Chapter 202
Ch.21
hedaywasovercast.verythingwashazy.
hatwashowknew.
Adream?Allofasudden?
hatthiswasadream.
waswalkingdownastreet.Myshoesandclothesfeltterriblyunfamiliar.venmybodydidnotfeellikemyown.
Whatisthis?Adreamwhere’mpossessingsomeone?
hemomentthoughtthat,myreflectionappearedinapuddlebytheroad.
ollowcheeks,parchedlips,eyesdrainedoflife.twasanunsightlyfaceineverypossibleway,butitwasalsopainfullyfamiliar.
Me,yetnotme.
t’stheseventhfromtheoriginalstory.
hatmadenosense.
Why,allofasudden?
“Miss,overthere!”
Someonecalledouttomeaswalkeddownthestreetlikeaghost.slowlyturnedmyhead.Mymindwasmine,butmybodydidnotmoveaccordingtomywill.
“akethis.”
Agood-natured-lookingwomanheldoutasmallpieceofcaketome.Shehadevenputitinaboxandwrappeditneatly.
Astrawberrysimmeredinsyrupsatontopofwhitecream.
Ah,likestrawberrycake!hechefsaidhewouldprepareahugestrawberrycreamcakeformycoming-of-ageceremonytoo.
“Businessjustisn’tgoodtoday,yousee.guesstherearen’tmanypeoplewithbirthdaystoday.”
Me!t’smybirthdaytoday!
Butonlymyheartshouted.
Mybodymerelystoodthereblankly.henthebakerywomanforcedthecakeintomyhand.
felthergazefallonmyhand,andsheflinched.
hensheclearedherthroatandhurriedlyadded,
“Um,ifittastesallright,comebuysomethingelsetomorrow!hemuffinsaregoodtoo,andthingslikemacaronsaredelicious!Wehappentobestartingasaletomorrow,thirtypercentoff...o,fiftypercent!”
startedwalkingagain.
Withoutasinglewordofthanks.
heseventhfromtheoriginalstoryhadnomannersatall.
“Allright?Youhavetocomebuysomething!”
heangelicownershoutedearnestlyatmyback.Atthecommotion,amanwhoseemedtobeherhusbandcameoutandnaggedher.
“Whatsale?Whatdoyoumean,sale?Andwhyareyouhandingoutperfectlygoodcake?”
“don’tknow.Shejustlookedalittle...precarious.Shestilllookedsoyoung...And...”
“And?”
“herewasbloodsoakingintohercuffs.”
Ah,wasthere?
Sothatwaswhythewomanhadflinchedwhenshesawmyhand.thoughtitwasbecauseofthemark.
keptwalkingasthosesmallvoicesfadedbehindme.
herewerealotofgoodpeopleintheworld.
hethoughtcametome,asifhadonlyjustrealizedit.ogivecaketoacompletestrangeroutofworry.
Justastherewasmalicewithoutreason,therewerealsopeoplewithkindnesswithoutreason.
Wouldsomethinghavechangedifhadknownsooner?
keptwalking,wishingthatthekindownerwouldnotbuildwealthsteadily,butbecomesuddenlyrichtomorrowinstead.
Beforeknewit,wasonadeep,ruggedmountainpath.
Birthday...
Cometothinkofit.
owoldam?
didnotknow.
adalreadycomeofage?
“Run.Far,faraway.”
eviathanZebberthadsaidthatbeforehedied.
Rightbesidehisdaughter’sblackstele.
...
Whencametomysenses,wasrunning.
Behindmyfleeingback,thoughtheardtheDuchess’sblood-chokedscream.
owmanydayshadpassedsincethen?
havetogobacktoFather.
hadrepeatedthosewordshundreds,thousandsoftimes,butforsomereason,mybodywouldnotmovethewaythought.
Mybreathcameingasps.twasbecausewaspouringallmymagicintostoppingthemarkfromgrowing.
eviathanZebberthadbeenright.
“Aimfortheheart.Don’tmiss.verythingyouwantwillbeinthiscenter.”
AtimemagiccircleunknownevenintheMagicKingdomhadexistedintheAcademyinthecapitalofBabilon.
houghitwasalmostcompletelyruined.
heAcademy’ssecurity,wherehadfledafterescapingfromtheorth,waslax.
BecausetheprofessorinchargeoftheRareBooksArchivehaddiedjustthen.disguisedmyselfashisstudentandslippedintothemourningprocession.heysaidthatafterhiscolleaguesdiedandsomethingwentwrongintheRareBooksArchive,hecouldnotovercomethegriefoflossandtookhisownlife.
couldnotknow.
