I woke up in my brother’s room again. Ever since Kari disappeared a few days ago, I’d been having trouble sleeping. I could only get some decent rest when I cocooned myself in his sheets. People didn’t appreciate things until they were gone. I wasn’t any different. I never knew I loved him this much.

I got out of bed and went back to my room. After doing my morning ritual, I went to mother’s chamber to ask if there was any progress in the search for brother. I was about to knock on the door when I heard Sir Richter’s voice inside.

My mood soured. I never liked dealing with Sir Richter, but that got worse ever since Kari’s kidnapping. That was all Sir Richter’s fault for letting the Valmaz prisoner take Kari hostage and escape.

I decided to come back after they finished their talk, but Sir Richter suddenly raised his voice loud enough for me to hear.

“Kari used somnus on me! The Corvider line doesn’t have cor, and neither does your family.”

That line shook my reality, rooting my feet on the ground. Kari had cor? I perked up my ears to their conversation.

“What do you want me to say?” asked Mother. “You already know the answer.”

“I knew it. He didn’t resemble Kardus at all, so I had my suspicions. How could you do this?”

“You speak as if you’re not involved. Karius could be your son, for all you know.”

“Shut up! That was just a stupid mistake!”

“Not for me. I still care about you.”

“What a joke. You make love to all these men yet-”

“Make love? Now that’s a joke. You should know that’s just how politics work. I’m just doing my job. Do you fault a knight when he kills an enemy? A mage when he casts as spell?”

Richter went silent.

Mother sighed. “If you’re done blaming me, then I have two requests for you.”

“Requests, not orders?”

“It’s not exactly official.”

“As shady as ever, Lady Corvider.”

“Go easy on the spite. This is business. First, I need to keep everything about Karius’s disappearance a secret. He’s still the heir to the Corvider line.”

“Already done. I’m his master. There’s no way I’d let rumors about him going rogue and killing fellow Arthasians spread. Not when he was mind-controlled by that Valmaz wench.”

Kari… had killed people? I shivered at the thought.

“I know, but you can’t be too careful.”

“People think Kari was kidnapped. None of the guards or acolytes involved survived. The only ones who know enough to suspect anything are the warden and Lucius. I’ll handle them.”

“To think that boy was this powerful.”

“It’s not just him. The Valmaz girl is a monster too. A whole troop of soldiers got slaughtered when we captured her. Not only that, she was responsible for about half of the casualties that night. What’s the second request?”

“Find Karius and bring him back to Arthas. The search party mobilized a few days ago won’t be enough. Take as many men as you need. Leave the council to me.”

“I intended to do that from the beginning. What about the girl?”

“She’s your quarry. Do as you will.”

“Then I’ll be off.”

Sir Richter’s footsteps got closer to the door. I panicked and ran back to my room. I buried myself under Kari’s sheets again, crying my eyes out until the next morning.

After calming down, I crawled out of bed and checked my face in the mirror. There were large dark bags underneath my eyes, and my skin looked deathly pale. Still, I had to attend my lessons. I didn’t have the energy to fix myself up, so I just changed into whatever and headed out.

I entered the study room and saw Lisa with eyes even puffier than mine. I had heard that her brother Lucius got hurt that night. I guess even the Brent family had it rough.

“It’s going to be okay, Lisa,” said Tina as she gently stroked her friend’s back.

“No it’s not. Lucius can’t properly move the fingers on his right hand anymore. None of the healers could fix it.”

“That’s…”

“But… But what I really can’t accept about all this… is that he won’t tell anyone what happened! Not even me!”

“D-Didn’t he say he didn’t remember anything?”

“My brother is hiding something! I can tell... I just don’t want him to keep getting hurt all alone. Why won’t he depend on me? Am I really such a useless sister?”

I asked myself the same question and began bawling.

“A-Annie!?” said Tina. “Are you okay? Sorry, that was a stupid question. Kari’s still missing. Of course you’re not okay. I mean, oh no, sorry, oh what should I do!?”

The other girls in the room shook their heads.

Today was the first time I felt any true sense of camaraderie with Lisa, the bitch who seduced my brother once upon a time.

***

I prepared my armor for the expedition. It was going to be a difficult mission. No one knew where Kari and that Valmaz girl went, or if they were even alive. Still, I couldn’t decline Belinda’s request, not after she showed me those eyes. She may seem like a monster at times, but she was still a mother. I had to bring Kari back home.

“Will you search for the boy too, Ricky?”

I turned to the voice and saw a pair of long legs hanging from my window. I raised my eyes further to confirm who they belonged to.

Lilac Gromwell.

The immortal witch.

Lamia.

She went by many terrifying names, each of them well-deserved.

