Chapter 14 - 12: New Beginning
Cero slowly opened his eye; the first thing he noticed was the soft creaking of old wood. The ceiling above is low and made of dark beams, some twisted with age and covered in spider webs. Dust dances in the morning light that slips through the cracks in the wooden shutters.
Though his arm muscles ached, he raised it slowly, trembling, and thought to himself:
"I can still remember it clearly—her blood, warm and vivid, clinging to my hands like something I couldn’t wash away. Sarah... a hero of Shade Guard, and more than that, the South’s finest assassin. I took her life... my first kill."
"They branded me a witchborn. Not because I did anything wrong, but because they suspected my father of witchcraft—without proof. I didn’t want to kill her. But my father taught me never to hesitate. And in the end, the world gave me no choice. I had to prove my right to live... by taking someone else’s life."
The air was cool and carried the faint scent of smoke, dried herbs, and old straw.
But what truly woke Cero was a loud snort nearby. He blinked, then thought to himself, "The mage who saved me..."
He tried to sit up, but pain shot through his body. Every muscle ached. With a quiet groan, he leaned back against the bed.
The movement must have stirred the mage, because a voice spoke from the other side of the room. "You’re finally awake. It’s been a day and a half." the mage said, tossing a small healing salve toward him.
Cero caught it and drank without hesitation. "Thank you for saving me."
The mage raised an eyebrow. "You didn’t even check if it was poisoned."
"I’m immune to poison, and you wouldn’t save me just to kill me. But... why did you save me?" Cero replied calmly.