“Are you okay?”

Jaycee shrugged off the hands gripping him and pivoted to face Kyla. Her face, smudged with dirt, reminded him of his times in the village as a child. He rose unsteadily, leaning on Kyla’s shoulder for support. His legs were still trembling from the blast.

“What just happened?” He scanned the room, but the smoke shrouded much of what was visible.

Kyla’s frown deepened. “I’m not sure, this wasn’t our doing, but we should leave while we can. Seems like our archer boy is down for the count. Good riddance!”

She poked her tongue out at him. Alessio continued to cough violently, the smog having likely harmed his lungs.

“Archer boy?” He was certain she was aware of his name.

Outside, smoke blanketed the sky, obscuring any sign that the sun was still aloft in the clouds. Fragments of houses, torn apart by the recent explosion, littered the ground beneath Jaycee’s feet. Surrounding structures, once ordinary, now lay in ruins. Charred fixtures and trees collapsed into each other amidst the scattering of broken glass.

As the ringing in his ears subsided, distant moans and stifled screams of townspeople filled the air, their voices echoing in his mind, accelerating his heartbeat.

From afar, the sound of steel clashing resonated.

“Whoa, talk about going out with a bang.”

Did she really just say that?

“Look, look! I think that’s the boss!” Kyla exclaimed, pointing to a distant figure.

Jaycee might have questioned her sanity, but got distracted by Alec’s red robes. They were a stark contrast to the settled grey hues. It was peculiar; he had a knack for appearing when least expected.

As he made his way closer, Jaycee observed Alec bent over a young woman. The scene bore a resemblance to what they had just left, only now, the cries of others were closer.

“Is now really the time to have your hands all over some stranger?” asked Kyla.

“Girl, make yourself useful. Bring me some clean water and a few rags,” Alec commanded without looking up, as if he were a customer in a restaurant. “Sheol’s military had warned and evacuated most of the townspeople in advance, but some of this didn’t make it in time.”

The scene unfolding before them was understandably shocking, as it bore little resemblance to a typical battlefield. Instead, it looked more like a slaughter than a tactical war zone.

“Was this Fioma’s doing?“ Jaycee wondered if Fioma was responsible for this, hoping that his suspicions were unfounded, yet fully aware of the fragility of hope.

“Of course it was!” Kyla interjected, voice becoming increasingly louder with each word. “All they care about is getting more land, the hows and whys unimportant. Instead of being happy with what they have, they take from others like a bully.”

Jaycee found her opinion surprising, as she was one to keep her thoughts to herself. Although she occasionally made short remarks, this was the first instance she had expressed her true thoughts out loud.

“Kyla—”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going.”

“I’ll go with you,” said Jaycee, feeling unproductive just standing by.

“No, stay here,” Alec gestured for him to come closer. “I need you to apply some pressure on her lower abdomen.”

Kyla exhaled sharply, yet she wasted no time in lingering.

Bewildered, Jaycee knelt beside the woman, his knees scraping against protruding rocks that jabbed at him from the ground. He observed her grimy attire and the lacerations marring her skin, now smeared with blood. The woman’s breathing was erratic, her eyes shut tight. The intensity of her pain likely overwhelmed her into unconsciousness.

“Here?”

“No,” Alec said, taking his hands, which felt unusually warm, and guiding them to an exact location. “Apply pressure here,” he instructed, using a significant amount of force.

Alec worked in silence, speaking only when necessary to direct Jaycee’s movements. Observing Alec work so intently for the benefit of another, devoid of his typical playful expressions or the mischievous grin that hinted at trouble, was an unusual sight.

“Have you always had this medical knowledge?” Jaycee asked, his curiosity piqued. The man before him continued to astonish him at every turn. Considering they were going to work together for the foreseeable future, it made sense to learn about each other, right?

“I spent some time training with my father,” Alec shared, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. “He served as the doctor for a quaint village nestled in the countryside.”

Lifting his gaze to meet Jaycee’s, Alec’s eyes held a look that was difficult to decipher.

“I think you’ve been spending too much time with Kyla. It seems her nosy nature is rubbing off on you.”

“I’d call it inquistive.”

A subtle, barely perceptible smile touched the corners of Alec’s mouth.

Shortly thereafter, Kyla returned with a cloth and a bucket of water.

Alec worked with care, and it wasn’t long before he was done. Together with Kyla, they positioned the woman against a building that was still standing. Alec checked her forehead with the back of his hand, humming contentedly.

“Boss, have you discovered where they’re holding Leon?”

Alec’s eyes narrowed. “Are you questioning me right now?”

“I would never do that,” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “Oh, great one.”

“Thanks to your distraction, I discovered Alessio’s location. However, by the time I arrived, he had already fled. We need to track his movements. Fioma is on the brink of declaring war, and we don’t need to get caught in the aftermath.” Alec snapped open his fan, its white colors stark against the surrounding gloom.

“Where are we headed next?” Jaycee asked, surveying the surrounding devastation. His gaze settled on the casino behind them. No one had yet to come out.

“A little seaside village close to here. There’s a blacksmith we need to visit.”