The Flower Is Finished

Reluctantly, I carried him. At first he did not want me to carry him, but I could not wait for him to walk with me considering his condition made it impossible for him to walk far.

I did not ask what had happened to him because I already understood what had happened, so he remained silent and looked around to make sure no one saw us.

"Are you going to take me away from here?" he asked hesitantly, but I simply nodded without answering.

"Do you think anyone is left in this room?" I asked him, remembering that the number of prisoners this time was not very many.

"There are some left." He paused.

"They killed them. Even the children… they killed them." His voice trembled, and I clenched my fists knowing they had truly killed without caring about age.

"In the underground room there is a prison. There are still people there now."

I fell silent. Once again I had to go to the underground room.

"God… how many times do I have to go there?" I muttered, sighing roughly.

I followed every direction from the boy on my back.

"May I call you uncle?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Why are they killing us?" he asked curiously. His eyes looked calm, yet he did not express much emotion.

"I don't know." He clicked his tongue and asked again.

"Why did Uncle come here?"

I honestly did not feel like answering him.

"Uncle… answer me, why did you come here?"

"I'm looking for someone," I said casually, and he frowned.

"Are you looking for someone?

What does that person look like?" he asked repeatedly, making me sigh.

"Why?"

"Tell me the description. Maybe I can help."

"He's a tall man, thin, and looks a bit like you," I explained. The boy fell silent for a moment.

"Earlier I heard someone calling 'mother… mother…'"

I immediately stopped walking and lowered him.

"Why did you put me down?" he asked, confused. I knelt to match his height.

"Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"

"Who?"

Talking to a child really tested my patience.

"You said someone was calling 'mother.' Why didn't you tell me from the start that you saw someone?" I asked.

"Ckckckck… Uncle didn't ask me," he replied innocently.

I shook my head, speechless at his honesty.

"So where did that person go?" I asked.

"I don't know. He ran away. When I tried to call him, he didn't seem to hear me."

I nodded and crouched again, tapping my shoulder.

"Come on, climb up again," I told him, and he quickly climbed onto my back.

I followed his directions even though I doubted them several times. He might have been lost, but I could not scold him since he was still a child.

"So where do we turn now? You've said this several times and we keep coming back to the same place," I said in confusion.

"Wait… let me remember. I think I've passed here before."

I stopped walking and waited while he tried to remember.

After a long silence, he asked me to carry him again.

Thirty minutes passed as we searched for the path, and finally we arrived at a very dark underground room.

From inside I could hear loud crying.

Hesitantly, I opened the door.

It really was an underground prison with very little lighting.

"I told you they were still here," he said and asked to be put down.

As the door opened, the sound of crying and shouting echoed through the room.

"Help us…"

It seemed they had realized someone had entered.

"Help… free us!"

"I'll kill you!"

"You bastards locked us up without reason!"

Someone cursed at me, but I ignored it because I saw many people imprisoned here.

"Who are you?" someone asked after seeing me clearly.

They stared at me in fear. I did not look like the Elf clan with long ears.

"Help us."

"Free us."

"Can you save me?"

Several people begged for help while my eyes searched for my uncle and aunt.

"Why don't you open their cells first?" the boy asked, frowning.

I shook my head. I could not open all the cells before finding them.

"I'm looking for someone," I replied.

He rolled his eyes lazily.

Because the lighting was dim and many people filled the room, I looked at each of them one by one.

After several cells, I still had not found my uncle and aunt.

"Are you looking for your parents?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Then who are you looking for?" he asked again, but I did not answer.

"Ckckck… you're looking for a needle in a haystack."

I reached the far end of the prison but still did not find them.

Just as I turned around, someone called my name.

"Xanders… is that you?"

I turned immediately, narrowing my eyes.

"Shasha?" I asked in disbelief.

She suddenly burst into tears.

"Finally you found me…"

She stepped forward and waved at me, but suddenly someone pressed a dagger against her neck.

"Free us and we'll let her go with you," the man threatened.

I nodded.

"Alright, I'll free you. But don't act recklessly."

They still looked at me suspiciously while holding Shasha hostage.

"You won't lie to us?" he asked again.

I nodded.

"Yes. But don't make noise or act carelessly. I can't guarantee your lives."

He finally pushed Shasha toward me.

"What exactly happened?" I whispered.

"I don't know. The palace officials told us to come here. If we didn't come, we would be executed. Then we were told to enter the hall and enjoy the feast. But when we woke up, we were already here. Something happened before that… something disgusting I don't even want to tell you."

She spoke while crying, and I listened carefully.

"Did you see demons and witches?" I asked.

She nodded.

"They manipulated our minds. After eating the palace food, we couldn't remember anything."

I fell silent.

"Where are my uncle and aunt?" I asked, glancing around.

"I don't know. We were separated."

She kept crying while I looked at the heavy lock on the cell door.

"Move aside. I'll open it."

I told Shasha to step back.

I looked at the thick iron lock.

Breaking it with a sword would trigger a trap.

"How will you open it?" Shasha asked.

I had no choice but to use my ancient fire.

I closed my eyes and clenched my fists. The image of flames appeared in my mind, and I placed my hands on the lock.

When the fire flowed into the metal, light burst out as the iron melted from the heat inside my body.

Everyone stared in shock.

"You…" Shasha said in surprise.

"If you want to be free, keep this secret," I said loudly.

The entire room suddenly fell silent.

"We'll keep your secret, just free us first!"

"We will remember your kindness!"

"How is that possible?"

"What is that lock made of?"

"Who is he?"

"Where does such power come from?"

"Are you not from the Elf clan?"

"Who are you?"

"Which clan do you belong to?"

Questions filled the room, but I had no intention of answering any of them.