Matthew tucked Shane into his arms, and Lucian reached out, touching Matthew's shoulder. In a mere second, the small, cramped room was empty. They were gone.
...
The three appeared in the center of Lucian's inn room. Lucian tapped Matthew on the shoulder, signaling that the journey was over. Matthew looked around the room, breathing a sigh of relief. "Magic is really convenient," he muttered in awe.
"Brother," Shane spoke up, her voice small. "I'm hungry. I haven't eaten breakfast yet."
Matthew looked down at his sister, then awkwardly scratched his hand as he turned to Lucian. "Sorry... may I borrow some money?"
"I'll go get breakfast for her," Lucian replied. "And I'll get you two a room of your own. Get comfortable and organize your things. I'm coming back."
He walked through the door and headed downstairs. At the front desk, he found Cseasey. "Hey. Good morning. Can I get a small breakfast? Anything will do. Also, I would like to rent a new room—preferably the one right next to mine."
Cseasey, professional and efficient, didn't pry. "Of course! How many nights?"
"Same as mine."
Cseasey nodded, turning to the key board. "A room next to you... here it is." He slid a heavy iron key across the counter. "That will be one gold and fifty silver for the room, and three bronze coins for the meal."
Lucian took two gold coins from his pouch. "Keep the change. Just have the food delivered to my room."
"Yes, sir! It'll be there within fifteen minutes!"
Lucian nodded and returned upstairs. Inside the room, Matthew was already folding their few belongings while talking quietly with Shane. He stood up as Lucian entered. "Welcome back!"
Lucian nodded and tossed the new key toward him.
"What's this?" Matthew asked, catching it.
Lucian sat on the edge of his bed, his expression sharp. "From now on, you're under me. You're my slave. In exchange, I'll protect you both and take care of you." He paused, his eyes drifting to Shane. "The moment they abandoned you, I noticed they were planning something. They know something about your sister that you don't, Matthew."
Matthew's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"When I faked your death," Lucian explained, "it was to trick the one spying on us. When she heard you scream, she said, 'Since he's dead, it will be easy to control her.' I didn't know what they meant then, but the moment I saw your sister, I realized she's their true target."
Matthew looked at his blind sister, a seed of doubt planting itself in his mind. "Shane... is there something you haven't told me?"
Shane went silent, her head bowing. Matthew stepped forward, gently but firmly shaking her shoulders. "Didn't we promise no secrets? Tell me. We're the only ones left, Shane. We have to do everything we can to stay together. Tell me. If it's embarrassing, I won't laugh. Just... tell me." His voice broke, and tears began to track down his face.
Noticing his tone, Shane whispered, "Brother... I'm sorry I kept it a secret. In exchange for my eyesight, I'm able to look into the future through my dreams."
Matthew was stunned. "So you're telling me your blindness wasn't an accident? It's because you looked into the future?"
"Yes. Mother told me to keep it from you so you wouldn't worry. I never thought I would actually use it, but..."
"What do you mean?!"
"Before our parents left us, I could still see," Shane explained, her voice trembling. "But the leader who adopted us discovered my gift. He used me to look into the future so he wouldn't make mistakes or be caught by the Magic Towers. Because of that excessive use... I lost my sight. I-I'm sorry, brother."
A terrifying silence filled the room before Matthew's anger exploded. "So it's because of him that you're blind? That damn..."
"Y-Yes," Shane whispered.
"That damn old man! How dare he use my sister for his own ends!" Matthew roared, spinning toward the door. "I'm going to kill him! That damn fucker!"
But before he could reach the handle, a frost crept over the floor, freezing both of his feet in place. Matthew turned back, snarling. "Lucian, I know your intentions are good, but don't try to stop me! If you get in my way, I'll kill you too!"
Shane began to cry, reaching out to grab Matthew's hand to pull him back.
"Cut the nonsense!" Lucian snapped. "What can you possibly do to them? It already happened! Do you think her eyesight will return if you pummel them to death? No! Calm down and think!"
"I know!" Matthew shouted. "But what about justice? She was used like a tool!"
"Justice? You're talking about justice with people like them?" Lucian countered. "They kill innocent people! They literally abandoned you! To them, you're already a corpse. You aren't strong enough to beat them. Even the Guild Master has a hard time with them, and the Magic Towers can't even find their hideout. What are you going to do?"
Matthew slumped, the fire in him dying down as the cold reality set in. "Right. I don't even have the power to fight them. But how do I avenge my sister? Our parents? They killed them because of debt!"
"What?" Shane gasped. "What did you say? I thought they died in an accident!"
Matthew froze, his eyes wide with horror at his own slip. "No... you weren't supposed to know that..."
"You lied to me!" Shane screamed, her tears flowing faster. She began to punch Matthew's chest in a blind rage. "You said it was an accident! You lied! Why! Why! We promised no more secrets! Why did you?!"
She collapsed to her knees, sobbing. Lucian silently withdrew the ice from Matthew's feet. Matthew dropped down beside her, pulling her into a desperate hug. "I'm sorry... I had to do it for you... I'm sorry..."
The two huddled on the floor, their shared grief filling the room. Lucian watched them from the bed, his silver eyes unreadable.
"I'll help you both," Lucian said finally. "Right now, they're likely in chaos because she's missing."
The siblings looked up.
"I'll help you take your revenge. Every. Single. One of them," Lucian continued. "Also... there is a way to restore Shane's eyesight."
Matthew's head snapped up. "What do you mean? Is that even possible?"
"Exactly as I said," Lucian replied with a small smile. "It is possible, but it will take time. So, what's your decision? They were already my target anyway."
Matthew looked at Shane, then squeezed her tighter. "What do I need to do?"
Lucian leaned forward. "Information. Give me everything you know about them. I'll handle the ambush. And for her eyesight—I'll take care of that. Deal? We start tonight."
Matthew didn't hesitate. The regret was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp will. "Deal!"
And so, the hunt began.