Blades of Grass

A Cube

The cube in my hand glows faintly, almost imperceptibly. A cloaked figure emerges from the shadows, tapping me on the shoulder.

"Follow me. I know what to do with that," they say, voice low and urgent.

I frown, suspicious. "Who are you?"

"Necessity knows no formalities."

I take a step back, my pulse quickening. "We're not just going to follow some stranger who taps me on the shoulder."

"We?" The figure's hood tilts. "Only you are coming with me, Sellar."

My breath catches. How do they know about me? My secret bloodline isn't as hidden as I thought. I glance around, my heart racing. Leaning closer to the cloaked figure, I lower my voice. "Where I go, they go."

A pause. Then, with a sigh, the figure relents. "I suppose I can't afford to argue. But the rest won't be pleased."

"The rest?" I narrow my eyes. "Who are—" I stop, frustration bubbling. "Forget it. Let's go somewhere we can talk privately."

After telling Aesar and Freyja about the encounter, they're predictably on edge. They argue, warning me not to follow, but I convince them we'll be fine. I've grown stronger. I trust Qura. And unless this cloaked figure has some anti-teleportation magic like the others, we can escape if things go wrong.

Still, it feels like one secretive group after another. I never realized the underground world was so vast. What started as a simple loot run has nearly cost us our lives, and now... this. Is it all connected? Was my father's castle really that protective, insulating me from the dangers of the outside world? This feels like a completely different reality. Am I ready for it? Can I handle what's coming?

My anxious thoughts swirl until a hand gently presses against my back. I snap out of it, realizing I've fallen behind. Freyja looks at me with concern, her steady presence grounding me in the moment.

"Is everything okay, Alvin?" Freyja asked, her voice filled with concern.

I exhaled sharply. "What do you think? I've barely left my castle, and now I'm being hunted by everyone. My bloodline is extinct, and I've faced death more times in the past two days than I've passed through my own gates. And now we're following some stranger to an undisclosed location because of this weird cube that appeared in my hand—thanks to the godling in my head. Do you blame me for being a bit rattled?" I snapped, my frustration boiling over.

She didn't flinch. "I'm not blaming you, Alvin. I was just... worried."

I sighed, the weight of everything pressing down on me. "I'm sorry. My mind's a mess."

"No worries," she said softly. "We haven't known each other long, but in the short time we've spent together, I've grown to like you. I'll stay by your side."

"Is it because you think I'm weird?"

"What?" Her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Never mind. I don't trust these people. Let's hear what they have to say and get out of here."

"Agreed."

We walked toward the city walls. With most of the guards occupied at the explosion site, the area near the base of the wall was eerily quiet. Moss-covered stones loomed in front of us, ropes hanging loosely down their sides. The cloaked figure grabbed a rope and motioned for us to follow, then began scaling the wall.

I glanced at the team, my eyes asking, Are we really doing this? Aesar shook his head in disapproval, and Freyja merely shrugged. Presz, though, wasn't even paying attention—his eyes were locked on the figure climbing the wall.