Long wavy blonde hair ran down her shoulders and rested on her bountiful bosom. Her purple dress fluttered as she playfully kicked her feet alternately, still perched on my windowsill.

I made an annoyed frown. “Too? Are you going as well? And don’t call me that.”

“Hmph. You were fine with that name before. You’ve changed.”

“Of course. That was decades ago. You, on the other hand, haven’t changed at all.”

She still kept her youth and beauty no matter how much time passed. I knew it was just an illusion crafted by her magic, but it was no less enthralling.

“Is that sarcasm I hear?” She clicked her tongue. “You were so cute back in the day. You even called me ‘Big Sis Lyla.’”

I ignored her teasing and got to the root of the matter. “Did Lady Corvider ask you to find Kari?”

“Me? Work for that whore?”

I unconsciously winced.

Gromwell’s eyes narrowed in delight as a wicked smirk spread across her face. “Oh sorry. I forgot you have a crush on that girl. My memory isn’t what it used to be.” She giggled, a hand on her mouth.

“That means the high priest sent you. Look at who you serve before running your mouth. Your master is no better than mine.”

“Sure, but I’m not following orders willingly, unlike you.”

“Good for you.”

Gromwell hissed, but she quickly regained her haughty grin. “It’ll be a race then. I’m excited to see what a master rank knight can do.”

“That arrogance will spell your defeat. I won’t be alone. I’ll show you how formidable knights are when they band together.”

“A bunch of novices will just drag me down. Even that Corvider boy would be a better ally than the church’s pitiful acolytes. I saw his work.” Gromwell licked her lips. “Stimulating.”

“What’ll you do once you find him?”

“That’s a secret.” She winked.

I placed my pauldron on my desk and checked it for damage. This was normally Kari’s job, but he wasn’t here anymore. A knock came from my door. I turned to the window to shoo away my unwanted visitor, but she was already gone.

“Come in.”

Lucius entered my room. “You called, Sir Richter?”

“Close the door.”

He did as ordered and stood at attention in front of me. I took a seat on my bed to make myself less imposing. I didn’t want to make it seem I was threatening him into anything.

“Remember what I told you? About keeping what happened between you and Kari that night a secret while investigation is underway.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be going on a mission to bring Kari back. I need you to keep quiet until we return. No one must know that he used glacies on your hand.”

A shadow crept over Lucius’s face. “Can you tell me why?”

“There are many mysteries surrounding that night. Kari might’ve been manipulated by the Valmaz prisoner using some kind of spell. I don’t want rumors spreading until everything is settled.”

Lucius bit his lip. A flame of determination lit up in his eyes. He reminded me of Kardus. Nostalgia and guilt wrought my heart.

“I refuse,” he said.

I almost fell off the bed. “Pardon?”

“I refuse. I won’t lie for Kari or House Corvider.”

“Listen, I understand your anger-”

“No you don’t.” Lucius presented his right hand to me. “I’ll never wield a sword with this hand again.”

My words melted away, never leaving my lips.

Lucius stared into my eyes. “If you really want me to hold my tongue, then take me with you for that mission.”

“This isn’t a game, Lucius.”

“I’m not playing around. Take me with you, or I’ll tell everyone what happened, including my father.”

That wasn’t an option. A clash between the Brent and a weakened House Corvider would bring nothing but turmoil to Arthas.

“Even if I do agree to take you, how will you convince your father?”

“I already told him that I’ll be joining your expedition. I said I couldn’t leave a good friend of mine in the hands of a barbarian. I swore to bring Kari back, no matter what.” Bitterness soiled Lucius’s face. “Father cried tears of joy, praising my bravery.”

Who would’ve thought that someone who possessed such clear eyes could be this devious? No, this wasn’t deviousness. Lucius had something he wanted to do, and he was giving his everything for it. That was all.

“Fine. But you’re useless as you are now. We don’t have much time, but I’ll teach you to fight with your other hand. Be prepared to train even during the mission.” I grinned. “You’ll wish you stayed at home.”

“T-Thank you, Sir Richter!”

“Don’t thank someone you just blackmailed, you brat.” I knocked him on the head.

***

I was balled up in fabric again. It felt like I spent most of this week hiding under covers, scared of everything around me. I had run away from Kari’s disappearance. I had run away from the truth. I had run away from my loneliness.

But this time was different.

I was tucked under many layers, hidden from prying eyes, but I wasn’t running away.

I felt no comfort in the rough rags pressing down on my body. The heat threatened to make me faint. The shaking made me nauseous. But I endured everything without a word of complaint. In fact, I couldn’t make a sound. I couldn’t let anyone find me in this carriage: not the soldiers, not Sir Richter, not Lucius. I would persevere through anything and everything.

In order to see my brother.