Headmaster Alden had been scanning over several papers before the doors to his office swung wide open, Rachel storming in.
Breaching himself for a berating, he took his glasses off, folding them and setting them aside.
Rachel stood there for moments, her face scrunched in betrayal and disbelief.
Finally finding her words, she pleaded, "How could you do this to him? This isn't fair. I and many others have made similar mistakes, yet we remain here. Why, Headmaster? Why?"
Alden kept his tired eyes on her for moments, closing them before standing up and making his way to the side of his table, examining a small globe that rested there.
"I am sorry, Ms. Heizer. In truth, I agree with you. He didn't deserve to be fired. But..."
He lightly turned the globe with a hand.
"There were greater forces at play."
His gaze settled on an empty expanse of water just off the coast of Ironclaw, southwest of Augustine. He frowned but said nothing more.
The lack of clarity in Alden's answer had only frustrated Rachel, but she knew better than to lose her temper here.
Rushing out of the room with tears swelling in her eyes, the short confrontation came to an end.
Alden sighed, glancing at the globe once more.
"May the Empress bless you…"
Winds howled through the streets like sirens as a storm brewed beyond the walls.
Leo walked the dim streets, swallowed by a heavy black coat. It clung to him like a shadow, hiding the uniform beneath—as if concealment would cleanse the guilt he felt by wearing it.
Pain swelled within his chest as he stepped closer and closer to the Reveur headquarters, trying his best to push it down. Just as he always had.
Finally, he stood before the doors. His chest tightened now more than ever, as if Charlotte's unseen hands were clawing at his soul, begging him to go back home.
The soul crushing weight in his heart had grown too much for him to handle. He pivoted on a foot, eyes facing back to the empty streets.
His retreat was halted by a figure that stood several steps away—Caspian.
The younger man stood there with a pained expression, his brows furrowed.
"Leo…?"
His voice seemed to somehow conjure the storm that had been brewing as rain lightly began to sprinkle on the two.
A lump formed in his throat, freezing his attempt to respond for moments.
"What are you doing here? I thought… I thought you had a vow with her."
Silence fell on the two for what seemed to be hours as Leo found the words, swallowing the lump.
"I did."
"I know I'm the one who asked you to rejoin us, but…"
"What am I supposed to do? Follow a dead woman's orders and watch my daughter die?"
The words left his mouth as the sour taste of regret replaced them. He wondered to himself how he could say such a thing. Was he just that desperate to defend himself?
Caspian stood in silence, averting his gaze as he thought for moments.
He bit his bottom lip before exhaling and walking past Leo and towards the doors, turning back for a moment.
"You've disrespected her enough. Make up your mind already. Come inside or go home."
Taken aback by his words, Leo's mouth opened slightly before closing.
His thoughts scrambled for another excuse, but nothing stuck. Even the lies rang hollow and unbelievable.
Caspian was right. He had to choose right now. Was he going to keep running? And if so… from what?
The truth was, he was running from both.
He had once believed that this feeling of guilt couldn't grow heavier. But it did. Brick by brick as he thought of how he'd desperately try to bargain with her words.
How often he scoured his memory for cracks in her words he could exploit, just to ease the weight on his shoulders.
Even now he searched for some sort of justification. The endless internal debate with himself caused his inside to ache with mental exhaustion.
He even tried to convince himself that most men in the same situation would've broken the vow long ago.
That might have been true, but even with that line of logic, he found no solace. No escape.
He loved her. Too much for his own good.
In the end, he chose to keep running. To use the excuse that she had only wanted to preserve life.
But the reality of her words remain deep within Leo's mind.
The longer he held that sword, the more he lost himself. That is what she truly feared.
Ripping himself from the unseen hands, he forced his legs towards the door, making his way inside and finally out of the rain.
As Leo removed the cloak from his head, whispers began to trickle throughout the lobby.
He followed Caspian's footsteps as he held his head down, dread filling his heart.
` You damn coward. You had the audacity to betray her but you still can't raise your head. `
He berated himself in thought for the turbulence in his soul, telling himself that he could worry about the mental repercussions later…
For there was no heart to be had with that wretched uniform on.
Following Caspian into his office, Leo looked around. The familiar layout of the office held a certain place in his heart.
It was hard to tell how he felt about this familiarity. A time where he held no obligation to anyone outside of himself and his position. He burned when ordered to. That was his purpose.
But at the same time, the weight Charlotte and Maria held on to his heart was a reminder of just how much they both mattered to him.
Taking a deep breath in and out, he finally found himself somewhat accepting his circumstances.
Or at the very least adapting his mind to them.
Caspian folded his arms as he leaned against his desk.
"It must feel a little weird seeing myself in your position, huh?"
"My position?" Leo scoffed. "Maybe in another growth spurt."
"Yeah, yeah. Real funny."
This banter didn't live long, giving way to buzzing silence. The sounds of steps and voices outside the door forming an ambience.
"Well…" Caspian finally said. "I guess there isn't much left to say. I'll be informing Henrik of your reinstallation, along with Pierre."
He paused.
"Or… perhaps that's something you should do yourself."
The walls Leo had finally managed to build up had taken quite the blow with that realization.
Charlotte's father—General Morwyn—would need to hear it from him.
That his daughter's final words had been broken. That the vow she left behind had been for nothing.
