The moment Kacee and I locked eyes; I felt my heart begin to race. She recognized me and said my name. Granted, she whispered it, and no one made it clear they heard her, but she said it nonetheless. According to the world, I was dead, and there’s no changing that. I couldn’t afford to be found. Not now.

Not yet.

The moment she noticed and recognized me, I made my choice. Twisting around on one foot, I spoke to Arce. “Get Sora. Meet me at Alba’s.” My words to her remained at a whisper; I sprinted out the door and fled from the guildhall.

“What?!” Kacee’s voice sounded scandalized. “Hey!”

I stepped outside and into the foot traffic, running against the flow. My superior balance afforded me the skill to successfully navigate against the tide. Sparing a glance over my shoulder, I saw that Kacee had run to the door, her gaze honing in on me. Her eyes narrowed and waved to others, then pointed towards me, all while staying silent. As she did that, it felt like a pair of eyes dug into my back, but it only spurred me on. Kacee walked to the side, around the opposite end of the guildhall, and vanished around the corner. Strength surged through my legs as I raced further down the street, slipping through the sea of people as though I were born to do so.

Sparing a glance over my shoulder, I caught sight of two people managing to keep pace with me, though from outside of the thoroughfare. A man and a woman, appearing a few years older than me, ran down the sides of the street, avoiding the people just going about their day. The woman’s eyes tracked me precisely, even when I slipped in between and moving carts to break their line of sight. A visual cognition Affinity, then? I'd have to push harder to get away if I wanted to get away from her then. Hopefully, it’s not as all-encompassing as I remember Rudy’s being.

I made a sudden turn into an alley, jumping through the reins connecting a pair of horses to an elaborately lavish carriage. The horses neighed in protest at my swift action, forcing the driver to pull the reins to keep them calm. The stagecoach driver tried to calm the horses but yelled at me.

Lifting a hand, I called out an apology but did not look back. The narrow alleyway did not afford a lot of room for strafing, but the walls were close enough for me to commit to my next action. Jumping up, I planted a foot on the wall then kicked off of it. Hitting the wall on the opposite side of the alley, I continued my ascent by kicking from wall to wall until I came within arm’s reach of the roof. My hand latched onto the wooden awning, and I swiftly grabbed it with my other hand, deadlifting my body fully upwards.

Climbing onto the partially inclined roofing, I planted my feet and looked over my shoulders. My pursuers just managed to reach the alley, looking up to with a pair of deadpan stares. I grinned down to them, a playful laugh escaping me. “Catch me now.” With a surge of Ki, I pushed strength into my lower body and face towards the noble’s district. Slanted and flat roofs as far as the eyes could, with varying heights, showed me a straight route to my destination. All I had to do was reach the Luvian manor, and I was home free. Grinning, despite the seriousness of the situation, I kicked forward and leaped towards the next roof. I pushed as much strength through my body as I could, sprinting as I parkoured from building to building, jumping across gaps and twisting around the occasional obstacle.

In my periphery, I saw that only one of them still followed me, the woman, though she seemed to be pacing herself, studying intensely. Facing forward, I allowed a grin to spread across my face. I would never tire of this; running as hard as I could without the fear of my asthma crippling me. I breathed deeply, the pleasant burn of my muscles only driving me to push harder. I cleared gaps with space to spare; I maneuvered around obstacles with flare, grinning all the while.

As I kicked off a rooftop, a figure appeared in my path, having emerged from the side. My eyes widened as I caught sight of the second person who pursued me. He was an older man with skin the color of copper with a straight black hair pulled into a tight, low ponytail with no bangs. Stern dark brown eyes studied my face, no doubt to commit it to memory then narrowed. A closed, sleeveless vest covered his muscled frame, revealing a pair of corded, thick arms. His lower body was equally muscled, clad in a couple of loose-fitting pants. Coiled ropes hung from a loop on the left side of his waist; fingerless gloves covered his hands, which seemed to be dripping water.

He reached towards me, a chilling mist wafting from his palm.

I curved my body to the side, avoiding his hand by bare inches. Reaching forward, I grabbed him by his thick upper arm and yanked him behind me. With new leverage, I propelled myself forward and pushed him back. As I reached the next rooftop, I heard the grunt as he landed on the roof behind me. Landing irregularly, I rolled forward, got back to my feet and resumed sprinting as if I never stopped.

