Debbie maintained her gaze on me, comfortably patient to continue the long, awkward silence until I produced some answers.

  However, I was about as clueless as her, if not more, as to why some powerful mage decided to burn my home and family to smithereens.

  I gazed out the blackened window of the carriage that prevented anyone from looking in and made the view outside difficult to make out.

  My home was gone. My family…

  My chest tightened, and I forced myself to inhale slowly, looking down at my hands. There was no point in losing control now.

  But why? Why would a powerful mage like Ra Sol target my family?

  I blinked.

  Or perhaps I wasn’t entirely without a clue.

  In the previous Round, Freida Stran had informed me about Harley Whitmore—the woman with the bob of platinum blonde hair who burned down my home in my original life. She was part of the Guardians of Luminal, a secretive and evil organization convinced that my family would bring about an apocalypse. Charles, one of the oldest Frey staff members, was exposed as a member of that twisted group, and I made sure to eliminate that threat the day I restarted the loop in this Round.

  Could Ra Sol be tied to them too?

  My eyes narrowed as I stared at the floor, my thoughts spiraling.

  If he was part of that same organization, it could explain his motive to some extent. But then, why did the timeline change? And why did he come instead of Harley Whitmore?

  Unless… the attack on his family pushed him to take action. If the Guardians of Luminal believed my family would end the world, then an attack on his loved ones would be the perfect trigger for him to retaliate. It was an incorrectly placed retaliation, but the Guardians of Luminal weren’t exactly with their heads on straight, given their targeted and malicious view in regard to my family.

  I sighed.

  My theory was rather fragile. I was merely stacking one speculation on top of another.

  No. I needed facts, not guesses.

  I straightened my back and adjusted my shoulders, noting that Debbie’s gaze was still locked on me, unbothered by the prolonged silence.

  I’d have to ask Freida Stran to investigate Ra Sol and his connections. For now, though, I had someone else who might have answers. My gaze shifted to the snake coiled comfortably around my left shoulder.

  [[ Apophis, do you know why Ra Sol attacked my family? ]]

  The snake’s cold and vicious voice slithered through my mind.

  ~That pest probably came to torment me again.

  I frowned.

  [[ Why would he do that? How do you know Ra Sol anyhow? ]]

  A low hiss sounded into my mind.

  ~We come from the same realm. He was the one responsible for my banishment to this realm. Then, to add salt to the wound, he followed me here, caught me, and sold me off to that experimenting bitch.

  My eyes widened.

  A multitude of new questions twirled through my mind as I looked at the snake coiled around my shoulder, his purple eyes gleaming with malice.

  Just then, a sudden knock on the carriage door jolted me upright.

  The officer’s face on the other side was hard to make out through the darkened window, but it was evidently an expression of urgency. His mouth moved, but the soundproof carriage didn’t carry his words inside.

  Debbie cracked open the door.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Officer Cross! There appear to be survivors!” the young officer exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mixture of shock and hope.

  I didn’t wait for permission. I was out of the carriage in an instant.

  “Who? Who survived?” I demanded.

  But my feet refused to wait for answers. They carried me toward the manor, racing across the scorched earth. My eyes wandered across the wreckage, whose fire was finally submitting to the extinguishing attempts by the firefighters.

  And then, I saw it.

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  My breath caught in my throat.

  “A holy sign…”

  “It’s an angel…”

  Murmurs and gasps rippled through the crowd. A handful of people even dropped to their knees in prayer.

  ~What a divine and pure magic.

  Even Apophis was in evident awe.

  Amid the smoldering ruins of my once-home, a blindingly white light emerged. Majestic wings of pure white wrapped protectively around a shimmering cocoon. Within that luminous shield, a group of people huddled together, safe and untouched.

  My vision blurred with tears as the familiar faces inside the light came into focus.

  They’re alive.

  A sob of relief escaped me, but I swallowed it down, my gaze locking onto the boy cradled in the guard’s arms. The protective magic radiated from him, the source of that miraculous light.

  “Fin… your attribute… it changed,” I whispered.

  ***

  The Mage of Catastrophes. Master of Curses. Shadow Chains Weaver.

  Those were all the titles given to Fin in my original life. No mage could match his mastery of hexes and curse magic. With just a brush of his fingers and a few murmured words, he could unleash a pandemic upon an entire city. Shadowy chains would rise at his command, writhing across the battlefield like serpents. They ensnared his enemies, coiling around them, holding them helpless before Adovoria’s advancing soldiers.

  His power was the cornerstone of our war effort, the reason for every victory we claimed.

  Fin was the sole reason that battle was won as quickly and efficiently as it was.

  The earth still bore the traces of his magic—or rather, what was achieved because of what he had brought into existence. The air was heavy, not with the smoke or ash of destruction, but with the unmistakable scent of blood. It clung to the atmosphere, a metallic tang that hinted at the battle that took place around us.

