"How are you still alive?" Vincent said the moment he dismounted from his horse.
He froze where he stood, boots pressing into the dirt as if his body had forgotten how to move. His eyes widened, then narrowed, then widened again. He stared at Finn as though staring hard enough might make him disappear.
The Finn he had killed the other night was standing right in front of himand alive, both hands attached. His head sitting comfortably on his shoulders. His posture relaxed. His breathing steady. That was not a normal thing.
Vincent blinked once. Then again. His fingers twitched at his side. The image did not fade.
Finn noticed, he smirked. "Thanks to you, I am," Finn said proudly, stepping closer.
The sound of his boots against the ground felt louder than it should have. Each step closed the distance between them, tightening the air. Vincent's throat bobbed as he swallowed.
Raymond, who had been about to leave with the horse, noticed the tension immediately. His body stiffened. His hand hovered close to his sword as his gaze flicked between the two men.
"Is everything alright, my lord?" Raymond asked, his voice careful.
"Yes, Sir Raymond," Finn replied without turning his head. "You can continue with what you were doing." Raymond hesitated, then he nodded. He tugged the reins and led the horse away toward the stables. Vincent's newly assigned knight followed him, though the knight kept glancing back, clearly uneasy.
Vincent never looked away from Finn.
"What are you?" Vincent asked. His voice was low, almost hoarse.
"A beast," Finn said. "A monster. Maybe the devil." He tilted his head slightly, studying Vincent's face, watching every reaction.
"Whatever those friends of yours called me that night," Finn continued. "Oh, may their souls rest in peace."
Vincent's jaw clenched.
"What did you do to them?" he snapped.
He grabbed Finn by the front of his clothes, fingers digging into the fabric. The motion drew a few glances from nearby nobles, but no one intervened. They watched, curious, then looked away. Noble business was rarely clean.
Finn did not resist. Even without his powers, even knowing he could not punch Vincent through the gut right now, he kept his smirk firmly in place. He wanted Vincent afraid.
"I did to them the same thing you all did to me," Finn said calmly. "You cut off my hands. You cut off my head. You did it without hesitation. Without remorse." His voice lowered.
"I had merely forgotten about it," he admitted. "But seeing you today reminded me." He leaned closer, forcing Vincent to meet his eyes.
"It makes me want to do to you what you did to me."
Vincent's grip tightened, then loosened.Finn could feel it. The fear.
"If you end up being alive after today," Finn said quietly, "I will come for you. And I will give you your karma."
Vincent's hands began to tremble. It was subtle, but Finn caught it instantly. The man who had once ordered his execution now looked like he was holding onto a ghost. Finn grabbed Vincent's wrist and squeezed. Vincent gasped to the pain.
Finn forced his hand down and stepped back, straightening his clothes as if nothing had happened.
"If you want to survive tonight," Finn said, his voice barely above a whisper, "do not take anything offered to you." He paused.
"Unless you want to end up like your best friend." Finn turned and walked away.
Vincent stood there, frozen, staring at Finn's back as the words echoed in his mind.
If Vincent was smart enough, he would survive the night. But Finn remembered the last words Vincent had said to him that night. Either way, Vincent was still going to die.
Finn entered the hall, the noise swallowing him whole. So many people, many faces. Silk and jewels. Laughter layered over quiet tension. Cups raised. Smiles practiced. Conversations whispered behind fans and sleeves.
'Wow. So many people around here. Sadly, they are to be assassinated. But not all.'
Finn moved freely through the hall, Raymond now back at his side. Raymond's presence felt different. He was more alert than usual. His steps were measured. His hand rested near the hilt of his sword, ready.
Finn nodded briefly to a few nobles he sensed were of higher standing. Some nodded back. Others ignored him completely.
"Isn't that Finn Boldon?" a loud voice said. Finn turned.
An unfamiliar noble stood before him, his belly straining against his fine clothes. Three knights flanked him, their expressions flat and watchful.
"What a surprise to see you here," the man continued.
Finn bowed his head slightly in greeting.The noble laughed and reached out, tapping Finn's head once. Then again. Finn's jaw tightened.
"Oh ho ho," the noble said. "Who would have believed that this sharp-mouthed little boy would be here?"
He leaned in, breath heavy with wine.
"I heard what happened to you. The Baron said you were like a vegetable. Never to open your eyes again. What a miracle it is to see you alive and well."
"It is thanks to my mother's prayers and my father's grace," Finn replied calmly, "that death has become my greatest ally."
The noble blinked, clearly not understanding a word of it.
"Haha, haha," he laughed. "You still talk like some scholar."
He waved a hand dismissively. "After this gathering, come to my estate. We need to discuss our alliance. You, my boy, will soon be family."
Finn frowned slightly. "Family?" he asked.
"What, have you really forgotten?" the noble said. "Your engagement to my daughters. Or did being a vegetable lock your memories away?"
Finn stared at him. His expression went flat.
"Or are you and your father trying to play tricks now?" the noble continued. "Just know this. Your family has a huge debt. Marrying my daughters is the only way out."
"Daughters?" Finn muttered, now he heard clearly.
"Yes," the noble said proudly. "My beautiful triplets.".He puffed out his chest.
"You are to be betrothed to them. Seeing you healthy and on your feet means the wedding preparations must resume. You are alive. You are well. You have grown bigger."
His eyes flicked downward briefly.
"That means you can handle my daughters."
Before Finn could respond, another noble approached, dragging the pot-bellied man into a loud discussion. Finn did not wait. He slipped away.
'Daughters? What the hell. Now I am sure the original Finn must have tried to kill himself to escape this alliance.'
The realization hit him hard. No one had told him. Not his parents. Not Nadia. No one.
"Raymond," Finn said quietly, "do you know anything about that pot-bellied noble?"
Raymond did not hesitate.
"He is a money lender," he said. "Kroger. No title, no real power. But extremely wealthy. No one knows how he made his fortune. No one asks." He paused. "Heard he even has lent money to dukes."
'So my father used me as collateral. Finn's lips pressed into a thin line.I thought he said power comes before money.And yet that man has money. And he was invited here.'
Finn glanced back in Kroger's direction.
'How rich is he? Maybe marrying his daughters would not be such a bad idea. Inheriting that wealth could help our land. It could reduce the debt hanging over his father's neck. It could change everything
That actually sounds like a good idea. After all, Kroger was going to die tonight.'
Finn smirked as the thought crossed his mind. At that moment, the host of the gathering finally appeared.