Chapter 29

I stood there, unsure of what to do. I figured she might be working overtime, but it still bothered me that she wasn’t home yet, especially at this hour. Maybe she ran into some trouble, but I immediately shut that thought down.

‘I’m just overthinking it… Elysia should be fine,’  I reassured myself, shoving down the unpleasant feeling creeping in my chest.

Taking my mind off of worrying, I whipped up something simple for dinner, a stew from yesterday’s leftovers, but I just stared at it, unable to focus.

‘Shit. What's wrong with me?’ I tried calming down, telling myself ‘Elysia probably just a bit busier today’. But I couldn’t shake this unsettling feeling, like something bad was going to happen. 

I finished eating, quickly washed the dishes, and went to my room. Stepping inside, I collapsed onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I waited—10, 20, 30 minutes passed by—and soon, an entire hour, but there was still no sign of Elysia. I couldn’t to keep to myself any further. I sat up, heart pounding, the unease twisting tighter in my chest.

The dream of me holding Elysia's body flashed through my mind again, causing me to freeze. 

‘No… something’s definitely wrong.’

I hurriedly grabbed my jacket and stepped out of the house. It was already late into midnight, and the streets were eerily quiet, save for a few beggars huddled by the roadside and the faint rustle of a stray cat slipping through the alleys.

Elysia worked at a tavern east of Eldreth, near the slums. I’d always questioned why she chose that place of all locations, but she just shrugged it off, saying I was overreacting and that the job paid her well.

As I made my way toward the bar, the streets grew rougher, with the stench of smoke, sweat, and other stuff that I didn’t want to think about. Various hooded figures loitered along the walls, their faces half-hidden in shadow, their eyes following me as I passed.

I ignored them and kept walking. Up ahead, the faint glow of lanterns marked the tavern’s entrance.

Gracie’s tavern

There were more people gathered outside than usual. Some leaning against the walls, others slumped near the doorway with half-empty mugs in hand.

The moment I stepped inside, it felt like the chatter died instantly. Mugs paused midair, and every gaze fell on me. But when I blinked, the noise came back in, people laughing, drinking, and drunken shouting. The tavern owner lifted his eyes and stared at me with an amused expression.

“Sorry, kid, but we don’t serve people like you here. Best start scurrying.”

I met his gaze, “I’m not here to drink.” In a low, uneasy voice, I asked, “I’m looking for my sister. She works here—do you know where Elysia went?”

For a brief moment, I saw his eyes flicker, before he opened his mouth.

“So… you’re Elysia’s little brother? Sorry kid, I don’t know, she left about an hour ago.” he said dismissively, turning back to wipe down the counter as if I weren’t even there. I spotted Elysia’s jacket hanging behind it.

‘Hm… strange,’ I thought. ‘He said she left, but her things are still here.’

Something about his mannerisms didn’t sit right with me. The way he avoided my eyes while speaking, his rush to answer and leave. He was hiding something. He glanced back again, his face souring.

“What are you still doing here? I told you already, I don’t know,” he snapped loudly. 

This time, everyone in the room stopped what they’re doing and turned their heads toward us. I continued to stand there, my eyes fixed on him. 

“Are you sure you’re not hiding anything from me?” I asked calmly. He flinched slightly at my tone.

He growled. “For the last time, kid. That's all I know. Now get out before I have you thrown out.”

“You heard him, little man,” a bald, burly figure called from the crowd. “Better start scramming, you’re ruining the atmosphere.”

I ignored the man’s jeer. “I will ask you again,” I said, my voice turning colder, “Where is my sister?”

The tavern owner bit his lip, unable to answer this time. It was clear he knew what happened. The burly man’s expression twisted with irritation, his face flushing red as he pushed himself up from his seat and started toward me.

“Oi, I was talking to you, kid,” he growled, reaching out and clamping a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore people?”

“This is none of your business,” I said with some irritation, brushing off his hand. “So don’t butt in, baldy.”

His demeanor shifted in an instant. His nostrils flared, and his glare sharpened, the veins on his neck starting to bulge.

“You brat. Someone needs to teach you some respect, but I guess your sister’s too busy flirting her way through the night to do it,” he said, leaning back, his grin widening. “Actually, I saw your sister a few times here. You should’ve seen her face when they dragged her out earlier—it was the most exhilarating thing ever.”

His friends at the table joined in, whistling and laughing, clearly enjoying themselves.

“... Come again?” 

