People flew back as the building exploded and flames swept through the night. Both the guards and the residents of Augus were stained by the explosion. Many were injured by the fall or heat, while others were dazed and their ears still buzzing when they realized what had happened.
The fire department had taken too long.
The fire spread to the neighboring buildings, turning the surroundings into the anteroom of hell. The shock and panic were so great that people just went silent. The previous confusion was swallowed by the voracity of the flames.
The fire department arrived some time later. As people started talking again, they arranged their artifacts that gushed jets of water in the direction of the fire. It was enough to prevent the flames from spreading any further. It would be a long night of work ahead until they managed to contain the fire. It was more likely to take days.
While all this was happening, Liliana's parents cried, embracing each other. They had lost hope of seeing their daughter again, but it was difficult to believe she had gone forever... and that way.
The pain was so great that the mother screamed in pain when thinking about her daughter's fate.
Someone coughed without stopping. The guards went back and forth, dazed like ants after a child stepped on the anthill.
So the parents did not realize when one of the guards stopped in front of them while helping a young woman walk.
"Mom... cough, cough. Dad, cough, cough."
The couple remained embraced and did not pay attention to the girl.
"It's me, cough, cough.
The father was the first to raise his eyes when he recognized the voice speaking to them. And his eyes widened, and the crying turned into surprise, and then into delight as he took his wife by the shoulders and pointed in the girl's direction.
Liliana was a mess, with her ankle soaked in blood and her hair singed. Burns were bursting from her skin on her arms, neck, and chest, but nothing that stood out from the fact that she was alive and in front of them.
"My daughter!" The mother shouted as she stood up and ran towards the young woman.
The father came right behind and finally; the surprise was swallowed by a big embrace and a lot of crying.
The three remained that way for a long time until fear left them completely. Later that same night, they talked about everything that had happened. Liliana had to explain to the guards how she had survived the explosion. However, she didn't even know how to say it. She only spoke of a ghost with snow-white hair that the flames dared not touch.
...
As soon as Liliana reunited with her parents, Ezro watched the scene from the alley where he had left Sphyr. A simple smile appeared on his lips when he saw the family reunited.
He had fulfilled his role. The marks on his arms were still smoky, but soon they would return to normal.
His priority was something else now. He needed to eat. His stomach growled with hunger, and Sphyr gave him a curious look. Ezro awkwardly smiled at him as he put on his cloak and let his partner return to his place on his right shoulder.
Thus, both of them left the fire and all that confusion behind.
The explosion had shaken that peaceful night in Augus. People left their homes and stood on the streets talking to each other, trying to understand what was happening.
Many went in the direction of the flames to satisfy their curiosity. Ezro was the only one going in the opposite direction. He didn't want to attract attention and chose quieter paths with fewer curious looks. And the closer he got to the docks, the emptier the streets became.
At one point, Ezro was passing through a passage made of clay bricks that connected two buildings on the sides, when he felt the presence at his back. Ezro knew that feeling and quickened his pace. Whoever was following him imitated him, so he decided to throw off his pursuer using the city's streets. This normally worked on the other side of the sea when he knew the way. But that wasn't the case in Augus and when Ezro realized, after crossing a short and poorly lit street, he found himself in front of a dark and dead-end alley.
When he thought of turning around to go in another direction, it was too late. He felt his path was blocked. So Ezro gestured to Sphyr. The lemire jumped to the ground as the boy spun on his heels to face his pursuer.
Across the street was a man in his early twenties. With long blonde hair and a cold gaze. He wore distinct clothing and on his wrist was a long-handled, curved blade scythe.
The two exchanged a significant look as they measured each other in silence. Then footsteps sounded behind the stranger until a young man appeared and stopped beside him. Ezro recognized him. He was the leader of the group that had caused problems in the square earlier.
"It's him. This is the scoundrel who interfered with us," the young man pointed to Ezro with a malicious look.
"Be very careful Aron, he is not what he appears to be." The blonde-haired man spoke in a controlled, calculated tone.
"I don't care, Evin. He'll pay for everything that went wrong! It's all his fault." Aron was unable to maintain composure and gestured irately while speaking.
"Be quiet or leave," Evin's tone was capable of freezing the surrounding water.
Ezro didn't understand that conversation. He just wanted to follow his way and find a place to eat and sleep.
"Errr... who are you guys?" He interrupted the two.
"You!" Aron pointed his finger in his direction. "For whom do you work?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Aron! Be quiet! What are you talking about? He doesn't work for anyone. We already know that!"
For the first time, Evin's tone sounded aggressive and Aron shrunk back from him.
"Bu-but..."
Evin sighed, and his gaze softened.
"Be quiet and let me handle the situation."
Aron clenched his fists and shot a fierce look in Ezro's direction before taking a step back and obeying his superior's order.
The man with the scythe then took a step forward and resumed observing Ezro with a careful look.
"My name is Evin. What's yours?"
"Uh, you can call me Ezro. Is this going to take long?"
"So, Ezro, I assume you must be new here and have no idea what you did earlier. That's why I'm giving you a chance. Surrender to me and I'll spare your life."
"Evin!? What is...?" Aron started protesting, but the other turned to him with a icy look and his words died before leaving his lips.
"I have no interest in surrendering, and my life doesn't need to be spared by anyone." Ezro spoke with a serious tone.
"Wait, I haven't finished speaking," Evin replied with an even more serious look.
"And I'll still have no interest, even after you finish. There's nothing to talk about here."
Evin's gaze transformed for a brief moment, and then an unlikely smile appeared on his lips.
"Are you sure? I'm dying of curiosity to know how you survived that explosion."
The phrase caught Ezro off guard, and Evin noticed it. Ezro then read the hidden evil in the other's gaze and understood what was happening.
"I'll only ask one more time. Who are you guys?"