The falls.
The most peaceful place we'd ever known.
It took us back—before the dungeons, before the blades, before the blood. Back to when we were children, running through the trees, laughing at nothing.
Back before I ran away from my parents.
Back before everything started closing in.
We didn't expect to see her.
But there she was—Flake—sprinting toward us the moment she spotted our carriage.
"Hey! Dixon! Jax! And... uh..."
She stopped in front of me, tilting her head.
"Zero," I said. "Just came up with it."
"Just came up with it?"
"I wasn't named at birth."
Her eyes softened. "Oh." She paused. "What's your story? I've been curious since we met. Will you tell me?"
I exhaled slowly.
"Fine. But it'll take a while. And you'll be the ninth person to hear the real version. I usually lie to people I don't trust."
She sat down without hesitation.
"I'm listening."
We climbed to the top of the falls and sat at the edge, feet dangling over the water. The mist rose around us, cool and clean. For a moment, it almost felt like the world wasn't falling apart.
I started from the beginning.
"When I was three, my life wasn't ordinary. My parents lived in hiding. They kept me concealed—never told me why. I didn't learn the truth until recently: dark magic was attached to me. It had already tampered with my potential."
Flake listened without interrupting.
"We moved constantly. Place to place. Always running from something—or someone. They never explained. When I was four, it got worse. We hid in the mountains for two years. I didn't see the outside world until I was six."
I paused.
"That's when I ran away."
"Why?" she asked.
"I don't know. I just... couldn't take it anymore. The silence. The secrets. I ran—and I found my friends."
I glanced at Dixon and Jax. They were quiet, listening like they hadn't heard this part either.
"From six to twelve, we lived on our own. Survived off wild food and water. No adults. No guidance. Just us."
Flake's expression shifted—something between admiration and sadness.
"When we turned thirteen, we learned about sword-chasing. We wanted in. But you had to be fourteen to start training."
"So how'd you get in early?"
I looked down.
"There was an exception. You could skip the age requirement—if you completed a set of tasks. Dangerous ones. The kind that could kill you."
The air grew heavier.
"We did those tasks. And we lost someone."
Dixon stiffened beside me.
"I've never told anyone this part," I admitted. "We lost Dixon's sister."
Flake's eyes widened.
"She was his twin. The best fighter out of all of us. Fearless. Skilled. And she just... died. During one of the trials."
Silence.
Dixon didn't look at me. He didn't need to. I could feel the weight of it.
"The rest of us passed," I continued. "We trained for a year. Became sword-chasers at fourteen. Spent the next year collecting blades."
I took a breath.
"Then we turned fifteen. And everything went wrong."
I told her the rest. The potential training. The blackout. The two hundred and six people I killed without remembering. The King of Mere. Cast.
When I finished, I couldn't look at anyone.
Flake reached over and lifted my chin.
"I guess we all have our demons," she said quietly. "I killed my parents."
I blinked.
"They didn't like what I wanted to become. So I made sure they couldn't stop me." She pulled her hand back. "But that's a story for another time."
I stared at her.
Her eyes held no regret. Just truth.
My vision blurred. I blinked it away before anyone noticed.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jax glance at Flake—then look away quickly.
Something in her expression flickered.
I didn't understand it.
Flake stood suddenly and stretched.
"Race you to the bottom."
Before I could respond, she jumped.
I followed.
The fall was long—wind rushing past, mist soaking through—and when we hit the water, it felt like coming home.
Cold. Clean. Euphoric.
Dixon and Jax jumped in after us, and for a few perfect minutes, we splashed and laughed and forgot everything.
Just like we used to.
But the moment couldn't last.
We had a funeral to prepare.
We wrapped Cast in a blanket—carefully, quietly.
Then we carried him to the edge of the falls and let the current take him.
He drifted slowly at first, then picked up speed, disappearing into the mist below.
Gone.
But not forgotten.
That night, we gathered around a campfire.
One by one, we said our last words.
I went first.
"Cast... thank you. You taught me how to slow down. How to think before I acted. How to actually swim." I laughed softly. "You were my friend. I won't forget that."
Dixon spoke next.
"You reminded me of my sister. A fighter. A wanderer. Someone who wanted things to go right—even when they didn't. Thanks for being my friend."
Then Jax.
"You were smart. Funny. Blunt as hell." She smiled faintly. "You were one of the best friends I've ever had. Thank you."
Flake stood last.
She didn't speak.
Instead, she pulled out a small emerald and held it over the fire. It glowed faintly, then caught the flame—burning bright green before dissolving into ash.
"It symbolizes hope," she said softly. "And eternal life."
The fire crackled.
None of us spoke again for a long time.
Later, we settled beneath the falls to sleep.
The sound of rushing water filled the silence.
Flake lay beside me. Close, but not too close.
"Do you consider me a friend?" I asked quietly.
She turned her head. "Of course I do."
"Why?"
"Because no matter what happens, you and your friends stick together. Even in the worst moments. That's rare." She paused. "And I—"
She stopped.
"You what?"
"I... was hoping I'd run into you again. There was something I wanted to tell you."
I waited.
"I lii—" She caught herself. "I like the way you fight. It's amazing. You should keep doing what you do."
I blinked.
"Oh. I thought you were going to say you liked me or something. That would've been confusing."
She laughed—quietly, almost nervously.
"Yeah. That would've been weird."
She sat up, hugged me quickly, and whispered, "Goodnight."
Then she lay back down.
"Goodnight," I said.
And for a moment, everything felt almost okay.
I don't know how long I slept.
But when I woke, I was screaming.
My friends jolted awake, weapons half-drawn.
"What happened?!" Dixon shouted.
I gasped for air, heart pounding, sweat dripping down my face.
One word escaped my mouth.
"Mazza."