Chapter 43 — Rain and Secrets
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Kael Grenfort:
I slowly climbed the stairs. Each step came with pain. The building had suffered massive damage — deep cracks appeared in the walls, and in some places, entire sections had collapsed from the impact. As I ascended floor by floor, the destruction grew worse. Several spots on the floor had completely shattered, revealing the levels below.
Finally, I reached the top floor. Before me lay a massive hole created by Izabella's body crashing through the floor. The edges of the hole were jagged, with stone fragments scattered around. I walked past it slowly and moved to the edge of the rooftop.
Moonlight drifted through the clouds, illuminating the ruined academy below. A crowd was beginning to gather down there. People were shouting at each other in panic, some pointing at the bodies and screaming. The hour hand was already creeping toward midnight.
I gathered the torn clothes from my transformation on the rooftop and placed them into the ring. The remaining fabric was stained with blood. I carefully smoothed them out with my fingers and stored them inside the ring's inner space.
I returned to the corner of the rooftop. At that moment, rain began to fall — first light droplets, then growing heavier, covering the entire city. The rain seemed to wash everything away. The bloodstains on the ground, the dust, the smoke — all gradually disappearing, giving way to cleanliness.
I took a deep breath of the rain-cleansed air. The dampness filled my lungs, easing some of my exhaustion. I stretched my arms forward and gripped the railing. The metal was cold and wet — my fingers touched it, and the coolness spread through my entire body.
Well, this was hard.
Why didn't Sebastian affect me? And who was he?
Why did he help me?
Nothing makes sense.
This world is more interesting and more brutal.
A faint smile appeared on my face. Interesting — even the children here are extraordinary. Why? — I asked myself. I covered my face with my hand, raindrops trickling through my fingers.
Well, fine. I accept you. Just be patient.
This world... I'll show you.
It's getting more interesting.
From now on, I need to approach this with complete seriousness.
I slowly stepped back and turned around.
A man stood before me.
"Hello, boy."
Oh... who is this now?
At that moment, lightning flashed — the light illuminated his face and appearance for an instant. He was tall, wearing a black coat. His face was serious, with sharp eyes. In his hand, he held a small notebook and a pen.
Oh... I think he's a detective.
Well, what do I do now?
"Ohhh, hello, sir. I-I was... sitting here and I c-can't remember what happened."
He looked at me. Long and deep. Then he smiled — a cold, calculating smile.
"Good. I'll remind you."
He began walking slowly toward me. His steps were silent, light as a cat's.
"Yes, sir..."
I stepped back slightly. At that moment, a sharp pain struck inside me. I suddenly cried out:
"Arghhh!"
And I collapsed, clutching my side. The pain was so intense that my vision went dark. My breathing grew shallow.
He came to me unhurriedly. He knelt down and looked at my face.
"Hey, what happened to you?"
"I don't know, sir..."
Crack!!!
A sound like glass shattering echoed inside me. A strange sensation first — and time seemed to stop. In the next second, such intense pain hit me that I couldn't even scream. I simply lost consciousness.
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Detective:
"Hey, boy! Open your eyes!"
I stood over his body for a moment. His face was pale, his lips colorless. His breathing was shallow, but steady.
Hmm... interesting. This boy is not ordinary.
I knelt down and looked at his face. His eyelids were closed, but something — an inner fire, or power — still seemed to glow within them.
Well, fine. I'll find out later.
I lifted him onto my shoulder. The boy was light — very light. His body was warm, but something inside him was changing.
I rose into the air and flew slowly toward the city center.
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A few hours later — Gremmark Plains, Solladun Kingdom territory.
"Well done, sir Sebastian," said Jason, following behind Sebastian. His face held a mix of awe and fear.
"You think so? If I had been a little late, he would have died. Do you know what would have happened then?"
"Uhhh... I don't know, sir."
"Both of us would have been wiped out along with our entire clan."
"What do you mean? Is that boy so important? Why isn't he guarded by someone stronger?"
"Well, a stronger person is easier to detect and creates more problems."
Sebastian stopped. Ahead of them lay nothing but endless plains.
"Stop talking. Open the door," he said.
"Yes, sir."
Jason quickly ran forward, placed his hand on the ground, and chanted some kind of spell. His lips moved, his fingers tracing complex shapes across the earth.
In the next moment, a massive hole appeared in the flat ground. It was bottomless, dark, as if the earth itself had opened its mouth.
"This is my first time here. So this is the main headquarters?" Sebastian said, peering into the abyss.
"Yes, sir."
Jason stood up and looked into the pit. His eyes held awe and fear — the fear of not knowing what lay below.
"Alright, go ahead," Sebastian said, approaching slowly. Then he kicked Jason into the abyss.
"Sir! What are you doing?! This is..."
His voice faded into the depths. Jason waved his arms in the air as he fell.
Sebastian jumped in after him. He spread his arms wide like wings and leaped straight down. The wind blew his hair back, his clothes fluttering.
The moment they fell, the massive pit simply disappeared — as if it had never been there. The plains returned to their original state.
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A few minutes later — underground headquarters.
Sebastian saw the ground and slowed down, landing gracefully and quietly. His steps were soundless, almost gliding.
Then came Jason:
"Aaaaaaaaa! Help, sir! I'm going to die!"
Sebastian paid no attention and continued walking forward. Jason crashed headfirst into the hard concrete — the impact echoing through the hallway.
Sebastian slowly descended the stairs. The stairs were wide, made of white marble. His reflection bounced off the walls with every step.
He opened a massive door. As far as the eye could see.
"Ohhhhh... more magnificent than I imagined!"
Inside — a grand royal corridor. On both sides of the corridor stood guards holding spears. Their armor gleamed, their faces expressionless. It was completely bright inside — despite being several kilometers underground, artificial light covered every corner.
Magnificent crystal chandeliers and lights everywhere. In the center of the corridor, a long red carpet stretched straight ahead toward a large throne.
"So, this is the place," he said, and began walking.
In his hand, he held the necklace that Izabella had worn around her neck. He paused briefly, opened his palm, and looked at it. It was golden, with a small red stone in the center.
"Eh, master... I wished to meet you elsewhere. Who would have thought you'd end up like this?"
He squeezed the necklace tightly — his fingers whitening from the pressure — and then placed it in his pocket.
He continued walking.
At the end of the corridor sat a throne. And on it, a man.
His eyes watched Sebastian. Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Welcome, Sebastian."
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