The wind whipped through my hair as I continued my run across the rooftops. Close. Nearly there. I could see Alba’s estate in the distance, my heart racing. I have to-

A chill raced up my spine as I jerked to a stop, nearly falling forward as an arrow pierced the rooftop in front of me. I stared at the faintly vibrating shaft, the fluttering fletching, and the dimly glowing gem framed by the fletching. The glow flickered for a few seconds before the light swelled. I felt my eyes widen. “Oh shi-” An explosion of light and sound cut me off, forcing me to stagger back and grunt in pain.

My entire world rang like a tinny bell at the forefront of my brain; a pinch in my tightly shut eyes caused me to grumble and curse under my breath. My enhanced senses screwed me this time. An arm wrapped swiftly around my neck, but before it could settle in and catch me, I twisted to the side and hooked a hand between the arm and my throat. Tucking my chin, I grabbed the wrist with both hands and shifted a foot backward. With a grunt, I pulled at the arm and threw the person over my shoulder, slamming them onto the roof.

I staggered back to create distance, but felt something wrap around my wrist and pull taut. I blinked away the stars, and my vision slowly returned to see that the one who attacked me was the guy from earlier. He lied on the ground where I slammed him but held some rope in his hand with one end wrapped around my wrist. Before I could twist my wrist and pull it free, he pulled the cord and forced me to stagger forward. He shot to his feet, leading off with a thrust of his palm towards my stomach. I tensed my gut, but jerked to the side to avoid the attack, though he restricted my movement. He shot to his feet from his crouch and yanked the rope towards him.

I threw a punch at him, but he expertly evaded it and grabbed my wrist. He attempted to throw me to the ground; I hooked my foot around his ankle and punched him in the kidney with my other hand. The man grunted, pain flashing across his face, though he held fast. Time and again, the guy and I traded blows, always countering and dodging; unfortunately, I couldn’t get away, so he managed to keep me in place.

In my periphery, I caught sight of my second pursuer. It was a woman, clearly a few years my senior, with close-cropped dark silver hair that barely reached her chin. Bags rested beneath her dark, sea-green eyes as she narrowed them at me. She leaped from the roof behind us; in her hands, she held a cord of rope attached to a trio of stone balls the size of baseballs. Bolas. She predominately wore leathers and hide as armor, with segmented steel plates covering her arms, with a topped quiver on her back along with an unstrung bow.

As she threw the bolas at me, I flexed the arm the man had trapped and augmented my strength. With a grunt, I weathered a drilling punch into my side and suddenly yanked the man to the side, pulling him in the path of the bolas. I watched as the woman’s eyes widened in surprise. The man quickly planted his feet and grabbed my trapped arm with both of his hands; my footing slipped as a puddle of water appeared out of nowhere. I lost my balance, and my leverage, feeling him suddenly flip me bodily over his shoulder and in the path of the bolas.

I stared in disbelief at the rapidly approaching bolas, listening to whistle from the swinging orbs. My heart pounded as rising anxiety settled in the pit of my stomach. Those were tools meant to trip up and capture animals and criminals. They used them against me. They’re trying to catch me. A chill raced down my spine as I set my jaw. It looks like I’d have to fight harder.

I threw out my hand towards the approaching bolas, trusting in my sharp eyes and reflexes. The very second the back of my hand touched the rope, I waved my arm in a circle, following the bolas’ trajectory. The tool flowed along the length of my arm, but as the last ball reached my hand, I hooked my fingers around the rope, catching the ball in my palm with an echoing smack. The bolas came to a sudden stop as I felt my Affinity working its magic.

The moment my feet touched upon the roof once more, the stonework cracked and broken inwards, my knees bending from the impact. Turning a glare towards the man, I caught sight of his subtly widening eyes, before he narrowed them in determination. Twisting my wrist, I weaved the bolas around my arm and turned away from him. The balls flipped and flew the air, whistling from their flight. A dumbfounded surprise flickered across his face as he took in the sight of my newest weapon. As the first ball swung towards his face, he had to slack the tautness of the rope so he could step back to avoid the first strike. I stepped towards him, continuing the orbit of the bolas around my body, the line sliding and twisting around my arm and shoulder.

My continuous march forward and subtle, shifting my arm at the smallest moments kept the bolas spinning, nearly braining my attempted captor. He weaved and dodged as expertly as he could, even while making sure he kept my wrist captured. I kept the woman in my periphery, making a note of the fact that she made no move to get closer, only stringing her bow with calm confidence. It was when she finished that and nocked an arrow that I decided to act.

