Staring down at the inferno devouring the lower floors, Soren couldn’t help but feel disgusted. This disgust was not solely targeted at the keeper, Its main target was himself. He felt disgusted in how he feared the lieutenant, how he compared the keeper to…

  ‘What a joke… I’m nearly sixteen and I'm daydreaming of monsters.’

  The sudden crash of a falling beam knocked Soren out of his deep thoughts. The tower was coming down, the fire had already spread throughout the entirety of the inside. Smoke was filling the building making it hard to breathe.

  Covering his mouth with his arm, he looked around for any sign of a potential exit. Unfortunately for him, he did such a good job creating this death trap, that he couldn’t find any way out.

  “Shit!”

  The loud sound of timber groaning echoed over the raging fire. The thick layers of smoke had made it hard to see, making the likelihood of finding an exit even harder.

  As he took a step back he noticed a slender silver blade lying next to his foot. It was the same blade that the lieutenant had used to cut both his cable and back. Looking at the cold runes engraved along its slender blade, an idea crossed his mind.

  ‘Let’s hope whatever this blade does it can help get me out of here!’

  Swiftly picking it up, Soren shot his gaze upwards. Above him was mostly covered in fire. There would certainly be no exit that way. Leaving only one path.

  Holding onto the railing for stability, Soren attempted to move down the stairs. Getting about halfway down he heard a loud crack, just above a large wooden beam came down in an instant.

  Diving out of the way, he tumbled down the stairs. Coming to a stop at the edge of a broken platform he looked down, seeing a raging inferno.

  ‘No… No!’

  Letting out wheezing coughs, he held his throat. Acid air stung his lungs, It felt as though the air itself was trying to kill him.

  ‘Dammit! I can’t go up, I can’t go down… What now?!’

  Throwing his gaze in all directions, desperately searching for something… anything. But no matter where he looked, all he found was smoke and fire. Maybe he had gone a little too overboard with the fire…

  Turning to the wall behind him, he pressed hard, testing it. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t give way. Swiftly taking a few steps back, he positioned himself close to the edge of the platform.

  ‘If there’s no exit, then I’ll have to make one myself.’

  Looking over the blade, he attempted to see what the runic pattern was for. The blade itself was of simple design, but the sequence was far from it. It was hard to discern where one word ended and where another began. Some of the sequences he didn’t even recognize.

  Gripping the handle tight, he returned his focus to the wall.

  “Please work…”

  Calming his mind he focused as much as he could given the circumstances. Soon dozens of thin threads of white light flowed from his hands into the blade. The once cold runes started to burn brightly.

  The air around the blade started to shift, like it was vibrating. It was almost too quiet to hear but the blade was giving off a slight buzzing sound. It reminded Soren of the rapid beats of a hummingbird's wings.

  ‘What the…’

  Holding the handle tighter, he charged forward raising the blade high above his head. With all the strength that remained in his body he brought the blade down swiftly. The buzzing sound became much louder, as the blade connected with the wall.

  The blade passed right through the dark wood, but not only that, the area around the blade carved a large gash in the wall. Soren was hit with a wave of cold air, as the dark city street came into view.

  “...It worked?”

  Looking through the hole, it seemed he was still a few stories up. The fall wouldn’t be fatal, but it would most certainly hurt.

  Left with no other options, Soren attempted to squeeze through the narrow crack he made. The squeeze was incredibly tight, but thanks to his thinner frame, he was able to pass through.

  As he did, a loose piece of wood he had been holding onto for support, suddenly broke off, sending him plummeting down.

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  ‘Ah!’

  The fall was short lived as he crashed down onto the cold dark city street. The air briefly escaped his lungs, leaving him taking a few breathless gasps.

  After a moment he pulled himself up, letting out a long groan as he did. Looking up at the burning tower, he could see the very top of it give way. He could hear the sound of the ;arge bell crashing down through the tower. Pieces of ash and cinder fell from the sky like snow.

  As he bent down to pick up the silver blade, he heard what seemed to be a large group approaching.

  “Move quickly! We need to put the fire out before it spreads!”

  The voices didn't sound too far away.

  ‘More peace keepers…’

  Limping away he turned a corner and began moving discreetly through the alleys. He didn’t need to worry about any keepers pursuing him, they would be too focused on the fire to go after him.

