Chapter 17: Caden

　　Caden was the fire. His body had transformed into flames as he soared from rooftop to rooftop. He landed, taking a material form, and fell to his knees from exhaustion. Already, his Defiant Flame was snuffed out. Darkness surrounded him.

　　"You`ll probably need this," Solaris said. He touched the side of Caden`s shoulder, and his Defiant Flame burst into full life. It was like an eruption was set off in his mind, and the deep, far-away cinder that was his Defiant Flame suddenly became an inferno. The fire roared deep in his mind. "Heat is important. We need to keep moving to scout for your target."

　　Target. It`s an odd way to dehumanize someone. Caden knew he might not be ready to end another man`s life, but he bit his tongue and hardened his resolve. Anything for justice, kill the bad guys. . . remember?

　　"Here, this too, put this on," Solaris offered a plastic mask to him, similar to Luna`s, but one that covered his entire face. It was black and made of some weird, bendy material.

　　"Hold on," Caden said, "back during the meeting, you were practically fighting Elena tooth and nail. Why agree to her demands now?"

　　"I`m not listening to her; I`m listening to you. I waltzed into that meeting after eight years in prison. There was no innate

　　danger, and it was okay to be a little annoying," he winked, "but here? We`re killing a man. You need to be ready for that."

　　He gestured to the mask.

　　Caden put it on, and it immediately shrunk around his face, fitting perfectly.

　　"What is this made of?"

　　"It`s the mask of the Aberrant Division, made of fibers that contort to match your facial structure," Solaris said. He pulled out a similar mask and placed it on his face.

　　Caden had no idea what that meant.

　　"It was an Elite group of spies that used to work for the Royals before they all left," Solaris said, voice muffled, "It`s how I met your sister. We still exist, sort of, just floating around. It`s what Elena referred to as my crew."

　　"So, you`re an assassin? Why are- wait, Isabel worked for you?"

　　That made no sense to Caden. She was always preaching kindness. Just how many secrets did she have?

　　He laughed, "Retired assassin. And no, I worked for her! Izzy was the strongest striker we had. That girl knew how to fight better than anyone," Solaris beamed with pride. "Put your hood up. We should go."

　　Caden did as he was told.

　　"Don`t you need Heat? You`ve filled my reserve up like ten times over."

　　He just laughed, "No, I have plenty."

　　Caden followed Solaris into Quadrant One, stopping multiple times for him to refill his Heat. The man never ran out of energy, as if he was a bottomless pit full of fire; it was like he was hell itself.

　　They landed on a nearby rooftop that overlooked the Sanctuary Spires. Twelve pillars rose into the sky. They were made of dark stone - perhaps some kind of obsidian. Balconies were scattered along the towers, and down below was an enormous fenced-in encampment.

　　He`d never been this close to the Sanctuary before. In fact, he`d rarely seen it at all besides the few times he deliberately looked while on patrol.

　　Down below, it was easy to see two different kinds of people. In the heart of the enclosed obsidian walls, beneath the surface, vagrants worked. He watched as they traveled in and out of the large crevice opening. A cave. He saw the crown knights sprawled up top, watching over the peasants like their gods. Their armor gleamed in the scattered torchlight.

　　The vagrants barely looked human. They were skinny, full of scars, and had these sad, hopeless eyes. They walked on orders, marched into the mine, brought out supplies, and retired within the bases of the tower.

　　One knight watched as a vagrant man fell, and instead of lifting him to his feet, he kicked him in the stomach, telling him to get up. He pulled out a whip and cracked it, ripping the man`s back. Two children rushed to the man`s aid, screaming and crying, begging him to stop. But he whipped them, too.

　　Caden watched helplessly as the knight hit them until he grew bored, then he simply walked back over to his buddies and drank more alcohol. The man and his two children were injured but alive.

　　An impossible rage boiled within. This was nothing like when Caden saw Vance; that was a personal vendetta. This was searing agony, one that fueled him to change not just himself but the world.