Atanyrate,thatwaswherefoundbooksthathadturnedblank,asinglenearlywitheredtree,andahalf-destroyedstele.
verythingintheRareBooksArchiveseemedfartoolatetorepair.hereappearedtobenothingcoulddo.
Allcoulddowasstealthemagiccirclefromthesteleandrunawayagain.
Amagiccirclethatmovestime.
twassooldthatitnolongerfunctionedproperlyintheRareBooksArchive,butusedthatmagiccircletostopthetimeofmymark.twaspossiblebecausetheRareBooksArchivewasfilledwithanunknownmagic.
hadstoppedthemark’serosionthatway,but.
knew.hiswasnothingmorethanastopgap.
Father’spowerwasendlesslystrong,andmymarkhadalreadygrownenoughtocovermyentirebody.
owlongcouldpossiblylastinthisstate?
hat’swhyhavetogoback.
otheMagicKingdom.
Butcontrarytomythoughts,strangelykeptclimbingthemountain.
heforestwasblack.
owdidnotevenknowthewayback.seemedtohavegottenlost,yetforsomereason,wanderingthroughthemazedidnotfeelunpleasant.
heslopegrewsteeperandsteeper,andametallictasteroseinmythroat.hecakeboxinonehandfeltimpossiblyheavy.
Myheadspun.Memoriestangledtogetheratrandom.
“Buttheworldissowide.Surelytherehastobeoneplacethatcanprotectyou.”
Unabletoendureitanylonger,clungtoatreeandretched.
“ah.aah.”
WhyhadeviathanZebbertstabbedaswordintohisownheart?
Whyhadhelookedatme,theonewhocametokillhim,withsuchtendereyes?
“otheMagicKingdom...haveto...goback...”
fwentback?
Withnoage,andnoname.
WouldbecomeFather’spuppetwithoutknowinganything,wanderfrombattlefieldtobattlefield,andhurtsomeoneelseagain?
“Whoforcessomethinglikethatonhisowndaughter?eshouldbetreasuringhersodearlyitstillwouldn’tbeenough.”
Stopremembering.
Please.Please!
Wipingawaythedroolrunningfrommymouth,movedmyfeetbyinertia.Deeper,deeperintotheforest.Sonoonecouldfindme.
hadheardeviathanZebberthadlosthisdaughter.Perhapsthatwaswhyheseemedtopityme.
twouldhavebeenverynicetobethedaughterofsuchaman.
ewouldhavetreatedherasprecious,pouredloveoverher,andbeenendlesslykind.
Ah...
stoppedwalking.
Atsomepoint,abarrencliffhadappearedbeforemyeyes.
Belowmyblood-soakedcuffs,thepinkcakeboxdangledcarelesslyfrommyhand.heinsidemusthavebeenacompletemessbynow.
’mtired.
hud.letthestrengthleavemyhand.hecakefellandshatteredcompletely.
wastooexhaustedtostandbackuponthestrengthofonestranger’skindnessalone.
didnotlookforwardtothedaysahead.wasnotcuriousaboutthemorningthatwouldcomeagain.Rather,itwashorrifying.
et’sstop.
Wasn’tthismuchenough?
Yes.Perhapsrunningawaylikethiswasonewaytoo.
fhadbeenabletorunawayearlierthanthis...
Wouldsomethinghavechanged?
fhad,eviathanmighthavelived.
Butthatwastrulyameaninglessassumption.
tookoutthedaggerhadbeencarryinginsidemyclothes.heonestainedwitheviathanZebbert’sblood.
herehadbeensomuchbloodfromtheman’schest.hadtrieddesperatelytostopitwithbothhands,butitwasnouse.
’msorry.Suddenly,wantedtosaythosewords.
owhom?oeviathan,whohaddied?r...totheDuchess,whomusthavebeenthefirsttofindherdeadhusband?ohissons?otheoldDuke?
Whatwouldbethepoint?
heywereonlypeoplehadneverevenmet.
tightenedbothhandsashardascould.
hebladeflashed,reflectingthecoldmoonlight.
“ey.”
Alow,hoarseman’svoicecamefromsomewhere.
Somewherealongthesteepcliffbehindme.
Whenlookedclosely,therewasablack,darkcavenearby.
“fyou’regoingtodie,whydon’tyougofartherawayanddoit?”
nlythendidfeelthebluemagichadfailedtodetectbefore.Creak,screech.hesoundofoldchainsdraggingaswell.
Butwhatwasevenmoreintensethanthatwas—
Revealedbeneaththethinshaftofmoonlight...
“hesmellofrottingcorpsesisfuckingdisgusting.”
heeyesofabeast.