Chapter 24: Caden

　　Caden was still investigating the lost book. It was certainly not Luna, and he no longer assumed Elena was the culprit. He had visited Felisha earlier in the day, but she had no answers for him. That left only one person.

　　He sat beside three candles in Solaris`s hovel. The middle one was lit, and wax trickled down the side. Solaris was lying on his sofa, throwing a ball into the air and catching it. His place was torn apart as if he`d thrown a party yesterday.

　　Caden focused on the flame, reaching his hand out and trying to absorb it. He was agitated that Solaris may have taken the book. But how could he confront him about that? He was a good man. There was no way the culprit could have been him. Then again, Caden had seen good men do terrible things before.

　　He grunted in frustration, "How is this helping?"

　　"It`s not." Solaris chuckled.

　　"Why even teach me this, then? Pyromancy was so easy before."

　　"You didn`t have to learn before; you survived on instinct. Now, you`re learning precision. You can`t just focus your anger into everything, or you`ll burnout."

　　"What about Emberward abilities? Can you use those to subside burnout symptoms?" he asked, twirling his thumbs.

　　"No," Solaris said quickly.

　　"Then how does Elena defy burnout?"

　　"She doesn`t."

　　I need to ask him about the book.

　　"If I still had that spell book. . ."

　　Solaris`s eyes narrowed, "Be glad you don`t. Emberward powers are dangerous. I told you that already."

　　Caden glared at him. "Was it you?"

　　He sat up straight on the couch with his hands folded. "Was what me?"

　　"Did you take my spell book?"

　　Solaris was silent.

　　Caden took that for guilt.

　　"It was you," he said. He stood up and pointed. "You stole the book from Luna`s room. . . Why?"

　　Solaris didn`t reply immediately. He looked as if he was plotting numerous ways to respond.

　　Caden furrowed his brow, "You framed Mia? Did you know she`d lose her job? What were you thinking?" He paused and awaited any reaction. "Tell me I`m wrong."

　　He hoped Solaris would think this accusation was wild. It couldn`t have been him; he was a good man.

　　"Listen, Caden," Solaris said grimly.

　　"No." He put his hands up and backed away. He shook his head. "No, no. It couldn`t have been you. You`re Solaris. We`re friends. You`re my friend."

　　Time stretched on forever until his lips parted once more. The next five words felt like a dagger to the heart: "It was for your protection."

　　Maybe he was right. Perhaps Mia should have taken the fall for his selfish mistake. But Solaris should never have lied to him.

　　"Why?"

　　"The girl was going to turn you in," he said, "Now, nobody suspects you."

　　"But what about Mia?"

　　"Someone had to take the fall for your mistake."

　　Guilt ripped through him, "But you didn`t have to lie to me!"

　　"I could have told you the truth, but I didn`t. And I`m sorry, but it was the only choice."

　　Caden covered his mouth and backed away. He reached for the door. He needed to leave; he needed to get away.

　　"Wait," said Solaris. "Why is it so wrong for me to make a choice that puts others at risk, but it`s okay when you do it?" He rose from his seat. "Please stay, let`s talk."

　　He didn`t listen; he just ran. He sprinted from the hovel, through the tunnels, and out into the oddly soothing air of Belmire. He thought he had a friend, a brother.

　　Oh, Solaris, why?

　　Realization hit him in one furious wave. Solaris was not a good or evil person. He was simply his own; he was human, and Caden was the exact same way. Maybe everyone was.

　　* * *

　　Attending a party with his mind full of heartbreak and anxiety was impossible. His brain rattled with thoughts of Solaris and the duel. Everything just felt way too easy. Despite this feeling of dread, he desired one last night of fun.

　　The palace blacktop was brimming with life. The temperature was abnormally high. There was not a spec of snow in sight.

　　The party was dispersed throughout the entire palace. Inside were many tables of food and desserts, and people formed lines to grab whatever they could put on a plate. Outside was an array of scattered tables.

　　Everyone in the military showed up. The women wore lovely colored dresses, and the men wore nice colorful vests just like the royals used to.

