Vol 2. Ch 3.

’’Don’t do anything unnecessary, got it?’’ Ren gave off that certain cold stare whilst going through the weaponry supplies in the warehouse. The guns were hoisted up on the walls, neatly side by side, as Ren did the final rounds, making sure the cadets had in fact done their job before allowing them to leave the area. The young men stood outside in position, anxiously waiting for their verdict, eager to kick up their feet and call it a day. Only one weapon leaning towards the wrong direction by a few centimeters meant that Ren would see their work as a failure and force them to do it all over again. They all knew.

The cold, gray concrete floors were swept from any hay or grass sneaked in from outside, wooden boxes stacked with edges perfectly lined. Nothing to criticize there. Good enough for Ren to nod silently as he walked through the warehouse, hands resting over the belt of the deep-green prestigious uniform of a Commander, the cap still on his head as if anyone would be there to pay respect.

Some would whisper that he was too harsh, too emotionless towards the new men each time a new batch would begin their training, while of course simultaneously knowing how necessary it all was for the preferred results. No one dared to argue, leaving those thoughts as just that—whispers. In any state of crisis, only those strong enough mentally would survive. No matter how good the skills with weapons and strategies, the human mind needed to be just as prepared for the harsh conditions and all the brutality it would have to witness and endure. Yet still, Ren knew he was being far more lenient in comparison to his own training in the past. None of those men were as young as he had been upon being swept up in the military—although coming from a family strongly responsible for Agathen’s strength, it was quite expected. All those strict requirements on the shoulders of an only child to then carry on with the duty. None of them had their family—their father who happened to be one of the most respected Dukes of Agathen—watching over each of their moves. No, they all chose to enlist. Hardly any parent would push their child towards such a life, as honorable as it would be after being accepted in. Only then would the proud parents go around bragging to their neighbors. None of the cadets had each of their performance reported to the highest of them all. Each mistake and all those days when Ren couldn’t do better, despite how hard he tried. He did not get the sympathy nor consolation for such a human occurrence. No words of encouragement.

Instead, he got a beating and a second try.

’’I sense that you do not trust me. I’m telling you, she was interested in trying the weapon, not my idea.’’ Colin shrugged, ’’I’m hurt.’’ He stood by the door, leaning against the wall. Relaxed in comparison with the serious man now giving him a side-eye from afar, ’’You can rest assured. I know when to behave myself.’’ He joked, not the slightest surprised by his friend pouring such care for his savior. After all, Ren did not like to owe anyone a dime. And he'd always take his responsibilities with the utmost severity, wired deep in his brain like some sort of system doomed to never stray from its route. A man who was cold in the eyes of whisperers, head always turned towards his work, performing with perfection, yet Colin knew he had that honest, sarcastic side to him buried deep inside. Sometimes, or rather often, Colin couldn’t help but wonder what his friend would’ve been like if he had not gone through such a harsh upbringing. If he was never sent to the war far away as a literal start of a man. If he were allowed to speak and act as he wished in all situations.

Sure. Rich, successful, respected and handsome—but sometimes a shell of the child left behind.

Ren groaned annoyed, clearly over the less serving conversation, ’’Did you have anything to report on?’’ He checked the last row of weapons and made his way towards Colin, both leaving the warehouse after locking the doors with two separate locks and one hidden.

The evening creeped from behind the plain trees, beginning to slowly hide away the sun, bringing the chilly breeze through the branches. As the scent of an approaching rain swept through Ren, the sudden realization of time gone by made him wonder if Miss Dilamor had yet to return. The appeared clouds from afar looked like paint had been brushed down on a canvas, a misty fog moving along with it.

’’I do, actually.’’ Colin answered while glancing towards the high tips of the spruces, although for entirely other unknown reasons, ’’But this is not the place for that conversation. Should we head to your office?’’

’’Agreed, I have documents to go through anyway. Finish the day with the cadets and head in.’’ Ren kept walking as Colin had already parted ways, on his way to the row of young men with many shaking knees of anticipation.

