A few days later…
The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of a lantern hanging in the corner. Night had fallen, and the silence was broken only by the distant chirping of insects. Arcane and Allesio sat quietly, their expressions serious. Nearby, Aeron lay unconscious on a modest bed, his breathing steady but weak.
"When are you going to tell him?" Arcane asked, his tone low but firm.
"Tell him what?" Allesio replied without looking up.
"Don't act dumb," Arcane said. "It's impossible Aamon found us this fast. We're far from Eryndor. No tracking magic, no messengers…"
Allesio stayed silent.
"That leaves only one option," Arcane continued, voice tightening. "Someone told him where we were headed."
A long pause passed. Arcane stared at Allesio. "Why did you do it?"
Still, Allesio didn't answer.
"You heard what Aeron said," Arcane added. "He called us friends. He trusts us. Why can't you trust him back? Why can't you trust us?"
"You're one to talk," Allesio finally said.
Arcane raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're the one who killed the Venomspike Crawler at the party, aren't you?" Allesio said, his eyes cold but calm.
Arcane stiffened. "How do you know that?"
"It's not just me. Julian and Zorayel know too," Allesio said. "But they trust Aeron. And when he said you're our friend, they believed him."
Arcane let out a slow breath. "If I told him the truth about who I really am… he'd probably hate me."
"Same," Allesio replied, his gaze drifting toward Aeron. "That's why I kept him away. I didn't want to drag him into my problems."
A moment passed in silence.
"Aeron's… a good guy," Allesio admitted softly. "That's why I didn't want him involved in the mess."
Just then, a weak voice interrupted them.
"What are you guys talking about…?" Aeron groaned, his eyes barely open.
The two of them jumped slightly. Arcane leaned forward quickly.
"We were just wondering if we should abandon you and start a new journey," Arcane teased with a smirk, trying to ease the tension.
Aeron tried to sit up, but his body refused to cooperate. He groaned in pain.
"Easy, don't push it," Arcane said, rushing to his side and helping him lean back. "You're still weak. The blood loss was bad."
"Where… are we?" Aeron asked through labored breaths.
"We're in an inn," Arcane replied. "You passed out after the fight with Aamon."
"Oh, right…" Aeron looked at his hands. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I… I killed him."
Arcane said nothing for a moment.
"It fells wierd … taking someone's life," Aeron added, the weight of it sinking in.
"You've killed monsters before," Arcane said gently.
"Humans and monsters are not the same," Aeron whispered. "Monsters kill for food, for fun or survival. But humans… humans kill out of fear. Or hate."
Arcane stared at him, then quietly said, "Not all demons kill for fun, you know."
Aeron looked over, puzzled.
"Some do it to survive. Some… to protect what little they have left," Arcane said, his tone uncharacteristically heavy.
Aeron narrowed his eyes. "Why are you suddenly defending them?"
Arcane blinked, then looked away. "I… I didn't mean it like that. Just something I've been thinking about."
Silence fell again. The flicker of the lantern danced across the walls, casting shadows that swayed like ghosts of the past.
Aeron looked at Arcane and Allesio in turn, unsure of what else to say.
"Whatever secrets you both are keeping…" Aeron murmured, "just don't lie to me when it matters."
Neither of them responded—but their expressions told him everything he needed to know.
The three of them kept their own secrets, hidden from each other.
Aeron never mentioned that he had taken lives before—those criminals. The same Aeron who once defended human organ traffickers now carried the burden of killing.
Arcane didn't speak about the Venomspike Crawler he killed back at the party. And he kept an even bigger secret—he wasn't human.
And Allesio held the heaviest truth of all. He was the one who told Aamon their location. And the reason why Aamon was defeated so easily.
Perhaps friends do keep secrets from one another—secrets they believe will protect the friendship they've built.
The three of them kept their secrets close—buried beneath silence, hidden behind tired eyes and forced smiles.
Earlier the day Aeron fought Aamon…
It was still dark, with only a few moments left before sunrise. Allesio sat quietly at the dock. Around him, three or four people sat at a distance—strangers, perhaps also waiting for someone to arrive by ship.
Finally, the ship pulled in. As the ramp lowered, Aamon stepped off, his expression unreadable.
"Looks like you managed to break the chain," Aamon said, his voice calm but edged with something sharper.
Allesio didn't respond. He just stared at Aamon.
Aamon narrowed his eyes. "Why did you tell me you were coming to Moltenforge before leaving Eryndor? And to come here a few days after you left Eryndor?"
There was a short silence.
"Let's go somewhere quieter," Allesio said softly.