Driving a knuckle under the man’s rib, I caused him to grunt, and he flinched back from the pain. I quickly turned the face the woman and threw my arm outwards, sending the still spinning bolas back to the person who threw it. It didn’t surprise her, but she ducked and jumped to the side, pulling back an arrow. My footing slipped as another puddle appeared beneath my feet, but I went with my new shift in momentum. Jerking to the side, I pulled at the rope still on my wrist and forced the man before me. He struggled against me, but my superior strength aided me in twisting his arm behind his back, pushing it upwards. I forced him to his knees, back to me and facing the woman.

With one hand keeping his arm in a lock and the other reaching behind me for Kato, I growled in frustration. “It’s a bit overdue, but I think explanations are in order.”

“Yes. I agree.” Kacee’s voice cut in, causing all three of us to turn towards the source. Walking on purple disks that appeared in the air as she stepped, she made her way over to us with a severe frown, her gaze focusing intently on me. Her expression was masked, but I could see an unknown emotion swimming in her gaze. The sight of her caused my stomach to churn in anxiety; fear and hope warred within me, even as I wanted to slip out of the rope and keep running. Her gaze fell onto the man and me, a sigh escaping her as she closed her eyes in exasperation. “Morgan, Yvette, when I told you to pursue, I didn’t mean capture.”

“Ah.” The woman, Yvette, I’m assuming, mused audibly, her cheeks gaining a hint of color. Her lips curled as she glanced away. “My apologies, Captain.” She had a soft, yet lyrical voice, almost musical in how she spoke.

Morgan, the man I restrained, grunted as he pulled against me. “Got a bit excited. Been a while since my last job.” He had a deeper voice, reminding me of documentary narrators. He spoke through gritted teeth, though, with a rough tone. “Damn, kid. You’re ruthless.”

Reluctant amusement filled me as I glanced down at him. “I tend to be, given the circumstances.”

“Joseph?” Kacee’s whisper pulled my attention to her, seeing her expression contort. Her brows pushed together, lips parted, jaw clenched; her eyes studied me frantically. “You are…Joseph Blaine, right?” She seemed to be holding herself back if the fist she clenched at her side meant anything.

At this moment, I stood at a turning point. Kacee seemed desperate if my estimation was right, and could take my next words badly. I could lie, I should lie, especially considering the role I now embody. The logical course was to convince her that this was all a misunderstanding on both of our parts. She mistook me for her dead friend, and I ran because I saw something or someone in the guild that made me reconsider my life choices. That would be the most natural choice, allowing me to keep my fragile anonymity for a little longer, but bring more suspicion. Aspen would wonder what drove me to run; the other adventurers who saw it would also wonder, possibly making my life more difficult with taking jobs in larger teams. She’d likely apologize and return to the guild to continue her brief meeting, before leaving to horizons unknown, and I probably wouldn’t see her again for a long time.

Or…

I could tell the truth.

As she studied, I allowed my anxiety to come to the surface, offering her a shaky smile. “Captain, huh? You’ve moved up in the world, Kacee. I’m glad.” My voice shook as I finally allowed the hope I felt to grow, gently fostered by the sight of my friend.

Kacee’s eyes widened at my words, realization and relief warring with disbelief and grief. She clenched her jaw and began to walk forward in a daze.

I released Morgan, and he quickly climbed to his feet, loosening his hold on the rope. Rolling my wrist, I felt the cord fall freely and rubbed feeling into it. I turned to face Kacee fully and waited for her reaction. Her approach slowed until she stopped with arm’s reach. Her body froze as she met my gaze, eyes flickering back and forth as if searching for something. After a moment, her eyes closed, and her shoulders fell slack. Just as sudden, Kacee pulled me into a tight hug, head resting on my shoulder, arms wrapped firmly around my torso. “You died, you idiot.”

Surprised as I felt by the affection, I swiftly returned the hug, my arms wrapping around her body. “Believe me; it wasn’t the plan. I always hated those plot twists in my books.” I replied, not caring that my voice cracked as my eyes watered.

Kacee snorted but didn’t verbally reply. We held the embrace for a few more moments before she pulled away from me. As she did, I finally realized that stood a bit taller than me, almost unnoticeable unless you looked for it. Kacee didn’t speak, her expression becoming masked, even as her eyes remained kind. After a few moments, her gaze turned deadpan. “You ran.”

I snorted at her sudden words, unable to stop the helpless laughter that bubbled from the bottom of my stomach at her delivery. Right at that moment, it was like we never went our separate ways. She allowed me to finish, her brow arching, and the corner of her mouth quirking upwards. Now breathless in the aftermath, I sucked in a breath to calm myself. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I gave her an equally deadpan gaze. “I died. Hell of a conversation to have in the guild, don’t you think?”

