“Did you take the sword, Marco?” Aura asked. Her face was still, her eyes swollen and red.

  She must have cried.

  The realization tightened over David’s heart like a clenching fist. He searched for words— some way to calm them down without explaining everything — but Bert didn’t give him time.

  “Speak!” His voice cut through the air and David flinched in his chair.

  “I–I took it,” he admitted, panicking as he made up the story on the spot. “I’m sorry. The mage who sponsored me for the academy asked to see it… said he wanted to study it.”

  Aura’s breath caught. Her eyes closed, shoulders trembling once, twice, before she looked at him again with forced calm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “He wanted it quickly. You were both at work. I… I thought I’d have it back before you noticed. But he cheated me. Took the sword and left the city. I was too scared to say anything.”

  Bert’s palm slammed against the table. The cups jumped a little. So did Sophie. “Did we really raise such a naive idiot?”

  “Bert,” Aura murmured, setting a hand over his. The contact stilled him, if only slightly. She turned back to David. “What was the mage’s name? We will report him.”

  If they do, they will all land in jail. I need to change her mind. David’s thoughts scrambled. “Dolen,” he said at last. “I think… he was a ‘rebel’, like what the guards talked about.”

  Bert’s chair screeched as he stood up in uproar. “You worked with a rebel? Are you trying to get us all killed?”

  “No! I didn’t know! He said he could get me into the academy — and he did. Back when Sophie and I went into the forest, he—”

  “And it didn’t cross your mind to tell us? To let us know you were dealing with someone like that?” Bert’s voice was rising by the word. Sophie’s stirring at the pot grew rapid, uneven.

  “I messed up. I’m sorry. I’ll fix this,” David said desperately.

  “Fix it?! It's way too late!” Bert barked, stepping closer. “The sword was her proof, and she just lost all credibility!”

  Aura stifled a sob.

  “I… didn’t know,” David admitted, the heat rising in his face. He couldn't bear the sight of her face. “I didn't know it would end like this.”

  “You thoughtless brat!”

  The words cracked through the air a heartbeat before Bert’s hand did. The slap rang sharp and hot across David’s cheek, his head whipping sideways. He stumbled, chair legs scraping, before hitting the floor.

  Bert kept screaming, spit flying out of his mouth, but all David could hear was the rush of blood in his ears. His face burned and the shame was unbearable.

  In one bound, he was up and moving. He had to go. Leave before he would do something he’d forever regret.

  Bert caught the scruff of his robes, but couldn’t stop him. David enhanced his legs with mana as he forced his way forward. The fabric choked him, strong as it was, but it couldn’t withstand the force and tore with a sharp rip.

  In a single breath he was at the door, the handle cold under his palm.

  And then he was out — down the stairs, out of the building, the air biting his lungs.

  The door slammed behind Marco, the sound echoing through the room. Sophie stood frozen by the stove, ladle in hand, watching the silence that followed.

  Aura’s eyes were still wet, her jaw trembling as she looked at the empty doorway. For a moment, Sophie thought she’d go after him. Instead, she sat down heavily, pressing a hand to her forehead.

  Bert paced like a storm contained in a small room. “All this,” he muttered, gesturing wildly, “because you coddled him. Let him get away with everything. And now he steals from his own family—”

  “That’s not fair,” Aura said quietly, but her voice wavered.

  “Not fair? For Goddesses' sake, Aura! He stole from you, and you’re the one pitying him? He’s been spoiled rotten. That’s why he thinks he can do whatever he wants.”

  Sophie’s grip on the ladle tightened. “I barely knew about it… But he really wanted to help.”

  “Stay silent.” Bert’s glare cut toward her like a thrown knife. “Both of you are way too easy on him.”

  Her pulse spiked — anger, shame, hurt all tangled together. She dropped the ladle into the pot, splashing the soup around, and turned for the door.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Sophie—” Aura’s voice followed, soft but uncertain.

  Sophie didn’t look back as she ran after Marco.

  After the heated argument, the dark, cool streets felt calming. She spotted him by the fountain, hunched over the stone edge, scooping handfuls of water to his face. His robes laid crumpled on the ground next to him.

  “Marco,” she called as she approached.

  He straightened slowly, water dripping from his chin, his hair plastered to his forehead. His eyes shifted between guilt and rage faster than she could keep track.

  “You told them,” he said flatly.

  “They were about to report a robbery. I was trying to stop it from getting worse.” She gave him a stern look. “You know just as well as I do, how badly this could have ended.”

  “Do I, now?” He gave a bitter laugh and turned away. “Leave me be. You’ve surely got better things to waste your time on than chasing after a thieving child.”

