His injuries from the cavern collapse weren’t any better the next day, but that didn’t stop him from planning to sneak into the city. It was such a pain in the butt to avoid the guards. He’d never done so without Ming Yi, but Ming Yi wasn’t lounging on the rooftop above his room like usual. He wasn’t lingering in the shadows, nor hiding under his bed. Even though he was Zhen Xue’s personal guard, he wasn’t obligated to stay with him all the time. 

With the tight security, he must be busy with other affairs, so Zhen Xue had to take matters into his own hands.

He looked down from where he was standing at his balcony window, assessing the six stories he’d have to descend to reach the ground. If only Ming Yi were here, he wouldn’t have to worry like this. A selfish wish, he knew. That kid already did so much for him without being asked.

A chilly breeze swept across his face, whipping through his thick layer of clothes, causing him to shiver. Come on, he’d done this countless times with Ming Yi. If he couldn’t even do this much on his own, he’d continue to feel like an infant. Perhaps for the sake of his pride, he gathered enough courage, reaching over the railing for the vines growing between the cracks in the wall. They were long enough to take him three stories down. If he landed on Xu Yang’s balcony, maybe his brother could find some rope for him to use. With that thought, he yanked the vines twice to be certain it wouldn’t collapse under his weight. 

When it held, he lifted himself on top of the railing, heart racing as he stood before the small gap separating him from oblivion. Against his better wishes, he wobbled on his feet until he finds his balance. He exhaled in relief, but didn’t give himself time to feel relieved for long. Wrapping the vines around his wrist to secure his hold, he lept down. 

As he dropped, his body swung about, feet frantically searching for a stone on the wall to latch onto. He moved his leg around the vine to gain some kind of traction, and with his free leg, he extended his boot towards the wall.

His boot connected against the stone and finally, he stopped swinging about. All of which happened ungracefully, but at least he accomplished this much on his own. 

He smiled, feeling proud of himself, but his victory was short-lived. His grip on the vine became slippery from his sweat and nerves. He tried to hold on and stay put, but gradually slid down faster by the second.

The world suddenly tilted as he lost his hold. Fear overwhelmed his senses as he free fell, certain this would be his end. Suddenly, a brutal yank of his foot kept him afloat, sending him crashing into the wall upside down. The impact left his body numb.

An eruption of laughter occurred from above him, deeply confusing him. “I can’t believe you just did that,” Ming Yi sputtered out between spouts of laughter. “You look ridiculous.”

Zhen Xue twisted himself slightly and looked up to find Ming Yi sitting on the fifth-floor window. His leg was hanging outside, swinging idly as he wiped away the tears in his eyes. “Oh, shut up,” Zhen Xue grumbled, lowering his head back down. “You’re the reason I’m in this mess!”

“Tsk, tsk. Nobody told you to climb down from your window.”

“And what should I have done exactly? If I stayed there any longer, I would’ve become a coat hanger to entertain myself!” His statement warranted another fit of laughter, making him feel even more unpleasant. All the blood was rushing to his head, sending his mind into the state of a merry-go-round. He gritted his teeth, shouting back at his useless friend, “Don’t bother helping me anymore! I’ve decided I’ll be staying here.”

“Oh?” Ming Yi said back with interest. “You sure about that?”

Zhen Xue finally loses his cool. “I hope you eat shit.”

A pause. “So, you do want me to help you?” he reaffirmed with an evident smile.

Zhen Xue glared at him, preparing to throw another string of curses.

“What the hell are you two doing?” Xu Yang demanded. 

Zhen Xue looked down to find him drumming his fingers against the railing of his balcony a few stories below, staring up at them. 

“Do you have any idea how loud you’re being? Not a person in the kingdom doesn’t know you’re there now.” Zhen Xue watches him smile faintly with amusement. “If that was your plan, congratulations, brother. You have a way of reaching new heights every time we speak.”

With a large amount of restraint, Zhen Xue attempted not to roll his eyes at the pun. “I hate you both so much,” he declared.

“That sounds like a personal problem,” Xu Yang shifted to lean against his hand, getting comfortable. He looked up, smiling again. “Want to talk about it?”

“Xu Yang!” Zhen Xue shouted, catching the glee dancing in his eyes. Zhen Xue’s resolve shattered, causing him to laugh despite himself. Oh, he was so annoyed right now. Just wait until one of them needed his help. Would he jump to their aid? No, no. he wouldn’t. He’ll laugh until tears and roll over from laughing, and keep them guessing until he actually sets them free. Just wait and see... They don’t know how petty he could be if someone pushed him enough.

“It’s nice to see you laughing again,” Ming Yi admitted with a damper tone. “You hardly said a word when I took you to the hospital wing.”

Just as quickly as it appeared, Zhen Xue’s smile faded. The memory of what had happened in the cavern was still fresh. Much like when Tianshi and Zhi died, if he had done things a little differently, been a little faster, understood sooner what was going to happen, maybe those grieving families could mourn their loved ones properly. Now, they’d be staring at empty graves.

He could feel Xu Yang’s assessing gaze, watching him blankly stare out at the bright blue, open sky. Zhen Xue couldn’t understand why the world looked strange upside down, but he found it less intimidating. “What’s weighing on your mind?” Xu Yang asked, his expression flickering with concern.

Zhen Xue smiled at nothing, not really feeling all that joyful. “Maybe the blood rushing to my head?”

“Come on,” Xu Yang encouraged, not buying his bullshit response. Zhen Xue probably wouldn’t believe himself either. “You can tell us,” Xu Yang continued, a tad softer than before. “Tell us or we won’t let you down.”

“I...” he trailed off, unsure how much to admit to them. He had told no one his secret, how he came from another world, nor his plan for revenge. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore,” he admitted. 

His hand reached out towards the sky, reaching for something that wasn’t there, but a thing he desperately wanted. 

“The answers I’m searching for keep getting further away. And the more I try, people get hurt.” He let his hand fall back above his head, silence taking his place when he paused. “I was placing my bets on... someone,” he said, referring to Calisaya. “Someone who was supposed to handle things differently, but they didn’t, and that’s when everything went wrong.”

If Calisaya had just showed up at the banquet, none of this would’ve happened. The servants wouldn’t be... He caught himself before finishing that thought, realization dawning upon him.