　　Time passed. In fact, Solaris was speaking of the atrocities that occurred in this prison camp, but Caden wasn`t listening. He just watched. Watched as knights like himself yelled at the vagrants, ripped their clothes, whipped them, and hurt them, all while completely intoxicated.

　　He couldn`t watch this anymore. He was burning. It was too much. There was too much blinding rage. He saw red and got ready to move. Jump into the encampment and kill every knight he saw. Every last one of them.

　　"Easy, kid," Solaris said, touching his shoulder. "Don`t Burnout just yet."

　　The burning subsided, and Caden didn`t jump.

　　"How is this allowed to happen?" Caden asked. "How are the Knights capable of such cruelty?"

　　"Shouldn`t you know? You`re the one who joined the Order."

　　"I joined to find the man responsible for Isabel, not this. . ."

　　"You`ve brought people here before."

　　Guilt ripped him to shreds as he thought of that teenage girl from his first patrol. Caden clenched the lip of the rooftop tightly. "I didn`t know."

　　"Everything evil that has been done by Crown Knights has happened here, and you`re one of them," Solaris said.

　　They were both quiet for a moment after that.

　　"If you have that much Heat, how`d they keep you locked up for eight years?"

　　"They didn`t," Solaris said, "I stayed out of guilt. . . after Izzy. . ."

　　Caden turned away and didn`t say anything else. Solaris blamed himself, and Caden did the same.

　　The two watched. In fact, they watched for hours; they had to. Renault was nowhere to be found, and Solaris kept saying they had to wait, and eventually, he would show up. Caden scanned the surroundings, surveying each tower intensely. He was stalking Renault, an Elite he`d never even met before, and he was going to kill him.

　　Was this the man behind the madness? Who authorized this? What were the other quadrants hiding if the first was so horrifying? On top of that, how could he, a knight from Quadrant Four, ever stop this? There was only one way he knew of: he could force them to stop.

　　"Solaris."

　　The man turned, staring blankly at him through his mask.

　　"What do you know of the Emberwards?"

　　He cleared his throat, almost choking. "Where`d you hear that from?"

　　"Answer the question."

　　"I know of them."

　　"Are they capable of using magic to force people into doing things?"

　　"So, you`re inquiring about our fearless mastermind, huh?"

　　Caden nodded.

　　"She does have a peculiar pyromantic ability to pull out the wills and desires of humans and seemingly make them do as she wants, but it`s not quite how you`re describing it."

　　"Is it possible to learn this power? I saw a red line the other day when -"

　　"A red line?" Solaris quickly interrupted, "An invisible red line? As in one that reached from you into someone else? Who was it? Did you pull on it? Drain heat into it? You can`t. It`s not for you, it`s subhuman." Solaris sputtered. The man, who was nothing but confident and happy, now spoke with such a severe tone.

　　"It was an accident!" Caden quickly exclaimed. "One of my companions was going to tell our superiors I had forbidden magic, or a spell book of it at least."

　　"Why would you tell them that? You don`t want to- oh, never mind, it`s fine. Just never pull on a red line, even if you see them," he crossed his arms, "I should have seen this coming. Heliomancers have an immense learning curve. You could be casting spells without even knowing it. It took you an hour to use the flame dash spell. You need more training. It`s too early for you to be out here."

　　"No! I`m ready! I need to get stronger, and I must do this," Caden said, "It`s for Isabel."

　　Solaris sighed, "Don`t use Emberward abilities. It`ll drive you mad."

　　"But Elena-"

　　"Our mastermind is well past mad."

　　Caden couldn`t argue with that.

　　"So, I mind-controlled Mia? Forced her into staying quiet?"

　　"It`s not like mind control," Solaris said, "Emberwards can only force people into feeling more desire for something they already have deep within. I don`t know how it works entirely."

　　Caden gasped, "So Luna wants to kill already?"

