"F-Florence?"

Without thinking, he unconsciously took a step forward, boots scraping against the uneven stones.

Rheanne turned her head toward him as confusion flickered across her face beneath the shadow of her hood.

"Kael?"

He didn’t answer as his gaze was locked on the blonde woman.

"Florence..." he muttered again.

His feet moved before his mind could catch up and he walked toward her quickly.

The woman turned her head at the sound of approaching footsteps. When she saw the hooded figure striding directly toward her, her eyes widened in panic.

"Huh?"

In fear, she took one step back, then bolted while lifting her skirts slightly as she hurried down the side alley beside the inn, disappearing into the shadows between buildings.

Before Brandon could take more than a few steps after her, a firm hand grabbed his wrist.

"Kael, what happened? We don’t want unnecessary attention right now."

Brandon stopped abruptly and turned to look at Rheanne, "It’s just that... the woman looked like someone I know. Exactly like her."

Rheanne blinked faintly and her grip on his wrist loosened ’Now that I think of it... I never asked him about his family,’ she realized.

’I just brought him here on my whim.’

Brandon exhaled shakily and rubbed his face with his free hand ’Am I hallucinating because I miss her? And I even scared that poor woman.’

A soft, weary sigh escaped his lips.

"Let’s go."

Rheanne gave a slow nod, "...Okay."

She released his wrist and they continued walking through the city streets, heading toward the enormous castle.

Its towers and spires were illuminated by dozens of torches and lanterns, casting long shadows across the rooftops.

As they approached the main road leading to the castle gates, several armored guards stepped forward.

"Halt. State your business at this hour-"

Rheanne calmly lowered her hood.

The moment her long white hair and striking sky-blue eyes were revealed, the guards froze.

In perfect unison, they dropped to one knee and their spears clattered against the stone as they bowed their heads deeply.

"Goddess Rheanne!"

Rheanne simply nodded once in acknowledgment and continued forward with Brandon at her side.

The guards remained kneeling, not daring to rise until the two of them had passed.

Brandon kept his own hood up, staying silent as they walked through the grand castle gates and into the outer courtyard.

The grounds were beautifully kept, stone pathways lined with flowering bushes, fountains, and guards standing at attention along the walls.

Servants and minor officials moved about with hurried steps, but everyone gave Rheanne a wide berth, whispering and bowing as she passed.

They were led toward the main audience hall.

Word of the Goddess’s arrival had already spread like wildfire through the castle.

Inside the grand hall, the Emperor of Eurasania rose from his throne the moment they entered.

He was a tall, middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard and sharp eyes, dressed in rich crimson robes.

His expression shifted from surprise to deep reverence as he descended the steps and bowed low.

"Lady Rheanne. The tower in the eastern mountains has grown more unstable. Thank you for the help... Goddess."

Rheanne gave a nod "We can talk things later. But first, we need rest and proper accommodations."

The Emperor’s gaze flicked briefly to the hooded figure beside her and curiosity flashed in his eyes, but he wisely asked no questions.

"Of course, Goddess. The finest guest quarters have already been prepared. Food, baths, and fresh clothes will be brought immediately."

Rheanne gave a small nod.

As servants hurried to escort them deeper into the castle, Brandon kept his hood low.

Rheanne walked beside him in silence, occasionally glancing at him with quiet concern, but she didn’t press for answers in front of others.

They were shown to a spacious suite with heavy wooden doors and a large balcony overlooking the city.

A steaming bath had already been prepared in an adjoining room, along with platters of roasted meat, fresh bread, fruits, and wine.

Once the servants left and the doors closed behind them, Rheanne finally turned to him fully.

"Kael... are you alright?"

Brandon walked over to the large bed and sat down on the edge letting the soft mattress sink slightly under his weight.

"Yeah, I am. Don’t worry."

The shock of seeing that woman who looked exactly like Florence had rattled him deeply, but the exhaustion from the tower was already dulling the sharp edges of the pain.

Rheanne crossed the room and sat down beside him on the bed, "Also... I brought you here without asking what you want to do. There should be people waiting for you back in your home."

