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Ch. 4
Rain poured in thick sheets, but Shio didn't slow his pace. He walked and walked, oblivious to the wet streets, lost in thought. The name — Queen Diana — haunted him. White as snow hair… colored eyes…
It can't be her. It shouldn't be her. Because if she is… then the end of this world…
Rin called after him, worried. "Big brother! Shio!"
Shio didn't answer. He didn't even turn. His eyes were fixed on the city below. Oliver's house was behind them, perched near the cliff's edge, giving a full view of the city. Every line of the streets, the gates, the castle — it was all too precise, too familiar. He had written this once… long ago, in his story.
Rin stood still, uncertain and uneasy. He didn't press Shio. He could feel that whatever Shio was thinking, it was dangerous to disturb him.
For two weeks, Shio withdrew into the library. He barely spoke, flipping through books on wars, politics, and magic, searching desperately for a single clue that this war, this world, wasn't the same as the one he had written. Every page, every map, every account of battles… it mirrored his story too closely.
Finally, Shio rose from the table. His voice, when it came, was firm, commanding, with a sharp edge — not anger, but urgency. A warning. A shield.
"Rin," he said, "I'm sending you to the magic tower. Now. Learn everything — mana stones, spells, how to control magic. Everything you can. Understand?"
Rin didn't answer. He just stood there, tense, uncertain, his eyes wide. He felt the weight behind Shio's words — not a threat, but a protection. Shio's expression said clearly: This is for your own safety.
"And you, Oliver," Shio continued, turning to the old man with calm intensity. "You must escape. Leave this city. Go to the capital within three years. Do not delay. I will do the same after sending Rin. There is danger… one that I cannot face alone, not yet."
Oliver swallowed hard, sensing the gravity in Shio's voice. No anger, no demand — only warning, only care.
Shio looked back at the city one last time. The gates, the streets, the castle — each detail pressed painfully into his memory. And for a moment, he allowed himself the thought that had been growing inside him for weeks:
This isn't just a world. This is my story. And now… it's real.
Rin remained silent, nervous and questioning, but he didn't interrupt. He understood. Shio's words were absolute, and for now, all he could do was trust him.
The rain continued to fall, washing the streets, hiding their shadows. And Shio, with the weight of knowledge and fear pressing down on him, prepared for the path ahead — a path that would lead them both into the unknown.
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end of ch 4
(clock: sorry I know this ch was short T_T)