　　He could hear music from many performers situated around the outdoor ballroom. Many couples were slow-dancing and enjoying the festivities. The atmosphere was very casual and quite lively.

　　When Caden arrived, his anxiety melted. Everyone approached him with greetings and congratulations. He gave handshakes to people he`d never even seen before. He met farstriders, physicians, knights, and Elite and didn`t remember any of their names.

　　The best part was that he couldn`t possibly have known anybody`s rank. There was no prejudice.

　　Eventually, he made his way to his assigned table. Kaelea was already there, speaking to this very chatty and expressive girl he had never seen before.

　　"Caden! Congratulations," said Kaelea as he approached. "You`ve done so well."

　　"Thank you."

　　She gestured to her left, "This is my date-"

　　"Oh my god, hello!" the other girl interrupted Kaelea. She sounded way too happy to meet him. "It`s so nice to meet Kae`s friends!" she shook Caden`s hand vigorously. "My name is Evangeline or Eva."

　　She wore a loud and fluffy white dress that stretched to her feet. Her dark hair was tied up in a nice bun, and her cheeks wrinkled into dimples.

　　"Nice to meet you," said Caden.

　　"Who did you bring along with you?" asked Kaelea.

　　"Bring? Like?"

　　"A date, silly!" Eva chimed in.

　　"Oh, uh," Caden scratched the back of his head. He`d never thought of bringing someone here on a date.

　　"Oh! There`s Elwin!" Kaelea said, waving him over.

　　Elwin approached with a super pretty girl holding his arm. She looked like royalty, and he looked like a lump of dirt.

　　"Hey guys, sorry I`m late. Was a little caught up with something."

　　Kaelea smiled, "So, who is your friend there?" she pointed.

　　"This is Tracy from barracks two. She`s a physician." He was gloating; it was silly, but the girl had this big smile on her face. She nodded and waved but said nothing.

　　"Wow, she looks lovely," said Kaelea, "I`m sure her agreeance to come here with you was. . . also a fluke?"

　　"Are you still on that? Come on!"

　　They all laughed.

　　Time passed. He chatted with so many people he`d never met before. Nobody cared for his rank, but they congratulated him anyway. It seemed like this was just what the Order needed.

　　Everyone`s attention shifted when Lady Felisha strode from the palace. A flock of people rushed to her and asked her all sorts of questions. She was certainly a foreigner but one with power, and they loved power.

　　She stopped by his table. "Why hello, you must be Caden. I do remember you from all those months ago. Elite so soon? I vividly recall the last time we met was when you spilled wine on my companion."

　　He flushed, "That was a while ago."

　　"Oh, I`m only teasing. I came to congratulate you and introduce you to a friend of mine. She`s gorgeous and would absolutely love to dance with you."

　　He was stunned, "What? Oh no, I can`t dance. It`s really -"

　　"You must accept her advances. She`s just adorable. I pulled many strings to allow her here."

　　"You don`t have to. Really, it`s okay."

　　But Felisha strode back into the palace without another word. When she returned a few moments later, a familiar face was tailing her.

　　This other girl wore the most enchanting dress he had ever seen. The deep blue fabric fell in layers just past her knees. Silver adornments were sewn throughout the dress, covering both of her shoulders yet exposing her collarbone.

　　Caden`s jaw dropped.

　　Kaelea snickered, "Look at Caden." She pointed and smiled.

　　"She`s so pretty," said Eva.

　　"She wants to dance with him?" asked Elwin. "Dude. Metal."

　　Elwin was promptly punched in the arm by his date.

　　Caden had to compose himself quickly. He closed his mouth and adjusted his tie.

　　The newcomer was obviously Luna, although he almost didn`t recognize her because she looked so much. . . well, like a girl. She`d never worn a dress or jewelry, had her hair up like that, or worn makeup all over her face. But most of all, he`d never seen her smile this big, and he`d never seen her look this. . . attractive.

　　She stopped at their table, then curtsied. Luna curtsied. When had she learned that?

