“Is this the place?”

I asked as soon as we entered an old-looking restaurant overlooking the Ebuna river.

“Yes!” said Octavia as she cheerfully clapped her hands.

I was hoping she would have chosen a more lavish place to eat. I had more than enough money to spend on even the most expensive restaurants in the capital. But I did let her choose, so I sat down and made our orders.

As she and I sat across from each other waiting for our meal, she mentioned something odd.

“You know, my lord; this restaurant reminds me a lot of home.”

The county? I almost felt insulted by that comment, but I indulged.

“Why do you say that?”

“Oh. It just has that smell. The girls and I, often made potato soup when there were extra ingredients left over from the week. It was always during the winter months, just like now, because the knights did not train as much due to the cold. I… really loved those times. When we huddled together and sipped on hot soup. It was truly my favourite part of living at Count Alistair’s.”

Her olive-green eyes shone with longing. Potatoes were a simple and cheap ingredient to obtain, but the way she talked about them made them sound equivalent to steak or even veal.

I set my arms across the table, interlocking my fingers.

“Octavia. Do you want to go back? I won’t feel bad if you say you do. You are only thirteen, I am sure you’re feeling homesick. Just say the word. I can take you home.”

I meant what I said. Even if I needed to suffer through a ride on a cargo ship again, if it would make her wish come true, then I would do so.

Octavia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“No... that’s not it! Sure, I may feel a bit afraid of leaving the home I have known my entire life… but I don’t want to go back right now! Especially since there are so many things to see, and places to go! And besides… I have you, my lord. Wherever we go, as long as we are together, that will be our home. Because just having you with me brings me great comfort.”

I almost shed a tear at that little speech of hers. I patted her head softly from across the table.

“You are right. This is going to be an exciting trip. And of course, it’s not like we’ll be gone forever! By the time May comes around, we will be back at the county, retelling the adventures we went on together.”

She gave me her sweet smile again, and as she did, the waiter set down our meals in front of us.

We made jokes and conversed some more about the places Octavia wanted to visit. As she went on about some statue in the eastern plaza, I slowly worked away at my bread pudding. The seasickness from earlier had ruined my taste buds, and the more I swallowed, the more nauseous I started to become. But I did not want to interrupt Octavia’s merry banter.

But then my ears started to ring, and my vision began to blur. I could not hear much of what she was saying anymore.

“…so, I hope we can visit Lady Lila before our departure tomorrow! What do you say, milord?”

I... think she is still talking about that statue.

Though I felt faint, I managed to respond to her question.

“Of course. We can take a look on our way back to the inn.”

“Yes! Thank you, milord!!”

“Of… course…” I managed to say, before losing all consciousness.

***

“Who’s going to do it?”

“You’re the eldest…! You go!”

“I cannot! He looks like he might kill me if I wake him up! Plus, do you not see his attire? He is a noble! Do you want to have me arrested?!”

I could hear distant voices in the background. I tried waking up, but I could not move my body. Then, a hand began to shake my shoulder. Groggily, I opened my eyes. As I lifted my head off the table, I saw a waiter and someone who looked like his boss anxiously eyeing me. The waiter began to speak, although with a stammer.

“Um- sir? P-please sir. It is nearly our c-closing time. I am a-afraid I must ask you to l-leave.”

My head was pounding. Did- did he just call me sir?

“It is not ‘sir.’ My name is Kal-”

As I spoke, my awareness increased and I suddenly became conscious of the empty seat across from me. Where… where was Octavia??

“Where is Via?” I asked with a vacant expression. “Where is the girl I came here with?”

“A girl, sir?” asked the owner nervously.

A surge of anger suddenly formed inside me. I slammed my fist onto the table and stood up.

“YES! A short brunette wearing a dark blue dress! Where is she?!”

I knew I could look menacing. I had these dark, frightening eyes, and a scar to match. But I did not care about containing my expressions right now. Octavia was missing.

My voice had carried to some other customers in the back. Low whispers were bouncing off the walls.

“Who is he talking about?”

“I think I did see someone like that. Was her dress blue?”

“I can’t remember her hair colour either-”

“Oh, but I do remember something!”

“Me too… could he mean the impaired one?”

The moment I heard those words, my eyes darted toward the direction of the whispers. My glare must have done the trick because the entire hall went silent. I went back to furiously eyeing the owner.

“HEY! If you do not tell me where she is right this instant, I’ll- “

I grabbed the chair I had been sitting in and raised it above my head. I was trembling with rage. I was so angry I wanted to throw the chair across the room.

“I- I know, sir!”

Waiter boy?

“I- I saw her!”

“Where?”

“S- she went towards the plaza at the end of the r-road!”

“When!?”

“A-about 30 minutes ago, sir!”

I set the chair down and reached into my breast pocket, slamming down a fist full of coins onto the table. I am sure it was too much for the meals we had had, but I could not care less about counting the amount. I burst out the restaurant door and sprinted faster than I ever had in my entire life.

The plaza. Where is it? Ugh, she must have gone to see that statue of the founder! But why didn’t she wake me up?! I told her we would go together!

It was incredibly dark. The streetlamps did not help in navigating the desolate alleyways leading to the plaza. Paranoia took hold of me, and I started imagining the worst-case scenario.

“No…! Please! Please be all right, Via!”

I ran by another alleyway when something caught the corner of my eye. I quickly sprinted back and saw a shadow of a human being sitting underneath a streetlamp. They were huddled into a ball shape; I could not even tell their gender from that pose. I cautiously entered the alley and walked towards the person when I began to make out the shadow’s features.

A little girl crouched into a fetal position with her head buried into her arms. That- that must be…!

“Via?” I called out; my heartbeat quickening with each step I took.

The girl looked up in response to my call. Her dress was in tatters. Tears were streaming down her small face. She was shaking as she cried and was clutching her left eye… like she was in pain. That eye…

“Via… who did this to you?”