Chapter 60 - The Pawn and the Player
The forest seemed to swallow everything around Rygar. He and Ghislaine ran side by side.
He, with slumped shoulders, his body covered in dirt and blood, and his left arm missing, did not exchange a single word. Every step he took without something pressing him to act was more time for him to think—he could not clearly remember the attack on the Joylore estate.
But in some ways, that made it worse. He only recalled flashes—anything that moved was mercilessly slaughtered in his fury, and images of him tearing out the throats of guards and servants flashed in sequence through his mind as his thoughts began to settle.
Every movement felt heavier than the last, every second he ran without something to distract him, the weight of guilt seemed to glue his feet to the ground. He could no longer shake off the image of the dead, their screams, the sound of his claws cutting through flesh—the same way his doubts were cutting through himself.
The silence stretched between them. Ghislaine, running with the energy that kept her moving forward, noticed something was wrong. The boy, once so focused and direct, now seemed distant, lost in thoughts she could not guess.
Each passing second was another step toward the abyss he was sinking into. But she was not good with words, nor with comfort.
So she simply remained silent, glancing at him sideways while keeping her pace steady.
Ghislaine's eyes drifted toward him for a moment. When she first met Rygar, she thought of him as a prodigy—a boy with more talent than anyone she had ever seen. But as time passed and she learned more about him, what fascinated her the most was his intelligence and the maturity he displayed, always so focused and capable.
When he faced the Holy Order of Milis, she admired his courage and fighting spirit. Over time, without realizing it, she had begun to see him as an equal.
But now, something about his posture had changed.
Then, finally, they spotted the rest of the group. Poulak, Taes, and Fehel were ahead, running quickly. Poulak, carrying Taes and Fehel on his shoulders, seemed slower than usual. When he noticed the two approaching, he slowed down, abruptly stopping and turning to face them.