　　"No," Solaris said, "deep down, she loves her sister and just wants to make her happy."

　　Caden said nothing more. He knew that would haunt him for a very long time.

　　Luna had been tormented and forced into a life she didn`t want. And he had torn her apart because of that. How much guilt did he need to feel today? How could he even make it up to her? If he had one wish now, it would be to tell Luna that she was right. He was a selfish person, and he needed to be better.

　　Should he ask Solaris how to apologize? No, not the time.

　　Hours passed, and he continued to watch the carnage unfold. Surprisingly, nobody died. At least they followed that law. He now understood the cries of the people and why that vagrant girl had run away from him all that time ago.

　　"So," Caden broke the silence, "is Elena capable of erasing memories?"

　　Solaris coughed, then turned away. Was he acting guilty?

　　"I know of that magic you speak of. From my time with Elena, she was never capable of that. . . although, I think your father might have the answers you seek."

　　A hatch to the roof opened from behind them. Caden spun around from the edge of the roof, pulling out his sword.

　　"Time to eat some delicious- oh my!" a man said, popping his head out, "Why must you threaten me with that archaic weapon?"

　　He climbed out of the trapdoor and joined them on the rooftop. He wore a suit coat and a top hat. His hair was short and dark, and his skin was. . . pale. He was holding a container of pie.

　　"Who are you? How did you find us?" Caden spat. He stepped closer, placing his sword in the man`s face.

　　"Relax," Solaris interjected, "this is our translator. He wasn`t at the meeting. He likes to tag along."

　　"He`s with us? Won`t he get us seen?"

　　"Blasphemy, I`d never get my favorites in trouble," the man said, "Name is Ferris. It`s nice to meet you, Caden."

　　"How do you know my name?"

　　"I know everyone`s name."

　　Solaris pulled Caden a little bit closer and whispered, "he`s half-crazed for sure. I`d say stay at least six feet away from him at all times." He chuckled.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

　　"I heard that!"

　　"I wasn`t trying to hold my tongue," Solaris quietly shouted back.

　　The man moved to the other side of the roof, sat down, and began to eat his slice of pie.

　　"Is he supposed to be here?"

　　"No," Ferris said, "I just decided to join you two. I`m here to. . . observe, perhaps deliver a message or two. I`m supposed to find interesting stories for all, so I thought maybe there would be one here."

　　Caden said nothing. He just turned to the side to watch the Sanctuary and Ferris.

　　"You two were talking about memory magic? Say, what dictates a memory?" Ferris asked, "What would you say the definition of one is?"

　　Neither of them responded.

　　"I`d say it`s how the brain stores information." He took a bite of pie. "Tell me, Caden, what is your most cherished memory?"

　　He still didn`t respond.

　　"Well?"

　　Caden figured he`d never shut up unless given a response. "I have many."

　　"And you value them?"

　　"Yes."

　　The man got to his feet, abandoning his pie. He got very close to Caden, quite awkwardly close. "I have a message for you too then," he spoke in such a small whisper that he doubted Solaris could hear at all, "If you wish to keep what you value, then be sure to look out for that Luna girl. She`s in quite some trouble."

　　Caden opened his mouth to reply but couldn`t. An uncanny fear crept over him as Ferris`s eyes glinted red. He swallowed harshly and watched as the other man returned to his pie, collected it, and jumped from the rooftop. Just. . . what was he?

　　"What was that about?" Caden asked Solaris.

　　"He likes to randomly follow us, say cryptic things, talk about this book he`s writing but will never finish, then vanish into thin air like some kind of wizard. Oh, and he loves to look for great stories."

　　"Is he a Pyromancer?"

　　"I don`t know what he is, but it isn`t human."

　　Caden shuddered.

　　"You think he survived the fall?"

　　"Doesn`t matter," he said, perched on the lip of the roof, "our target has just left. He`s alone. We have a very small window of opportunity. Let`s go. Now."

