Kai looked at the dark hallway. He knew beyond that was a place for guards to rest the night knowing that they have possibly kidnapped innocent people and harmed them.
But that was simply just an excuse.
Fire spawned in the palm of his hands, it wavered and blazed like a wave.
He placed both his hands on the ground and felt the flames piercing through the floor and causing cracks in the earth's crust.
The flames ran through the whole prison as if it was a marathon. Even without inflammable items, it still lit the whole place on fire. Magic was magic afterall. It'll be alive as long as the owner supplied it with mana.
The prison was enveloped in fire, trapping prisoners and guards. Smoke oozes out of the flames eagerly.
Sounds of the crackling fire and screams of pain bursted his eardrums.
Kai kept a calm expression as he walked away from the fire that crept up behind him. Litting everything in its path on fire.
He then left as he covered up the staircase. With magic, he created chunks of dirt and blocked off the entry to prevent smoke from seeping through.
"Why did you save me?" The boy asked, leaning on the tree. He had been waiting the whole time.
"I felt like it." Kai made sure his work was finished properly. People will find out about the deaths of these people sooner or later.
"If you wanted revenge, you should've only just killed him. Why did you..do that?"
Kai looked at the boy and smiled. "I wonder."
The boy felt shivers crawling up his spine. The way he replied and that smile.. It was unusual. He had killed people for years because of money, but this was the first time he had met someone with such a strange mindset.
That person felt completely different from when he was in the cell, defeated. It was as if a leash that held him down had snapped.
"Thank you."
Kai nodded and left. He had no interest in the boy whatsoever. Nor did he have any in the rude guard. They did not hold any significance in his life.
On the way back, something fell from the tree branches. It landed nimbly on its 4 legs. It's black glossy fur shimmered in the dark.
"Luar."
The leopard advanced towards Kai. It's posture straightened and it's steps were slow and impactful.
"Are you injured anywhere?"
Kai paused and wondered why Laur didn't ask about what he had just done. He knew it saw the whole thing happen. He could feel a presence stinging his back when he had fought the guards.
Seeing that Kai had no response, Luar got closer. But still left quite a distance between them.
"Are you just going to ignore what has happened?" Kai wore an exhausted expression as his shoulders slumped as he sat on the ground.
"Yes. If that's what you want." Luar replied tenderly.
"I'm happy that you're here. I don't know why I'm like this. I'm doing things that I myself can't even understand."
"It's alright." Luar comforted.
"Maybe I should've just stayed behind with him. If I did, maybe none of this would have gotten out of hand." Tears started forming inside his eyes. He blinked and the droplets flowed down his face.
It looked pitifully at Kai and put the boy to sleep with its magic. It was obvious he hadn't slept for days. His eye bags were even darker than the sky itself. It was even more prominent on his pale skin.
Luar looked behind and up. "Do you understand now what I meant when I said Kai is unstable and unpredictable? I think leaving our house made his situation worse. It probably gave him deja vu."
"He seemed fine whenever he was with me. The only thing I noticed about him was his revulsion against physical touch. And he.." Mr Walton didn't finish his sentence. He felt like he couldn't. Not until he could confirm it.
"Please take care of him well. I'll try to convince Lithia to bring him back. Though I doubt it'd work as long as Claude still suffers from trauma."
"You can just let him stay with me. I don't mind taking him in as a grandchild" Mr Walton stated, looking at the leopard who was now laying down beside Kai.
Luar looked at Mr Walton and shook its head. "You don't get it. You're a believer in justice. A true hero that served the country and risked his life for it. This child..doesn't correspond well with your beliefs. Sooner or later, you'll hate him. Walton, you yourself know exactly what I'm talking about. Even now, your hands are clenched in a fist to suppress your anger for him killing such a large sum of people."
"But..don't you think he can change for the better?"
"Who do you think you are? God? You help Kai change? Don't make me laugh. Your selfishness will suffocate him instead. Even I dare not meddle with Kai's matters." Luar's word was terribly harsh. Like touching a rocky path that has not yet been smoothened.
"Kai is not ours. He will not dance to our tune. He is his own." Luar stated. It's eyes glowing with certainty.
"You're not going to try? You know what path he is going to take. He'll get revenge on the Whitlocks. It's not a path someone should take! It's not a desire someone should live off of!"
"And it's not something you should decide. Leave it Walton. You haven't lived long enough to battle me on what's right and wrong."
Mr Walton could hear his heart crushing into pieces. "You're not going to save this child?"
Luar stayed silent. "I'll let him live happily. But I know he is never going to give up on his goal. His resolve is unbreakable. I can feel it. Maybe his goal will change along the way, but not by us. So..forget about imprinting your views on him."
The man couldn't deny it. Mr Walton knew Luar was correct. It has always been right from the start.
He used to be one of the highest ranking paladins in the continent during his youth. His swordsmanship and skills were rated one of the best.
He served under the church like a royal servant. He hated injustice and crimes.
His goal was to remove the evil that had rooted itself in this world and create a better future for everyone through fighting against injustice.
That was before a betrayal put his goals to a halt. He lost a leg and a friend that day.
He was dismissed from his work as his prosthetic legs were inefficient and hard to manage in such an environment.
His simple minded thinking had led himself to believe he could teach the child his ways.
Despite knowing Kai Whitlocks's past.
People become the way they are due to what they go through. Whether it'd be hardships or blessings.
The same situations can spark different reactions in people.
No one is born evil or good. A villain or hero. They were made.
One's past makes the person.
Even if you change the present, one can never have the power to erase the past that has rooted itself deeply in their souls.