecting the thread. A thin white thread. It glared at the group from behind, enraged. Kaia felt an awful headache and looked away.
"Ah! My head!" Mia exclaimed.
"What is it?" Kin asked.
"Just a sudden headache," she answered.
Kin looked back. The cat wiggled and looked away, playing innocent.
"Maybe we should stop soon to eat something," Kin suggested.
"That would be great. I'm starving," Mia replied.
Kaia smiled. She scratched her neck after feeling a strange itch. Her nail caught on something. She slowly examined her neck and found a thin thread wrapped around it. She looked at Kin. He didn't acknowledge it. She cut it silently.
They reached a fancy restaurant. Mia paused. "Um… I don't think I can go in there."
Kin looked at her and noticed she was still wearing the half-plate armor. He looked at Kaia in disbelief, then turned to Fay.
"Switch—Her fault," Fay said, blaming Kaia.
Kin sighed.
"Wait…" Mia said. "You planned this from the beginning?"
Kin responded with a disappointed facepalm.
Mia blushed and looked away. The streets felt familiar, and there should be—Mia smiled.
"Don't worry. We'll just go to that place on the other side of the road. Enjoy your date," she said, wriggling her fingers teasingly while dragging Lex with her.
Kaia tried to stop them, but they were already gone. She pouted.
"Hurry," Kin said, snapping her back.
She followed him inside. The place was filled with gold diggers spinning lies to attract their targets. Rich people with no empathy for the underpaid workers beneath them. Exhausted butlers who couldn't complain about the pain in their legs from standing all day while their masters and mistresses enjoyed themselves without concern. The air was filled with elegant laughter. They sat at a table, and Kin ordered for them. When the food arrived, Kaia grew nervous. The place was too fancy for her. Although she knew basic table manners, she was unfamiliar with the rules of fine dining.
She tried reading the minds around her to know what to do, but most acted on instinct without thinking about the steps, or they ordered expensive food to show off without caring about eating it at all.
Kin tapped the table, just enough for her to hear. She looked at him. He was staring with a disappointed expression.
"If you can hear me, you'd better put that napkin on your lap now." She heard his mind clearly. She had many questions but no time to ask. She complied.
"There are two forks and knives. Use the shorter ones for the appetizers. When you're finished, use the longer ones for the main meal. And no matter how starving you are, always take small bites and chew well. Be ready to taste some blood. The rich don't like their meat well cooked. They'd eat it raw if they could."
Kaia followed his instructions, placing her full trust in him.
She wanted to ask something but didn't know where to start.
She began softly, hoping he hadn't apply the seal on his mind yet. "Thanks for teaching me that. This fancy stuff really isn't my thing."
"I only helped because I hate seeing you wearing my tribe's clothing while struggling with basic table manners," he replied.
"I'm sorry," she lowered her head.
"I see you already cut the thread," Kin continued.
Kaia paused, then asked nervously, "Did you try to… kill me?"
"Has your mind ever been invaded by two dreamers at the same time?" Kin asked.
"…No?" Kaia answered. "But what does that have to do with—"
"Then let me tell you. It hurts like hell. The moment I unlocked the seal, you didn't even bother waiting for that annoying cat to enter first."
Kaia's hands started shaking, but she tried to act normal in front of others.
"And I was trying to stay standing, enduring the pain while two worms dug through my memories. If my hand had reached you, one hit would've been enough to knock you unconscious. Or kill you, if you were unlucky."
Kaia felt an invisible hand pressing on her throat. Her breathing grew heavy as she scratched her neck, unable to feel the thread until it finally released.
"Lex is an interesting person, isn't he?" Kin asked.
Kaia looked at him, confused and terrified.
"He's honest, stupidly heroic, and dangerously selfless," Kin continued. "But if he were broken, say by losing someone he loved, I can assure you he'd become the worst kind of villain." His voice was calm, edged with a threat.
She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move.
"Believe me, you've already seen enough," Kin said, lifting her chin and staring straight into her eyes. "But if you try something like that again, it won't be pretty."
Kaia nodded. He released her.
Hands with long red nails grabbed Kin's shoulders from behind. "I could say she's kinda pretty," a woman said.
Kin sighed. "Hi, Sofia."
"You're really heartless, responding like this just after flirting with another girl in front of me," Sofia said dramatically.
"You had your chance. This is what you wanted," Kin replied.
Sofia looked Kaia up and down. Clearly, she didn't see her as a real noble. She chuckled. "Don't be confused. You're not the first to try. But I'm not surprised by how much of a magnet Mr. Xallorph is. He's quite" she paused looking for a good "breathtaking." she finished with a smile.
Kaia gulped. "Yes," she said hesitantly. "but I just realized I'm more into simpler people."
"Your loss," Sofia replied. She looked at Kin. "Another failed romance," she added her lips curls in a smirk.
"Actually," he said, "I might stop by your shop soon. I'm planning to head beyond the mountains."
Sofia pouted at his indifference. "You won't get a discount this time," she said, expecting a reaction.
"Sure. You already helped me a lot. I wouldn't want to put you in more trouble."
Sofia smiled. It wasn't what she wanted, but she left satisfied.
"You stopped eating," Kin said.
"I… I'm full," Kaia replied.
"Good," Kin said before calling for payment.
After they left, they met Lex and Mia coming out of the old bar on the other side. Mia held a heavy bag, the chiming of gold loud enough to make a salesman bark. Her hair was tied into twin tails with long ribbons. Kaia stared in surprise. She had never seen her with that hairstyle before. Lex looked like he had witnessed a miracle.
"Where did all that come from?" Kin asked.
"Don't bother. It's not—" Mia started, but Lex snitched. "Gambling. A lot of it." Mia looked away, bracing herself.
"What?!" Kaia exclaimed, grabbing Mia and shaking her angrily. "You had our savings in your pocket and gambled them all?!"
"But I doubled it," Mia replied showing her the bag.
"That's not an excuse!" Kaia snapped. "You still had a higher chance of losing."
Kaia noticed Kin from the corner of her eye. He seemed more distant.
He took a deep breath. "I need to prepare some utilities for tomorrow. Do whatever you want and meet me at the north gate before sunrise." Then he walked away.
Kaia released Mia and watched him leave. Mia nudged her playfully. "So, how was the date?"
Kaia didn't answer. Instead, she buried her head in Lex's chest. He blushed in confusion, wanting to ask but sensing it wasn't the time.
"Whoa, sensitive girl," Mia said, taking it back. "Don't take it seriously. Even someone like Kin can see what's between you two."
Kaia took a deep breath and turned to Mia. "I feel refreshed now," she said. "We should see more of the kingdom. We might not be allowed here again."
She walked away, and the others followed hesitantly. Mia narrowed her eyes. "Hey, did something happen back there?"
Kaia didn't respond.
Lex added, "I know someone like Kin can be hard to deal with. But if there's a problem, you should tell us so we can solve it together."
"I'm telling you, I'm fine," she insisted. But even without reading their minds, she could see their doubt.
Lying was useless now. So she admitted, "I… when that strange cat convinced Kin to open the seal on his mind, curiosity got the better of me. And… he wasn't happy about it."
As they discussed the problem, a woman in a white hood watched and listened, gently petting the white cat resting in her arms.