Adrian vanished into the distance, running toward the mountains that lay far to the west.
His figure disappeared quickly, swallowed by the horizon and the rising shadows of evening.
Archer remained standing outside the estate gates for a moment, watching the empty path where Adrian had been.
He exhaled slowly.
"That boy…"
To Archer, this was madness. Adrian had barely survived brushing against death, yet now he was running straight toward it of his own will.
And toward a man like Rupert.
Archer turned sharply and strode back into the estate.
If Adrian intended to throw his life away, Archer would at least make sure the boy did not face it alone.
He entered the armory and grabbed his blade, the familiar weight settling into his hand. The steel slid cleanly into its sheath as he secured it at his side.
Without another moment wasted, Archer moved toward the exit again.
Just as he stepped through the doors, a voice stopped him.
"Archer. Wait."
He turned.
Theodosia stood at the top of the steps, her expression firm, the wind lightly stirring her hair.
"I'll come with you."
Archer stared at her for a moment, surprised.
"You know where he's going," he said. "Rupert's territory lies west of here. This estate—my domain—is in the North. Once we cross far enough, we'll be beyond anything resembling safety."
Theodosia descended the steps calmly.
"I know," she replied. "And that's exactly why he shouldn't face it alone."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Archer gave a small nod.
"Fine. But once we catch him… we're dragging that fool back if we have to."
They stepped beyond the gates together.
And somewhere far to the west, Adrian was already running toward the man who had killed Rowan.
Adrian ran without slowing.
The land blurred beneath his feet as forests, hills, and stone passed behind him like shadows fleeing the sun. The westward wind struck his body again and again, yet his stride never faltered.
Behind him, far beyond sight, Theodosia had already changed from her dress.
She now wore fitted pants suited for travel, clothing meant for someone prepared to run through wilderness and stone. But even with urgency burning in her chest, it did not matter.
Adrian was simply too fast.
Even Rupert would struggle to match Adrian's speed across long distances.
Within a single hour, Adrian had already reached the peaks of the western mountains.
He stood at the summit.
Cold wind rushed across the ridges, brushing against his black hair that faded into grey near the ends. The night air wrapped around him as his crimson eyes scanned the lands below.
Valleys stretched outward like a sleeping beast beneath the moonlight.
Adrian lifted the hood of his black hoodie and pulled it over his head.
The cloth settled over his features, casting a shadow across his face.
From the outside, only a narrow opening remained where his face should have been visible.
But there was nothing to see.
Darkness filled the hood.
Anyone attempting to peer inside would find no face, no eyes, no expression.
Only shadow.
To call Adrian an omen of death in that moment would have been an insult.
It would have been far too small a description for what stood upon that mountain peak.
Archer and Theodosia departed not long after.
Mana surged through their bodies as they enhanced their physical strength, their speed pushing beyond what ordinary humans could ever hope to achieve. Their strides devoured the land quickly, wind tearing past them as they followed the path Adrian had taken.
But even with mana amplifying their bodies, they could not match Adrian's pace.
He had already gone too far.
At that very moment, Adrian was descending the mountains.
He did not take the winding paths carved by travelers. Instead, he leapt directly from the heights.
His boots struck the steep mountain face and slid violently across the stone. Sparks and gravel scattered as he dug the edges of his boots into the surface.
Adrian thrust his wrapped hands into the rock.
The hand wraps caught against the jagged stone, slowing his descent just enough to keep his momentum controlled. His body slid down the mountainside like a falling blade carving through the earth.
Then he pushed off.
Adrian dropped into the valley below.
The impact thundered through the canyon floor as his boots struck the ground, dust erupting around him. Without hesitation, he launched forward again, his body surging into motion with tremendous speed.
But after several moments, a realization struck him.
He did not actually know where Rupert's castle or estate was located.
Adrian slowed slightly, crimson eyes scanning the distance.
Far ahead, rising against the horizon, a massive wall stretched across the land. It loomed over the plains like an iron horizon, vast and unbroken.
Adrian assumed something simple.
In his rush, he had likely taken the most direct route to the border without realizing it.
And if Rupert truly governed this region as a Marquess, then the border wall would inevitably lead to him.
Adrian leaned forward.
Then he ran straight toward it.
Adrian ran toward the border wall without hesitation.
The wind tore past him as the land rushed beneath his feet. His crimson eyes scanned the distance, calculating every detail as he moved.
It did not take long for him to realize something.
Rupert's estate—or castle—could never be behind him.
If the Marquess ruled this border region, then whatever seat of power he held would lie somewhere along the wall itself.
Adrian adjusted his course.
Before even reaching the wall, he struck a slanted route, following the direction where the massive structure curved across the land. His speed increased again, his body cutting across the plains like a shadow racing the wind.
Soon a forest rose before him.
It was breathtaking.
Towering trees arched overhead like natural cathedrals, their branches weaving a canopy of deep green and silver where sunlight filtered through in quiet beams. The air was cool and fragrant, filled with the scent of leaves and distant water.
For a moment, the beauty of the place was almost unreal.
But the moment passed quickly.
Adrian entered the forest like a storm—and left it just as easily.
The trees parted behind him.
And there it was.
A castle loomed ahead.
The border wall curved away from it, stretching across the horizon while the fortress itself stood alone upon the open plains. Its dark towers rose toward the sky like silent sentinels, massive and imposing.
Yet Adrian could not see inside.
Another wall surrounded the castle itself, thick stone obstructing any view of the inner grounds.
