The alley was quiet now
The chaos of the fight had faded, leaving only the distant murmur of the city somewhere beyond the narrow streets. Soren stood a few steps away, breathing hard, one hand pressed against the frozen side of his torso. Frost still clung to his skin where Rin's hammer had struck him, thin white veins spreading across the bruised flesh beneath his torn shirt
Rin lay on the cold stone ground several feet in front of him
Soren restrained her body preventing her from moving at all, his knee pressed down on her chest and his arms pinned hers above her head. The railgun attack she had taken earlier had slammed directly into her when she threw herself in front of Talia. Even though she had raised her hammer to block most of it, the impact had still sent her crashing into the alley wall hard enough to rattle the stone. The hit had knocked the breath out of her and left the muscles along her torso and shoulders stiff and burning
She was shorter than he had first thought during the battle. When she had been charging at him with that massive war hammer it had made her seem larger, more imposing, but lying there on the ground the contrast was obvious. Her frame was compact and sturdy, built more like a seasoned fighter than a graceful mage
Strands of straight brown hair which also matched her skin had fallen loose from whatever tie she had been using earlier, the mid-length locks now messy and clinging slightly to her face from sweat and dust. Beneath them were thick, sharp brows that gave her expression a naturally intense look even when she wasn't glaring
And right now she was definitely glaring
Her hazel eyes burned with anger as they locked onto Soren, the colour shifting slightly in the dim alley light between brown and green. Dirt and small cuts marked her face from where the earlier impact had thrown her into the wall, and a thin line of blood had dried along the edge of her cheek where the railgun's stray edge had grazed her
Every time she tried to shift her body, pain shot through her ribs. Her hammer lay several meters away, far out of reach. Still, despite all that, the look in her eyes was anything but defeated
She glared up at him from the ground, breathing hard
"You're insane," Rin said, her voice rough from the fight. "Do you really think I'm going to help you a criminal escape, you think I want a bounty on me as well?"
Soren didn't answer immediately. His chest rose and fell slowly as he tried to steady his breathing. The fight had drained him more than he wanted to admit. His side hurt. His leg hurt. Everything hurt
Then something in his expression hardened
"You think you have a choice?" he snapped
His voice came out sharper than he intended, the frustration finally spilling over until his patience snapped. His hand shot down instantly, grabbing her jaw and forcing her head back against the stone. Rin's eyes widened in shock as his fingers clamped around her face, holding her mouth partially open
"What are you-"
Soren's other hand clenched. A thin cut split open across his palm and blood immediately began to pour from it. Before Rin could react, the dark red stream flowed straight toward her face under Soren's control, forcing its way past her lips
Her eyes went wide
The blood hit the back of her tongue and spilled into her mouth all at once
Rin gagged violently
"Mmph-!"
She tried to turn her head, tried to spit it out, but Soren's grip tightened around her jaw, forcing her mouth open while the blood continued pouring in
Her body twisted weakly against the ground as she choked, the restraints around her wrists tightening as she struggled
"Stop-!"
Her voice came out broken through the gagging. The blood slid down her throat despite her attempts to cough it back up. She gagged again, her stomach twisting as the metallic taste filled her mouth
Soren didn't move
His hand held her firmly in place until he saw her throat finally convulse as she swallowed. Only then did he stop. Then the flow of blood cut off instantly and Soren released her and stepped back. Rin immediately rolled onto her side, coughing violently, her body shaking as she wiped at her mouth with the back of her sleeve
"You!" she choked between coughs. "You absolute bastard"
"You saw what I can do with it"
Soren's voice cut through the alley his gaze dead
Rin froze and slowly, she looked back up at him. Soren raised his hand slightly. A thin thread of blood hovered between his fingers, pulsing faintly with magic
"I can make my blood explode"
His eyes locked onto hers
"Now your life is in my hands and you will listen to exactly what I say"
Soren wiped the remaining blood from his palm against his torn sleeve, his breathing still heavy from the fight. Rin was still on her side on the ground, coughing lightly as the metallic taste lingered in her mouth. Her eyes lifted toward him slowly, anger still there but now mixed with something else
Wariness
Soren looked down at her, his voice calm again
"Here's what's going to happen"
He gestured faintly toward the street beyond the alley.
