Soon, Chase entered the vibrant city. From where the sun was located in the sky, he could tell it was around noon.
He had also gotten a change of clothes once the several caravans crossed the city border.
Over his tattered leather shirt, he wore an oversized hoodie made from a mix of expensive fabrics and cotton.
The hoodie was a dull grey, and the shorts he had been given were black and made of a light, flexible material.
When he walked out of the small bathroom at the entrance of the city, he spotted the six caravans led by two horses each. They were all parked in an alley next to a bunch of small shops.
Chase put his hood up as he walked across the polished stone pathways.
The small district of the city was heavily populated, and he tried not to bump into anyone on the busy street.
His heart pounded in his chest, a steady rhythm of unease as he felt the weight of the city pressing down on him.
He looked at the ground, noticing the unique mosaics carved into the street.
The gnawing feeling of being watched made him avoid eye contact with others.
If a stray like Chase was found alone in the streets of a city as full of nobility as the City of the Sun, it wouldn't be hard to guess he was a child of no house.
Normally, in the outer kingdoms of the continent, race and status were never brought into consideration much. However, once you entered the territories of the central kingdoms, the high and mighty nobility and royalty didn't let filth like Chase roam the streets.
There were exceptions, of course. One could join the military as soon as they entered a high-status city and be pardoned for life.
Labor work was always an option as well.
But Chase had no time for any of that. He needed to get to the gothic castle that towered above the city on top of the awe-inspiring mountains.
The vibrant chatter of the market was a stark contrast to his silent thoughts. He clenched his fists, wishing he could dissolve into the crowd without a trace.
He looked down at his leg as he took a step between two people, and suddenly a sense of panic instilled itself within him.
The gruesome scar on his lower leg was easily visible, as if it were being shown off willingly.
'How could I forget about this damned scar!'
He cursed as he picked up his pace toward the caravans.
"Hey, Chase! You're back!"
He looked up to see the black-haired boy sticking his entire upper body out of the window of the caravan.
Michael of House Everfrost was waving violently at Chase, which didn't help his already insecure state.
The younger boy walked up the steps of the middle caravan and took a seat on the farthest bench from Michael.
He sat with his right leg hidden under his other.
It wasn't that Chase cared about his ragged leg being seen. If anything, he was paranoid that someone would find out who he was.
He had guessed that the raiders didn't just attack their village for no reason. In fact, it became quite possible.
The words the general of the savages had said remained within Chase's thoughts.
That something as bright as the beacon that lit up the sky was more valuable than him…
It was more that she had said it, as if he was the target initially.
That thought had been bothering Chase since he first entered the Dark Forest. The question of "Why would they want me?" had soon been followed by "Who else could be after me?"
The questions pounded in his head, louder and louder, until he thought they might drive him mad.
Chase looked out the window and watched the busy streets of the vibrant city.
Time passed, and not long after he sat down, the caravans began to slowly move through the streets once more.
Michael tried to start multiple conversations with the quiet boy; however, it was of no use, as Chase remained silent for most of the ride.
Thoughts passed by as he patiently waited to arrive at the academy.
"Do you think the headmaster will let you attend Phoenix Academy?"
The question immediately pulled Chase from his state of rumination. He looked up at Michael, who had tilted his head, curiously waiting for an honest answer.
"I'm sure of it..."
'I have to be...'
The academy wasn't just a place—it was a promise, a chance to justify his survival. Anything less would mean his suffering had been for nothing.
So he needed to be sure of everything up until he finally brought his plan of revenge to fruition.
Michael's eyes lit up.
"Ya know, I'm going to Phoenix Academy too. Wanna be friends?"
Michael held his hand out to shake Chase's, but there was no return of the gesture.
He studied Michael's eager expression, and for a fleeting moment, Chase envied his simplicity.
Instead of shaking Michael's hand, he just shrugged at the child of Everfrost.
"Whatever."
The boy's eyes lit up.
"I'll take that as a yes," Michael said confidently as he nodded his head in satisfaction.
'Idiot…'
Chase thought harshly as he ignored the energetic boy, but some small part of him seemed to find comfort in the simplicity of making friends in the Kingdom of the Sun.
Time passed quickly with the random topics that Michael brought up consistently.
Of course, Chase did not converse back much; however, the overly happy boy did seem to make the day feel like a mere hour as the caravan began to climb the steep road that led up the foggy mountains.
The mountains loomed like ancient sentinels, their jagged peaks veiled in a heavy mist that rolled down the slopes like ghostly rivers.
The winding road grew narrower as they climbed, carved into the rock as if it had been etched by time itself. The fog hung thick in the air, muting the vibrant colors of the city below and shrouding the world in an eerie gray.
The cool mountain air bit at Chase's skin, carrying with it the faint scent of pine and damp earth. Every creak of the caravan's wheels echoed unnaturally, swallowed by the oppressive quiet of the fog.
The academy was waiting, and with it, the answers to the questions that haunted him. Whatever trials lay in his path, Chase vowed to face them head-on.
For now, all he could do was wait as the caravan pressed onward into the mist, the peaks above hidden, but his goal never clearer.