"You're right. I should."
Leo's gaze left Caspian, wandering to the window beside his desk.
"Caspian. I have a request."
"That is…?"
Leo paused, thinking of when Alden had shut his request down. Did he have the audacity to request such circumstances?
All he knew was that he had to at least give it a try.
"If I join… I don't ever want my blade to even graze another man."
Caspian blinked for some moments, looking away in thought before turning back.
"I can try, but… Do understand how unlikely it is that Henrik agrees to this. You do realize this, yes?"
Leo nodded.
"I do. I figured it's worth a shot. What shame do I have left to lose?"
"Fair enough."
Some paperwork later, Leo had left the room and back into the main lobby of the facility. Several men and women walked around in uniform, many on crutches or wheelchairs.
Even with the gravest of injuries, they didn't give up. They were taught ever since their earliest education that working under Augustine's Reveur force was the most honorable position one could have.
Mothers and fathers prefer to see their children lowered into graves than retiring from the force.
As he began to make his way out of the doors, a tug on sleeve drew his attention.
Turning and looking down, a familiar set of eyes met his own.
A young man with short, auburn hair looked up with a bright smile, a massive scar distorting more than half of his face.
"It really is you, Leo!"
"Henry…"
The sight of the boy's condition caused a strain on Leo's head as memories flooded in.
He remembered the exact orders he gave Henry those many years back. The same orders that led to this state.
"It's good to see you again, Captain."
The young man's words were cut off as he was attacked with a storm of coughs, holding his mouth into his elbow.
As the wheezes died down, a mark of blood was left on his sleeve.
"Apologies, sir. In truth, my condition has been worsening over the years. I doubt I have much time left."
Leo's eyes widened, a cold running through his spine as his stomach sank.
"Henry, I…"
"Don't. I'm just happy to be here."
Leo stared down at him for moments.
"It's my fault you're like this."
Henry continued to smile.
"I know that."
"You surely do hate me then, no?"
An expression of shock grew on Henry, hesitating before shaking his head profusely.
"Absolutely not! What would ever make you think that?"
Leo's gaze lowered to Henry's legs and scars.
"Well…"
"Things happened the way they were intended that day. I got to fight for my people, and now I cannot. The Empress has a plan for all of us, Leo. She decided that it was my time to stop, and I couldn't be more grateful to know that my efforts have been acknowledged. You didn't push me towards injury. You pushed me towards glory!"
Leo's brows furrowed as he heard Henry speak.
"I… I need to go. It was nice seeing you, Henry."
He hurried out the door, throwing the hood back over his head as he walked the streets.
Thinking back to what Henry had said, Leo felt his stomach twist.
He stopped for a moment, looking down at his boots.
The return to his position included the privilege of relative free-range over his Somnia usage within city walls.
It was intoxicating, the feeling of Somnia filling his being. Many would describe the feeling as an almost euphoric, dream-like state.
The feeling of stress absolving as your mind sets itself on your deepest wishes.
A memory of Maria walking through a field of flowers filled his mind for a moment.
Her silky, black hair being picked up by the idle gusts of wind, skin plump and colorful with youthful energy.
But in truth, this was a false memory. It had never happened, no matter how bad he wished it could have. Maria had been sick from a very young age.
This was a mental practice he found most effective towards manifesting his Somnia. Pulling memories from a false future.
Deep down he recognized how pathetic it was, but nonetheless it was a nice thought.
Feeling the muscle fibers in his legs growing exponentially in strength as he focused on Channelling into them, he bursted off the pavement, landing atop a nearby roof.
Launching himself from structure to structure, the lights from the hospital caught his eyes.
Momentarily he considered stopping by, but Maria's words filled his head at that moment.
' Liar. '
His eyes seared for a moment, remembering the scene. The idea of his little girl in such a miserable state was gut wrenching, yet it gave him some sort of boost in conviction. It reminded him why he was doing all of this in the first place.
Ultimately deciding to give her space, he turned his gaze forward, soaring through the air and towards the towering walls that separated section three from section two.
Finally reaching the foot of the wall, he could easily just run up and over it, but with Henrik yet to be informed of Leo's reinstalment as a Reveur, someone might mistake him for a Cryptid and report the sighting.
Turning back from the wall and walking towards a local Reveur office, he opened the door and stepped inside.
A man and woman in uniform spoke behind a desk before looking at Leo, their eyes widening.
"I need to get into section two. Can I take the tunnel?"
Their bewilderment left them stunned for some moments before the young woman shook it off.
"Of course! Right this way, sir."
She stood from her chair and walked around towards the back of the small building.
Leo followed her as she led him down some stairs and into an underground hallway.
The massive gates that connected the sections were only opened a few times throughout the day, solely for the train system.
Because of this a system of tunnels were installed for the Reveurs. Not only for moving quickly towards threats, but also casual convenience.
Making his way down the tunnel for several minutes, Leo walked up some stairs and found himself in another office paralleling the one from the other side of the wall.
Turning the corner and emerging from the back of the office, Leo found the office to be empty, other than a young man sleeping on the job, his head down and buried in his arms.
Leo reached his hand out to the man's shoulder but pulled back, deciding to mind his own business.
Making it out of the office, Leo walked down empty streets. The idea of quiet in section two was quite different from section three, the most silent nights still filled with an ambience of distant factories and construction.