Her confusion didn't last long.
Although this sudden turn of events was incomprehensible, she didn't have the leisure to think about it. Her mana reserves were moments away from running out. She had a feeling that the moment she ran out of mana, everything would return to normal, and everyone would be able to move.
Including the man.
Evangeline hurriedly scooped up the frozen Dragon and grabbed Flint's arm. Just then, her mana ran out completely as a sudden feeling of weakness washed over her, making her grit her teeth to stay steady on her feet.
The birds frozen on the ground suddenly became active, flapping their wings as they flew up. This gave her the opening she needed.
With everything she had, she broke into a dash with Flint, hoping to pass through before the man could react. This was the only option she had right now.
Her heart was drumming loudly against her chest just as she was about to pass through. She didn't have the leisure to look behind her and couldn't see the man's reaction, causing her imagination to run wild.
Within that single moment that could decide their fates, she imagined every possibility. The scene of them running away before the man could react, the scene of them being cut down by his sword at the last second, and the scene of them being chased by the man once again.
Her mind went back to the moment everyone was still frozen. Every possible action she could've taken at that moment ran through her mind. She could've attacked the man while he was still frozen; she could've struck the back of his head with a rock, making him fall unconscious.
But out of every option, she chose the worst possible one. To simply run.
'Why didn't these thoughts come to me back then?'
These thoughts only came to her after she had already taken action. She wanted to curse out at her own mind, but she didn't have the time.
They successfully passed the man and were almost near the entrance to the alley. A rush of relief washed over her, making her lips stretch unconsciously. She didn't know why, but the man didn't seem to be coming after them from behind. Maybe he was confused by the situation and couldn't react in time.
But all her thoughts vanished as she heard a deep, cold voice from behind.
"How much longer will you keep running, you coward?"
Flint's feet suddenly came to a stop, forcing her to stop as well.
"The one who killed your father right in front of you is standing here, yet all you can think about is running? Pathetic."
"Flint, what are you doing?! Run, or we'll both die!!" Evangeline tried to pull him by his arm.
But Flint didn't react to her shout. He stood there, grinding his teeth with his fists clenched.
In the end, he released his clenched fist and started running without looking back.
The man's voice came again.
"Aren't you curious? About your mother? Or did you mindlessly think I killed her as well?"
She felt his arm grow rigid in her grip as his feet stopped once again. Unlike before, he didn't pause or wait to think; he instantly turned around. She could feel his desperation.
Evangeline couldn't see his face, but she had a feeling that she shouldn't look at his current expression.
His voice trembled as he spoke.
"I-is she—?"
"She's dead. I killed her. What? I never said she was alive either."
He curled his lips into a mocking grin.
"Did I get your hopes up? Haha, that expression on your face, you want to kill me, don't you? You want to plunge a sword straight through my chest, isn't that right?"
The man pulled out his sword from under the robe and tossed it toward Flint. It fell right in front of his feet, with a resonant metallic clang.
Flint lowered his gaze and looked at the sword near his feet. It was probably the same weapon that took the lives of both his parents.
Evangeline's eyes darted between the man and Flint. She still had his arm in her grip. She could run and forcefully drag him with her, but she hesitated.
"How did you even find me?"
Flint's voice sounded weak.
The man raised his hand, and mana began gathering into his palm. It began twisting abnormally as it formed strange patterns. The man then clenched his fist and crushed it all. The bluish energy left his hand and flowed through the air, straight towards Flint, gathering near his shoulder before dissipating.
There was a small, dried-up wound there.
"Does this answer your question? Now, pick up that sword and come at me."
Despite the man's provocation, he remained still with his gaze fixed on the sword. For a long time, he didn't speak.
The surroundings turned still and quiet as both the man and Evangeline observed him, waiting for his response.
But soon, the stillness was shattered as Flint finally spoke.
"Where is the other person who was with you?" He pulled his gaze away from the sword and stared at the man. "Why are you here alone?"
The mocking grin vanished from the man's face as his demeanor suddenly changed. Hearing no reply from him, Flint continued.
"I-I couldn't think straight before, so I didn't consider it until now, but why are you even here?"
'Yeah…'
According to what Flint had told her, two wounded soldiers broke into his house because they wanted to hide there. They killed his father after they were attacked. They didn't even know Flint and his family, and their goal was to simply survive by hiding from the enemy.
So why would the man chase after Flint? If anything, it should've been the other way around. The man simply didn't have a motive for his action.
The man's expression began to crack. He tried his best to fix it, though it didn't work quite as well as he may have intended.
"Why am I here? To finish what I started, of course. It irks me that a little rat like you thinks he could escape me. Now, pick up the sword and come at me. I'm growing tired of this now."
"You still haven't answered my other question: where is the other person who was with you?"
The man's expression cracked further, to the point that he no longer seemed to be able to fix it.
Looking at him gave Evangeline a strange sense of déjà vu.
'Why… is he making that face?'
His expression right now, it looked similar to the expression Flint had on his face when he was telling her his story.
The expression of someone trying desperately to hold their broken heart.
"He's dead. He died from losing too much blood."
The man's voice sounded fragile as he spoke those words.
Evangeline pursed her lips. Was that the reason? The man wanted revenge for his comrade, so he was chasing after a child?
He let out a sigh and then walked towards them, making them unconsciously tense up. But he simply walked past without doing anything.
"Asking pointless questions instead of coming at me with that sword, you really are a coward, boy. If I were in the same situation, I would've killed that person several times over by now."
He clicked his tongue and turned away.
"Hey, where are you going?! Didn't you come here to kill me?"
A gust of wind blew, making his worn-out robe flutter, pulling off his hood. The man's entire face was finally revealed to both of them. Goosebumps rose on their backs as soon as they saw it.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
He had a dead look in his eyes, the look someone with nothing left in life would have. His lips were dry with a few cracks. And his forehead had a large wound that looked somewhat recent.
A wound as if someone struck the man's forehead repeatedly with something heavy, or… as if the man had repeatedly banged his head on a hard surface.
Evangeline hesitantly asked.
"That person who died, was he close to you?"
"He… was my brother."
Their eyes went wide as soon as they heard that. The man continued in a weak voice.
"When he was little, he had really loved anything related to swords and battle; he dreamed of becoming a soldier. Our father had passed away during our childhood, so the burden of raising the two of us fell entirely on our mother. She tried her best, but in the end, she was crushed by that burden, dying and leaving the two of us to fend for ourselves."
He paused and stared into the air, as if reminiscing. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
"During her last moments, I made her a promise. That I'll protect my brother and look after him. After all, I was the older one. I joined the army with him, fully intending to keep my promise. But in the end, I couldn't..."
His voice trembled as his breathing grew slightly rougher.
"Kid, I-I really… didn't want to kill your family, I'm not a murderer, I swear. I just couldn't think straight back then. Saving my brother at all costs, that was all I could think about. And by the time I came to my senses, I could no longer take back what I'd done. I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Evangeline closed her mouth as her heart suddenly felt cold. After hearing the story the man just told, she finally realised why he had followed after Flint. She looked at the little from the corners of her eyes.
He was staring at the sword lying near his feet, his eyes were shaking violently as he bit his lip, drawing blood.
Indeed, Flint had also realised the reason the man had followed him.