　　Solaris vanished into flames, and Caden followed him. They transported themselves multiple times before Caden ran out of Heat and had to stop.

　　"Hey, wait, I`m. . ." Caden called.

　　Solaris placed a hand on his shoulder and ignited him once more.

　　"How do you have so much Heat? Aren`t you afraid you`ll run out?"

　　"No," he said, "that`s not possible."

　　* * *

　　Solaris pointed down below. They found their target.

　　Caden watched from his position, and an Elite strolled through the streets. He walked wobbly, as if drunk. He had tied-back dark hair and golden armor. He was armed and would not go down without a fight.

　　"Don`t forget what they do to people like me. . ." Solaris said, "Harness your rage as strength. I will back you up if things go south."

　　Caden was overwhelmed. He was about to kill a man. The man who was returning from the Sanctuary. He was subhuman. Ripping clothes off women, beating men for fun, whipping children. He tore at his Defiant Flame, forced it to do his bidding, and leaped.

　　He came careening down onto the man like an arrow in the wind. The man tumbled to the floor, crying out in shock. Caden went to strike him, one strike to end another man`s life, but he was slow. He hesitated.

　　The Elite spun, knocking Caden`s legs out from under him. He tumbled to the floor, and the man got on top of him and punched him in the face. He clawed at his mask, but it didn`t come off.

　　Caden kicked him in the abdomen, sending him hurtling backward. He rose to his feet and grabbed his sword just in time to parry the Elite`s attack. Mace clashed against sword, and Caden blasted a flurry of flames at his face.

　　He took a step back, covered his eyes, and cried out. Caden thrust forward. His sword pierced his heart. Blood splattered the pavement. Caden pumped heat into his sword and tore the blade through the man horizontally, cutting him nearly in two. Life fell from man`s eyes. And that was it. That was the end. Caden had killed a man. No words were shared. No warnings were heeded.

　　Solaris landed next to him.

　　Caden was hyperventilating. He just killed a man. An evil man. But he still had life within him. He had stolen it. Did he have a family? Children? There were no answers. Only guilt. Immense, powerful guilt. Not only that, but the fear was back, the burning fear. How could he have done this? No. He did the right thing.

　　We always say to save the good guys. . . but sometimes we fail. However, you can still kill the bad guys. Darian`s words echoed in his mind from all that time ago.

　　"Are you okay?"

　　"Yes," Caden said. He took a step back and leaned against the wall. He fell backward, clutching his chest.

　　"Hey," Solaris said, taking off his mask. He touched Caden`s shoulder and bent down to his level. "Just say the word, and we`ll never have to do this again. You can leave, and I`ll find some way to let Elena allow it. If you can`t do this, tell me."

　　"He. . . he was evil," Caden said.

　　Solaris nodded.

　　"But still a man, he was still a person," Caden spoke through jaded breaths. "I took him. It was so fast. So. . ."

　　"I should have never brought you here," Solaris said, "come on, let`s go. We can tell Elena you`re done. You won`t have to kill anybody ever again."

　　"No," Caden said, "I can . . . I can do this."

　　Solaris sighed deeply.

　　"I just wasn`t expecting it to be so . . ."

　　"Difficult?"

　　He shook his head, "Easy."

　　* * *

　　The two assassins left the body in the alleyway. Elena wants the Order to find it. She wants to scare them. He returned the Aberrant mask to Solaris on their way back to the tavern. Nobody had seen them, and nobody had followed them.

　　"How`s your dad?" Solaris asked when they arrived.

　　"Who cares."

　　"I do."

　　"I don`t know."

　　"When was the last time you spoke to him?"

　　Caden didn`t reply.

　　"You should visit him. It could be a good alibi, just in case."

　　"We just end up arguing."

　　Solaris chuckled, "That`s what Isabel always told me."

　　Caden paused. "Hey, why don`t I remember seeing you the night Izzy died?"

