20TH

As I follow the man from behind, the gazes I get are quite the opposite of those I get at the Barrier. It's instead welcoming with their proud and excited faces, reflecting the appreciation of my presence here. Remembering what Ordinal Three said about me back in Otima; about that prophecy, that I'll doom the world again with a second war, do these people know about it? That and the idea of my father being a Hellion-blooded entity whom I inherited this power from is not yet even halfway sinking into me. What happens after finally getting the answers I've been demanding?

We amble through the sparse nordic-acacia trees boasting their towering heights, just like the cedanarra trees in Otima's camps. But these ones only have the advantage of making their leaves survive through seasonal changes, mostly, during winter.

"Where're we going?" I ask the man ahead of me.

The man stops walking and turns to me. "Where do you want to explore first?

"What have you explored so far?

"Well, can you handle walking around in that state?"

"Yeah," I hum. "I mean, What's here not to be curious about?"

"Maybe you should see your elf friend first," He suggests, and I'm suddenly baffled.

Does he mean… "Kyla? She's here?"

"Yeah. Come on," He beckons and I do nothing else but continue following.

We arrive at an area of smithery, the typical smell of forgery and burning metal coating the air almost stinging my nose. Of course, she can't let herself be taken over by boredom. My stomach churns out of the building exhilaration of seeing her. After all the weight of worrying that I bore along the journey about her situation being in the hands of the Ordinals, now, I feel a little lighter.

Some workers halt what they're doing to shoot me the same look as those earlier. And I'm starting to feel flattered.

I hear the shouting voice of my friend, and I see her running in our direction, wearing an apron that failed to prevent dirt and ash from staining her clothes. There she is. And my eyes still project nothing else but utter surprise and joy. Her legs don't falter until she finally closes the gap between us in a fervor embrace, not even taking into account my fresh wounds. But I can't care less about that and simply return the warmth instead. My focus is on her presence. She's here and she's safe.

We part then I ask, "How are you here?"

"They didn't like a mother's wrath, especially who's a Borough leader," She says. "They can't simply keep me there without any valid reason to disclose her. After that, Ordinal Twenty-One excused me to secretly bring me here. Took a little and quick convincing."

Right. Of course, they won't. Her being affiliated with me plus the fact that they can't even disclose what I am is not enough reason for them to keep her prosecuted. They didn't even declare me as a wanted felon for any matter. I'm a prophesied being that's to doom the world. What everyone in Otima only knows is that there's a thief who attempted to snatch an Immortal Armament at the citadel, and they never said who it was.

"What did they do to you?" My tone is filled with joy as I hold onto her shoulder. "Did they hurt you?"

"No. Not really," She says, then beckons us to follow, leaving the smithing site. "They took me to a Vanguard Facility near the Citadel. I wasn't the only one they took," Kyla continues along the way.

"Did they take Mason, too?" I ask.

"No, gladly," That's a relief. "I had to wait for a while because Ordinal Ten was the one who asked questions."

Ordinal Ten… "What questions?"

"About the thief who tried to steal an Immortal Armament," She says. "It's obvious that it's not what they're up about. But she was very careful with her questions, and she sounded desperate for some reason."

"That's what happens when an Ordinal gets their Immortal Armament destroyed," The man says, which makes the elf halt and turn to us with a baffled face. I shoot a quick look at the man.

"Yeah, I destroyed her armament at the Citadel the day I was brought there," I affirm.

"You really owe me a lot of explanation, Licht," That exaggeration is equivalent to how serious she is. She has every right to react like that. After all, I involved her in this.

"Yeah," I mutter, face directed below my feet. "My mother owes me that, too."

That makes her expression shift from upset to sympathy. She understands what I'm going through, and what I had to go through.

"I'll explain the rest at your inn," I add, tone cautious.

We walk through hut after hut that is settled on the grounds. Tree after tree, there wouldn't be anyone not living upon them, which tells that this settlement is far bigger than it looks. Either this is bordered with incantations or too remotely secluded to be found by any of the other Ordinals and unwanted threats. Or maybe even both. Just how long has this been existing?

Not for long, we arrived at Kyla's place. The height and width of the door frame are almost matching mine yet I still have to enter by ducking and side first. The interior greets me with not much to give an impression over the simplicity it has. It doesn't lack furniture which deprives some space, but it's still cozy enough. Not that Kyla is even a materialistic person. She spends most of her time hammering steel anyway.

