Chapter 29: A New Road
Three days passed after the funeral.
Three peaceful days.
For most citizens of Yggdrasil, life was finally returning to normal.
Repairs continued across the city.
Merchants reopened their businesses.
Children once again filled the streets.
The scars of the demon attack remained.
But the city endured.
Yggdrasil always endured.
For Kai, however, peace brought a different problem.
Questions.
Too many questions.
Questions he still couldn't answer.
Questions that seemed to grow every night.
Especially after the dreams.
The nightmares had returned.
Help us.
Save us.
Hero.
Murderer.
Kai.
Every night.
The same voices.
The same darkness.
The same feeling that somebody was calling to him from somewhere far away.
Or perhaps from another time.
He woke before sunrise.
Again.
Unable to sleep.
By midday, a royal messenger arrived.
"The king requests your presence."
Kai already knew why.
The throne room felt far less crowded than before.
Most of the damaged sections of government were still being reorganized.
Only a few trusted officials remained.
Andre was already there.
Eating fruit that definitely did not belong to him.
"Morning."
"It's afternoon."
Kai replied.
"Still morning to me."
Akshay pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around."
"Because I'm handsome."
"That wasn't the reason."
"Strong?"
"No."
"Loyal?"
The king paused.
"...Maybe that one."
Andre grinned.
Akshay turned toward Kai.
The smile slowly faded.
"What will you do now?"
The question lingered.
Kai looked toward one of the palace windows.
The mountains stretched endlessly beyond the city.
Unknown lands.
Unknown people.
Unknown answers.
"I want to travel."
Akshay nodded.
"Looking for your past?"
"Maybe."
Kai crossed his arms.
"Or maybe I'm looking for why I was summoned."
The king remained silent.
Kai continued.
"I keep hearing voices."
That got Akshay's attention.
"What kind of voices?"
Kai hesitated.
Then answered honestly.
"They ask for help."
The room grew quiet.
"They call me a hero."
Another pause.
"Sometimes they call me a murderer."
Neither Akshay nor Andre joked this time.
Because Kai wasn't joking.
"I don't know what any of it means."
For several moments nobody spoke.
Then Akshay leaned back in his chair.
"Then perhaps this is good timing."
The king opened a drawer.
He picked a sealed letter.
"I have a request."
Kai immediately knew where this was going.
"You're getting smarter."
Andre snorted.
"Debatable."
The king ignored him.
"During our investigation, we recovered several documents."
His expression hardened.
"One city appeared repeatedly."
"Asphyxia."
Kai accepted the letter.
The royal seal sat firmly on the front.
"Who's it for?"
"The Queen."
Andre blinked.
"Asphyxia has a queen?"
"Technically no."
"Then why call her queen?"
"Because she executes people who argue otherwise."
Andre nodded.
"Fair enough."
Kai slipped the letter into his pack.
"So you want me to warn her?"
Akshay nodded.
"The organization may have interests there."
"Then I'll go."
Before anyone could continue—
"I'm coming too."
Everyone turned toward Andre.
The thief stretched lazily.
"I'm bored."
Akshay sighed.
"That's your reason?"
"Yep."
"You could stay here."
"Nah."
"You could get a job."
Andre looked genuinely offended.
"Don't say things you can't take back."
Kai laughed despite himself.
And just like that—
The decision was made.
The next morning they departed Yggdrasil.
Two horses.
Several days of supplies.
A royal letter.
And absolutely no real plan.
As the mountain city slowly disappeared behind them, Kai looked back one final time.
The city where everything had begun.
The city where he met his first friends.
The city where a king had nearly lost everything.
And now—
A new road waited ahead.
Leading toward Asphyxia.
Toward new answers.
And almost certainly—
Toward new problems.