　　"The Aberrants aren`t seen unless they want to be, and you weren`t at the house that night."

　　I wasn`t? Caden wondered why that night was so difficult for him to remember. . . It must have been too traumatic for his brain to fully comprehend.

　　"But why have we never met before now? If you knew my sister and my dad?"

　　Solaris sighed, "So many questions, huh? Tell you what, I`ll invite you to my place sometime, and we`ll talk then. Okay?"

　　"Fine."

　　"Now, go home. Killing Renault will mean nothing if you`re arrested for it."

　　Caden interjected, saying they`d probably just blame Luna for it, but Solaris insisted it would help him feel better. He even claimed that his father might have answers to his questions. He had bombarded the older man about Pyromancy the entire walk back, many of which Solaris had no answers for.

　　So that`s where Caden went. He said goodbye to Solaris and began to head deep into Quadrant Three. The most significant part of this quadrant was the small forest that lay within the walls, uncut and freshly taken care of. The trees were large evergreens, and a single path cut through.

　　At the very back of this patch of land lay a cabin. A place he hadn`t been in many months, maybe even years. Initially, upon being accepted into the academy, he often visited his father. But they would often get into fights, and he would storm away. Now, because of the dormitory in his assigned barracks, he had no reason to return.

　　"Killing a man changes a person," Solaris had said, "makes you value family, even if you think they don`t value you."

　　That was stupid. Caden didn`t feel any different. He felt the same as he did the day previously. He`d changed more when he Kindled.

　　Pulling open the door to the cabin was nostalgic. It still smelled the same, like opening a new book for the first time, mixed with the taint of alcohol. He found his father within, lying on the couch in the cabin`s main room. He was surrounded by colorful and odd paintings, and the man held an entire bottle of wine. He had a book on his lap, and his eyes were half-closed, half-open.

　　"Hey, Dad," Caden said, leaning against the back wall.

　　Hector`s spectacles nearly fell off his face. He lurched up - spilling a bit of wine. His hair was curly and scraggly. He held the same tan skin and black hair that Caden did. His eyes were droopy; he looked drunk.

　　"Oh my, who? Caden! You didn`t say you were coming home!" He wobbled to his feet, moving some of the paintings into a neat stack in the corner. "Please, come sit. They`ve not been overworking you too much, have they?"

　　"No, I actually got promoted."

　　"I heard!" he burped, "That`s great!"

　　He wondered if perhaps the Crusaders told him about his promotion. However, that is likely not the case. They don`t come around to visit Hector anymore because of his condition.

　　Caden sat down, giving his attention to his father. The man looked like he`d not slept in days or that he`d slept for days. He was middle-aged, balding, and had a mustache. His eyes were kind and full of sorrow. He silently hoped his father would never find out about the atrocity he committed today.

　　"I had some questions," Caden began, "about Pyromancy."

　　"Ah, yes, the Kindling was a few weeks ago now, or months? I don`t remember when I was told," Hector took a drink of his wine, "Sorry, I won`t ramble, please, ask away."

　　Caden asked away. He bombarded his father with question after question.

　　"I`ve heard of the Emberwards."

　　"Magic that can manipulate memory. . . hm, I don`t remember!" He put a hand to his chin, making a dramatic expression of thought. Great. Dad jokes.

　　"There was a man by the name of Cassian Dewark," Hector said, eyes growing dim, "When I was a Crusader, I worked with a member of this highly specialized team years ago to put him in jail. It was a deadly task, and the poor assassin went mad afterward. If you`re considering studying this magic, I implore you not to. It is forbidden for a reason."

　　"No," Caden said swiftly, "I`m not trying to do that," he shuffled in his seat. "I just. . . think someone is using this power."

　　"Tell your superiors. They should be investigating this."

　　"I. . . can`t."

　　Hector stirred, "Are you getting into trouble now?" His voice was investigative.

　　Caden put his hands up defensively, "No sir," he said, "just I think it might be one of them. . ."

