Thief of Twilight

Part Three: Chapter 81

I was finding it easier and easier to keep up with Sinopia as the days went on. Every morning, I wake up about three hours before sunrise. I met Sinopia at the palace gates before we ran into the forest. We always go to the same location. The shallow pool was several miles away from the city. We would talk for a bit before watching the sunrise.

"Your stamina is improving." he pushed back the loose strands of hair from his face.

"Am I?" I started coughing immediately as I struggled to find the vial of mermaid tears. After taking a few sips, my coughs subsided.

"How long have you had that cough?"

"Oh, I guess since my core was shattered..." I put the cork back in the glass bottle and stored it in my pocket.

"I see." he cleared his throat. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Do you think it's related?"

"Yes, I do." he thought for a moment. "And what is that, that you just drank?"

"Mermaid tears." I said.

"How did you get your hands on that? Those are extremely valuable. Just as valuable as moon essence."

"When I ran away from the palace, I was staying in a small village not too far from here. There's a mermaid that I befriended and she gave me some of her tears. Since then, I've been sending the Black Wolves to retrieve her tears. I would like to see her...but...I can't..."

"Why not?"

"It's just...not safe for me to go right now. Not with me...not having any manna..." I can't tell him about Lord Baldwin. He's a moon child as well, and while I don't doubt that he can defend himself, I just don't want him to get involved.

"I see. That's understandable." he breathed.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. I hate to say it...but something doesn't seem right. I understand that we are both moon children. But I don't understand why he willingly accepted Eunseo's request to help me. I know they are friends. I think it's safe to assume that they have been friends for a very long time. The way he talks to Yohan...makes me believe that he's known the family for quite some time and is close to everyone. But I know that things like this, meeting another moon child who is willing to help me, is too good to be true. Something feels off.

"Sinopia."

"Yes, Zurine?"

"Why are you so willing to help me?"

He turned to me.

"I'm sure if I was just an ordinary person who was a moon child, like a commoner, you would not have been so willing to help me."

Sinopia tilted his head.

"So for you to willingly help me...I can't help but question your motives."

Sinopia chuckled to himself before looking up at the now vibrant red sky.

"I so appreciate what you have done for me so far. But I can't help but question what it is that you hope to gain in the future."

"...What I want..." Sinopia smiked. "You are right. I do want something out of this. But it's not at all what you think."

I took a breath.

"I want to be part of the royal court. Preferably Yohan's royal court."

"...Huh?"

"But the thing is...I am faced with a bit of a dilemna." he chuckled to himself. "You see, I am a professor. So I only get a certain amount of time off where I can freely travel the world. Of course, I can also say that I am going on an expedition and use that as an excuse to go on a vacation of some sort. But when I return to the Akadymia, they will want me to show evidence of my findings." he sighed. "And that would result in fabricated lies to cover my tracks."