The Flower Is Finished

The blinding sunlight made me open my eyes. I held my aching head as Farrel came in, carrying a tray of food.

"What happened to you last night?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I don't remember. All I recall is taking a bath, leaving the bathing area, and then… I only heard your voice," I said while rubbing my temples. He clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Lucky it was me who found you. If it were someone else, you'd be in danger," he muttered, annoyed, then went to change in the next room.

"I heard your schedule is quite packed today?" Farrel asked.

I shrugged indifferently. "If you're going to change clothes, then do it properly. Don't act like a confused sheep while doing it," I teased, eating the food he had brought.

We were now standing in rows on the wide training field. Today, we were going to resume our sword mastery lessons — training to perfect our technique.

Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was already late afternoon. During that time, we practiced quick medical aid, acupuncture, sword control, and even survival skills — identifying which wild plants were edible and which were poisonous.

As I walked past the sorcerers' quarters, a strong stench suddenly struck my nose. I turned toward Farrel — he didn't seem to notice anything.

"Do you smell something foul?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Is there something that smells bad?" he asked back.

I shook my head. "Hmm… no, maybe it's just my sense of smell acting up," I said, and he nodded.

Once again, a dizzy spell hit me. Farrel frowned, worried. "What's wrong with you?"

The next thing I knew, I was already in the infirmary. Farrel had helped me there.

"Let me check your condition," he said, taking my pulse before closing his eyes. I could feel his energy flowing into my body.

"There's nothing wrong with your body, but… why is my energy being absorbed by you?" he muttered, scratching his head.

I shrugged helplessly — I knew nothing about healing energy.

"Are you sure I'm absorbing your energy?" I asked.

He nodded firmly. "Yes. It's not much, but I can feel it. Energy never lies. Besides, I still carry Elven blood."

"Alright, maybe something's just off with my body," I said, getting off the bed. He told me to rest, but I refused.

"No need. I'm meeting George — I'd rather use my time for that."

"Isn't Arvan pushing you too hard?" he asked. I shook my head and smiled faintly.

"Shouldn't we finish what we've started?" I replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" he sighed lazily. I left the infirmary, and he soon followed me back to the field.

Something felt strange again when I passed the sorcerer's chamber. When I first saw her face, she glanced at me with contempt. I could sense resentment from her — yet it was our first meeting. What reason did she have to despise me? That question kept echoing in my mind. After all, I didn't even remember her name.

Almost a month had passed since training began. Three times a week, I visited the old man's house to search for the book of ancient history.

Sometimes I cleaned his home, tidied unnecessary things, and even shared meals with him, bringing food from the palace. But my frequent visits eventually made Farrel suspicious.

"For the past month, you've been acting different," he said, eyeing me suspiciously. I choked on my food.

"What do you mean?" I asked after swallowing. He leaned closer across the soldiers' mess table.

"I've seen you sneaking out several times — gone for an hour or two — then returning as if nothing happened. Are you hiding something from me?"

I shook my head quickly. "Me? Of course not. I just needed some fresh air."

He only nodded and went back to eating.

"Now that I think about it, you're lying to me," he said suddenly, glaring as he stuffed another bite into his mouth. I scratched my head nervously.

"Fine, yes, I've been meeting someone."

His eyes widened. He grabbed my shoulders. "Is she beautiful?"

I sighed. Farrel was handsome and strong, but hopelessly flirtatious.

"Yes, she's very beautiful. If you want, I can take you with me."

"Really? Then I'm coming!" he cheered, making me smile faintly.

That night, we sneaked out together with our horses. Farrel looked thrilled, but when we reached the house, his expression froze.

The place was dark, lifeless. Not a single light was on, and even the moonlight barely illuminated the yard.

"Are you sure there's a pretty girl here?" he asked, dismounting his horse. I jumped down and hurried toward the door.

"Grandpa… are you alright?" I shouted, but there was no response. I forced the door open — and froze.

He was lying on the floor, foam spilling from his mouth.

"What happened?" I shouted, shaking his frail body. Farrel rushed in and pulled me aside.

"Xanders, let me check." He felt for a pulse, then leaned in to listen for breath.

Panic tightened my chest. I hadn't found the book yet — and now, he was gone.

"Farrel, what's wrong with him?" I asked.

He exhaled heavily. "He's gone."

I gently pushed him aside, my hands trembling as I tried to wake the old man.

"Grandpa… you promised to give me the book! Where is it?" I pleaded, but no response came.

"What caused this?" I asked again.

"I think he was poisoned, though I can't tell what kind," Farrel murmured. My hands clenched. Once again, someone had died because of me.

"Someone must've poisoned him on purpose," Farrel said.

I nodded slowly. "Yes… I think so too."

"Then let's bury him. Perhaps his spirit will rest peacefully," he said softly.

We dug the grave together. After nearly two hours, it was done. We sat quietly on the porch, staring at the small mound of earth.

"Did you know him well?" Farrel asked.

"Not really. I only met him recently," I answered, eyes fixed on the grave.

"Is there something important you're not telling me?" he pressed. I said nothing.

"You're searching for something, aren't you?"

"I'm looking for a book — but I still haven't found it," I admitted.

"What kind of book?"

"I don't know what it looks like," I said helplessly.

"That's like searching for a needle in a haystack," he muttered. I let out a weary sigh.

"Let's head back for now. Tomorrow I'll ask permission, and we'll return to search again," he suggested.

Reluctantly, I agreed. It was late — Arvan might be looking for me.

Back in my room, I gazed at the blood-red moon through the window. An uneasy feeling crept through me. I rushed to find Arvan.

"Where's Arvan?" I asked the guard at his door. He pointed toward the chamber.

Bang!

"Arvan! Something strange is happening to me!" I shouted, bursting in. He jumped in surprise, half-awake.

"Strange? How?" he asked. I didn't know how to explain, but my hands felt burning hot.

"I really feel… different…"

Before I could finish, King Albert stormed in — soldiers at his back.

"Seize him!" he commanded.

A searing pain tore through my body, as if something inside me was trying to rip itself apart. I screamed in agony… and ran. Ran from King Albert and his men.