  “Bert didn’t mean it. You know how he is when he drinks and gets angry,” Despite anything their father had said, she knew Marco did want to help. To be useful. “Just calm down—”

  “I am calm.” He interrupted. She could tell how hard he was trying to believe his own words.

  Sophie stared at him for a long moment. She’d come here to comfort him, and on a different day, maybe she could brush his attitude aside in the name of all that he had done for her. But the sight of him like this, closed-off and biting at her, made something in her go cold.

  “You knew what you were doing,” she said quietly. “And you knew exactly how risky it was. This is the consequence, Marco.” He visibly flinched at her words, but didn’t interrupt her anymore.

  “It’s time you man up.” She stepped back from the fountain and left before he could answer.

  The sound of the fountain faded behind her, but his face — wet, furious, and unrepentant — stayed in her mind all the way home.

  David didn’t head home. His legs carried him aimlessly through the buzzing streets, past the smell of frying meat and the clatter of wagon wheels. His cheek still burned from the slap.

  He knew he’d crossed the line. He knew the sword was gone because of him. But the thought of walking back in there, seeing Aura’s tears…

  No.

  His pride wouldn’t let him. Neither would the knot of shame sitting in his gut, or the fear of standing there while they tore into him again. He needed a place to breathe.

  A tavern sign creaked overhead — a squat building with a peeling red door and light spilling from the windows. Laughter and the low thrum of music drifted out. He pushed the door open.

  The smell of ale, smoke, and sweat hit him immediately. Heads turned. A boy in torn robes wasn’t a common sight. Someone chuckled in the back. He ignored them, stepped to the counter, and slid a few coins across.

  It took all of him to steady his voice and speak out flatly, with no aggression. “I’d like a room, please.”

  “A beast got ya, kid?” The innkeeper eyed him curiously.

  “A stray nail.” David seethed through his teeth. “I’d like a room, please.” He repeated, a bit more forcefully.

  “Upstairs. Second on the left.” The innkeeper shrugged, passing him the key without further questions.

  David climbed quickly, boots heavy on the stairs. But halfway to the room he heard quick, unsteady footsteps following.

  He reached the door, key already in hand. The lock clicked—

  A foot slammed into the gap before he could close it. “Why the rush, boy?”

  The man’s breath reeked of sour ale. “You’ve got coin, and it just so happens that me mates and I ran out before we could pay our tab.” He leaned in, pushing on the door until David stumbled back.

  David’s jaw tightened. You’ve picked a really, really bad time to fuck with me.

  “What’s with the look?” The man slurred. “You better be glad I ain’t taking all from you. Ain’t I charitable?”

  David conjured sparks right in front of the man’s face, just like Greine liked to do, and immediately started casting another spell.

  “You fookin rat!” The man stumbled back, with a yelp. ”I’ll get ya!”

  The drunkard grasped at him, but David’s small icebolt was ready. The hard projectile hit the man square in the temple with a dull thunk. The man’s eyes rolled back as he slumped to the floor.

  David stood there for a second, breathing hard.

  “I’ve had enough of this day, way before you decided to pick on me.” He stepped forward and kicked the man in the ribs. Once. Twice. “I hate this world,” he muttered. Another kick. The man didn’t move.

  He felt empty, as he shut the door behind him and immediately proceeded to try and fall asleep.

  This isn’t how I wanted this to go. Not in the slightest.

  He turned and tossed, unable to sleep.

  I took too long to find a solution and now it blew up in my face.

  Bert’s rage would probably calm over a few days and that would be it… But Aura’s was a whole other powder keg.

  It wasn’t even about the sword anymore.

  She had been the one who introduced him into this world. His new ‘mother’, as alien as that sounded.

  And he abused that for all he could. He had lied, manipulated and kept secrets.

  And she would always forgive me. Take my side.

  Agony overflowed his heart with each passing thought and a dam burst within him. Tears started flowing freely.

  It felt almost… no, just as bad as when he had fucked up, and Marie missed her first serious job interview because of him.

  He chuckled between sobs. Her great dream. Something so… safe and simple, compared to what people in this world went through.

  Marie. He rolled the name on his shivering tongue. Would you believe all that has happened? Would you still love me if I told you all the things I did?

  It’s been years since she was murdered. Brutally taken away from him, while he could only stare. And so he grew into a person that could have protected the Marie of old. He learned, trained and murdered, just to chase an echo of her, that was stuck in his soul.

  But along the way came other people. A little sister. A mother.

  Aura cared for him. Probably almost as much as Marie did.

  And I hurt her of my own volition. Worse–I ran away.

  He went into full hysteria, laughing and wailing in a single breath, as the realization struck him.

  I must truly be a broken person. I don’t deserve them. I never did.