In the office, there remained the silence and that familiar scent enjoyed in daily doses, the now fully bloomed orange sunset slowly disappearing behind the tall, black-framed windows. It had already been a long day, and while writing the last report, out of nowhere, a twinge stabbed through Ren’s shoulder sending waves through the right arm, enough to make him drop his pen now rolling on the floor. The sudden stab forced him to add some pressure with his other hand, a pain which disappeared as unexpectedly as it had come. He brought the shoulder back and forth while stretching his neck all around, knowing the pain would be a problem for some time to come, the muscles and nerves needing their time to properly heal.

As Ren took the moment to close his tired eyes from all the fine text cramped on a single document, trying to relax the stiffness away, he finally heard the awaited knocking on the door.

’’Come in.’’ Ren said, already aware it was Colin who’d finished with his remaining duties. The lucky one.

’’That bad, huh?’’ Colin walked by the couch and collapsed on it heavy, ’’I’m starting to think you should’ve taken more time out before returning to work.’’ He brushed his short, ashy blond hair behind only for it to return over his forehead and relaxed the back of his neck long on top of the backrest, feeling it massaging a stiff spot. The persona of a Commander’s right arm and shield now completely switched off. Something they both could do with ease in the company of each other.

’’And do what? The longer I’d stay still, the worse it would get.’’ Ren had a point there, unwilling to ruminate in boredom such luxury called free time would bring, ’’What did you want to talk about? Anything to report on?’’

’’I found out something perhaps worth our while. On my last visit to the tavern.’’ Colin leaned forward suddenly, elbows on top of his thighs whilst crossing fingers together. Very serious, alarmingly so. Just enough to pique Ren’s interest.

’’Knowing the frequency of your visits, was it yesterday?’’ Ren asked with a straight face, only partially joking since Colin did love to spend his time wasting the night away at those places. He picked up the fallen pen and finished with his signature on the lower corner of the report.

’’I was, how’d you know?’’ Colin smirked, ’’I heard someone talk. About another disappearance by the harbor Town of Emréla about a month ago. Yet another child.’’

’’That’s three already, then.’’ Ren leaned against the backrest, lifting his ankle on top of the other thigh whilst letting all the frustrated air empty his throat, ’’Children going missing. There haven't been any individual disappearance cases, let alone a handful of them left unsolved for many years, so why now?’’

’’I think one of the children who went missing was gifted.’’ Colin’s voice turned deeper, meaning there were no traces left of the previous, usual lightheartedness, ’’Well, that is what the rumors say.’’

Each muscle on Ren’s forehead twitched, intrigued by the information, ’’And the others?’’

’’No idea. Hardly a motive for all the disappearances, one out of six people in total.’’ Colin mumbled, ’’I also needed to tell you about this odd feeling I got while doing the usual checks around the woods. On the southern side of the town. I can’t explain what it was, and there were no others around—trust me, I made sure—but I still felt as if I was being watched. And my senses rarely fail me. It’s still driving me nuts, I tell you that.’’ He couldn’t help but frown and scratch his scalp as if the feelings were right there beneath the fingertips, just out of reach to be pulled out and tossed aside. Uncomfortable. Uneasy.

’’We should add another security check on the borders of the town, then. I trust your senses more than I trust any other. And about the disappearances, at this point, we simply cannot leave any rumors without investigation. There must be something. Too many odd events throughout the years, it's as if it all started from the—’’

Another knock on the door interrupted their deep conversation. They weren’t expecting any addition to the company, and this time Ren felt more on edge with no idea who waited on the other side, ’’Come in.’’ He raised his voice more than he did for Colin earlier, knowing his keen, sharp hearing not requiring much.

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The door opened slowly and politely, and the first thing Ren noticed was the golden waves falling from behind and over the shoulder as Sophia peeked inside, ’’I apologize for the sudden visit, I hope I’m not interrupting anything too important.’’ She seemed a little nervous entering the office for the first time, ’’Jenna, one of your employees showed me the way.’’

’’No, you’re not interrupting at all.’’ Ren’s voice had a hint of softness, which did not go unnoticed by the ever-so-observant Colin while he watched Ren, out of respect, get up from his chair behind the large table filled with paperwork, ’’How was your first visit to the town?’’ Ren put away the finished documents, making the conversation seem as if he was merely initiating some lighthearted small talk instead of being genuinely eager to find out.

