Dammit, this sucks!" Abell muttered to himself, pacing around the cold, damp cell. "I lost Genevieve's hilt, and I'm stuck in jail. Argh, what do I do now?" Frustration, anger, and self-doubt swirled inside him. He glanced toward the small window of his cell—already past sundown.
"Stupid star-eyed freak. Can't rely on him anymore," Abell spat, kicking the stone floor. "What happened to the promise I made to Mom? I was supposed to be on my way to the academy by now." He slumped against the wall, feeling more lost than ever.
Hugo's words from earlier echoed in his mind: "Your social skills suck." Abell gritted his teeth, irritated at the thought. That's when he noticed an older man locked in the adjacent cell, sitting quietly and staring out into the dimly lit hall.
"Hey, old man!" Abell called out, his frustration boiling over.
The man slowly turned, rubbing his eyes as though he'd just woken from a nap. "You talking to me?"
"Yeah, you look like you've been around. How can I get out of here?" Abell asked, eyeing him with impatience.
The old man gave him a long look before shaking his head. "You remind me of my son," he muttered. "No manners, no respect for your elders, and just plain arrogant." His voice grew louder with each word. "I finally get some peace from my family, come to this damn jail, and I still have to deal with a brat like you?"
Abell flinched, raising his hands defensively. "Okay, geez, sorry, sir."
The old man scoffed, pressing his face against the bars. "Good. You're already better than my son. Selfish bastard never listens. Anyway, what did you want?"
Abell, now more cautious, leaned against the bars, his tone softer. "I just need to know how to get out of here. There's something important I need to get back. I don't have time for this."
Meanwhile, the hooded thief stood in a quiet alley, staring at the broken sword. He ran his fingers over the hilt, the disappointment clear in his expression. "What a waste," he muttered. "Guess I'll just head back."
With a sigh, he tucked the broken hilt into his cloak. There was no point lingering here; he couldn't sell something so useless. Keeping to the shadows, he avoided the main streets, his steps deliberate and quiet. Drawing attention was the last thing he wanted now.
As he walked, his mind wandered back to the kid who had chased him with such determination. What's so important about a broken sword? He thought. He couldn't quite shake the memory of the boy's frustration and desperation. That kid's got fire, but for something so meaningless? He dismissed the thought quickly. Not my concern.
With his hood lowered, he merged with the shadows of the city, already focusing on his next move. But for some reason, the image of Abell's stubbornness stuck with him longer than expected.
"Listen, I get it. You want out, but even if you tried, they'd find you in no time." The man said, his voice tired. "The guards, or rather the Benedicts, have tight security. They know everyone who passes through this city."
He glanced up at the crest on the wall, a mocking smile crossing his face. "That owl isn't just for show."
Abell's gaze lingered on the crest, but frustration crept into his voice. "I see. But still, I've got to try."
The man groaned, clearly irritated. "You stubborn brat. Just wait until morning. The guards are always on high alert at night because of Malignants." He closed one eye, signaling he was done with the conversation and ready to sleep.
Abell let out a heavy sigh. "Thanks, sir. One last thing—what's your name?"
The man turned away, pulling his blanket tighter. "Camus. Now let me sleep."
With that, Abell settled back on the cold stone floor, his mind racing. He cursed Hugo for leaving him in this mess. How long would he be stuck here? And would he ever get the chance to find his sister's hilt again?
As Abell slept on the cold hard floor in his jail cell he suddenly woke up due to a weird tapping sound on the bars of his cell. As he looked up it was the same thief from the previous day. This instantly angered Abell, hoping he would see the thief again he was glad too.
"Came here to mock me?" Abell asked.
"No, I don't care about that. Here you can have this back it's worthless to me." He said throwing Abell his sister's sword. He started to walk away almost Immediately after.
"Wait that's it? You have nothing else to say?" Abell asked.
"No not particularly, if that's all I'm going."
"Argh what's with this cool guy act? You just stole something from me and now you're leaving."
"Yes, I gave you back the item what's the problem?"
As the thief turned to leave, Abell's grip tightened around his sister's broken sword, his anger still bubbling just beneath the surface. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears, the frustration and confusion swirling in his mind. He had his sword back, but the thief's cold, indifferent attitude only stoked the fire inside him.
"Don't think this is over," Abell called after him, his voice sharper than he intended.
The thief paused for a moment but didn't turn around. "It was never anything personal," he said, his voice distant. "But I don't have time for your games."
Abell took a step forward, holding the hilt tightly. "You're still a thief. You took what wasn't yours, and now you're walking away like nothing happened? You can't just get away with that."
The thief finally turned, his gaze calculating. "I'm not here to argue with you. I returned what I took, and that's more than most would do. So, what's your problem?"
Abell's grip on the sword tightened, and his body tensed. "My problem is that I don't like being played with." He took another step forward, his eyes burning with defiance. "So your not going anywhere."
Before the thief could respond, the sound of heavy boots echoed down the hall, followed by the unmistakable presence of someone approaching. Abell's instincts flared, and he turned quickly, ready to face whoever was coming.
Wido appeared in the hallway, his eyes flicking between Abell and the thief with an air of authority. The two locked eyes, and Abell's heart skipped a beat. The same bulky figure from the village—now standing in front of him with a smug grin.
"What's going on here?" Wido asked, his tone full of amusement. He took a few steps closer, his gaze lingering on Abell. "Another disturbance?"
"Just minding my business," the thief said, his voice calm, almost dismissive. "Nothing for you to worry about."
Wido's gaze sharpened, his posture tightening as he looked at Abell. "You're still making a scene, huh? After everything that's happened? I told you once already—I have no problem handling Issues." He looked at the thief. "And you, what are you doing here?"
The thief clearly annoyed said. "Just getting what I came for. No need to make a bigger deal out of this."
Wido's eyes narrowed, his hands getting ready to fight. "Not so fast. I don't like uninvited guests causing trouble in Master's cedris's jailhouse."
Abell didn't hesitate. "Screw you and Cedris, I'm tired of hearing all that, come fight me."
Wido chuckled darkly. "Insolent child, watch your mouth." His eyes filled opened frantically in anger."
Before Abell could react, Wido lunged forward at the prison bars with surprising speed for someone his size, swinging a heavy strike at the bars and Abell. He barely managed to dodge, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the follow-up, the blow catching him in the side and sending him crashing against the wall in his cell.
The thief took a step back, watching the fight unfold with detached interest. "This isn't my problem," he muttered
Abell gritted his teeth, his body aching from the blow. He wasn't backing down. He pushed himself up, pain shooting through him as he stood tall. "Is that all you got? He said with a smile"
Wido's grin grew wider, clearly enjoying the struggle. "You're stubborn, all rats are resilient but weak."
The thief's eyes flickered briefly to the opening he came from, his hand resting near a pouch at his waist. He knew this wasn't his fight, but for some reason he stayed which was uncharacteristic for him.
The hooded thief, who had been watching from the shadows, suddenly lunged at Wido with surprising speed. With a swift movement, the thief slashed at Wido's side, throwing him off balance.
"What the hell?" Wido growled, stumbling back, clearly surprised by the thief's sudden assault.
Abell's eyes widened, watching the thief act without hesitation. He couldn't believe it
—this was the same thief who had stolen from him. But now, they were on the same side.
"Another hooligan in my way, seriously it pains me to see this great city allow such filth enter," Wido said, taking a defensive stance due to the unexpected attack.
Abell didn't hesitate. Seeing his chance, he charged at Wido, his anger fueling his movements. The fight wasn't just his anymore-it was between him, Wido, and the thief who had taken his sister's memento. Together, they would face the man who had caused them both so much trouble.