Chapter 114

"What do you mean you don't belong anywhere?" Kayda repeated the stranger's words, only to realize she wouldn't be getting a reply anytime soon. The big man she'd found on the shores of the underground river had lost consciousness.

It was close to a miracle he'd been awake long enough to speak. She'd not failed to notice the extent of his injuries. Blood soaked his clothes from the open tears in his body. His face was bruised and his breath ragged.

For an outsider, he'd lasted longer without a breathing mask than most. But even in the tunnel system, where the air was slightly cleaner, he'd die soon enough. Even those born in the Diamond Kingdom succumbed to the poison, except for Kayda and a few others who seemed to be able to handle the tainted air. She'd yet to decide if that was a blessing or a curse.