  Perhaps “battle” wasn’t the right word. It was more like a one-sided execution. The enemy hadn’t stood a chance. Fin’s shadow chains had immobilized them, trapping them in place, unable to move away from the swords and shackles of The Order.

  And yet, the city itself was untouched.

  Not a single window was shattered. The buildings stood unscathed, their white facades clean and intact. Colorful flags fluttered lazily in the breeze, catching the late afternoon sun. Birds flitted from rooftop to rooftop, their cheerful chirping eerily at odds with the blood-soaked ground below. Pots with vibrant flowers perched on windowsills, their petals unblemished, swaying gently as if unaware of the horrors that had unfolded beneath them.

  It was a chilling juxtaposition—the undisturbed beauty of the city and the silent massacre that had taken place within it.

  Still, lives were lost. Those who dared to exploit the chaos spreading across the continent, seizing opportunities in the wake of the Kobar Empire’s conquests, were shown the true meaning of despair. They faced Fin’s power, his curses stripping them helpless and his shadowy chains binding them to their end.

  Officially, Fin was a hero of Adovoria, a savior who had secured yet another victory for our side. And to those who stood against him, he was nothing short of a catastrophe.

  However, it wasn’t just the enemy that feared him.

  “I’m glad he’s on our side…”

  “Agreed. It’s terrifying magic. A battle that should’ve lasted days—maybe even weeks—ended in just one day.”

  “Calling it ‘magic’ doesn’t feel right. It’s darker… even more sinister than the necromancy the Kobar Empire uses. Gives me the chills. Do you think Grandov could really control him if he turned against us?”

  “Shush! He’ll hear you.”

  My gaze snapped to the soldiers huddling together near the remnants of a collapsed gate. They spoke in hushed voices, stealing wary glances at Fin.

  Ungrateful idiots.

  “Fin, don’t mind them,” I muttered, handing him a chunk of rye bread. The loaf was rough and dense, not particularly appetizing, but good enough to sustain us. And there was something familiar and comforting to it.

  We were resting within the walls of a conquered city in the United Republic of Nales. The cobblestone streets were littered with debris and remnants of the opposing soldiers who had been cut down.

  Despite the looming threat of the Kobar Empire, some opportunistic leaders had seized the chaos to expand their territories. Two ambitious states within the United Republic of Nales had mistakenly believed that Adovoria’s puppet queen meant an easy victory.

  However, they had severely underestimated how organized The Order was. Despite the internal issues of my kingdom, Grandov had expertly guided our army to victory in every fight and battle.

  “It’s fine. I’m used to it,” Fin replied, brushing his white hair. His fingers trembled slightly before he hid them in his lap.

  I frowned.

  Dirt streaked Fin’s pale cheeks, and his shoulders slumped as though carrying an invisible weight.

  “You shouldn’t get used to it. Want me to go teach them a lesson?” I asked, my voice loud enough for the soldiers to hear me.

  I saw a few of them flinch at my words.

  However, Fin shook his head. “They’re right… It is a scary type of magic. I wouldn’t use it either, but… I don’t really have any other skills. And it pays well.”

  He forced a smile, but it was hollow. His hazel eyes did not match the curve of his lips.

  “Hahhhh… Fin, you’re too young to have such an expression,” I muttered, taking a bite of my rye bread.

  Fin stared at the bread that I handed him before taking a bite himself, chewing slowly, his gaze distant. The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across his face and accentuating the dark circles beneath his eyes.

  Around us, the conquered city lay silent, its life extinguished by the battle. The streets were empty, devoid of the bustling crowds that should’ve been there at this time of day. Shattered remnants of daily life—abandoned market stalls, a child’s toy half-buried in the dirt—lay scattered, forgotten in the aftermath.

  I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow for the city’s residents, who were caught in a conflict they likely had no say in. Those who hadn’t managed to flee were either slaughtered or imprisoned, awaiting their fate as bargaining chips for future negotiations. But I knew from experience, having won against a different state of the United Republic of Nales, that only the nobles and a select few with political value would be ransomed. The rest were deemed expendable, mere casualties of war, their lives reduced to collateral damage.

  War was such an ugly, cruel thing. It didn’t care who started the conflict. It only consumed.

  I looked up.

  Above, the sky stretched endlessly, a pale, indifferent blue, utterly untouched by the devastation below. Not a single cloud marred its serene expanse. The sun continued its descent toward the horizon, painting the rooftops in soft shades of amber and gold. It was beautiful, almost mocking in its tranquility, as if oblivious to the suffering it illuminated.

  How cruel that the world could look so peaceful while people were being torn apart.

  I glanced toward Fin.

  His white hair caught the golden light, appearing almost ethereal against his weary expression.

  An angel. That’s what he appeared like to me.

  “I and everyone else are alive because of you,” I said softly, grateful to have him by my side.

  His long eyelashes flickered, but he said nothing.

  Perhaps one day, others would acknowledge him as the kind soul and savior he truly was.

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