He slowed.
The forest was now behind him, and the land around the fortress was completely open. A vast plain stretched out in every direction.
There was no cover.
No shadows to hide within.
Sneaking closer without being noticed would be impossible.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
The speed drained from his body, replaced by calm control.
Then he began walking forward.
Not like a fugitive.
Not like a man trying to hide.
But like someone who already knew exactly where he was going.
Adrian walked forward across the open plain, his pace slow and deliberate.
The wind moved quietly around him, tugging at the edges of his hood as the massive fortress grew larger with every step.
'Considering its size…' Adrian thought calmly. 'I should expect ten more layers of walls like these before reaching the heart of the place.'
The fortress had been built like a kingdom within a kingdom.
Even from the outside, the scale of the defenses spoke clearly of the power that ruled here.
High above, soldiers had already noticed him.
The castle sat far from any town or settlement, isolated from civilization itself. Visitors were rare, and strangers even rarer.
But the man approaching was alone.
Just one figure crossing the empty plain.
There was no need to sound the alarm.
No bells rang across the walls.
Instead, the soldiers simply watched.
Then the great gates shifted.
Heavy mechanisms groaned as the massive doors opened, and a thick bridge lowered over the deep trench surrounding the fortress walls. The wood struck the ground with a dull thunder.
From the opening, soldiers emerged.
One after another they walked forward, their armor reflecting the daylight as they spread into a loose formation.
Adrian counted them instinctively.
Or rather, he estimated.
'Fifty soldiers,' he assumed quietly within his mind.
It was not an exact number.
Just a rough guess based on the figures approaching him across the bridge.
They moved toward him with the confidence of men who believed they controlled the situation.
And Adrian kept walking toward them.
The soldiers formed a line across the plain.
Armor shifted and boots pressed into the earth as they halted together, blocking the path ahead.
"Stop where you are!" one of them shouted from the formation.
Adrian did not stop.
He continued walking forward, each step steady and unhurried.
The voice came again, louder this time.
"Do you know whose lands you are standing in?"
The soldier's tone hardened as he pointed toward the towering fortress behind them.
"You stand before the castle of Marquess Rupert Thornbridge!"
Only then did Adrian stop.
Not because the command had been given, but because he had reached a distance where questions could be asked.
From the formation, six soldiers stepped forward.
Their armor clinked softly as they approached, spreading slightly apart as if preparing to surround him.
One of them was older than the rest.
Even beneath the helmet, his presence felt firm and disciplined, the kind of man who had survived many campaigns. His posture was straight, controlled, and the others seemed to defer to him without words.
Adrian stood calmly before them.
His hood remained over his head, shadow swallowing his features so completely that no face could be seen.
At his waist, the daggers rested quietly.
The one on his left side faced forward, its grip angled for a swift draw.
The other dagger sat differently.
Mounted on the right side of his belt, the blade pointed backward along his spine. Only the handle was exposed near his hip, positioned so his hand could reach it without effort.
The soldiers stopped a few paces away.
And the older man spoke first.
The six soldiers stopped a few paces from Adrian.
The older one stepped forward slightly, his posture firm beneath the iron plates of his armor.
"Envoy or wanderer—whatever you are," the man said evenly. "Inform us why you have come here today."
Adrian gave no reply.
He simply looked at them from beneath the hood, the darkness within concealing his face completely.
'I was going to ask if this was Rupert's castle,' Adrian thought quietly.
'But they've already answered that for me.'
Above them, the sky began to change.
Clouds drifted across the sun, swallowing the light little by little until the open plains were cast in shadow. The air cooled as the seconds passed, the clouds thickening into something heavy and restless.
It looked as though rain might come.
Or as though the sky itself was watching.
The six soldiers stepped closer.
They spread around Adrian until they stood in a loose circle, surrounding him on every side.
Adrian's hands rested near the daggers at his waist, though he made no move to draw them.
The one on his left pointed forward.
The other rested along his back with the handle exposed near his right side.
He spoke calmly.
"Step aside. I'm only here for your lord."
The soldiers did not react immediately.
In these lands, nearly everyone carried weapons. A blade alone meant nothing. To them, Adrian appeared to be nothing more than a lone traveler who had wandered too close to the wrong fortress.
But his words changed that.
The older soldier's voice hardened.
"Leave these lands," he said coldly. "Unless you wish for us to kill you where you stand… and let the vultures pick the flesh from your bones."
A moment later, the soldiers released their mana.
A faint silver radiance bled from their bodies, pressure filling the air around Adrian as they tried to intimidate him. They had already sensed something strange about him.
He had no visible mana at all.
And to them, that meant weaknesse.
The soldiers' mana pressed against the air like a silent threat.
Silver light bled faintly from their bodies, a display meant to intimidate the lone figure standing among them.
Adrian did not move.
For a moment he simply stood there, the wind brushing against the dark cloth of his hood.
"You see," Adrian said quietly, "what you're saying now… is what I would have said six days ago."
The soldiers frowned beneath their helmets, not understanding what he meant.
But Adrian had already withdrawn from the moment, his thoughts turning inward.
'Six days ago… I still held those ideas,' he reflected calmly.
'Back when I thought restraint meant something.'
His gaze lowered slightly.
The memory of Rowan's grave flickered through his mind.
'Now… I hold no such thoughts.'
Adrian's fingers twitched near the dagger at his side.
'If you refuse to move…'
The thought finished itself.
'Then I'll remove you myself.'
And in the next instant—
Adrian moved.