Alessio returned just after nightfall, the scent of dust and pine clinging to his coat. He'd gone out to observe the guards' movement along the eastern road—the one leading to Mellerfen. His hair was tousled from the wind, and the tight line of his jaw gave him away—something had finally gone right.
"The road to Mellerfen is clear now," he said, peeling off his gloves like a man in a spy novel. "Security's thin tonight near the border. I… spread a word or two this afternoon. Some residents passed along a rumor—a girl with pink hair was seen heading west."
"West?" I echoed, blinking. That was the direction away from us.
He smirked—but not the playful kind. It was the "plans are falling into place" smirk, which was both deeply comforting and mildly terrifying.
"Yes. The trail was convincing enough. Marius's men have already been pulled in that direction. If we leave in an hour, we'll slip through Mellerfen while they're focused elsewhere."
I stared at him for a beat, then nodded. This wasn't a drill. It was now—or never.
My heart leapt, which is a terribly poetic way of saying I panicked in two directions at once—yay, escape! Boo, imminent doom!
But there was something I needed to ask before we did anything daring and dramatic.
"Alessio…" I began, my voice wobbling between hesitant and deeply nosy. "Before we leave—I have to ask. Your appearance… it's, um, a little conspicuous, don't you think?"
He blinked. "Conspicuous?"
"You stand out," I clarified, head tilted like a curious bird. "Your hair, your eyes—they look like they were painted by someone with an excessive fondness for drama. Golden-blonde hair and violet eyes? Really? You're practically a royal portrait. Isn't that risky when we're trying to blend in?"
For a heartbeat, his expression did that thing—confusion, realization, mild existential dread.
"You can see that?" he asked slowly.
I nodded. "Why wouldn't I?"
He held up his left hand. "I'm wearing an artifact. A ring. It casts a subtle glamour—changes how I appear. To others, I have brown hair, brown eyes, and just look… ordinary. Nothing that would draw attention. I've worn it for years. Even Grandmama sees the illusion now. But… you see through it?"
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "You mean… this is not how others see you?"
He nodded. "No one's ever seen through it. Not unless I took the ring off."
Grandmama's voice cut through the thick silence. "Wait. Say that again."
Alessio explained the whole 'Sonia can see through the illusion' situation. Grandmama froze, then slowly sank into a chair, her expression shifting—sharp with memory, solemn with realization.
"Could it be…" she murmured. "No. It's not possible."
"Could what be?" I asked, stepping closer, my curiosity now practically a sentient creature.
She looked up, sharp as lightning. "Girl, you might be a Nullifier."
The air itself paused.
"A… what-now?" I said. The word felt like chewing marzipan with an unfamiliar accent.
"It's a rare condition—more like a phenomenon," Grandmama said, voice somber. "A Nullifier is someone born with the natural ability to negate magic. Not use it. Not control it. Just… erase it. Spells, artifacts, curses, illusions—they all fail around you. They haven't been seen in over three centuries. They were believed extinct—or mere legend."
"But… I've never—"
"You wouldn't have known," Grandmama cut in gently. "Most Nullifiers nullify passively. But it makes sense now—remember that chronic illness you had as a child? The issues with your lungs you told me about?"
She continued, while I tried very hard not to collapse into a pile of abstract questions.
"Nullification drains the body, especially when unmanaged. That illness was your body reacting to the constant strain of resisting magic."
I hesitated. "Then… what about my memories? Could that be part of it too?"
She looked at me, thoughtful. "Not that I know of. Nullification affects the body, not the mind. The memory loss… that may be something else entirely."
I'd told Grandmama about my illness—a rare affliction that affected my lungs—and how some of my memories were missing for reasons I couldn't explain. I was certain it wasn't because I'd possessed the real Sonia's body; after all, I still retained fragments of her memories. That in itself was strange—if those fragments were accessible, shouldn't the rest be as well? Yet nothing else ever surfaced.
My mind reeled. "Then… if I'm a Nullifier, does that mean I've always been canceling magic around me?"
Grandmama nodded solemnly. "Unconsciously, yes. Which means your gift is active—but untamed. That's dangerous. You need to learn control, or it could consume you."
My thoughts spun in chaotic circles, but one idea emerged like a blade through fog.
'Wait… if the reason the real Sonia was bedridden for years was because of this nullifying ability…'
My heart stuttered.
'That means… the original Sonia in the novel must have been a Nullifier all along.'
I glanced toward Alessio.
'Now that I think about it, that face was way too handsome for a side character. He had the aura of a full-blown male lead—brooding stare and all. But Sonia's POV never actually described his features. Was it because he was just a side character?'
Side characters in the original novel barely got any description. I only figured out this guy was the crown prince thanks to one line: "The man once known as Slovene disappeared, his duty complete. The crown prince of Aurenfeld would return to the capital alone."
I still had a bunch of questions I was dying to ask him—like, what exactly did "his duty complete" even mean? The novel stopped updating right after the cliffside scene, without ever reaching an ending. But when I entered Sonia's body, he was still at the Wittelsbach estate. Why?
Before I could tumble headfirst into that revelation—and all the questions I was burning to ask—Alessio touched my shoulder, gentle and grounding.
"We need to move."
* * *
Farewells were brief. (Which was terribly unfair, because I happen to be excellent at dramatic partings—but alas.)
Grandmama pressed a cloth-wrapped bundle into my hands: bread, dried fruit, the dagger I used to fumble through self-defense lessons… and a ring.
"I don't have much to give," she said softly, her expression stern—but her eyes betrayed a quiet affection. "But I'll pray to every star that you stay safe."
"I'll be okay," I promised, hugging her like I meant it. "Thank you—for everything."
"Use that ring," she added, tapping my hand. "It's the same kind His Highness wears to alter his appearance. You may not notice, but you stand out too."
"Wait—this is an artifact? Grandmama, how did you get your hands on this?"
She huffed, half-offended. "I've lived long enough to collect a few trinkets—this one just happens to be useful."
Then her voice sharpened, all warmth tucked away. "Don't get caught. We still don't know what that guy might do if he finds you."
But I stood tall. Well—taller.
"He won't hurt me."
Grandmama blinked. "Girl—"
"I remembered something," I said softly. "It came back to me last night. And since we're running out of time, all I can tell you now is this: he won't hurt me. From what I've recalled… he's also been interested in me for much longer than either of us ever imagined."
Certainty settled around me like a cloak. Even Alessio didn't argue. He looked at me sideways, clearly curious, but said nothing.
"If everything's ready, let's go," Alessio said.
"Take care, Grandmama." I gave her a small wave and left with Alessio, slipping the artifact onto my ring finger as we stepped into the night.
To be continued