　　"Hello," she squeaked, "My name is Luna. I`m a friend of House Quel, and I`m here as Felisha`s guest. It`s an honor to meet you all."

　　Caden was blushing. In fact, he was dying. Luna can`t be this pretty. It wasn`t right, I mean, she was Luna. She wasn`t meant to be gorgeous, adorable, and a badass all at the same time. Her beauty was wrapped in mystery; it was something he may never understand.

　　"I-it`s very nice to meet you," he said.

　　"Oh my god!" exclaimed Eva, taking control of the conversation. "Your dress is so lovely! Who tailored it for you? I must know." She reached for Luna`s dress but stopped when she recoiled away. "Was it someone from Talvira? Or did you go to a tailor here?"

　　Luna smiled, putting a hand behind her neck, "Well, I actually made this myself. It`s a hobby of mine. I included pockets and extra straps so it doesn`t get uncomfortable, and the sleeves act like a normal shirt for mobility. I have shorts sewn underneath, oh, and the skirt comes off, too, in case I have to run somewhere." She smiled and went into these intricate details about her dress.

　　The girls broke off into a small clique and began to chat. This left just him and Elwin sitting down.

　　"Kinda crazy, huh?" said Elwin.

　　"What is?"

　　"Few months ago, I was giving you hell. Now, we`re here."

　　"Yeah."

　　"Look, man, I`m sorry bout all that stuff I said. I`m an angry person. I know that. Kae has been helping me be better, you know?"

　　He smiled, "I know. I can tell."

　　"Sorry about what happened to Mia." Elwin sounded defeated.

　　"It wasn`t your fault."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

　　"If I was looking out for her instead of giving her hell, maybe I coulda stopped her."

　　Elwin blamed himself; that was not something he had ever expected from the man.

　　"You`ll grow. We can all be better."

　　"Yeah, maybe I can be like you one day."

　　"No," he said, "You don`t want that."

　　He didn`t say anything more after that.

　　Caden couldn`t keep his eyes off Luna. She was magnificent. She socialized very well, and everyone was so eager to hear her speak. The girls would bombard her with questions, and she would come up with answers on the spot - most of which he knew were lies.

　　Soon, Tracy returned to retrieve Elwin and pulled him onto the dance floor. Kaelea and Eva followed, and as the music slowed down, Luna approached Caden.

　　"May I have this dance?" she asked with a silly smile on her face. She reached her hand out to him.

　　Caden spoke an amalgamation of jumbled language before finally stuttering his way into. . . no coherent words.

　　Instead of waiting for a reply, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet.

　　"Hey! What are you doing?" He stammered.

　　They scuttled onto the dance floor.

　　"Dancing!" she beamed. She pulled his arms around her waist and placed her hands on his shoulders; she was warm.

　　"Why?"

　　"Because I asked," she said, blushing, "and . . . because I would like to."

　　Caden flushed; how was this happening?

　　"How the hell are you able to be here?" he asked as she swayed them back and forth. Caden followed her every move. A sea of people surrounded them, all dancing just the same. Nobody knew who they were. Nobody cared.

　　"I took your advice," she said. She pulled him closer so that he didn`t step on her. "I fought back against Elena, although she was too drunk to really stop me from leaving. Felisha initially said no, but she changed her mind when I showed her the dress." Her smile was immaculate. "Ever since I read about these parties in a few books, I`ve wanted to go."

　　"You fooled everyone."

　　"I know," she said slyly.

　　By the Crown, Caden could not stop staring at her. They were face-to-face, so it wasn`t rude to stare, right? But she was smiling, and her laugh was contagious. If he could capture this moment forever, he would burn with joy for eternity.

　　"You know," she said, "you never complimented my dress."

　　Caden wasn`t really sure how to say: You`re the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my entire life. She looked so small and delicate. It was unlike any other version of her he`d ever seen before. It was the purest version of her, the happiest. And he adored each and every person she decided to be.

