Chapter 158: The One Who Gave Me Confidence
>>Ariston (Past- Kid)
We walked into the village just after dawn, when the mist still clung to the grass and the air smelled like dew and woodsmoke. I pulled the hood of my cloak low, keeping my eyes on the dirt road. The fabric scratched against my cheeks, but I didn’t dare push it back.
Rael walked beside me like he belonged here—like he belonged anywhere, really. There was something about the way he carried himself. Loose, calm. One hand rested lazily on his belt, near the hilt of his dagger, not as a threat, just as a habit. He didn’t slouch. He didn’t skulk. And he didn’t hide his face.
Unlike me.
"You’re walking like you’re waiting to get caught," he said without looking at me.
"I am," I muttered.
He exhaled, long and slow, but not annoyed. "We’ve been over this."
"They stare," I said.
"They stare at me too. Let ’em." His said calmly but firmly
"That’s different. You look like you can rip a man in half."
Rael chuckled. "I can. But that’s not the point." He stated, "I haven’t killed anyone for giving me a weird look."
I kept my eyes down as we passed the blacksmith’s stall, where a heavyset man pounded away at an iron horseshoe. Sparks flew. I caught a glimpse of a woman hanging linens on a line across the alley, pausing mid-motion to glance at us. I could feel the stare, the slow realization as she saw the red eyes. Her face twisted—not in fear exactly, but that subtle tightness, like she’d tasted something bitter.