He stepped back, momentarily stunned by my sudden intensity, but quickly recovered. The room seemed to grow even more tense. The chatter that had started to rise died off once more as a heavy silence settled over the tavern.

“What did you just say? My sister was dragged away by a group of people?”

His smile only grew wider, as if savoring my reaction. “Oops. My tongue slips,” he said mockingly. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“Where did they take her?” I demanded, stepping closer, my eyes darkening.

He started laughing, reaching his hand out this time, ruffling my hair as if I’m a child, “How would I know? Besides, even if I do, I wouldn’t have told you either way.”

“For all I know, they’re probably having a fun time with her right now. I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous, your sister’s got quite the body.”

“I won’t say this again. Where is my sister?”

Whispers began to echo through the tavern as some patrons shifted uneasily in their seats, eyes darting between us. A few cleared their throats, muttering to each other. 

“Shit… that boy really wants to get his ass kicked. Just look at Brant’s face right now.”

“Should’ve listened and left when he had the chance. Now he’s gonna get his ass beaten, he can only blame himself.” 

The bald man, who I now knew was named Brant, was seething at me, his jaw tightening.

“Looks like I have to drill some respect into that thick skull of yours,” he said, cocking his other fist back. 

Without another word, he thrust forward, aiming a heavy punch straight at me.

PAK

Before his fist could actually make contact with my face, I caught it with my hand, gripping onto it tightly. 

“W-wha—?!” he stammered, clearly not expecting me to stop him, struggling to break free. “Let me go, you fuck—AHHHH!!”

I twisted his arm, forcing him to his knees. He winced in pain, trying to pry my hand off, but I just stared down at him, my expression void of any emotion.

“You should’ve answered my question. ” I spatted out.

 Brant shot a desperate glare at his friends sitting across the room.

“What the fuck are you guys doing?!” he yelled, panic creeping into his voice.

Hearing his cries, they instantly brandished their weapons and lunged at me. I kicked Brant in the face, sending him flying toward the bar counter, crashing into the shelves. Bottles shattered around him as the shelves toppled on top of him.

I might have used a bit too much strength in that kick, but I couldn’t care less if he was still alive. It wasn’t my problem. Balmung materialized in my hand, and my attention shifted to the two people charging at me.

One of them waved a knife wildly, swinging it frantically. Every strike felt slow and clumsy to me, and I effortlessly dodged each one without breaking my stride. The second one appeared behind me, bringing down his battleaxe, but I simply brought Balmung to my back, blocking it. 

CLANG

“W-why you…?!” 

Before he could process it, I grabbed a nearby chair and slammed it into his head. A cracking sound split the air. I couldn’t tell if it was the wood shattering or his skull. He stumbled backward, holding his head. 

The first man, seeing I wasn’t watching him, lunged to stab me in the back. I’d already anticipated it. I slashed with Balmung, slicing through his hand. He screamed in pain, dropping the knife and clutching his mangled hand as blood sprayed across the floor.

I grabbed his collar and hurled him toward the second man. They slammed together with a sickening thud, with both of them passing out from the impact. The owner stood frozen behind the counter, trembling, his knees buckling as he struggled to stay upright.

The rest of the tavern instinctively backed away, fear flashing in their eyes. None of them had expected someone this young to be so ruthless.

Wind Blade

A sharp gust sliced past my face, leaving a thin cut across my cheek. I turned my head toward the source of the attack, spotting a figure standing in the corner, his hand pointing out.

“Tch. I missed,” he clicked his tongue, sweat forming on his brow as his hand trembled slightly.

‘A mage huh? Well, he doesn’t look all that powerful.’ 

Without hesitation, I launched myself toward the third man, the floorboards splintering beneath my feet from the force. His eyes widened, panic flashing across his face as he tried to cast another spell.

“THIS CRAZY BASTARD…!!!”

I kicked a table toward him as I ran. He brought his arms up to guard his face, but it didn’t matter as I drove my fist through the splintering wood and into his face. He went rigid; his eyes rolled back as he slammed into the wall, then slumped to the floor.

I casually wiped the blood from Balmung on his shirt, then made my way to the owner. The moment he saw me approaching, he dropped to the floor and frantically scooted back on his elbows, eyes wide. I drove the tip of Balmung into the floor inches from his groin; he flinched, paralyzed in fear. 

“H-HIEKKK!”

A wet puddle slowly started to form beneath him. He gasped, eyes darting everywhere except on me.

“I’m at my limit. Last chance—spill everything that happened.”