　　He gripped her waist just a little tighter. He wanted to shield her from every possible harm and ensure she kept that smile forever. He loved the way she crinkled her nose in frustration. The way her eyebrows moved in jagged lines across her face to express every emotion. The way her eyes sparkled in the lantern light. He wanted to say all of that. He was going to say that.

　　"You look like a girl," he blurted out.

　　Betrayed by his own tongue. . . Well, he`s good as dead now.

　　She glared at him angrily and stomped on his foot.

　　"Ow!"

　　"Shut up and just dance with me," she snapped.

　　He listened. In fact, he would listen to anything this girl had to say. He may have failed Mia, failed his father, failed the Order, and failed Elena. But the one person he succeeded in being better for was her. He would follow her to the edge of the world and through the storm if only she would ask.

　　"Do you think the duel is a good idea?" he asked.

　　"Having second thoughts?" She raised an eyebrow; it was adorable.

　　"I just want your opinion."

　　"I understand the desire to kill someone who has taken everything from you," she said, "make your own choice, and I`ll support you."

　　Part of him wished she would have said something different because he knew, deep down, he wouldn`t be able to tell her no.

　　"You`re my best friend," he blurted out.

　　She gasped, then blushed, "You`re stupid."

　　He smiled.

　　These were new thoughts. Just a month ago, she was sobbing in her bed, and Caden was struggling to try and find a way to make things right, to be better. They went from enemies to friends in a single night, and it`s been nothing but kindness from there. Or maybe they were never enemies, to begin with.

　　He`d not been attracted to Luna before, but after seeing her like this, he couldn`t help but be enthralled by the way she looked, the way she moved, and the way she carried herself so . . . effortlessly.

　　She pulled him a little closer, and he nearly fell. Their foreheads touched as they slowly bobbed from side to side. They swayed with the tranquil music that surrounded them. He wasn`t sure what action to take, but Luna was a master at dancing, as if she`d done it a thousand times before.

　　What should he do? Dip her low? Move further away? Keep the rhythm? Should he brush that tuft of hair behind her ear? Should he kiss her?

　　No, no, no, he thought, not that last one.

　　He envied her deeply. She could watch all her memories over like a play, and if Caden held any semblance of that power, he would do nothing but replay this moment until the very last light faded into oblivion. He couldn`t help it; perhaps he had avoided these feelings for quite some time, but at last. . . he was happy; he finally let himself be.

　　* * *

　　He knew the party couldn`t last forever, and as darkness fell, people began to leave.

　　Caden held a lantern in one hand for light, and Luna held onto his arm. She led him down a few alleyways, and they began to laugh when nobody else was around them.

　　"I can`t believe nobody recognized me!" She threw her head back.

　　"You look very different now."

　　"And how do I look?" she asked coyly.

　　He flushed and kept his eyes forward while she stared right at him. "You look. . ." he paused. "Nice."

　　"Just nice? Yeah, okay, Mr.` drooling over me` the whole time."

　　"I was not!"

　　"You still are! Just admit you think I`m pretty." She poked his arm.

　　"I do."

　　"You what?"

　　"I do."

　　"No, no," she whispered, "say it."

　　He sighed, biting his lower lip, "I think you`re pretty." He was blushing, and he knew she knew that.

　　"You are just adorable," she tightened her grip on his arm. "Thank you."

　　"You`re welcome."

　　"And thank you for letting me stay at the party."

　　"I wouldn`t have kicked you out."

　　"Well, I wouldn`t have left if you did," she rolled her eyes.

　　He glanced down at her and smiled.

　　"Have you been feeling okay recently?"

　　"Burnout symptoms," he said, "It`s made me quite weak. I don`t have my flame, but I`ve been trying to get it back."

　　"Is that why you can`t see me when I`m invisible anymore?"

　　"Yes."

　　She pursed her lips, "Are you going to get your magic back for the duel?"

　　"I`m working on it. Solaris had been training me, but. . ." he looked down.

　　"But?" she asked.

　　"He stole the book. The one I asked you to read to me. Framed my friend, Mia, and got her removed from the Order."

