The moment Rin broke away from Tobias, he felt a rush of vindication. Every step he took away from the group was a declaration of defiance. He wasn't going to sit around and waste precious time while someone like Tobias floundered in indecision.
The others who had followed him—five in total—watched him expectantly as he led them deeper into the palace grounds. Rin tried to project confidence, walking with purpose even though his heart was racing.
"Where are we going?" a boy named Larrin asked.
"To find Reeta," Rin replied shortly.
"Yes, but how?" a girl named Faya pressed, her voice tinged with skepticism. "Do you know where to look?"
"We'll figure it out," Rin snapped. "Stop questioning me and keep moving."
The group exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing more.
---
The deeper they ventured into the palace, the more suffocating the air became. The corridors seemed to close in on them, the dim torchlight casting eerie shadows that flickered like ghostly figures.
Rin's mind raced as he tried to piece together a plan. He replayed every training session, every map they'd studied, searching for a clue that might lead him to Reeta. But his thoughts were a jumbled mess, clouded by fear and guilt.
"Rin," Faya said after a while, her voice softer this time. "We've been walking for nearly an hour. Shouldn't we check—"
"I know what I'm doing!" Rin snapped, his frustration boiling over.
"Do you?" Larrin challenged, stopping in his tracks. "Because it feels like we're just wandering in circles."
Rin spun around, glaring at the boy. "If you think you can do better, go ahead!"
"That's not the point," Faya said, stepping between them. "We're wasting time. Tobias might have already found her while we're out here chasing shadows."
"Tobias doesn't care about her like I do," Rin said through gritted teeth. "He wouldn't risk everything to save her."
"And you think you're risking everything?" Larrin shot back. "All you've done is drag us along without a plan."
"I'm doing this for Reeta!" Rin shouted.
"No," Faya said quietly. "You're doing this for yourself."
---
The words hit Rin like a blow. For a moment, he stood there, stunned into silence.
"I'm trying to save her," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
"And what if you don't?" Faya asked. "What if she dies because you couldn't put your pride aside and work with the others?"
"I—" Rin started, but the words caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say.
The group fell silent, the weight of Faya's words settling over them like a shroud.
--
Hours later, the kathlok began to regroup in the central courtyard. Rin arrived with his group, his shoulders slumped, his face pale. He'd accomplished nothing. Every hallway, every hidden chamber he'd searched had been empty. And the worst part was that he knew—deep down—that Faya had been right.
As the groups returned, one by one, the news spread quickly: Reeta had been found.
"She was in the hunting grounds," Tobias said, his voice flat.
"How is she?" Shera asked, her voice trembling.
"Alive," Tobias replied. "Barely. They locked her in a cage and left her there to die."
A wave of relief swept through the group, but it was short-lived.
"What about Ergor?" someone asked.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Elair stepped forward, his face pale but grim. "We found him," he said quietly.
"And?"
"He didn't make it."
---
Hysteria.
The news hit the kathlok like a thunderclap.
"No!" Shera cried, sinking to her knees.
"That's impossible," another boy muttered, shaking his head. "Ergor was... he was just training with us this morning."
"How did he die?" Faya asked, her voice shaking.
"They left him in a cell with no ventilation,He suffocated. He died alone and scared" Elair said, his jaw clenched. "By the time we found him, it was too late."
A chorus of cries and shouts erupted. Some orphans screamed in frustration, others collapsed in grief. The air was thick with panic and despair.
Rin stood frozen, the world spinning around him.
This is my fault, he thought. If I hadn't split off, maybe we could've found him in time.
---
The chaos came to an abrupt halt as Ryker strode into the courtyard. His presence was like a cold wind, silencing the kathlok instantly.
He stood at the center, his piercing gaze sweeping over the group.
"You failed," he said simply.
The words were a dagger to the heart.
"Ergor is dead because of your incompetence," Ryker continued. "Because of your lack of discipline. Your lack of teamwork."
His voice was calm, almost detached, but it carried an edge that sent shivers down their spines.
"This was not a test of your strength or skill. It was a test of your ability to work together. And you failed."
Ryker's gaze landed on Rin, who flinched under the weight of his stare.
"Some of you let your emotions cloud your judgment," Ryker said. "You put your own desires above the needs of the group. And now, one of you is dead."
Rin felt his chest tighten, guilt and shame threatening to suffocate him.
"But let me be clear," Ryker continued. "Ergor's death is not solely your fault. His weakness also played a part. The price of weakness is death."
The kathlok stared at him in stunned silence.
"This is only the beginning," Ryker said. "If you cannot learn to work together, more of you will die. That is the reality of this world. Accept it, or perish."
---
The Fight
As soon as Ryker left, the tension in the courtyard erupted.
"This is your fault," Elair snarled, rounding on Rin.
Rin blinked, stunned. "What?"
"You heard me," Elair spat. "You're the reason Ergor's dead. You went off on your own, dragging half the group with you, and for what? To play hero?"
"I was trying to save Reeta!" Rin shouted.
"And you failed!" Elair shot back. "You had no plan, no clue what you were doing. You just wanted to prove you're better than Tobias, but guess what? You're not."
Rin's hands curled into fists. "Don't act like you're any better, Elair. You were with Tobias, and you still couldn't save Ergor!"
"At least we tried!" Elair shouted. "All you did was waste time and lives."
The two boys lunged at each other, but Mukt stepped between them, pushing them apart with surprising strength.
"Enough!" Tobias snapped, his voice cutting through the tension. "This isn't helping."
Rin turned away, his chest heaving with anger and frustration.
---
The courtyard was eerily silent that night. The kathlok huddled in small groups, their faces pale and haunted.
Reeta sat apart from the others, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Athlair sat beside her, his expression hollow.
"We could've died," Reeta whispered, her voice barely audible.
"But you didn't," Athlair said.
"Ergor did." Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in her hands.
Nearby, Rin sat alone, staring at the ground. Faya approached him cautiously, sitting down beside him.
"You're not the only one who blames yourself," she said softly.
Rin didn't reply.
"I know you were trying to help," she continued. "But sometimes, trying isn't enough."
Rin clenched his fists, his knuckles white. "I thought I could save her. I thought... I thought if I just tried hard enough, it would be enough."
"It's never that simple," Faya said.
Across the courtyard, Tobias sat with Mukt and Shera.
"We're not going to make it out of this alive, are we?" Shera asked, her voice trembling.
Tobias didn't answer right away. "Some of us will," he said finally. "But not all of us."
Mukt nodded silently, his expression grim.
The night stretched on, heavy with fear and regret. No one slept.
For the first time, the kathlok truly understood what they had gotten themselves into.
---