  …

  After about an hour or so of walking, or as long as his legs had let him go. Soren slumped against a wall, sliding down it. Holding his arm he once more conjured the simple runic

  sequence. Once again the wound he had received seemed to stitch itself back together.

  Looking down at his current state, he couldn’t help but feel even worse. His clothes were caked in blood and soot, there were large rips in various places. Needless to say he was a mess.

  Setting the blade down, he focused on a clothing line hanging between two buildings.

  ‘I guess that will work.’

  Reaching up he pulled off a few items of clothing. Most of what he got was very simple… cheap. But it was most certainly better than what he had on now.

  Removing his old clothes, tossing them into a nearby trash bin, Soren quickly threw on the new clothes. One was a simple shirt, comfortable and light. He threw on a dark coat and a red scarf, both helped alleviate the cold air.

  As he finished, he reached into the pocket of his old coat, retrieving a small journal.

  ‘Not sure what I’ll do with you…’

  Quickly stashing it in the pockets of the much cleaner stolen coat, he stared at the silver blade for a moment. Letting out a deep sigh he picked it up.

  ‘I can’t exactly take this with me, It’s evidence after all… But I’m too curious about that sequence.’

  If he kept the blade then there was a tie between him and the countless crimes he had just committed. On the other hand curiosity had a strong hold over Soren.

  Quickly stashing the blade under his coat, he began to move to the streets. The sidewalks were completely empty, considering how late it was who would be surprised. Most families were asleep.

  Quickly moving over to a nearby patch of dark vines rooted on the side of a building, he retrieved the blade, shoving it inside the vines as best as he could. Once he was sure it was properly hidden, he returned to the street.

  ‘That should keep it hidden long enough for me to find a way of getting it home unnoticed, it’s time to get myself home.’

  Normally he would have used the hook to return home, but seeing as it was currently buried under a tower, he needed to resort to more… pedestrian means.

  As he drew closer he could hear the distant sound of a horn.

  “Shit! I’m gonna miss it!”

  Picking up his pace he quickly descended a set of stairs. Reaching the bottom he found himself in a large empty train station. A bright yellow light was quickly approaching from down the track. The sound of a rumbling engine grew louder.

  Traversing Zelona by foot was already a challenge, but crossing a few regions would take days. Normally he would hitch a ride on top of the train, but seeing as he was barely running, climbing onto the cart would have been impossible.

  Standing near the edge of the platform he watched as the large train began to slow and eventually stop in front of him.

  A loud whistle rang out, signaling the train's arrival. Right after the sound, a short old man dressed in brown fabrics poked his head out from one of the cabins. He stared at Soren for a moment, then in an annoyed grumble he spoke.

  “A little late for travel kid… It’s dangerous out this late.”

  Walking up the cart's steps past the man, Soren gave a tired reply.

  “I know. Just visiting a relative.”

  The old man replied with a low grumble walking into another train cart, leaving him alone.

  Walking further in, he collapsed into the cushioned seat of the cabin. Instantly a wave of exhaustion hit him hard. Leaning his head against the glass window, he watched as the train began to slowly start up. Once more the loud horn rang out.

  Soren watched as they left the confines of the station, soon a view of the city came into place. The way those countless golden flowers reflected the moonlight, it made it seem like this region was sparkling. In the distance there was a large column of smoke rising into the night sky, the light given off by the burning tower had all but vanished.

  The steady rattling of the train felt very soothing, its mechanical melody felt more like a lullaby. Soren felt his eyes grow heavy. He was beyond exhausted, he had nearly died tonight… Not to mention he took a life.

  ‘He was trying to kill me… What else was I supposed to do?’

  That last exchange they had still clung to his mind, he felt his life slipping away. He thought he was going to die… Until.

  ‘Where have I heard that voice before?’

  Soren thought very hard, trying to recall that sweet voice. Once he did, sadness crept into his heart.

  ‘Oh… Alicia…’

  That was a voice he hadn’t heard in so very long, he would be lying if he said he didn’t miss it.

  As the train started to move faster, Soren’s ability to stay awake weakened. Soon he found himself drifting off. And as he let the sweet embrace of sleep take him… He dreamed.