I hear a heavy thud behind me. It's not the door closing. It's rather my lion-boar pet that couldn't fit through. She's too big, unlike the inn the man and I stayed at a few days ago.

"I'll walk her around," The man suggests and I nod.

"I'll see you later," I say, and now, it's just me and my elf friend. I didn't even get to thank him for not just taking care of me. But also bringing me here. I have a lot to thank him for actually.

Kyla treads to the other side of the area to replace her smudged garments. I rather start talking about the sword of hers that I sold. That's what she needs to know about first. "About your uniform and sword—"

"That's not what I need to hear about, Kyvin," She cuts me off. "It's fine, I knew you would dispose of them anyway since they might've used my scent to track you with it if they figured that I helped you." She understands and I'm glad about that. "I want to know how you destroyed an object that is supposed to be indestructible."

I guess it's just me giving her the explanation I owe her. I breathe deeply as I carefully remove the robe from my shoulders, then respond, "Yes. It happened in the citadel. I don't even know how I did it. It just happened. But obviously, the main reason is—" I trail off, cannot find the right word to associate.

"You're a Hellion," She completes it for me.

I nod.

"When Finnobair took me here, I still had no idea what was going on until that painted lady told me about you being… that sort of being, which you happen to have inherited from your father."

"Pretty much so," I say, but within my tone, the hate is prominent that this is coming from me when I still don't have enough answers. "Mom never told me much about him. But I started to know him more after the incident in the desert," I add walking towards the window and gazing at the people walking by through it. "Ordinal Three himself knew about him, as well. And I'd either have weird nightmares or dreams about him. And the more I dreamt of such things, the more confused and desperate to get answers it made me, up to now."

She's silent, meaning, her ears are rather the ones acknowledging.

"I thought Ordinal Three himself would know everything and help me," I add then gaze back at her. "But then, suddenly, hundreds of vanguards were there, including three Ordinals. Twenty-one was one of them, but he said he was rather protecting me that time until I was able to escape."

"Twenty-One?"

"Yeah," I say. "Perhaps, the Ordinals aren't really what they seem." An Ordinal betraying an Ordinal is a huge slap to history and to the eyes of the world.

She hums, then sits on the available couch, while I remain standing with my crutch. Perhaps because being in bed for days has my backbone demanding proper posture.

I look down at my palm. "My escape was rather of luck. I got washed down the river out of the city, and then I was found by that man."

"Yeah, he told me," She knows who I'm referring to. I guess they also had a conversation or two. I wonder what else he told her. "He mentioned that you going back just to get my help was a stupid and risky choice."

"I know," I reply. "And I didn't mean to put you in trouble."

"It's not about me," She counters. "But the fact that another Ordinal found you leaving the city anyway just wasted your efforts and only put yourself more in danger. And what is about you being a Hellion that they rather told the public that a thief wanted to steal an Immortal Armament and caused the explosion, instead?" She says.

"Ordinal Three said they couldn't let the public know about me," I answer. "Because I'm dangerous."

"Well, the part where why the Ordinals, including Three, want you dead is not a question anymore," She says. "But it doesn't mean that you're dangerous, Kyvin."

"To you? Maybe not," I counter. "To the world? Maybe not. Yet."

Her physiognomy then changes into emptiness. Then confoundment. "What do you mean…?"

"I'm in a prophecy."

She waits for me to continue.

I breathe deeply. "They said I'm going to bring this world a second war with the Otherrealm. And it'll be the last."

There, she says nothing more. She's just there, stuck on the couch, processing the last words she heard from me. And now, I don't know whether I should feel glad that I'm already able to provide the explanation I owe her with.

"I have just as many questions as you do, Kyla," I say. "At first, I didn't want to believe it," I add then gaze back at her. "But at this point, I'm just… scared. That's why I really need to see Mom as soon as she gets back. I want to hear everything from her."

Far behind her, I then notice a wide desk, with tools, and whatnot scattered upon its wooden surface. It's not the desk that caught my attention, really. But the object laying upon it. It's nothing else but the sword I retrieved from the cave.

Kyla trails my gaze, then turns back. "Finnobair told me to keep it for now," Kyla begins again as I make my way toward it. "But, of course, can't keep my elven hands to myself, I wanted to examine it. It's normal for a smith to be curious about a unique weapon as such."