　　She gasped, "What? Why?"

　　"To protect me. Apparently, she was going to turn me in."

　　"Then isn`t that good? That you weren`t caught."

　　He frowned, "No! It`s not. She doesn`t deserve to be. . ." he paused. "Yes, it is good I wasn`t caught. But she didn`t deserve it. It`s my fault. I was selfish."

　　"You were."

　　That hurt a little more than he thought it would.

　　"It`s not a crime to recognize your mistakes," she continued. "Everyone is selfish sometimes. Just be better now. I mean, here I am, holding your arm when I tried to kill you just a month ago." She kicked a stone on the pavement, and it slid forward.

　　He chuckled, "Yeah, but you still do that."

　　"Do not!" she pouted.

　　His smile broadened, "I will be better."

　　"I know you will."

　　He believed in himself because she believed in him.

　　But, this feeling of dread, the way that everything felt too easy. He had to confide in someone, and who better than Luna?

　　"I think something terrible is going to happen."

　　She nodded. "I know."

　　They turned a corner, nearing Goran`s Tavern.

　　"Elena has something up her sleeve."

　　"It scares me," said Luna.

　　"She told me she`s going to do something horrible."

　　"I think it involves breaking the curse and the sacrifice it might take."

　　Caden sighed. "Be safe, okay?"

　　"Always." She nudged her head against his shoulder. "How`s your dad?"

　　He had told her about the last visit to his father while they were dancing. "He is, well, I don`t know."

　　"You should check on him. Family is important. . . even family you don`t like."

　　If she was asking him to, he couldn`t say no.

　　"Okay."

　　She smiled.

　　They turned down another path, and he could see the tavern a few blocks away.

　　"I like being close to you."

　　"Me too."

　　He flushed, "This was nice."

　　She tugged on his arm.

　　He swallowed and hardened his resolve. It`s just Luna. He doesn`t need to be so afraid. With a burst of confidence, he reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. They didn`t look at each other, but they both knew.

　　"Is this. . . okay?" he whispered.

　　"You shouldn`t ask that after you did it, you know," she smirked.

　　He almost apologized, but she gripped his hand tightly in hers.

　　"Yes," she said, "It`s okay."

　　They walked around for the rest of the night, passing the tavern multiple times. They wanted to find some excuse to stay out forever. Both dreaded the moment when they would need to be apart once more.

　　* * *

　　Caden knew that his joy would not last forever. The next day - the day of the duel - his anxiety skyrocketed. He desperately wanted to return to Luna and confess his fears to her. But he took her advice instead; he would visit his father.

　　He strolled through quadrant three in the early morning. The forest rose around him, and his boots slammed against the dirt path in quick but careful steps.

　　He was finally visiting his father for selfless reasons. Although he was just listening to Luna. . . so perhaps he wasn`t as cavalier as he thought.

　　The cabin windows reflected no light. A single lantern - posted on the outer wall - illuminated the doorway. The guards at the front of the house were no longer posted, and a set of footprints led through the slightly opened door.

　　The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and his footsteps became more cautious. He drew his sword and slowly inched the door open. He grabbed the lantern off the wall. He desperately reached for his forgotten flame.

　　"Dad?" he called. His arms shook as he entered the cabin. A pit of despair slammed into his stomach. Sweat beat down his face. Was this what he had been worried about? No. No. His father is fine. He`s just drunk and asleep. He`s fine. He needs to be okay.

　　His light radiated outward, revealing the room in disarray. The sofa was flipped over completely, the kitchen was in shambles, and the back door was torn off its hinges. Many of Hector`s paintings were destroyed. He sheathed his sword, not sensing any danger.

　　He found his father in his bedroom. He didn`t know what to expect, but what shook him to his core was the entire room was stained crimson.

　　"Dad?" His voice cracked. No answer.

　　The mangled man was dangling off the edge of the bed. He wasn`t wearing his glasses, his mouth was open slightly, and he was covered in blood. His entire body was eviscerated. He looked like he had been flayed alive. He was missing some fingers and toes; his clothes were torn; he had been tortured.