　　That lie might work. If his father believes the Emberward is an Elite or a Crusader, perhaps Caden could get answers.

　　The old man sighed, his muscles relaxed, and he put the bottle down on the table. He reached beneath the couch and pulled out a small notebook and pen. "I have some answers for you," he said.

　　Caden waited eagerly.

　　"Back when I battled with Cassian, he could pull out memories with a single thought. In fact, I`m still recovering from his malicious attack. Somethings I just can not remember anymore," he took the wine bottle again and drank another long drink.

　　"This book was something I used to use to keep a record of the day`s memories. I want you to have it. Write down everything you do from today forward. Write who you are. Make a habit of reading it every night. You`ll remember things." He handed him the book, and Caden opened it.

　　Every page was blank. A few were ripped out from the beginning of it. Caden nodded and placed the book in his coat pocket. "So, how did you win?"

　　"I. . . didn`t," Hector said, putting a hand to his head. "I. . . don`t remember. Someone else was there to help me. He was strong. A good man but. . ." he suddenly looked overwhelmed, as if it hurt to think.

　　"Don`t let them get you, son," he said quickly, nearly starting to weep, "I can`t even remember your mother`s face anymore. He took that all away&"

　　He suddenly jolted out of his seat and grasped Caden by the shoulders. "Fight them, Caden, please fight. For me, for your mother. For Izzy. I can`t, I won`t, I. . ." he sobbed.

　　Caden grabbed his father in an embrace.

　　"They did something horrible," his father mumbled. "To the Royals. . . to your mother."

　　"Who did?" Caden asked.

　　"I don`t know. . ."

　　* * *

　　The next hour consisted of Hector crying, Caden trying to calm him down, and him babbling on and on about drunken nonsense. Caden started to wonder if he was giving him genuine advice or if he had truly gone mad attempting to explain anything that involved this Cassian man.

　　If they defeated an Emberward before. . . I can probably do it again if I learn how. However, would that even get me closer to justice for Isabel? He thought for a long time, I can`t obtain justice if I`m not able to even remember Isabel. This is more important.

　　"I`m sorry," Hector said, finishing a ramble, "It`s so hard to talk about this. It`s like I only have a fraction of the information. It`s like, I remember what I eat for breakfast but not lunch, you know?"

　　Caden did not know.

　　"Let`s discuss something else. How far are you to becoming an Elite?"

　　Caden laughed, "I just became a knight. It`ll be some time."

　　"Nonsense! I was an Elite in just six months after becoming a knight."

　　Yet, somehow, I`m going to have to do that quicker.

　　"Oh, come on, cut me some slack!"

　　Hector sighed, "At least you`re doing something now. I was afraid you`d be in that academy forever!"

　　He went to grab his wine bottle, but Caden stopped him. "Forever? I graduated in five years!"

　　"I did it in two. Five is hardly special."

　　Caden rolled his eyes.

　　"You couldn`t just watch a squad die and attack your superior to get promoted," Hector said, "Back in my day, it was all about the combat prowess." He beamed with pride. "You had to be the best! Or you were kicked into the mud!"

　　"How much were you told?" Caden shuddered.

　　"Enough."

　　"You know of the honorable duel?"

　　He nodded.

　　"Are you going to watch?"

　　Hector`s face contorted in disgust. "Watch my other child become a killer? No. You already carry that archaic killing weapon around. I need not fall deeper into my madness."

　　"Dad. It`s justice."

　　"It`s killing."

　　"But Isabel!" Caden exclaimed, "She was killed! It`s only fair that I bring justice for what was taken from us, Dad. Not just me, not just you, us. We both lost someone."

　　"Both you and Izzy sound the same," Hector said, sinking deeper into the couch, "preaching about killing and death as if you`re cleansing the world of evil."