Kacee’s smile grew, though she did not show teeth. She shook her head. “You have a point.” Then her gaze sharpened into a glare. “You still ran.” I shrugged at her, not bothering to reply again. She exhaled through her nose, then promptly turned towards Yvette and Morgan, who had turned around to face away from us, speaking with one another silent. “Return to base. I’ll follow.” She looked to me with a questioning gaze. “Come with us? It’ll be more private compared to a rooftop.”

I paused to consider her invitation. I wanted to talk with her, to catch up after being separated for a year, from her perspective anyway. There was so much I wanted to ask that I could only get from speaking with my old friend.

Nothing will stop my advance.

“Yeah. I will.” I answered decisively, glancing in the direction of the Luvian manor. “Mind if I send a message to my companions? They’re probably worried.”

“Feel free,” Kacee said, a glint of happiness entering her stoic expression at my answer.

I subtly touched Kato’s hilt, and she appeared at my side as if she had never left. The trio before me stiffened simultaneously at her, eyes focusing on the newcomer. “Milord?” Kato paid none of them any mind, though her eyes did flicker towards Yvette and Morgan with flinty regard.

“Find Sora and the others and tell them where I’m going.”

Kato nodded once. “She will wish to come to you.”

I turned towards Kacee, who stared at Kato with an intense gaze. She caught my unspoken question, before replying. “If you trust her, then I have no reason to keep her away.”

“Thank you,” I said softly before facing Kato. “Have her come to the Twin Flag company’s headquarters. I’ll be with Kacee in the meantime.”

“At your will.” Kato then vanished from sight.

All three of them turned their incredulous stares towards me. I merely basked in them with a feeling of pride. I met Morgan’s gaze and allowed a smirk to appear on my face; he blinked at my expression before he snorted and rolled his eyes with the world’s smallest smile.

“I thought I had seen everything.” Kacee’s deadpan almost brought on another fit of laughter, her flat gaze bringing forward more amusement than I thought possible. “I am mistaken, though. You have a damn ninja at your beck and call. How?”

I blinked at her question before a small laugh escaped me. I offered her a playful grin. “Shall we go, then?” I pointedly did not answer her question.

Kacee’s response to my avoidance was the driest glare I had ever received in my life.

It was glorious.

We approached her headquarters a little later, Kacee and myself walking ahead with Morgan and Yvette following. We walked along the thoroughfare, moving at a leisurely pace. “Bounty hunters, huh?” I mused as I glanced back at the pair. “After having met them, I can only agree.”

“It’s another job.” Yvette mused with a shrug; her eyes lidded with evident exhaustion.

“It’s all about leveraging available skills.” Morgan rumbled as he crossed his arms.

I couldn’t help but notice the faint pride in their expressions, though it remained subtle.

Kacee hummed, lips curled upwards. “Twin Flags has been around for longer than a few years, but I joined a few weeks after having left Emelina’s service.”

I cocked my head to the side. “I wonder. Why a mercenary over an adventurer?” I asked her.

“We’re more organized,” Morgan said, his voice rumbling. At my gaze, he shrugged and said no more.

Kacee snorted at the answer. “He’s not wrong, unfortunately. Parties between Adventurers are too informal for my tastes. Too easily broken apart…” Her lips curled downwards, gaze turning towards me. “You’ll tell me what happened that night?”

I didn’t reply at first, meeting her gaze. The events that transpired that night gave me the Mantle I now held. It cured me of my asthma just as it cursed me with a burden to fight for more than what I was. Nyrill started with a duel against Luke and ended with his dagger in my back. I’d relived it once before, and I’d instead put it out of my mind sooner, rather than later. “I died that night.” My answer caused her eyes to widen.

Kacee looked around as we reached the entrance of her headquarters. She then met my gaze, brows furrowed in concentration. “We’ll talk in my office.”

I nodded in response to her question. “Let’s wait for Sora, though. She’ll be able to clear a few misunderstandings.”

Kacee frowned at my answer. “Do you trust her?”

“I have since I’ve awoken and she hasn’t led me wrong yet.”