　　Adrenaline pulsed through his mind. Caden moved. He lifted his father into his arms and sprinted from the cabin. He moved faster than ever before. He didn`t even consider whether he held a living and breathing man or not. He didn`t even check for a heartbeat. He just ran.

　　* * *

　　He took him to the medical center in quadrant three. The building was a long, crude hallway with many occupied sickbeds.

　　Some Crown Knights decide to specialize in medicine. Perhaps that`s what Mia was trying to do.

　　He paced back and forth. Because of his status, Hector was given a private room, and Caden knew the Crusaders would be here to investigate. His mind rattled with thoughts of whether or not his father would live.

　　A door opened, and a physician approached him.

　　Caden composed himself, "Is he. . ."

　　"He will live. He`d be dead ten times over if he wasn`t a Pyromancer. We have multiple surgeons working on transferring him Heat and stitching him back together."

　　He sighed deeply and felt relieved.

　　"Can I see him?"

　　"He`s been sleeping; we don`t want to wake him yet."

　　An eternity of silence passed; Darian was the one to shatter it. He appeared from thin air, as they all do.

　　"Sir!" the physician saluted.

　　"What happened?" Darian asked, he turned to Caden, "What happened?"

　　"I don`t know," he said, "I just went home. I found him like that. Someone. . ."

　　"Who? Any leads? Do we have anything at all?"

　　"We can rule out attempted murder," said the physician, "there wasn`t a scratch on his heart or neck."

　　Darian grunted, "We need to find who did this."

　　"I agree," said Caden.

　　"No. You focus on your duel. That`s a huge thing for us right now."

　　"Really?"

　　"It`s what you want, isn`t it?"

　　Caden paused, unsure of how to respond. "Can we snuff Vance of Heat?"

　　"Why?" Darian narrowed his eyes.

　　"Burnout, sir."

　　"Very well."

　　He wanted to argue - maybe call off the duel entirely - but couldn`t bring himself to do it. He glanced back, watching as the other Crusaders appeared and approached Darian. They took off with the physician down the corridor, and Caden found himself in his father`s room.

　　Bandages covered nearly his entire body. He had lost fingers, and despite the power of Pyromancy, it could not regenerate limbs.

　　Caden knelt down in front of the bed.

　　"You were right," he said, "About everything. This path I`m taking. . . it`s the wrong one. Violence is a pointless game that spins in endless cycles," his voice cracked, a lump crippled his throat, "I believe that you and Izzy were trying to teach me to be better, and not travel this violent path that you both did. I tried to be better," tears fell down his cheeks, "I wanted to be better. . . I still do. But this isn`t about Isabel anymore, and this isn`t about you either. This is my choice, a selfish choice. I can`t let go of my revenge because it`s something I need."

　　He was silent for a moment, and he hoped his father could hear him. "After all this is done. I promise I will come visit you more. I will be better."

　　He stayed with his father for as long as he could, and he didn`t wake up. As the time for the duel approached, Caden abandoned his post and left him alone to recover.

　　* * *

　　The arena was much larger from the inside. The ground was flat and full of sand. It brought back memories of the duel he had with Elwin. Surrounding him were circular walls that rose to an array of seats. Torches were screaming along the wall.

　　An enormous crowd cheered in applause all around him. Some vagrants were pissed at Vance, knights, who were angry at his betrayal, and citizens and merchants who gathered solely to see the bloodshed. This anger was contagious.

　　Caden was blinded. He`s never felt a rage this strong. His vision was blurred, and he saw red.

　　The moment the gate went up, Vance strode out into the arena. When they met eyes, Caden was on fire.

　　Vance had no Heat, no magic. This duel was a battle of skill, of prowess, of men. No Pyromancy, no tricks, no power, just the glory of battle.

　　This was everything he had ever wanted.

　　He didn`t remember drawing his sword. He didn`t remember attacking. He opened his eyes, and their weapons collided.