Brandon turned his head to look at her and smiled gently "It’s okay. I am an orphan anyway."

"Also, we are the same... so I guess it’s better to stick with you."

Rheanne’s gaze lowered to her lap "Mhm."

Then Brandon remembered something important and straightened a little "Also, if anyone asks you who I am, just say that I am your right hand or your personal servant. Don’t tell anyone that I can use ether like you."

Rheanne blinked in confusion, tilting her head slightly. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"I see... you don’t want to get anyone’s attention, huh. Alright."

Brandon smiled dryly in his heart ’More like no one should ever know that men can use ether. Because when others begin to awaken, it will only be women.’

’So my status as an awakener will be a secret.’

Rheanne stood up gracefully and smoothed down her tunic "Eat your dinner and sleep. We can talk tomorrow, Kael."

She gave him one last soft look before walking to the connecting door that led to her own adjoining room.

With a quiet click, she closed it behind her, leaving him alone in the spacious chamber.

The moment she was gone, Brandon let out a long, heavy sigh and stood up from the bed before walking over to the balcony.

He pushed open the wooden shutters and stepped outside.

The cool night air brushed past his face.

Brandon leaned against the stone balustrade, staring out at the city.

His mind drifted back to "old days"... the life he had left behind in 2051.

A faint, bittersweet smile touched his lips.

But then he frowned slightly.

’Huh?’

His sharp eyes caught movement in the shadows below.

A hooded figure was climbing the outer castle wall and the person moved fluidly from one handhold to the next, perfectly avoiding the blind spots of the patrolling guards.

’A thief? From the way they’re sneaking around... it seems like it.’

The figure scaled the wall quickly, heading toward one of the upper balconies on the eastern wing of the castle.

This wasn’t a random intruder. Whoever it was had studied the castle’s security patterns.

He stayed perfectly still on his own balcony, watching from the shadows.

The hooded person reached a ledge just below the royal quarters, paused to check for guards, then continued climbing.

Brandon’s grip tightened on the stone railing.

’Should I intervene?’

Part of him wanted to ignore it, as he is in a foreign time period and already dealing with enough complications.

But another part refused to simply stand by while something suspicious happened right under their noses.

Especially inside the castle where they were currently staying as guests.

He glanced back toward the connecting door to Rheanne’s room. She had already gone to rest. Waking her over a possible thief felt unnecessary...

Brandon’s gaze narrowed slightly ’Let’s see who you are.’

Slipping back inside just long enough to grab a knife, he then stepped onto his balcony again, climbed over the stone railing, and began descending silently along the outer wall.

Below, the hooded figure had reached a narrow ledge and was preparing to jump onto a higher balcony that overlooked the royal gardens.

The moment the intruder leaped, Brandon acted.

He dropped down from his own position, landing silently on the same ledge.

In one fluid motion, he surged forward and grabbed the intruder from behind with his right arm wrapping around the suspect’s torso in a firm lock while his left hand clamped over the mouth to stifle any cry.

The intruder’s whole body stiffened in shock.

For a split second, the intruder froze completely.

Then instinct kicked in and the hooded figure twisted violently, trying to break free, driving the elbow backward toward Brandon’s ribs.

Brandon tightened his grip and held the intruder in place without hurting too much.

"Quiet," he whispered. "I’m not here to kill you."

The intruder struggled harder for another moment, then suddenly went still again.

"I saw you climbing the wall. You know the patrol routes too well to be a common thief. Do you have any weapon on you?"

Brandon muttered and ran his hand through the chest to see if there were any daggers... and he felt something squishy.

Huh?

He squeezed the boob firmly, feeling the soft flesh yield in his palm.

"Nngh-"

He blinked in surprise ’It’s a woman?’

He quickly moved his hand away from her chest and the woman in his arms tensed even more.

Brandon cleared his throat quietly and continued in a low murmur "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

He slowly loosened his hand over the figure’s mouth just enough to allow speech but kept it close in case the person tried to scream.

"DO YO-"

Hearing her scream, Brandon quickly covered her mouth again "Shh. be quiet or you will be in trouble."