My friend’s expression didn’t change, but she did nod. Then let’s hurry.” We approached the front of her building, opening a wooden door framed by a stone threshold. Kacee walked inside first, with me behind her and Yvette and Morgan stepping in after me. Boxes filled the foyer with people of various appearances milling about, stashing stuff into different open boxes. Upon her entrance, eyes shot over to Kacee. At that, she turned to Yvette and Morgan. “Continue to clear out and organize your areas. We’re getting everything one space to store them away until we head out.” The pair nodded and walked further into the building, taking a left down a hall before they split apart.

Wood and stone comprised the inner walls of the building, stone pillars, and wooden walls and ceiling, offering that medieval aesthetic that I wouldn't stop adoring.

Before we could continue to our destination, a guy, who appeared a few years younger than Kacee and me, approached her and cleared his throat. He had close-cropped blonde hair and light green eyes as he looked to his leader. “Captain, you, uh, have a guest. She arrived a few minutes before you and Alpha squad.”

Kacee furrowed her brow, intensely studying him. “I don’t remember having any appointments today. Did she give you a name?”

“A Soralynn.” The boy answered, nervously. Now that he had dropped her name, I could see his pale pallor and the bob of his Adam’s apple. “She said that, um, you’d want to meet with her when you arrived.”

“That’s…” Kacee stopped herself before turning to face me with a frown. “Is she this ‘Sora’ you mentioned earlier?”

“Most likely,” I said. I faced the boy and gave an apologetic smile. “She didn’t…do anything, did she?”

If anything, his face lost more color as he frantically shook his head. “No. No sir. Nothing.” He then turned and pointed behind him. “If you don’t mind, I have packing to do. I escorted her to the conference room. Good day.” With one last nod towards Kacee, he turned around and practically jogged to the cluttered front desk.

Kacee’s deadpan expression amused me. “What did she do to scare him? And why do I blame you?”

“Sora does what she wants. I don’t control her.” I answered with a stare of my own.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, lips curling upwards at the corners of her mouth. “Let’s just go.” With that, we walked through the lobby, and I watched as Kacee returned the various greetings from her subordinates. We entered a hallway, both walls filled with open doors, and I could see the different mercenaries in Kacee’s employ. They looked happy with her, clearly content with how she led the company if my read of their actions meant anything. Boisterous and lively, several of the mercenaries appeared to be veterans of years of battle; there were also a few around our age. Each of them seemed to wield an assortment of armaments and armors, letting me know that this company could potentially fulfill any mission. Even the paraphernalia informed me of how prepared the Twin Flags company could be for any situation, from spare armors and weapons to the rare items that radiated enough magic to felt by my newly awakened senses.

We walked further down the hall until we reached the only closed door, a dark redwood with a steel knob. Kacee reached for the knob but paused. Her gaze turned stern as she stared at the door, or rather, through it. “Joseph.” Her low voice pulled my attention directly onto her. “This Soralynn… Do you trust her?”

Do I trust Sora?

Do I trust the woman who helped me out of my grave and helped me get away clean?

Do I trust the woman who has done nothing but speak the truth? Although I’m nowhere near naïve enough to believe that she’s told me everything.

I don’t think I know. But to an extent…

“She hasn’t given me a reason not to.” I answered instead of a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

Kacee frowned as she turned her head to face me. Her eyes locked with mine, searching for something. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life.” I felt no need to hesitate with my answer. Even before the two months under Emelina’s care, Kacee and I, along with the rest of our class, had known each other since we had first started school on that island a decade ago. Even if she expressed it differently, she felt that same discontent of being trapped on that island; of being separated from the people, we loved, never having the chance to see, or speak with, them again. She understood, more than anyone else on Verum could, the dissatisfaction that filled me even when under Emelina’s care.

Such was the gilded prison that island always seemed to be.

At my answer, her eyes widened. She remained silent before she breathed out. Closing her eyes, she shook her head, a fond smile growing on her face. “Why am I not surprised?” With that, she opened the door and walked into the room.

A long rectangular table sat in the center of the room. On the wall to our immediate left rested a blank whiteboard, with an empty tray attached to the bottom. Off to the right, attached to the wall, was an open closet, with several folded chairs with cushions on the seats. Across from Kacee and I, Sora stood at a closed window, staring out into the milling crowds of the busy streets in front of the building.

Kacee shut the door and clicked something on the handle. She then promptly tapped a gem on the wall right to it. As soon as that happened, Sora turned and smiled widely upon seeing me. Then her eyes rolled over to Kacee, narrowing in recollection.

Sora opened her mouth and nearly spoke, just as Kacee attempted the same. However, I interrupted them both with something I knew would spark a little chaos, making sure to keep my face straight as I said it.

“I’m the next Demon Lord.”