　　"Isabel was a kind soul who taught me nobody deserves to get hurt! She was not a "

　　Caden paused. Solaris said that she was in the Aberrant Division with him; she was an assassin. She had secrets. Many. There was so much he did not know.

　　"Don`t be stupid, boy. We both know what she was and who she worked for."

　　"I am cleansing the world of evil," Caden said, hardening his resolve. "Killing Vance will finally bring justice for what was done to her. She needs this. I need this."

　　Father sighed, "Is this why you carry that weapon? A sword is used to kill, forged with a piercing edge. The Maces are dull, meant to incapacitate."

　　"Isabel said it would-"

　　"Your sister was a murderer!" Hector raised his voice.

　　"She deserved to live!" Caden screamed, "She had friends who loved her! A family! She had us! Maybe she planned to marry one day. She had a reason to live instead of wasting her entire life drinking alcohol and making these flaming paintings!" He held a wide stance, gesturing at the mess of a room.

　　Father looked crushed.

　　"I . . . I`m sorry," Caden spoke softly. "I didn`t mean to . . ."

　　"If you hate me this much, why even come here? Did you just visit after all this time just because you wanted answers?"

　　Caden nearly doubled over in guilt.

　　"I don`t hate you."

　　"You always do this," Hector said, "you come home when you need something. I give you a life, I pull strings to get you into the academy earlier, and I set you up in the simplest barracks. I do all these things for you, and this is what you give me? Nothing. I only see you when you want something."

　　Caden didn`t think. He just shouted. "Nothing? I`ve given you nothing?" He stumbled into a laugh. "I`ve done so much! It`s not my fault you choose not to see it! My scores were the best in the academy, and that wasn`t good enough for you! I graduated in five years, and I learned to fight better than most knights before the time I was even a squire! I`ve protected people! Just because you have no interest in my life doesn`t mean I`ve done nothing!" He slammed his hands onto the table.

　　"Yes, you`re right, it`s all my fault. I`ve not been there for you. I`m such a terrible father." He looked pensively at the floor, hands on his face.

　　Caden snarled, "You always say that! Every time I bring up something you do wrong, you pout like a child! Don`t apologize, and don`t call yourself terrible! Just be better!"

　　No words were spoken.

　　I should be better. . . Caden thought.

　　"I`m not trying to hurt your feelings. I`m not just here because I need something. I came. . . because I met Solaris yesterday, and we talked," Caden sat back down on the couch, calming himself. "I did want answers, I`ll admit that. But I worry about you, Dad. I worry for your health."

　　"You should go, son," Hector said.

　　Caden`s heart shattered. As a child, they`d always fought over small things, but it was never like this. He`d never felt this pang of guilt for lashing out. It was like those four words ripped through the walls he built in his head and stabbed the younger version of himself. That hurt more than anything.

　　"Yeah," he said, heading for the door.

　　"Before you go," Hector spoke softly.

　　He paused, hand on the handle.

　　"Please do not go down this dark path."

　　"Why?" Caden asked, "So I end up like you?"

　　Hector recoiled as if he`d been slapped. "So that you don`t."

　　Caden gasped, and fear clawed at his stomach. He was suddenly on fire again. The corners of his vision faded to red. How could he still be burning?

　　Don`t be sorry, just be better. Caden thought of what he had said to his father and understood in this odd moment of tranquility he, too, needed to be better. He`d been heartless, cruel, and so selfish - especially toward Luna. Guilt tore at him. He felt as if his entire heart was slowly burning away.

　　His father had been in the same place he was. An uncanny darkness loomed within the past of that man, and in this state, Caden didn`t recognize him at all. He left, letting the door swing closed behind him.

　　The Crusaders had abandoned him. He blamed the Order for the state his father was in. He blamed them for the vagrants being tortured, the squires being mistreated, and the Elite being murderers. He even blamed them for taking the Sun away. He blamed them for Luna`s situation, for everything. At that moment, he decided to completely forego the Order of the Crown. They had no honor, so why should he?