’’Lovely.’’ Sophia answered just as briefly, ’’I spent most of the time in Madam Goldwind’s bookstore, the one you suggested.’’ She walked through the office towards Ren whilst gently offering her greetings to Colin, who then answered with an equal nod and a smile that he benefited from whenever he wanted to seem extra harmless and charming.

’’I’m happy to hear. She’s quite a character but means well.’’ Ren seemed pleased with the successful recommendation, ’’What is it that you need, Miss Dilamor?’’ His sudden change in character nearly threw Colin off the couch, jokingly wondering why he wasn’t graced with such carefulness. How rude and utterly unfair. What a fortunate young Lady for not being met with daily glaring side-eyes instead. Colin would make a mental note to tease Ren about it later on and enjoy it thoroughly.

’’Well—’’ Sophia looked down and instantly halted her initial sentence, the trivial meaning for her visit which mainly served to announce her return, when she noticed the small edge of a paper on a pile of even more paperwork. One with a half of a red, smudged circle. Sophia inhaled and moved the pile to the side to try and reveal it further. Just barely enough to see, when Ren’s firm hand slapped the pile still, making her jolt back with surprise, ’’Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry on your work.’’

’’No, I should’ve cleared them away.’’ Ren took the pile and tapped against the table to make them align before sliding them in a brown envelope. Sealing away the confidential.

’’But— that red symbol.’’ Sophia merely whispered, bringing fingers to pinch the lower lip, debating whether she should push the subject or let it go. Not like a Commander would ever entertain the idea of sharing his honest work with a new acquaintance, quickly coming to the conclusion to drop the case. Or so she thought.

’’You familiar with it?’’ Colin asked. Instead of meeting with serious, unwelcoming demeanors for trying to insert herself in business she had no place to be in, she met the expressions of two men almost as if they were lost on the desert, seeing her as the one approaching with bottles of water—or a hallucination offering false hope of an unreachable fountain.

’’No, I’m not. But I saw a similar symbol when I walked through the town. No, it was the same one, I’m sure of it. Although I cannot read the old writing, and do not know its meaning.’’ Sophia wondered, a tad bit regretful for not doing any research about the ancient language through all the years, but in all honesty, as much as she loved learning new topics, she never felt interested in the subject. Not until now, at least.

’’The town? Where?’’ Ren asked, a certain hastiness in his words.

’’By the alleyway leading towards either one with all the restaurants or.. A place I was strongly advised not to visit. Not too far behind Madam Goldwind’s store.’’ Sophia tried her best to explain.

’’Colin—’’ Ren looked at his friend who was already nearing the door in the blink of an eye.

’’On it.’’ Colin closed the door behind himself as Sophia only had a glimpse of his hand reaching the door handle before it swung closed. Had she brought some anticipated, valuable information? Or perhaps bearing bad news instead.

’’Did I say something wrong, Sir?’’ Sophia felt odd, as if she was the start of something quite unpleasant.

’’No, of course not. If anything, you might’ve done us a great deal.’’ Ren answered, yet obviously avoiding the subject. And Sophia knew not to ask more.

’’I’m glad.’’ She whispered, finally looking around and noticing all the books covering the expensive, unneeded wallpaper. What a waste of money, or a perfectly good wallpaper.

’’You’re allowed to read any, if you’d like.’’ Ren said whilst sitting back on his chair, leaning down to place the envelope inside a heavy metallic safe beneath the table, locking the secrets inside, ’’They’re books about different topics, not fiction. Though I believe that might be for your liking?’’

’’You’re right. That’s very generous of you.’’ Sophia’s eyes sparkled beneath the chandelier and its many crystals, the natural light outside already gone for the day. The warmth of the lamps suited her well, though not as well as the sunlight of midsummer, and Ren couldn’t help but secretly marvel at the individual strands of her hair slightly lighter than the rest, ’’I suppose you won’t tell me about that symbol?’’ She asked after fighting the urge to, but used the many bookshelves as an excuse not to face him, all while feeling the most curious about what he could possibly be hiding.

’’Confidential, Milady.’’ Ren answered with a faint smirk. Knowing by now she was a soul hungry for the details.

’’Oh well, didn’t hurt to try.’’ Sophia giggled softly as she looked up towards all the books, ’’It’s not Madam Goldwind’s store, but I’m sure I’ll find plenty of material here. Thank you. I’ll make sure to inform you if I plan on visiting.’’