I run my finger upon the shiny dark blade where it reflects the lamp's light shining upon it. She must've spent time cleaning it, too. Her second sentence reminds me of the foreign feeling of familiarity it had given back in the cave. "Yeah. I'm curious, too."

"I thought you already know," She says sensing my cluelessness, and follows behind me.

I dart my gaze back to her. "Know what?"

"You're joking." She gives me a blank stare as if she can't believe what I just said. "This, right there, is an Immortal Armament."

My face seemingly goes numb. Or maybe, I simply forgot to know how to react. But in my head, I'm stuck somewhere between being surprised and confused. I gaze back at the blade. An Immortal Armament… How come I didn't realize it the first time I held it? Or the first time it presented itself to me in my dream? Maybe, for some reason, the denial only dominated and made me dismiss it.

"I'd get glimpses of my father using it in my dreams. It was his." I repeat the name in my head several times. Immortal Armament. Immortal Armament. Immortal Armament. Immortal Armament… It's an Immortal Armament. 

"It doesn't make sense," She says. "Yes, you may have inherited your father's Hellion powers. But how can he have an Immortal Armament and have you also inherited its allegiance? Unless—"

"Unless my father was an Ordinal," I finish her sentence, then look back at the sword. Immortal Armament. Immortal Armament. Immortal Armament… Ordinal… Ordinal…Ordinal… There are so many puzzle pieces on the table yet I can't even find which ones actually fit together. My father? An Ordinal? "But that can't be."

"I know," She says. It's the curse of an Ordinal to not have any descendant or to even have a spouse in their lifetime. If they ever do, then they've signed their death contract. That means they lose their power and immortality, and even the allegiance of their Immortal Armaments to them.

A sudden knock on the door comes.

"Come in," Kyla says, and the one who enters the door is the man. He went back fast unless he forgot something.

"Your friend's here," I hear him say then he steps aside to allow another person to enter the door — a Ravenbird girl wearing a Sentry suit which can only be found at the Barrier. And the night can't get any more overwhelming as I make eye contact with her. It's Grace. She's here. I stay put where I stand taking in her presence, whereas Kyla has already made her way to pull her into a hug. They embrace each other for a while as if they haven't seen each other for a long time. Of course, it's only valid after all the trouble I put Kyla in. But from the fact that my Ravenbird friend is also here, I sense she also went through the same thing.

As soon as they pull away, Grace doesn't waste another second approaching me to share her embrace. Even with only a single arm available, I manage to return it, hugging her so tightly. The worries dissipate and my feelings are just focused on savoring the reunion.

I part my lips to ask how she was able to arrive here upon pulling away, but Kyla did it for me instead.

"A fellow Front Soldier brought me here," Grace replies. "You know him."

Know him? Who's she referring to?

I see the person enter. I almost did not recognize him due to his decent clothing rather than wearing the Front Soldier suit that I familiarised myself with from the day I joined Alek's squad and a grown stubble. "Mikael?" I mutter, completely baffled. He's here, too? How does he know this place?

"Hello, Kyvin," He greets, barely smiling. I don't know what to feel, whether it should be dread or gladness.

"High General Canmore had him fetch me the day you left with Ordinal Twenty-One." Grace continues as I parse the Wolf-Breed's presence. The High General is involved as well… That makes a lot of sense why she told me those words back in the sanctuary. What you did out there is something that you, and only you can understand. Remember that. "The only trouble we had to avoid was dealing with an Ordinal as well."

"Who exactly?" I ask her upon hearing her last sentence. I'm hiding the guilt brewing on my face.

"Thirteen," Mikael answers for her. "But we lost her halfway," I remember Legionnaire Twenty-One saying that some of them are allies as well. I guess she isn't one. Just how many of them want me dead? No. The question should be how many of them are my said allies, exactly?

"You knew my father, too?" I ask him.

"Alek was a close friend of mine before we met your father," He clarifies. If that's so, then Alek knew about this, too…

"I don't understand…" I trail. "How—"

"The order was formed by Ordinal Twenty-One to keep watch of you until the time your powers awaken."

I give a questioning look. Order? What Order?

"Perhaps, you haven't met the council, then."

"Just how many more things should we know about Kyvin," Kyla iterates.

I look at her, noticing the remnants of her reaction from our prior conversation. I guess this is another opportunity to get more understanding of the questions raised about the sword, and its relevance to my father.

"A lot," I answer for the Wolf-breed.