CHAPTER 65: CHAPTER 64: THE BEGINNING OF A NEW JOURNEY

The masked man closed the door of the room he had just entered, exhaustion carved into his face even though most of it was hidden.

The moment he stepped inside, he turned, sat on the edge of the metal bed, and began removing the bandages from his hand with steady movements.

With every strip he peeled away, his hand shook violently.

What appeared beneath the bandages was not something that could be described easily. His skin was eroded at the edges, a rotten black color spreading further, and the flesh had pulled back so much that part of the hard bone underneath was exposed.

The hand looked like it belonged to a corpse walking on two legs, not to someone alive.

He then pulled out a small bottle filled with a strange green liquid from his bag. He opened it quickly and poured all of it over his hand without hesitation.

The moment the liquid touched his skin, a faint green light shimmered around the wound. It wasn’t strong, just a soft glow circling quietly around the decayed flesh.

After several seconds, his hand slowly began improving. Very slowly, just a slight recovery, but still a recovery.

The bone was covered by a bit of flesh again, the skin regained a bit of color, and the rot shrank significantly.

Even so, the hand remained in terrible condition, so bad the improvement was barely noticeable.

From inside his coat, Tell slipped out, hovering in the air with her tiny body and thin paperlike wings beating incredibly fast.

Her eyes widened the moment she saw his hand, and her gasp was loud despite her small size.

But the masked man was lost in his task as he wrapped fresh bandages tightly, making sure every piece of the damaged hand was fully covered.

When he finished, he lifted his head and saw Tell floating in front of him, her gaze fixed on his wrapped hand.

He stared at her. She stared at his hand. Neither of them spoke, each waiting for the other to start.

In the end, Tell spoke first.

"Why is your hand like that?"

He replied without changing his tone. "Do you remember when I told you that anything concerning me concerns me alone?"

"No, I don’t actually remember you saying that."

He exhaled quietly. "Fine, consider that you’ve heard it now. My affairs are mine alone. And if you tell anyone, anyone at all—"

She cut him off, folding her tiny arms.

"Relax. Don’t worry. I’m not stupid."

He tightened the bandages one last time, then looked directly at her.

"Good. And since I’ve completed my part of the agreement, it’s your turn."

She floated closer with a few small wingbeats.

"When are we leaving?"

He closed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and stood.

"Now. We’ve already wasted enough time."

He headed to the door and opened it sharply, only to find Oliver literally falling to the floor in front of him.

Oliver had been pressing his ear shamelessly to the door. Next to him, Lemur was in the same position, half his legs dangling in the air because of his short height. Both froze the moment the door opened.

Oliver stared at the masked man with wide eyes.

"Oh this... this isn’t what you think—"

Lemur raised a hand shyly while lying upside down.

"It was... it was just a test of the wood quality..."

The masked man stared at them for one single second. Just one. But it was more than enough to make both boys nearly wet themselves.

He raised an eyebrow and spoke coldly. "Stand."

Lemur shot to his feet instantly. Oliver jumped up and stood without even using his hands.

Tell had her tiny hand on her face behind the masked man, and things were now spiraling into chaos.

The masked man stood in the doorway and looked down at Oliver and Lemur.

"What exactly are you doing here?"

Lemur immediately raised both hands.

"Oliver saw you heading to this room. He said he had an important question for you and asked me to come with him. But you went inside and closed the door before we got here."

Oliver snapped his head toward Lemur, his eyes screaming, "Did you have to tell him everything?" But Lemur avoided his gaze entirely, clearly wanting nothing to do with angering their leader.

The masked man turned his head toward Oliver, locking eyes with him.

"What is the question exactly?"

Oliver opened his mouth to answer. He couldn’t. Every word he had been preparing scattered instantly.

The masked man took a single step closer.

"Speak. I don’t have time to waste."

Oliver took a deep breath, then lifted his head slightly, forcing himself to look the man directly in the eyes.