’’No need to. Come by any time.’’ Ren answered without any trace of hesitation, leaning a finger against the side of his head and pretending to read something, ’’I’m here usually in the mornings and late in the afternoon.’’

’’Oh? I see, thank you.’’ Sophia had to admit she was quite surprised by his offer. Giving her a permission to make use of such a personal space. So much so it made her feel a bit bashful which was not at all a typical reaction for her, ’’Then, I should return to my room.’’

’’Yes.’’ Ren answered with nothing more.

And with that in the back of her mind, Sophia walked the many wide and well-lit hallways, got lost a total of two times making a wrong turn, until finally reaching the guest bedroom. She was eager to get back to her new book, knowing Jenna had insisted on taking it back for her upon arriving.

The day had been quite tiring, in a good way, and just as she thought so, she felt a sudden sting of guilt pierce through her heart once again. A feeling preventing her from enjoying the slightest feeling of comfort, joy or contentment. There had been a bite-sized moment of relief and comfort in that gaunt and sulking forest of Agrom once Ren had woken from the deathly night. But soon enough, the reality hit back with a harder fist, trying to keep Sophia company beneath the surface. That book would be an escape. Those pages keeping the dreaded thoughts at bay. Yes. Sophia could sink into those rows of words instead and call it researching, being useful, doing something. And not loiter and be swallowed away by a mansion worth more than she could ever sell her organs for.

I don’t understand how these people don’t need a map in this monstrous building. Even the forests of Brifena were easier to navigate— Sophia sighed as she pushed down the door handle and pulled. As soon as the door opened ajar, she was hit with a strong cloud of fragrance that wasn’t there in the morning. Too distinctive for her to mistake— flowers, loads and loads of them.

A feeling of nostalgia rushed over every hair of Sophia’s skin. Her eyes widened at the unforeseen sight. On the chest of drawers were many different shaped and sized flower pots similar to those in the breakfast lounge, no water, with bouquets of flowers in various stages of drying. Around the bed frame growing tall from each four corners of her bed, with see-through veils tied together on each pole, were small bouquets hung upside-down, side by side and circling all the way around.

’’What—’’ Sophia couldn’t step inside, her legs locked, not allowing her to move.

’’Miss Dilam— I mean, Sophia.’’ The distinctive soft voice of Jenna startled Sophia from the baffled depths of her mind, ’’I came to see if you’re hungry. The chef said that there’d be a lot of food waiting in the kitchen, if you’d like. I’ll head home for the day after you’ve had some supper.’’

’’This.’’ Sophia pointed towards her room, ’’Are these the flowers from the breakfast lounge ever since I arrived?’’

’’Ah, yes!’’ Jenna looked pleased, ’’It was Sir VonGehall’s request. He told us to save each one for this very purpose. What a lovely idea, isn’t it?’’ She spoke as sweet as a mother’s lullaby.

’’So he remembered such a trivial conversation?’’ Sophia whispered to herself, reminded of their little heart-to-heart, ’’Please go home and rest. You’ve had a long day.’’ She smiled at Jenna, who tried to poorly hide how happy she was to be discharged earlier than anticipated.

’’Thank you. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.’’ Jenna smiled back just as politely as ever before turning to leave. Sophia felt happy that Jenna was comfortable enough to use her first name, but their interactions were still far from being casual. Coming to the conclusion that, for all she knew, Jenna in all likelihood wanted to keep their interactions as a part of her workday and nothing more. Sophia, however, felt curious about what she’d be like behind all the service politeness.

After entering her now flower-embellished room, Sophia walked towards the antique, expensive-looking chest of drawers and touched the tiny flowers of bright pink common heather, already in the process of losing their vibrant color. She wondered if Ren must’ve worried about her not being able to sleep in an unfamiliar room after she’d shared her troubles. He wouldn’t be wrong. But to go this far for something as trivial as that almost made it seem as if he took notes of her every word.

Right. This is him once again trying to repay for all the trouble. Seriously, he’s already done more than enough. Yet still, to think that this is why they kept making new bouquets every day and switching them up so frequently— Sophia could only muster a faint smile, her eyes cloudy.

’’What a funny man.’’ She chuckled by herself, deep down mixed emotions of comfort and guilt with no idea where one emotion began and another one end.

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