The courtyard had fallen silent after the Mindbuggers' departure. Haze and Ghent's group teleported to an unknown location. No one knew where—at least, none of the newer kids. Those who've been here for a while pitied them for they knew how terrible and horrid the underground prison was. It was a place that forced you to reflect deeply on your actions and choices, often breaking your spirit in the process.
Haze had just completed a grueling week of punishment for defying orders. He'd spent those days laboring under the scorching sun in the fields and enduring the foul conditions of the facility's prison room. He was supposed to be released today, but his impulsive choices had landed him back in that miserable place.
In the facility, Haze wasn't someone who inspired loyalty or sympathy among the other kids. It wasn't that he was disliked; most simply didn't know him well enough to care. The real issue was the cliques that ruled this place. Groups like Ghent and his crew had already established their territories and alliances. Haze was one of the very few without a clique.
They were the outcasts, not because they wanted to be, but because of the fear surrounding them. Some of the kids here were avoided for reasons that were only murmured about, never openly confronted. Their unique powers, lineage, or abilities—whatever it was that set them apart also led to their isolation. Fear had that kind of effect.
The children in the facility ranged in age, most of them under seventeen. Kids who'd grown up steeped in hatred, vengeance, and bloodshed. They'd been taught to kill, to survive at any cost, to embrace the darkness that called out within them. Some had mastered hidden arts, forbidden spells, or the way of the sword. Their upbringing was not a choice, it was a burden. One forced upon them in a world devoid of mercy.
This facility was no stranger to death. Fights broke out, and sometimes they ended in bloodshed. It wasn't unusual for a child to kill another here. What happened after was a mystery—those who killed were taken by them and never seen again.
All of this happened within the borders of the White Kingdom, an empire that prided itself on power. Its mages were the strongest, its knowledge—unparalleled. But this dominion came at a cost, and at the heart of it all was a single figure—the undying Emperor, ruler of the White Kingdom.
×××
Kade sat in the corner of the dining hall, his back to the wall. He wasn't like the others—didn't belong to a clique and didn't care. Isolation suited him fine—it gave him space to focus, and kept him grounded. Unlike most of the kids here, Kade had no family to speak of, no legacy to uphold. He had grown up on the streets, living as a vagabond, surviving on scraps and wits.
Though he despised confinement, he found a strange, bitter solace in the noise of the facility. The chatter and clatter reminded him of the world outside, the one he had been ripped from. But it wasn't enough—not enough to justify enduring the life of a prisoner, a pawn. He was done with being treated like one. Kade had a plan, one that drove him forward every day. A goal that aligned him, however selfishly, with Haze: escape.
He had watched with searing contempt as Haze was taken away. Of all people, he understood better than anyone how pointless reckless behavior was, that making impulsive decisions will most certainly lead him down the same path. Stirring up trouble only to end up in the same predicament as Haze—taken to that cubical, unforgiving place, was completely out of the question—at least, that's what he kept telling himself. Amidst his plotting, he couldn't help but question himself. Why do I bother? What will I get out of this? He didn't know the answer. But one thing was for certain, he was tired of being idle, tired of sitting around and doing nothing.
"Kade.." Yuri called out softly, interrupting his thoughts. She sat across from him at the table, her tray untouched. Her hands folded in on her laps, fear evident in her demeanor. "It wasn't his fault," she muttered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't wa—"
"Stop," his tone sharp and raw. "His fault or not, no one gives a shit."
His words were harsh, as though something were concealed beneath them. Pain, maybe? Frustration. Yuri looked at him, her eyes searching for the humanity he tried so hard to bury.
He leaned back, relaxed and calm. "Look around, who's looking at you? No one cares and you know it. So tell me, what exactly is your relationship with him?"
He asked, raising a brow.
Yuri stayed silent. She felt he was going to mock her, she couldn't understand the type of person Kade was. She barely knew him. All she knew was he and Haze were somehow close, unsure if they were close enough to be called friends. In every training session, he and Haze always paired up, pushing each other in ways that often left others in awe or disbelief.
Kade kept his gaze on her, his expression unreadable as though waiting for a reply he already knew wouldn't come. A heavy silence hung between them, stretching far too long for his liking. With a sigh, he stood, his movements measured, purposeful.
"I'm guessing you'll be fine on your own?" he said, more a statement than a question. He got tired, he wasn't one to linger. Not when he needed to stay focused.
Yuri's eyes widened briefly, caught off guard by the abruptness of it all. For a fleeting moment, she thought to stop him, to ask why he cared about Haze or if he even cared at all. But the words never came. Instead, she nodded in bitter acceptance. There was no point in arguing—not with him. Kade wasn't someone you stopped or reasoned with. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and for reasons only he understood.