And after that I will be able to throughly revise that strange book. It seemed to have explanations of everything weird happening in this verse.
While going back to the Palace, I noticed Wang checking his bag multiple times. I asked,"What are you hiding there, little man?"
"Not hiding, preserving." He said with that genius posture of his.
"Oh, what exactly?" I asked tilting my head.
"It's the cup you gave me!" He said excitedly.
"I see, I am happy it is precious to you." I said with a smile, felt like smiling after a long time.
"Hmm, it's the only gift someone gave to me." He said smiling back.
"Tenzin, you should give him some presents." I said turning to Tenzin.
"I am letting him live." He said laughing.
"That's not funny." I said rolling eyes.
Wang walked between us, steps light, unaware of how carefully the world measured people like him.
I wondered when I had stopped seeing children as children and started seeing them as futures that might not survive.
We finally reached the Palace. Having Wang made the palace feel lighter.
Chen, I and Dannyal went to a room to finalize the plans. Planning felt unnecessary. Revolutions never listened to plans anyway.
Still, we pretended control was something humans could afford.
Something in the plan felt a bit abrupt. Like something was mismatched but Dannyal and Chen found nothing wrong. So I assumed it was all fine.
After the planning, I nudge Dannyal with my shoulder,"Wanna go to the market with Wang?" "Sure."
We took Wang and went to the market. It felt really loud, louder than the previous time. It was as if the city was trying to convince itself it was still alive.
Or maybe I got used to silence a bit too much.
Three of us were walking on the warm road. The environment was filled with the scent of dumplings and soups. The screams of merchants telling the price was always present along the steps of little children.
Stores were tent like, red and orange, selling silks and ornaments. One of the seller yelled from one of the store,"You family there! We have a discount on noodles."
Wang started running towards it,"Noodles." I and Dannyal looked at each other, unable to process how to react.
We both went to grab him at the same time. But instead of catching him, we ended up with a head bump.
Dannyal said rubbing his forehead,"You are aggressive with your head."
"Be happy, some of my knowledge might have gotten inside yours." I said chuckling.
We both sat beside Wang. Wang said smiling nudging us both with elbow,"Let me pretend that I have a family for once."
Those words made something hit inside me, happiness and sorrow at once. Happiness to be like a family to him. Sorrow for him to need to say that.
Pretending was dangerous. I knew that.
But I did it anyway.
I said leaning towards Wang, hugging him sideways,"We don't really have to pretend. "Dannyal looked at me tilting his head. I signaled him with eyebrows. He said,"Yes, yes, no pretending needed."
The food appeared. It felt like the words made the food more delicious for him.
After that, we went on a darting competition, Dannyal said proudly,"Come and watch my talent." He missed all the turns,"This arrow is of low quality." He said looking away.
"Arrows or your talent?" Wang said chuckling. Dannyal said puffing,"Huh? Why don't you try then, shrimp?"
Wang tried and literally shot all the arrows on the bull's eye.Talent was unfair like that.
It bloomed in places no one bothered to protect.
I said chuckling and nudging Dannyal's shoulder,"It was low talent after all."
"Yeah, whatever." Dannyal said looking away with a smile tugged in one side of his lips.
After some moments, the market was almost closing. Wang felt hungry again but only one market wasn't closed yet. It sold only big buns. I bought him one.
We sat in front of a fire. Sparks slowly fading in the coldness.
He breaks it in two pieces and gives me the bigger one. I say nothing just ate it. Dannyal said lightly,"You do that a lot, shrimp."
"She forgets to eat whenever she is thinking." Wang said smiling.
I straighten stiffening,"That ain't true."
"You literally missed yesterday." Dannyal said.
"Just one day." I replied.
"And the day before."
"Traitor!" I exclaimed looking away. But I ate anyway.
Fire always made people honest. Or foolish.
I had learned the difference too late in my life.
Wang became silent for a while then said,"If we ever die, others won't become cruel. Ok?"
Dannyal said leaning forward,"That's such a weird thing to say especially as a child."
"I won't judge Wang because as a child I used to say more weird things." I said fixing my hair.
"That explains a lot," Dannyal rolled eyes.
Wang said looking at the ground,"Cruelty is easier than grief."
"I agree with that." I nodded.
"Then promise?" Dannyal said reaching out his closed fists.
Three of us nodded, thudding with his closed fists with ours above the fire.
But I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep it. Because promises made in warmth rarely survive in the cold.
I nodded anyway, already aware that I was the weakest link among us.
We came back to the Palace but some thoughts felt like to stary emerging in me. Usually happens when I get nervous but this time it felt different.
The next morning, we would have to rebel.
Why did it feel like everything came too fast this time?
Time seemed to pass differently in every place. As if each land had its own rules. And that strange book… it felt like it connected everything. I just hadn't read it properly yet.
Maybe after this rebellion. That felt like a reasonable excuse.
Dannyal knocked on my door that night.
"May I sit for a while?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure."
He sat on the balcony, moonlight tracing the edges of his face. I stayed on my bed, the book open in my hands.
"What are you doing?" he asked, turning toward me.
"Just this book," I said. "It feels weird."
"Weird?" He stood and walked closer. "Let me see–"
At that moment, Chen entered the room.
"Why haven't you slept yet?"
Something about her presence felt… planned.
"Does she always come to remind you?" Dannyal asked quietly.
"No," I replied.
She never did. So why today?
"It's because we have a rebellion tomorrow," Chen said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at Dannyal. "Come outside the palace tomorrow. We'll meet the rebels there."
She left right after saying that.
It felt like she wanted to say more but couldn't.
I placed the book back on the table. My thoughts began piling up, the same way they had since I arrived here.
Third-Person Interlude
This novel is the journal of Sloane Sterling.
Everything written so far happened exactly as recorded, through her eyes. So it wasn't just thoughts for that specific moment but a experience written from Sloane's perspective in a brown leathered old diary.
But when I went back to the first few pages, something felt wrong.
Time felt hurried.
Distance felt shorter than it should have been.
As if everything was calculated not by God, but by something else.
The moment Dannyal wanted to visit that cursed temple, I agreed so easily.
Which was unlike me.
The soldiers I met in the Mughal market how they trusted me so quickly.
The nostalgia I felt there, even though I had never been there before.
The way the wind whispered when I first stepped onto a battlefield.
Judging. Watching.
My sword skills strong, but not earned. Balanced unnaturally.
Weaker than some. Stronger than others.
Yet I had never learned to use a sword.
My mind felt like it was processing rules without a rulebook.
And that damn book… it felt like it was watching me. Waiting.
Dannyal slapped my cheek lightly, snapping me out of it.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," I said. "Maybe."
"You should sleep." He turned toward the door.
I grabbed his wrist.
"Why were you so enthusiastic when I first talked about changing the system?" My voice came out sharper than I meant.
"What?" He looked genuinely confused.
"I mean… if someone suddenly talked about overthrowing kingdoms, shouldn't you have hesitated?"
He laughed lightly. "I just thought you were a good person to be with. A funny one."
Then he added, "A stupid one too."
I let go of his wrist.
He felt too real to be pretending. Too unscripted.
"You think nonsense when you don't sleep," he said, tossing a blanket at me. "Go to bed."
"Yeah. Right."
Still, I couldn't stop thinking.
Why now? I had six years to notice this. Why only now?
I went to sleep anyway.
My instincts were terrible.
But so had my swordsmanship been once.
And now it wasn't.
Confusing.