I stand before the Commander.
The room is dim, just like the man seated behind the desk—stern, silent, and carved from stone. I've only met him twice before. Once during my assignment. Once when Kael was punished.
His eyes... they are the same.
Cold. Sharp. Watching me.
They feel like blades.
No secrets survive under that gaze. Not lies. Not fear. Not even the ones I whisper to myself to sleep at night.
I grip Kael's cloak tighter around my shoulders, swallowing the tremble in my voice.
He doesn't speak.
He just waits.
The silence stretches—too long. I almost think I should leave, that I've made a mistake coming here, but then—
"Speak," he says.
Just one word. Heavy enough to crush the breath from my chest.
I inhale sharply. "Kael… Kael hasn't returned."
A pause.
Then his eyes narrow—not with surprise, but something else. Calculation.
"Returned?" His voice is quiet, too quiet. "From where?"
I hesitate. My throat tightens.
He sees it. Of course he does.
"You were told not to speak of it," he says, not asking. Just stating the truth he already pulled from my face.
I nod slowly. "But it's been two days. He never leaves without telling me. Never disappears this long."
I can't hold back anymore.
"He promised me. He—" My voice cracks. I bite my lip, hard.
The Commander rises.
He walks around the desk, each step deliberate. He stops in front of me, and for a moment I think he'll scold me. Maybe punish me for hiding Kael's escape. But instead—
He looks at the cloak wrapped around me.
Kael's cloak.
"You're cold," he says.
I blink. Caught off guard. "I—no. I'm fine, sir."
He doesn't answer. Just turns his back and says, "Tell me everything."
I tell him everything.
How I found out Kael was sneaking into the Dark Forest at night.
How he fought monsters, came back covered in cuts and bruises, but never let anyone see.
How he ordered me to keep it secret.
And how… he hasn't returned for two days now.
My hands tremble, clenched tightly in front of me. I'm scared—not of the Commander—but of what he might say.
He listens in silence. His arms folded, face unreadable, eyes cold like steel forged for war. I can't tell if he's angry. Disappointed. Or something else entirely.
But he says nothing. Not until I finish every word.
Then, finally, he speaks.
"…You should have told me earlier."
His voice isn't raised. It's quiet. Measured.
But it still cuts through me.
"I—I'm sorry," I whisper. "I didn't want to betray his trust. But now…"
My throat tightens. "Now I don't know if he's safe."
The Commander sighs. A low, heavy sound.
"He was venturing alone into the Dark Forest with no aura, no traits, and no party support." He looks at me. "Do you realize how reckless that is?"
I lower my gaze. "I do."
"And yet he survived."
There's something strange in his voice now. Not anger. Not scolding.
Curiosity. Maybe even… respect?
He walks around the desk and stops a few paces from me.
"You said it's been two days since he left?"
I nod quickly.
"I've already checked his room. His training quarters. No one's seen him since the night before last," he murmurs. "And you're sure he didn't mention anything else? No strange behavior?"
"No," I say. "But… he was getting stronger. Faster. I don't know how, but… he was changing."
He goes silent again.
Then finally:
"You did well, telling me."
I blink. "I thought you said—"
"I said you should've told me earlier. But it's good that you told me now."
"Commander—!" I step forward. "You'll look for him?"
"I can't," the Commander says flatly.
I blink. "W-What? But… why?"
"You're the Commander," I whisper, confused and desperate. "You're supposed to protect him."
He doesn't flinch at my words. Doesn't even look guilty.
"Yes," he replies, voice calm and level. "It's my duty to protect every knight under this fortress. Especially the Thorne."
He turns toward the window, staring at the distant tree line of the Dark Forest.
"But I can't go."
"Why…?" I ask, my voice trembling.
He finally turns to me. "I've been summoned. I leave for the Thorne mansion tonight. Lord Eldric requested a full report on the fortress's progress. I'm under direct order."
I feel the floor beneath me shift. Kael is missing—maybe dying somewhere in that cursed forest—and he's leaving?
"You're just going to abandon him?" I ask, voice rising before I can stop myself.
He shakes his head.
"No," he says firmly. "I won't. I just can't search for him myself."
He steps back to his desk and raises a small silver bell, ringing it once.
A moment later, a young knight enters the office—straight-backed, fully uniformed, his expression sharp.
"Call Gareth," the Commander orders. "Now."
The knight bows and leaves without a word.
Minutes pass in heavy silence before Gareth arrives. He's tall, broad-shouldered, wearing his patrol gear with the Thorne insignia stitched proudly across his chest.
"You called, sir?"
Commander Arvell gestures him in. "Kael Thorne is missing. He hasn't returned for two days. Last seen heading toward the Dark Forest. Organize a search party. Take the best trackers. I want boots on the ground within the hour."
Gareth stiffens. "Understood."
The Commander steps closer, his voice low but serious. "You're not just looking for a cadet. You're looking for a Thorne. If he's injured… or worse…"
"I'll bring him back," Gareth says, nodding once. "No matter what."
He turns and leaves, already issuing orders to the knights outside.
I stand there, heart pounding. My hands are still trembling.
The Commander looks at me one last time. His expression is unreadable, but there's something cold and heavy in his eyes.
"Let's hope he's still alive."
Then he walks past me, cloak billowing behind him.
And I realize—
From here on, it's no longer just Kael's secret.
The whole fortress is about to find out.