Chương 155: The Reflection

Elion had agreed to sell Felicity for two hundred crowns. In exchange, the man had promised to use the transaction as an excuse to introduce her to their leader. Now they were heading toward the hideout. They walked through the dusty streets of Aqareth. The few inhabitants in the area looked away or lowered their heads as they passed, while the soldiers continued talking among themselves without even sparing them a glance. The man turned toward Elion.

"I think you already know this, but once you enter the system, there's no way out".

"How come?"

"If we allowed people to leave, we'd risk creating leaks in our secrecy. Even that isn't always enough, though. Last time, an idiot confessed after his children were threatened and revealed the location of the hideout. We lost a lot of slaves, money… it was a complete disaster". Elion nodded, realizing that the man she was talking about was the very person she and Shigeru had threatened with their group. Across the street, Agnes walked alongside Makena and Sven.

They were following the trail left by the slave trader and his guards, but the constant flow of people had made it increasingly difficult to distinguish their tracks. Then Agnes spotted a familiar figure. She narrowed her eyes and recognized Felicity. She was wearing a collar and a chain, which Elion was holding alongside a hooded man walking ahead of them. Makena and Sven noticed the scene as well.

"Another slave trader…" Makena muttered, tightening her grip around her bow. Agnes looked more closely.

"Why is that pink-haired girl holding Felicity like that? Was she actually a slave trader? Didn't she say she wanted to fight the system?" Makena and Sven, however, needed no further explanation. All they saw was an injustice that had to be stopped. They rushed forward. Within moments, they had caught up with the group.

"Hey, you!" Makena shouted.

"Release that slave immediately!" She pointed toward Elion and the hooded man. The man turned around, visibly annoyed. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"And who the hell are you?" Felicity met Elion's gaze.

"Shit…" she whispered.

"None of your business", the man growled, reaching for his sword. He never got the chance to draw it. Sven moved in a flash. With a single clean slash, he opened the man's throat. Blood sprayed through the air as his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Elion sighed and ran a hand over her face.

"Plan ruined". Felicity quickly loosened the ropes and freed herself. Her wrists were red, but there was no sign of pain on her face. She looked at Makena and Sven.

"Idiots…that bastard was about to lead us to their hideout". The two exchanged a glance.

"You mean this was all an act?" Makena asked.

"You're not actually a slave trader?" Elion shook her head.

"I pretended to be her slave trader so I could meet an intermediary and reach their leader. But now…that won't be possible anymore".

"How were we supposed to know?" Makena replied.

"Exactly", Sven added.

"As far as we could tell, she was just another slave who needed saving". At that moment, Agnes reached them, panting.

"Agnes!" Felicity exclaimed.

"What are you doing here? I thought they had captured you".

"They did", she replied.

"They even sold me, but these two saved me. Ethan and the others, however, are still down there. We have to go get them…before it's too late".

"We will", Elion said without hesitation.

"But with a new plan", Felicity added, her expression already focused and determined. Ravetrisk was walking down the prison corridor when he suddenly stopped. A short distance ahead, one of his subordinates was whipping a child with a shaved head. Ravetrisk stared at him. The boy looked frighteningly similar to him. The same suffering eyes. The same fragile face. His breathing suddenly grew heavier. Memories of his childhood resurfaced without warning: the whippings, the beatings, the insults, the abuse.

Years of pain he had believed buried came rushing back all at once. He leaned against the wall, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Then he entered his room and collapsed into a chair, pressing a hand against his chest. The silence was deafening. He could hear nothing but the furious pounding of his heart, beating so violently that it felt as though it might burst through his chest. Then a voice broke the silence.

"Ravetrisk…calm down". The man turned. There was only the mirror before him. Yet his reflection wore a different expression. More confident. Stronger. Almost fearless. Ravetrisk raised his eyes toward his own image.

"I'm calm". His heavy breathing betrayed him.

"You're not. After all these years, can you really still allow the past to affect you like this?"

"It's stronger than me…I'm not the one doing this. It's my body".

"I know", the reflection replied softly.

"Come closer. Let's talk like we used to". Ravetrisk stood and approached the mirror until he was only a few steps away.

"Are you calmer now?" Ravetrisk nodded. His heart was slowing, and his breathing was gradually returning to normal.

"Do you remember what we used to do as children when that cruel slave trader wanted to have his fun with us?" Ravetrisk slowly lowered his gaze.

"Yes. We pretended we were in another world…as if we were dreaming".

"Exactly. And it worked, didn't it? It's thanks to that that you survived this long".

"Yes…you're right".

"Whenever those memories come back, you only need to imagine that you're in another world. Somewhere better. Never let them overwhelm you again. Promise me, champ?"

"I'll try…I swear".

"Good boy. Now go. You're not that child anymore. You're the one in control now". Ravetrisk nodded again. His breathing finally steadied. His gaze became hard and cold once more, filled with hatred. And in the mirror, his reflection once again looked exactly like him.