"Do... do you know who my mother is?"

The masked man’s expression didn’t change.

"And how would I know that?"

Oliver stepped back, but quickly steadied himself. He didn’t want to retreat anymore, not after coming this far.

"I’m a hybrid, not fully human. I thought maybe when you saw my magic... maybe you had an idea. You know."

The masked man answered simply.

"Most likely your mother is the Great Autumn Spirit."

Oliver’s breath stopped for a second. One single sentence, delivered without hesitation, froze him completely. Lemur’s eyes went wide even though he had no idea what they were talking about.

The masked man brushed past both boys, pushing them aside without much concern.

But Oliver couldn’t stay still. Something in him forced him to move, and he ran after the masked man.

"Wait... what are you going to do now?"

The masked man didn’t turn. His voice came forward, dry as stone.

"None of your concern, child."

"Are you going back into the forest?"

No answer this time. He didn’t seem to hear. Or he was ignoring him intentionally.

Oliver sped up, reached out, and nearly grabbed the man’s sleeve but stopped at the last moment.

"Can I come with you?"

The masked man stopped for a moment, lowering his head slightly.

"No."

Behind him, Tell was still in midair, her small body frozen, wings unmoving. What the boy said stunned her so much she forgot to hide.

He noticed her stillness, stepped back, picked her up carefully between his fingers, and slipped her into his pocket.

Then he walked on, heading straight toward the exit of the airship, giving them no chance to say anything else.

After the masked man walked far enough from Oliver and Lemur, Tell pushed her head out of his pocket, nudging the fabric so she could see him.

"Were you serious when you said his mother might be... the Great Autumn Spirit? You’re not joking, right?"

He didn’t look at her.

"Do I look like someone who jokes?"

Tell’s eyes widened, her wings fluttering quicker.

"You can’t be serious..."

"I am. The boy used Autumn Magic. No mythical creature in this region can use that except the Spirit herself."

"Maybe there’s another explanation?"

"I doubt it."

Her eyes narrowed a bit as she stared at him.

"And do you know who his father is?"

He paused for a fraction of a second. Very short, but long enough for her to notice his shoulder twitch.

"I think I do."

Tell’s eyes widened again as dozens of possibilities slammed into her mind at once, each worse than the last.

...

The masked man reached the control cabin. He pushed the door open with the back of his hand and stepped in without warning. The captain was lifting his cup of hot coffee, and the moment he saw the masked man he spat the coffee straight into his deputy’s face.

The captain turned quickly, wiping his mouth.

"How can I help you?"

It wasn’t what he intended to say, but it came out anyway.

"I’m leaving now. You can depart."

He said it and walked out again.

...

Elsewhere, Oliver was walking with tense steps, eyes lowered. His head was overflowing with endless questions, and every time one formed, it spawned ten more.

Beside him, Lemur walked while glancing all around, curiosity bursting nonstop as he tried to match Oliver’s speed.

Oliver lifted his head and saw the masked man already heading off the ship. He froze.

If he let him leave now, he’d never see him again. He felt it deep inside. A powerful certainty he couldn’t ignore.

He leaned toward Lemur, whispered something extremely quietly, and Lemur whispered back in the same tone.

Even though neither of them knew why they were whispering, Lemur nodded, and the two vanished into the corridors.

...

The airship finally rose into the sky. Higher. And higher. Through layers of wind. The engines roared louder while the balloon lights glowed brighter.

From the ground below, among the trees, the masked man watched silently while Tell hovered beside him, gazing at the ship.

It rose and rose until it became just a speck, then disappeared.

The man showed no reaction. He simply turned and walked back into the forest.

With every step he took, he heard grass being stepped on behind him, light footsteps but unmistakable. He stopped, pulled out his gun quickly, spun around, and lunged.

But he didn’t find a monster. He found Oliver, with Lemur beside him. Oliver raised a hand and waved, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Hello."