　　Caden was on the offensive. He couldn`t pay attention. He`d been dreading this fight for so long, and he felt trapped in his own mind. His body was moving on its own. Incredible, forceful, and wrathful blows. Each of them exploded against Vance`s mace, scattering sparks all around.

　　Someone else was pushing his movements. He was no longer in control of his own body.

　　Vance found an opening and lunged forward. Caden took a page from Luna and twirled out of the way. However, to dodge properly, he abandoned his sword on the floor.

　　His adversary slammed his weapon into the ground, and Caden stomped on his wrists, causing him to drop the weapon. He moved quickly, punching Vance in the face, and sent him tumbling.

　　He stood over Vance with his sword to his throat.

　　Dread covered him completely.

　　I don`t want this, he told himself.

　　Show mercy.

　　Killing isn`t justice.

　　Make the right choice.

　　You`ll win.

　　Everyone`s voices echoed in his mind. Vance was no longer fighting. Caden stepped on his chest and lifted his blade.

　　That`s enough! Caden shouted to himself. I`ve won, I don`t need to do this.

　　He had second thoughts. The wave of doubt hit him hard as he lost control of his body. He`d battled with doubt for a long time, and now he was losing. He wasn`t telling himself to move, yet he felt his muscles inch forward. He looked up to the crowd; they were roaring in rage and applause.

　　"Go on," said Vance, "this is what you wanted."

　　His sword inched closer to Vance`s heart.

　　This isn`t what he wanted. He could stop now, he could spare Vance, he could be better.

　　He inched closer.

　　Isabel flashed through his mind.

　　Her dead body.

　　She was so small.

　　She died.

　　He killed her.

　　He did this.

　　"Do it," Isabel said from somewhere, "avenge me."

　　He should be better, right? She was the reason he wanted to be better.

　　"Avenge me."

　　She was telling him to do it.

　　He suddenly didn`t care about being better.

　　The person known as Caden vanished from his mind and body and was replaced with an imposter.

　　The imposter held the sword.

　　They plunged the blade into Vance`s heart.

　　They watched the blood stain the sand crimson.

　　They snuffed out all the torches in the arena.

　　They gave him his Defiant Flame back.

　　They smiled as Vance drew his last breath.

　　They ripped the bloody blade from an unmoving corpse.

　　The imposter was Caden.

　　As soon as it was over, the crowd roared and cheered. Caden heard nothing. He could only perceive the heartbeat in his ears. He was brought back to that first duel against someone of a higher rank. Elwin. He defeated Vance in the same way, by simply being better.

　　This was not the kind of better he wanted to be.

　　He scanned the crowd, unsure of what to do next.

　　He dropped the sword and looked down at his hands.

　　A red line.

　　Red. Line.

　　There was a red line entangling him.

　　Emberward. Magic. Spell. I am under a spell, thought Caden.

　　He took a few steps back, then spun around aimlessly, looking for the user of the magic. Did someone compel him? Was he compelled this whole time? No. He would know; he would know.

　　He saw the source of the magic. His jaw dropped, and he died inside, twice, three times. He was reborn and slaughtered over and over again. He was going insane. It was worse than burnout.

　　Crusader Darian was staring at him from the crowd. They met eyes; his eyes were so eager, so full of victory. The red line ripped from his body and entered Caden, flowing into him. He had been compelled; he was being compelled. How long? Since that day? Since he found Isabel? All that time ago? Would that even be possible? Was he the one behind Vance`s compulsion? What was this all for?

　　A second line.

　　A red line.

　　How?

　　Next to Darian stood an all-familiar face. Arms crossed, shoulders broad, head high. Elena. She looked so utterly distraught, but the mask melted onto her face as soon as he met her eyes. She became stoic. She adjusted her tie and offered a light wave.

　　He didn`t have answers. He didn`t know how this could have happened.

　　Elena could compel him now.

　　She could erase his memories now.

　　Darian had been compelling him. How long?

　　They had been working together.

　　He could not protect Luna anymore.

　　He had lost.

　　The imposter had won.