"You will learn this when the time comes, Stephen. For now, we must escape from here."
He looked at him with curiosity and a hint of disdain. "And how do you propose we escape?" He didn't believe he could come up with a good plan.
He handed Stephen the black hooded cloak he was holding. The fabric was filled with mystery. Mystic patterns adorned the texture, giving the impression that it was prepared for a mysterious journey through time.
"Take this and put it on."
"Am I supposed to change my appearance then? I can't achieve much with just a cloak. I might look suspicious."
"Don't question, child. Put it on," he said with a weary tone.
As Stephen put on the black cloak, tendrils of mist-like smoke emerged around him. His eyes began to sting.
"Close your eyes!"
After closing his eyes, the pain subsided. "How did you see that my eyes were open behind that black smoke?" he asked in astonishment.
"That's my special ability. You can open your eyes now," he replied confidently.
Stephen opened his eyes and looked at his hands. They didn't look like the hands of a 16-year-old but rather like those of someone aged 30 or 40. It was the outcome he expected, yet he was still surprised. He wanted to know whose appearance he had taken, but after some thought, he figured it out. Still, he wanted to confirm.
"I've taken on Henry's appearance, haven't I?"
"Correct guess. Now, I'll explain the plan to you," he took a deep breath and began, "I'll take on your appearance, and there will be a commotion between us. When the guards hear the noise, they'll open the door immediately, and I'll take advantage of that gap to become invisible and escape. If the guards ask what happened, tell them the Justice Sword incapacitated me. Find a way to escape and make your way out. I'll be waiting for you at the end of the dungeon. I'll signal you with a gust of wind."
As the fairy dust enveloped the man, Stephen asked eagerly, "Why can't you teleport?"
"The castle is protected by a mysterious enchantment. Not everyone inside can teleport as they wish."
"But there must be guards at the end of the dungeon. How will we meet?"
"I'll become invisible. Through telepathy, I'll communicate with you. You just need to pretend to control the criminals."
"Understood, sir," Stephen said, and as soon as he uttered those words, the fairy dust vanished, and the man became an exact copy of Stephen. His transformation took longer than Stephen's.
Once transformed, he went to the right, picked up a few chairs, and threw them to the ground. Then, he used magic to lift the tables and torture tools and repeated the process. The resulting sounds of broken wood and metal were disturbingly loud. While doing this, he also shouted. Stephen followed suit and began shouting. They had successfully attracted the guards' attention. When they suddenly entered the room, the man became invisible and carefully slipped out through the still-open door.
"What happened, sir? Are you alright?" asked the guards, out of breath from their hurried arrival.
"He was about to harm me!" he shouted, doing his best not to appear artificial, and for now, he seemed to be doing well. He was even surprised at this turn of events himself.
"Do you know where that fugitive is?" asked the guard.
"I don't know," he stammered, trying to sound hesitant. "Could you please explain the situation a bit?"
"All of a sudden, he broke free from all constraints. When I saw this, I attempted a few spells on him, but they had no effect. He threw everything to the ground and made a mess of everything. I tried to stop him, but he lunged at me. Luckily, I managed to get away from him, but when I turned around, he had vanished into thin air," he recounted, his words coming out in a rush, leaving him out of breath. He took a deep breath and said, "My God... How will I explain this to His Excellency? What will I say to him?"
"Wasn't this boy supposed to be unable to perform magic?" one guard whispered to another.
"Perhaps it's the work of the Justice Sword," replied the other in the same tone.
"If that's the case..."
"What are you whispering about among yourselves?"
"Nothing, sir. But actually, it's our fault. We thought the boy couldn't do magic, so we didn't feel the need to take precautions. This happened because we didn't pay proper attention," he said, his voice tinged with sorrow and embarrassment as he hung his head down.
"At the moment, it doesn't matter who is guilty or not. It's best if you don't get involved, but His Majesty will probably want to talk to you as well. Give me some time. I'll think it over and speak to him myself."
"Sir, but there's also a possibility that he..." He paused instead of continuing. He didn't want to even mention the possibility.
"I'll discuss that with him personally, don't worry," he said, then quickly left without paying attention to the guards. He hadn't fully understood what the guard was talking about, but he pretended to understand and thought about it as he walked toward the end of the dungeon. Walking aimlessly at the end of the dungeon, he glanced at the criminals. Feeling strange at their condition – the ones with red and bruised bodies, the wounded, and those who looked at him as if they wanted to kill him – he shuddered. He needed to get out of here urgently. Where was that man?
He was becoming increasingly anxious, and finally, he felt the wind he had been waiting for. He relaxed. Finally, you're here.
It took quite a while to move silently and carefully.
So what do we do now?
Can you break this wall with the Justice Sword? There should be an exit after this.
But won't that make too much noise? Besides, I can't break this. I don't know how to use the sword.
Think of it as punching. Gather all your strength into the hand holding the sword and thrust it into the wall. Trust me, it's not that difficult.
But what about the noise?
We'll teleport as soon as we're out. The guards won't be able to do anything.
If breaking the wall with magic is so easy, why didn't they take precautions?
Ah, child... You shouldn't question everything. Not everyone can break through walls. It's something only the Justice Sword can do.
Well then.
Please, focus on the task at hand and talk less. The guards' attention is not here right now. We should use this moment.
Upon hearing this, Stephen immediately took the ring and it transformed into a sword. He paused for a moment, focused. For the first time, he could feel that magical aura within him. This excitement fueled his motivation and strengthened him even more. Now was the perfect time, he thought. With the force of a punch, he thrust the sword into the wall. The wall collapsed suddenly, crumbling to pieces. Stephen stared in shock at the wall, then jerked at the sound of a voice yelling, "Quickly, run outside! What are you waiting for?!"
He began to run immediately, and as soon as he stepped outside, he found himself in another place. He felt someone grip his left arm tightly, then he was pulled aside forcefully. It was the man who had done this.
"We should return to our old selves," he said, then snapped his fingers. Stephen saw that he had returned to his previous form. The man had also returned to his old self.
"All right, what do we do now? We're both wanted criminals now."
"Not me. They haven't seen me yet. Did you forget? But it's risky for me to be seen with you. Anyway, I'll find a way to disguise you."
"Why don't you use your cloak?"
"Unfortunately, it has limited use. Anyway, let's go to my place," Cedric said, about to perform the teleportation spell when Stephen stopped him. "I've never properly met you. What's your name?"
"I'm Cedric. Nice to finally meet you, albeit belatedly," he said with a smile. "You don't need to introduce yourself. I already know you."
"How do you know me?"
"Never mind that. You'll find out when the time comes," he said, and they teleported to his home.
"Welcome to my home, Stephen," Cedric said as they took a few steps into Cedric's house. Stephen stopped and looked around in awe. The atmosphere was magnificent. "You must like it here," Cedric grinned. "Yes, the house looks amazing."
"I'm glad you like it. I'll train you here. Try to adapt quickly."
"What training?" Stephen asked in surprise.
"Training on how to use the Justice Sword and some basic magic. It will be a challenging process, but I believe in you. You have the potential."
Cedric's words, his interest, and sincerity plunged Stephen into internal conflict. He remembered how he had treated Cedric in the early days. He felt remorse, and it showed on his face. Cedric must have noticed because he asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I apologize for how I treated you in the early days. You're a good person, but I couldn't see that. I treated you very poorly."
"Never mind that, kid. It's water under the bridge. No need to beat yourself up over it. Besides, you couldn't trust me, and if I were you, I wouldn't have trusted me either. I was too mysterious and overbearing." He smiled again, but this time it was different. It was warmer and more genuine. Stephen smiled back in response.