Kael and Sabrine followed Alastair's scent to the alleyway, where they found him being attacked by Xandros.
"Alastair!" Sabrine called out.
Alastair, knocked back by the summon, heard a familiar voice. "Sabrine?" he asked, his voice a mix of surprise and relief. The summon tried to attack the distracted Alastair, but a furious Sabrine swiftly decapitated it with a single motion before cradling the exhausted Alastair like a baby and moving him to the other side of the alley to meet Kael.
"Kael, you have to help her," Alastair urged, looking towards the struggling Naomi. Naomi was about to be hit by a flame spell cast by Xandros when Kael whisked her to safety, placing her down next to Sabrine. Still in shock, she had no idea what had happened as Kael began to walk toward a stunned Xandros.
"I take it you're to blame for all this?" Kael asked.
"What does it matter?" Xandros managed to muster, still feeling pressured by Kael's dominating aura.
"True, it doesn't matter. I'll kill you anyway," Kael replied.
Feeling Kael's bloodlust, Xandros created distance between them before summoning the wolf-like beasts that had previously attacked Alastair. Kael walked forward, disregarding the summons.
"Foolish," Xandros remarked. "Your pride will be your downfall," he said as he ordered the beasts to attack. Kael effortlessly dodged all the beasts' attacks before decapitating them.
"Is this it? Is that all you can do?" Kael asked, his voice condescending, mocking the already shamed Xandros. "Pitiful," he added.
Xandros stood there, shocked. He had used up most of his magical power summoning those beasts, and Kael took them down like they were nothing. In that moment, he became painfully aware of the gap in power between himself and the man standing before him. He couldn't beat Kael, and every fiber of his being told him to run, but he was too afraid to move. In a last-ditch effort, he cast a fire spell that had no effect on Kael before trying to flee into the shadows. He heard a voice, and that voice bore only a single command.
"Stop."
As if controlled by a spell, Xandros stood in place, canceling the spell he was about to use as an escape. Kael walked toward him as calmly as he had in the beginning.
"Who do you work for?" Kael asked.
Compelled, Xandros replied truthfully against his will. "The Shadow Faction."
"As I thought. They really are after Alastair," Kael mumbled. "Well, you've outlived your use to me, and as I promised, you shall now die," Kael said before puncturing Xandros's chest and rupturing his heart at a speed barely visible to the human eye.
Alastair, now on his feet, watched the whole fight and came to a single conclusion. He was weak—too weak. He thought his training had made him stronger, strong enough to fight whatever this world of darkness would throw at him, but he was wrong. Kael mowed down five of the beasts in a matter of seconds while he was completely exhausted after fighting only one.
"I'm still too weak," he muttered.
"Alastair," Kael called out as he approached. Alastair had half-expected this and had prepared himself mentally for a stern talking-to from Kael. He had prepared for every possible scenario, but what he heard next was not what he had envisioned.
"Alastair... I'm sorry."
"What??" Alastair questioned, thinking his exhaustion was causing him to hallucinate. The Kael he knew would never apologize.
"I'm sorry, Alastair. You were right. I had no right to do what I did to you. I took you away from your family all for some vague prophecy that I can't prove. I ruined your life on a whim, and for that, I truly am sorry."
Alastair was stunned beyond words and just stood there, staring at Kael with no idea what to say in response.
"I'm not sure what to say," Alastair finally managed.
"You could say 'apology accepted'?" Sabrine chimed in. "It may not look like it, but that was hard for him to say."
"Okay, I'll accept your apology if you promise to give me nothing but the truth from now on—no more lies," Alastair said, a serious look on his face.
"You have my word," Kael replied.
"And mine too," Sabrine added.
"Good." Alastair turned to Naomi. "Kael, Sabrine, this is Naomi. She saved my life in the forest. If it weren't for her, I'd probably be dead."
"Hello, Naomi," Sabrine said. "You used some complex spells during the fight. Are you perhaps from a witch academy?"
"Not quite. I'm from a special organization that fights the supernatural for the balance of the world."
"I see. Well, you have my gratitude for taking care of Alastair in our stead," Kael said.
"I must get going now," Naomi said as she turned to leave. "Alastair, thanks for helping me find my sister. If we ever meet again someday, I'll be sure to repay the favor," she said before heading in the direction of the village, leaving Kael, Sabrine, and Alastair alone.
"Alastair, how would you like to see your family?" Kael asked out of the blue.
"What?" Alastair asked, confused.
"Well, I'm asking if you'd like to see your family. Take it as recompense for my previous behavior," Kael said.
Alastair stood there thinking to himself. He would be able to see his family again. He would see his father's kind face, his mother's bright smile, and his sister's warmth. But he didn't want to—not yet. Not until he was strong enough to fight whatever threatened to harm them.
"Thanks for the offer, Kael, but I'm not ready for that yet. I need to get stronger so I can protect my family," Alastair said, a determined look in his eyes.
"That's good determination," Kael commented.
"Then shall we head back?" Sabrine asked as they made their way home.