"Tonight we go to an inn. You buy me food and I'll rest"
Rin's brows furrowed slightly but she stayed silent
"Tomorrow morning you go to the adventurer's guild like normal," Soren continued. "You take a quest outside the city"
He paused briefly
"I'll be your partner"
Her eyes narrowed slightly at that
"No one questions adventurers leaving the gates," Soren said simply. "Once we're far enough away from the city…"
His gaze hardened
"You give me some money and we go our separate ways"
He let the silence sit between them for a moment before finishing
"You live, or you refuse you will explode from the inside out"
Finally she let out a quiet breath
"…Fine," she muttered
It wasn't loud. Almost sheepish, like the word had been dragged out of her and her brows furrowed slightly as she looked away, clearly unhappy with the arrangement but knowing she didn't have much choice
"But if you try anything stupid…"
Her voice trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid
Soren didn't respond to the threat. He simply loosened the blood restraints around her wrists, allowing her to slowly get to her feet. She was still sore from the earlier impact and moved stiffly, but she could walk and then the two of them left the alley without another word
The inn they found was small and quiet, tucked along one of the less busy streets closer to the outer edge of the city. A few lanterns hung from the ceiling inside, casting a warm yellow glow over the wooden tables scattered across the common room
Soren stepped inside and immediately felt a few people glance his way. Not because they recognized him but because of how he looked. He was filthy. Dust and grime covered most of his clothes from running through the streets and alleys all day. His shirt was torn along the side where Rin's hammer had struck him, stiff with dried blood and melted frost. Dark stains marked the fabric near his leg where the ice spike had pierced through earlier, and the edges of the wound had crusted over during the fight. His hair was worse. The messy black curls that normally hung loosely around his head were clumped together with sweat and dirt, strands sticking to his forehead and neck. A faint metallic smell clung to him too, the lingering scent of blood and battle. Even his hands looked rough. Small cuts and dried blood lined his knuckles and palms
Rin noticed the looks people were giving him and quietly stepped closer, as if trying to shield him slightly from attention
They approached the innkeeper and rented a single room. Soren made sure of that. He didn't trust her enough to sleep somewhere she couldn't reach
The room upstairs was small but serviceable. Two beds sat on opposite sides of the room, separated by a narrow wooden table. A single lantern hung from a hook on the wall, casting a dim orange glow across the space. The moment they stepped inside, Soren's attention shifted to the food tray Rin had brought up from downstairs
He sat down heavily at the table. The stew was still warm. Thick chunks of meat floated in the broth alongside soft vegetables and pieces of bread. The smell alone made his stomach tighten painfully and he started eating almost immediately. At first he tried to slow himself down, but hunger quickly won out. Spoon after spoon disappeared into his mouth as his body greedily absorbed the warmth and energy
Across the room, Rin sat on the edge of the other bed, watching him quietly. Only after the bowl was empty did Soren finally lean back slightly. For the first time since escaping the castle, the constant ache of hunger eased but he still felt disgusting
Soren didn't linger in the main room. He moved to the small washroom connected to their shared room, shutting the door behind him. The space was cramped, just enough for a bucket of water and a rough wooden bench, but it was all he needed
He knelt beside the bucket, letting the hot water flow over his hands first, testing the temperature. Then he splashed it across his chest, rinsing away the sweat, frost, and dried blood that clung stubbornly to his skin. He tilted his head back, letting the water soak through his thick black curls. The tangled mess slowly softened and fell into natural waves, framing his face in a way that seemed almost deliberate
Every swipe of the cloth across his arms, his torso, and his legs revealed more of himself beneath the grime clean, unbroken skin, muscles taut from years of movement and training, a body honed but not overly pronounced. His long dark eyelashes clung wetly to the contours of his eyes as he leaned forward, rinsing his face, and his straight nose caught the flickering light from the small lantern
When he finally stood, dripping water onto the wooden floor, he examined himself in the tiny mirror. For the first time in days, there was no blood, no dirt, no frost just the man beneath it all. His curls fell naturally into place, the gentle flow catching the light. His brown eyes, clear and sharp, held a quiet intensity. The high bridge of his nose and flawless skin made the sharp angles of his face more prominent. Even standing still, there was a sense of presence about him, something that drew attention without trying
He stripped off the filthy clothes and pulled on a fresh set that Rin had insisted the innkeeper provide. The fabric was simple but fit him perfectly, the shirt smoothing over his shoulders and chest, the trousers falling cleanly along his legs. With a final adjustment to his hair and a quick check of his reflection, Soren turned toward the door, letting out a slow breath
Rin, who had been sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, froze mid-motion as he stepped out. She blinked, her mouth opening slightly in surprise. The man before her looked… different. He moved with the same energy and tension as before, but the grime, the blood, and the exhaustion that had made him look worn and desperate were gone
There was a sharpness in his posture now, a controlled grace in the way he stood, and his features, his hair falling perfectly into place, the strong line of his jaw, the high nose bridge, the long lashes over deep brown eyes drew her gaze. She swallowed lightly and looked away, acutely aware that the man who had fought like a desperate beast just hours ago now carried a presence entirely his own
Soren sank onto the bed, letting the exhaustion hit him all at once. The warmth of the room, the clean clothes, the hot water still clinging to his skin it all made him feel almost human again
He glanced at Rin, sharp and controlled. "Try anything funny, or even think about killing me," he said quickly, his voice low and firm, "and I make every drop of blood in my body explode. Last resort. Remember that"
She stayed still, the words hanging in the air. Soren let out a slow, steady breath and closed his eyes. Tomorrow the plan would start, but for now, he allowed himself a brief, controlled moment of rest